The Unwilling: A Novel

The Unwilling: A Novel by Kelly Braffet
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I read an ARC of this book.
This was a very dark, depressing book with hardly any redeeming qualities. Four children are forced to grow up together in a fortress in an oppressive totalitarian state, and are neglected at the best of times and horribly abused at the worst (and that abuse is often depicted graphically). If some relief or respite from the horrific mistreatment of these characters occurred, then perhaps the book might have been better. But it seemed that no matter what, life would never get better for them. Outside of these 4 characters, the other people depicted in the book also led dismal hopeless lives. I kept waiting for something to happen to make things even a little bit better, but when that seemingly might happen, nothing really changed.
The unlikable characters, graphic depictions of physical and mental abuse, and--sorry for the spoiler--detailed description of a pregnant woman being mauled, killed, and eaten by dogs, really made this story hard to trudge through. And at the end, there was no real resolution. I really feel that I wasted a great deal of time reading a book with no real point or purpose. I would not recommend this book to anyone, and I will not be reading any subsequent books in what I can only hope will be a series (because even though I really don't care what happens to these characters, I will feel less like I wasted my time reading this book if I can believe that at some point at least a couple of them might end up, if not happy, then maybe better off than they were at any point in Book 1).


View all my reviews

Shark's Edge (Shark's Edge: #1)

Shark's Edge by Angel Payne
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I received an Advance Copy of this book.
I was not a fan. I knew this was the first in a series, but I didn't realize that the story between the two main characters would not wrap up by the end of this book. So I did not enjoy that. Major plot points were just touched on and I would have liked more elaboration. Where was the mystery and suspense? The book seemed to focus on the relationship between the two main characters, but really nothing happened between them. It got boring and repetitive. And I did not at all like the way Seb treated women, especially the main character--throughout the book, even at the end. That was just ridiculous. I do not plan on reading the other books in this series.


View all my reviews

In Search of Truth (Deadly Force: #3)

In Search of Truth by Sharon  Wray
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This had the bones to be a very good book. But it was not. From the very beginning, I felt like I was dropped into the story with little to no explanation about what was going on. Very strange circumstances and activities occurred that did not even cause the characters to bat an eyelash, which left me confused and not at all sure what was going on. As the story progressed, the plot became very cheesy and melodramatic, and glaring holes in the story emerged. How could a 7 year-old (who is writing a report for summer school [what 1st grader writes a report...for summer school?]) uncover obscure information about a pirate who died centuries before that a woman who has earned a PhD and is currently researching that same pirate had never come across? At that point the book just really started to go downhill for me. The characters never evolved or developed; they were very flat. And there were so many characters with random storylines that I got confused as to who was who, who was supposed to be a "bad guy," and what exactly was going on.
I really tried to like this book because the premise seemed interesting, and I love the setting, but it was just too disjointed and unrealistic for me (who continuously uses their fireplace in the middle of the summer in Charleston, SC?)


View all my reviews

The Treadstone Resurrection (Treadstone: #1)

The Treadstone Resurrection by Joshua Hood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an interesting book. I really enjoyed it until about 2/3 of the way through, and then it seemed to kind of get bogged down when it should have gotten more exciting. It picked back up again towards the very end. It was a quick, light, easy read though, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys action thrillers.


View all my reviews

Belle Revolte

Belle Révolte by Linsey Miller
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I could not get into this book. From the very beginning, I just could not relate to the characters. Why would a person make an INSTANTANEOUS life-altering decision with absolutely no hesitation or even real pondering--especially when that decision would be dangerous and could affect others. Why, when being confronted with the choice to participate in something dangerous, illogical, and impetuous, would a person just "go along with it'? I just could not get behind these characters, their decisions, and their motivations from the get-go.


View all my reviews

Dead Voices (Small Spaces: #2)

Dead Voices by Katherine Arden
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

While a feeling of isolation and creepiness was well-established, many of the other-worldly occurrences in the book were telegraphed to the reader, and so things that should have been unsettling and even frightening were expected. I was not a fan.


View all my reviews

The Ten Thousand Doors of January

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While this book is very hard to categorize, I thoroughly enjoyed it. From January's story to the story of the adventuress that January discovers, I had a very hard time putting this book down. This book was about journeys, and each journey, whether it was literal or figurative, was meaningful, interesting, and valuable. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, coming-of-age stories, magical realism, YA, science fiction, or historical novels. It was a great book and deserves a second reading.


View all my reviews

Rewind

Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting mystery and I really enjoyed reading it. The premise of "rewinding" and "fast-forwarding" the tape through time really worked well in the telling of the story, and in holding the interest of the reader. I had a hard time putting the book down and would recommend this to anyone who enjoys mysteries and suspense.


View all my reviews

Space Witch

Space Witch by Don Freeman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was one of my favorite Halloween books when I was young--it wasn't Halloween unless I had read Space Witch! I love the illustrations; they really add to the story. I also like the aspect that Tilly's journey through space could most certainly have been "real," but it also might just have been all in her imagination. This book is fun and a bit creepy without being too scary. 4.5 stars!


View all my reviews

Sparkly New Friends (Unicorn and Yeti: #1)

Sparkly New Friends: An Acorn Book by Heather Ayris Burnell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This a a fun book for kids who are making the transition from picture books to chapter books. The graphic novel format makes the story easy to read and follow along with for young readers. Finishing each chapter help create a feeling of confidence and accomplishment.
Following along as Yeti and Unicorn meet each other, learn to get along, and become friends is fun for readers, and the bright illustrations add to the story. (My daughter, who is not a confident reader, loved the book, has read it multiple times on her own, and can't wait to read the next in the series.) I would recommend this to young and/or struggling readers, or anyone who loves unicorns, magic and things that are sparkly.


View all my reviews

The Living God (The Living God: #1)

The Living God by Kaytalin   Platt
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I tried with this one. I really did. The cover is gorgeous. But as soon as I started reading, I was confused, more confused, and then disappointed.
Saran is a princess and a mage, and is seeking to overthrow her tyrannical father along with the help of her true love Keleir, who happens to be possessed by a demon. The two must keep their love a secret, along with their plans to lead a revolt.
It sounds like a promising and exciting story. But just a few pages in I felt like I was missing something, The farther I got in the book the more I felt like I had missed important backstory, to the point where I double-checked to make sure this was not the second installment of a series. It just seemed like A LOT of important things happened in the past, and instead of characters just referring to those things, the reader should have experienced them along with the characters. The literal world-jumping was a bit of a shock, too, and instead of adding to the story it just took me right out of it.
This book was just not for me. I would not recommend it.


View all my reviews

Special Agent Maximilian

Special Agent Maximilian by Mimi Barbour
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

As a newcomer to the Romantic Suspense genre, I was looking forward to reading this book, because it sounded very interesting. A man finds out he has an identical twin and then discovers he must impersonate his FBI agent twin in order to solve a crime, along with his twin's partner.
The story just started off rocky for me, however, and never really recovered. We were told a lot of things in the story--the twins' backstory, the personality traits of each character, the development of relationships--instead of being shown. That took away from the emotional connection to the story and the characters. Also the way the characters talked felt jarring and unnatural. There were way too many exclamation points at the end of statements, and things that just did not sound like something a normal person would say in the course of an actual conversation. The two main characters attraction to each other also felt very inorganic and forced. I found myself skimming by halfway through.
I would not recommend this book and will not read anyting by this author again. I was disappointed.


View all my reviews

Those People

Those People by Louise Candlish
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
Having read another book by this author I was excited to read this book. It was original and I did not want to put it down, but in the end I was left a bit unsatisfied.
When new neighbors move in to the house at the end of the street, the rest of the people in the surrounding houses are taken aback, first because they didn't realize the house was even for sale, and then because these new people just don't seem to fit in. They play loud music at all hours, keep junk vehicles in their yard, don't abide by the neighborhood "rules," and are standoffish at best--rude at worst. The resentment the original inhabitants of the neighborhood grows and escalates, causing tension in their own personal lives. And then one day someone loses their life. The first half of the book deals with the weeks leading up to the suspicious death, and the second half deals with the aftermath and the search for the truth behind what really happened.
The author does a great job creating the people who live on this street, and their motivations behind keeping their neighborhood a safe haven. The story threads and plot are woven well through the 1st half, if not the first two-thirds of the book. But when the book begins to move toward its conclusion, and the mystery begins to be unraveled, the story begins to feel underwhelming. I kind of had the feeling of, "Hhmmmm...oh well!" What should have been a twisty-turny exciting ending was not that at all.
It was not a bad book, it was just not an amazing book. I would recommend it if you enjoy mystery and domestic thriller novels. And I will read more by this author.


View all my reviews

Cursed

Cursed by Thomas Wheeler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
As a huge fan of Arthurian lore and legend I was very excited to read this book. It was a "fresh" take on the story from the point of view of Nimue. She has always been treated as an outcast in her tribe, despite the fact that her mother was the leader of their Druid village. One day after trying to make her escape, Nimue is faced with the massacre of her village, the death of her mother, the discovery of an ancient magical sword, and the meeting of a young man named Arthur. She feels her only option to save the rest of her land from the same fate her own people suffered is to get the mystical sword to a fabled sorcerer named Merlin. The story follows Nimue on her journey to find Merlin and discover for herself why fate has tied her to him, to Arthur, and to the sword.
While to book started off great, it didn't take long for the story to seem disjointed. The narrative followed several different characters, from their points of view, including Nimue, Merlin, Uther Pendragon, Morgan, and others. By the middle of the book it never felt like the story was moving to a set, cohesive point. It just felt like everyone was wandering about the countryside, wondering what they should do next. When the "climax" of the story finally came, it was underwhelming. What was supposed to be an epic moment and exciting cliffhanger just came off, to me, as a bit disappointing. By the end, I wasn't really sure what the "point" of the story was supposed to be. Without giving away spoilers, Nimue's "origin story" just left me saying, "Oh...really...that's it? Okay..."
The version I read was an ARC, so I'm sure the illustrations will change for the final version. They were very interesting, however.
If you are a fan of Arthur and the legends surrounding him, this might be worth checking out for you. Many of the characters' names will be recognizable, if not their "traditional" roles in the legends. I will probably give the next book in the series a chance, just to see if some of the things I found lacking in this book are made up for in the next installment.


View all my reviews

Every Last Breath (Final Hour: #1)

Every Last Breath by Juno Rushdan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun quick read. I don't read too many romantic suspense novels, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one, and would like to read more by this author.
Maddox is a covert black-ops officer who finds herself tasked with stopping a dangerous mercenary from handing over a virulent strain of small-pox to a terrorist. Her only option for success in her mission is trusting Cole, the man who broke her heart and devastated her world years earlier. Both Maddox and Cole must learn to put their feelings aside in order to hunt down their enemy and save the United States, and the world. They might just be able to resolve their issues and find a way to trust each other again.
I enjoyed this book. Maddox and Cole were relatable (as much as incredibly fit, well-trained back-ops officers can be!). But their actions and motivations seemed organic and realistic. I usually don't enjoy books in which the characters share a past that the reader was not privy to, but in this case their past was revealed in a timely manner and did not slow down the story or make me feel as though I was missing out on anything by not knowing was was going on from the beginning.
The action also really added to the story. Sometimes descriptions of fights or hand-to-hand combat can get boring or seem like filler. The author did a great job of describing the actions scenes in a way that helped the reader picture what was happening and contributing to the personalities of the characters.
I liked the secondary characters as well. Maddox's team was made up of people who I would like to read more about, and the villain was appropriately scary and borderline psychotic.
The chemistry between Maddox and Cole also contributed to the story and helped the reader feel a connection with the characters. I believed their relationship was complicated, intense, and unavoidable.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of romantic suspense, and I would also love to read the next books in this series.


View all my reviews

The Poison Thread

The Poison Thread by Laura  Purcell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I really enjoyed reading this book. The story of Ruth, a poor young girl essentially sold into apprenticeship to a milliner, is told--by Ruth--to a wealthy young woman, Dorothea, who believes it is her duty to visit the inhabitants of Oakgate Prison. Ruth is in the prison awaiting her day in court; she has been accused of murder, and tells Dorothea that she has killed multiple times--through her talents as a seamstress. Dorothea knows that cannot be true, but isn't quite sure if Ruth is lying, or insane. Dorothea seeks to uncover the truth, as well as use the "science" of phrenology to discover whether or not Ruth can be saved--both physically and morally. As the tale unfolds, the reader discovers that Dorothea has an even greater stake in Ruth's story, and the truth could set them both "free."
I found Ruth to be a fascinating character. The story begins with Ruth's burgeoning efforts at sewing. She discovers she is naturally adept and takes on a larger role in helping her mother complete her commissions in order to earn money for their family. As she continues honing her skill, Ruth begins to suspect her talent may have a more sinister side. When Ruth's life takes several tragic turns, Ruth uses her skills to exact the only revenge open to her as an abused apprentice to an apparently unhinged milliner. The reader sees Ruth develop and follows her journey. All of Ruth's motivations, actions, and decisions feel organic.
Dorothea is not quite as sympathetic as Ruth, especially at the beginning of the book, when the reader is comparing Ruth's family's struggle to keep food on the table to Dorothea's complaints about inviting people she does not like to her 25th birthday party. That dichotomy, however, serves to show just how different the two characters lives actually are. As Dorothea's part of the story unfolds, her language and sense of urgency as she describes the struggles she is facing closely resemble the feelings and thoughts of Ruth. The reader sees that Dorothea truly believes she is facing grim circumstances.
As the book moves towards its conclusion, facts are slowly hinted at and then revealed that call into question Ruth's beliefs about her powers, and Dorothea's beliefs about the seriousness of her fate.
The plot and pacing of this book was great. The book got a bit slower in the beginning when Dorothea was the narrator, but that served to show just how different she was from Ruth. Dorothea came across as a bit spoiled, sheltered, and naive. By the end of the book, however, that view was definitely challenged.
The book was well-researched and the setting and descriptions served to transport the reader back in time. From the living conditions of the genteel poor to the daily routine of the apprentices, everything was immersive. The smells, sights, sounds, and textures were evocative and tangible.
I really could find nothing about this book that I didn't like or that I would change. I truly enjoyed reading it all the way through to the conclusion. I would recommend it to anyone how enjoys historical novels, literary fiction, magical realism, and mystery.


View all my reviews

Loch of the Dead: A Novel (Frey & McGray: #4)

Loch of the Dead: A Novel by Oscar de Muriel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was engrossing, suspenseful, intriguing, and a bit creepy. Despite it being the fourth book in a series, it worked quite well as a stand-alone book, but it also made me want to read about the other cases of Frey & McGray.
In this book, McGray hears of the healing waters of a small spring in remote Loch Maree in the HIghlands of Scotland. A prospective client offers to bring McGrey to these waters, which he believes may heal his sister of her madness, in return for his help in protecting her son, whose life has been threatened. Upon arriving at Loch Maree, both Frey and McGray are confronted with an eccentric family, strange occurrences, old folklore, a madman, and murder. The longer they spend on the eerie island, the deeper they find themselves in the disturbing mystery, until macabre and menacing events lead to a frightening conclusion.
I found this book to be very hard to put down. Both Frey and McGray were wonderful characters, and it was interesting so see events unfold from their different points-of-view. The author did a wonderful job of evoking the gloomy Highlands setting and the unsettling environment of the Koloman's manor home. From the descriptions of the heady wine to the details of sinister sacred island, I felt completely immersed in the story. It was well-thought-out, well-researched, and interesting while still being entertaining.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries, historical fiction, spooky stories, or is a fan of Sherlock Holmes. I will definitely read the other installments of Frey & McGray.


View all my reviews

Lord Bredon and the Bachelor's Bible (The House of Lovell: #2)

Lord Bredon and the Bachelor’s Bible by Mia Marlowe
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I did not finish this book. Lord Bredon seemed stilted, I wasn't sure what to think about Anne, and Miss Finch was unpleasant. The way the characters acted seemed choppy and the story did not flow well. This book was not for me.


View all my reviews

Wicked with the Scoundrel (Wicked Secrets: #3)

Wicked with the Scoundrel by Elizabeth   Bright


I was not able to finish this book. While the premise of a young woman in Regency England wanting an archeological adventure seemed very interesting, it did not pan out. Claire was not relatable or realistic at all. She knew her actions were perceived as strange, odd, and "bad ton" by most of her acquaintances, and yet she still seemed shocked and flabbergasted when people reacted negatively to the things she did or said. It is one thing to know you are "different" and act accordingly, but not care. It is another thing to know you are "different" and yet continually be amazed by other people's reactions to you. She should have either not realized her actions were not in keeping with accepted societal norms, or not cared. I just didn't get it.


View all my reviews

Nottingham

Nottingham by Nathan Makaryk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
Wow. This book was not at all what I was expecting. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a retelling of the Robin Hood legend, but to just label it as that would be great disservice. This novel explores how legends are created, how politics work--on a global scale and on an individual one, how people's opinions are formed and how that motivates their actions, and how there never really is "a bad guy" and "a good guy."
The book begins with Richard the Lionheart on his Crusade, and then we discover how Robin of Locksley and his good friend William de Wendenal fit into that picture. Back in England, the reader sees how one woman trying help those who are "less fortunate" leads to Robin and William being sent back home. Neither one wants to leave their king and the Crusade, but once they arrive back in the place where Robin grew up, they find themselves drawn into local conflicts until they have created a knot it will be impossible to untangle. Along the way the reader meets the Sheriff of Nottingham, Guy of Gisborne, Maid Marion, Prince John, and many of the "Merry" Men, including Little John and Will Scarlet. By the end of the book the reader has a version of Robin Hood that has been picked apart and turned on its head, and will leave the reader satisfied and yet feeling almost bereaved.
By looking at events and situations from several different narrators and points-of-view, the reader truly sees everything from all sides. It is apparent how one person's seemingly inconsequential little mistake can have massive repercussions. The reader sees how one person can believe he or she is absolutely in the right and chooses a course of action because of that, but yet how anther person can view those actions as entirely wrong. I personally found almost all of the characters to be sympathetic, and it was easy to see how and why they believed their actions were justified.
This was a long book, but it needs to be a long book. Taking one period of history and making it a microcosm of politics in general requires time, attention, and detail. I never once felt that the book was too long or that things were too drawn-out or boring.
The book was not perfect. There were some anachronisms and things that couldn't have happened in 1191. But it did not take away from the story of my enjoyment of the book.
This book really made be think about people--their beliefs and motivations--and how that influences their decision-making and their actions. No one in this book is completely right, and no one is completely wrong. Even the one or two characters who don't have many redeeming qualities have one or two moments when they do the "right" thing.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history or politics. Or how politics can affect and "create" history. This was a great book.


View all my reviews

Layover

Layover by David      Bell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
This book sounded intriguing, so I definitely wanted to give it a try. In it, a young man named Joshua, who is constantly traveling for his job, has a chance encounter with a mysterious woman in an airport. Although their time together is very short, Joshua decides to abandon his travel plans and try to follow her. Along the way Joshua discovers that this woman is tangled up in a disappearance, a theft, corporate intrigue, and possibly murder. If he can find her, then he believes he can help her, if only she will let him.
While I found this to be a quick, easy, and enjoyable read, I did have one big problem with the book. And that problem happened right off the bat. The whole book is constructed upon the fact that Joshua feels this undeniable connection to this woman, Morgan, which he cannot ignore. On the basis of this connection he decided to disregard his work and family obligations in order to find this woman and try to build on that. As the reader I, however, found this relationship between Joshua and Morgan to be extremely flimsy. The encountered each other VERY briefly at a gift shop, and then shared a couple of drinks at an airport bar. So, in my mind at least, they probably spent all of 45 minutes together, tops (I felt like it was more like 20 minutes). And then the reader has to believe that after this short time Joshua decides to change his flight, leave his father hanging with a very important business meeting, book a new flight that he **hopes** Morgan might be on, and then makes a fool of himself when he does manage to find her. And the whole rest of the book is just Joshua chasing Morgan around, trying to get her to let him help her.
Which leads me to my other problem with the book. Morgan did not want or need Joshua's help, and she made that very clear to him, on several occasions. She was constantly leaving him, running away from him, being rude towards him, lying to him, and trying to get him to leave her alone. If the reader is supposed to "take Joshua's side" in all of this, Morgan's actions make her seem unlikable, untrustworthy, and undeserving of his friendship and loyalty. If the reader is supposed to "take Morgan's side," her actions make Joshua look like an obsessed and stalker-like creep. So I was not really sure what to think about either one of the main characters.
The plot pacing could have been better as well. There was a big confrontation with a lot of tension and suspense, and I thought to myself, "Well, that was quick, but it's okay, this is exciting." I thought it was the big climax of the story. Then I looked and I was only about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through the book. So then I had a sense of being let-down.
If I overlooked the fact that I did not believe Joshua had any reason to go gallivanting all over Tennessee and Kentucky chasing an ungrateful woman he'd spent about 30 minutes with, and that the same woman was an unsympathetic and unlikable character, then the book was okay. Ironically, at two different times in the book Joshua talks about picking up a mindless suspense/thriller novel in airport gift shops that he can read without much thought or effort. This book falls into that category, as well. If you want a quick easy read to while-away some time while waiting an an airport or doctor's office, then this book is for you.


View all my reviews

Kissing Ezra Holtz (and Other Things I Did for Science)

Kissing Ezra Holtz by Brianna R. Shrum
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I tried really hard with this one, and the premise sounded great. But Amalia was just soooo unlikable that I didn't want to read it. I felt bad for Ezra for having to put up with her. She seemed lazy, fickle, moody, and unpleasant to be around. Some may not agree with my opinion, but this one just didn't work for me.


View all my reviews

The Winter of the Witch (Winternight Trilogy: #3)

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this conclusion to the Winternight Trilogy. In this last book, Vasya must do her best to save her people, her country, and the ancient inhabitants of her land. She has to find a way to do this seemingly on her own, as Morozko is lost to her and many of the people who were once her friends and allies are now distrusting of her. Vasya not only travels through Russia but also through time and through a land of myth and legend in order to find a way to heal her land and find a way to reconcile the old ways with the new.
This was a great ending to Vasya's story, and I was sad to see it end. As in each installment, the weaving of realistic elements (the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes) with the mythical elements created a fantastic blend and engrossing aspect to Vasya's journey.
The history, folklore, characterizations, setting, and overall great writing really came together to create a wonderful series that I would highly recommend. I think anyone who enjoys reading historical books, YA, fantasy, or folklore would enjoy this series.


View all my reviews

Beasts of the Frozen Sun (Frozen Sun Saga: # 1)

Beasts of the Frozen Sun by Jill Criswell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
This sounded like a great book, but it just really fell flat for me. Lira is a soul-reader and the princess of her clan, and encounters a warrior one night while her village is being attacked. Lira saves the warrior instead of turning him over to her family, and realizes she has a connection to him that goes back many years. She learns while trying to heal his wounds that his name is Reyker, and he does not want to follow the Beasts of the Frozen Sun, but has no choice. As various forces conspire to hurt Lira and Reyker, Lira must decide who to trust and how to save her home.
I think my biggest problem with the book was the plot. It just felt very aimless. I kept thinking something big was about to happen to kick-start the action, and that Lira and Reyker would be forced to work together to find a way to defeat their enemies. But it just seemed like they were stuck in an endless cycle of "Reyker is hurt/captured/imprisoned and Lira must save him and then Lira feels trapped by her culture/clan/family/religion and must find a way to escape, maybe with Reyker's help." It felt like one-step-forward-two-steps-back without any progress in action or character development.
I also felt very fuzzy on the backstory/world-building of the book. I was confused about they mythology of their home and needed more clarification. Were Lira's powers good? Was her religion good? I don't know.
The secondary characters were also not well-fleshed out. Lira's friends were one-dimensional and I kept getting members of her family confused.
This book just wasn't for me.


View all my reviews

The Night Agent

The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While this is different from most books I usually read, I decided to take a chance on this one, and I am so glad I did. It was exciting, suspenseful, and hard to put down.
Peter is a vigilant by-the-book FBI agent who, due to his checkered past, winds up working the night-shift in the White House Situation Room. His only job is to monitor one phone, answer it if it rings, and give whatever information he might receive to one of two people. While his job is seemingly boring and perhaps pointless, Peter takes it very seriously, and is ready when, one night, the phone finally does ring. That one very short phone call leads to events that will completely turn Peter's life on its head. He is soon drawn into a conspiracy involving assassinations, Russian double-agents, acts of terrorism, and moles in the White House. Peter must decide of following the rules he has strictly adhered to all his life are worth ignoring the threat to the United States.
Peter was a great character, and it was interesting to see his journey throughout the book. The prologue gave hint about what would happen and it seemed crazed and frightening, but by the end of book everything made total sense. I wasn't quite sure about the character of Rose, however. Although a few portions of the book were told from her point of view, I still didn't feel like I had a great handle on her. I think that if the reader did not have information from her perspective, it might have ramped up the tension even more in the final chapters.
Some secrets were revealed early on, and some were left to unfold in later chapters, but it was all very well done.
All in all, this was a fast-paced, action-filled thriller with a believable plot in today's world. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes to read adventure, political-thrillers, suspense, or espionage dramas. It certainly made me want to read more books in this genre.


View all my reviews

While You Sleep

While You Sleep by Stephanie Merritt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
This was an atmospheric mystery set on a remote Scottish island. Zoe, an artist, has rented a remote house to escape her troubled marriage back in America and is looking for a fresh start and a place to paint again. What she does not know is that the house has dark history, including the mysterious disappearance of a young boy several months earlier. The longer Zoe is in the house, the more strange and unsettling events occur, until she begins for fear for her sanity and her life.
It was hard to put this book down, and I really enjoyed reading about the wild Scottish setting and the tiny village and its residents. The spooky and ominous atmosphere of the house was very well-conveyed.
I had a hard time with Zoe, however. She did not get one good night of sleep in that house. For me personally, if I had one bad night, I might stay for one more, but after that, I would have been out of there. I can understand, after reading the whole book, that she may not have wanted to return home to America, but she could have found another place to stay in the UK! Zoe's stubborn and oddly irrational insistence that she stay made her become slightly unrelatable. I know that as the reader we are supposed to wonder a bit at her sanity, but her refusal to leave that house wasn't believable.
I also had a bit of an issue with the sexual aspect of the book. It seemed added in just to be titillating but didn't really serve to add to the story. When I was finished with the book as was thinking back on it, I just kept wondering what purpose it really served. The ancient origins of the dark history of the house were not explained well at all.
The ending, while conveniently "happy," left me dissatisfied.  This was a quick easy read and if you are looking for something to read on a dark and stormy night (and don't might gratuitous sex that really doesn't make sense in the long run), then pick up this book.


View all my reviews

The Girl in the Tower (Winternight Trilogy: # 2)

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very good follow-up to The Bear and the Nightingale. While the book started off slowly for me, focusing mainly on Vasya's sister and brother, once Vasya (literally) rode back into the picture, everything picked back up. Vasya had to find her place in the city of Moscow, trying to please her sister, her brother, the Grand Prince, her old friend (?) Morozko, and most importantly, herself. With the threats of being accused of witchcraft, having her true identity revealed, contracting an unwanted marriage, and helping to defend her people against invasion, Vasya must decide who she is, as well as who she wants to be.
The author, as in the first book, does wonderful job of transporting the reader back to medieval Russia, with all the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. I felt as though I could feel the steam of the bathhouses, see the muddy sludge of melting snow, and smell the inside of the towers where the women were confined.
While this is the second book in this series, the ending wraps up the action in the book quite nicely. The story was exciting, well-developed, and compelling. While the very end seemed just a little bit rushed, it didn't bother me.
This is a very good series, steeped in folklore and Russian history with a very strong heroine at the center. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA, Fantasy, Adventure, Folklore, and/or Russian history.


View all my reviews

The Confessions of Frannie Langston

The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara  Collins
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
What sounded like an interesting historical mystery about a former slave from a Jamaican sugar plantation who is on trial for killing her English employers just fell flat for me.
In the early chapters where Frannie describes her childhood on the plantation, the reader gets a glimpse into what life was like for people like Frannie. It is obvious the author has done a great deal of research and it really helps pull the reader in. As Frannie grows up and becomes more involved in the work of her master, just enough hints are dropped about various things at the plantation to create mystery for the reader. The problem is that as Frannie’s time at the plantation comes to an end, very very few of those questions have satisfactory answers, or even enough information for readers to make good inferences. What exactly are the specifics of the relationship between Frannie and Langston? What exactly happened in the Coach House (to be honest I’m still not sure having finished the book!). Why does Frannie feel so guilty? I know many books, especially mysteries, like to leave readers guessing, and even leave some questions unanswered. But in this story everything was just TOO vague when addressing issues that obviously had major impact on Frannie and her life. Instead of leaving me intrigued it made me frustrated.
When Frannie travels to England the story really began to drag for me. I realize Frannie was retelling it in an almost stream-of-consciousness kind of manner, but not moving in a chronological way became confusing. I know that Frannie was left feeling unmoored, but I had a very hard time following what was happening. Frannie also seemed to become a different person. I considered not finishing the book, but I did want to find out the answers to the questions from her time in Jamaica, as well as discover the truth behind the murders. So I kept reading, but did skim quite a bit.
In the final chapters of the book, I found myself not really caring anymore. Frannie had made so many dumb decisions that she had become totally unsympathetic. When the circumstances surrounding the murders were described and the reader finally learned the answers to (most) of the lingering questions in the book, it seemed rushed and anticlimactic. If some of that information, especially things having to do with Jamaica, had been revealed earlier in the book, I think it would have given more weight to the story. I also feel as though the relationship at the heart of the story was not well-developed. If this was what influenced Frannie’s biggest decisions, it shouldn’t have felt tacked on.
All in all, this story was well-researched and had good bones. But the way it was fleshed out left a lot to be desired. It needed to be tighter and more stream-lined. I also feel like some things were added in just to make the story more titillating. This book could have been much better. It just wasn’t for me.
If you want to read a book about a young girl imprisoned in an English jail for circumstances beyond her control that is much better done, in my opinion, check out The Poison Thread. 


View all my reviews

Kingsbane (Empirium: # 2)

Kingsbane by Claire Legrand
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I really enjoyed this first book in this series and was very excited to read Book 2. I was disappointed, however, and almost did not finish it.
To begin with, I read the 1st book over a year ago. I still remembered much of what happened, but Kingsbane jumped right in with NO “review” catch-ups or quick backstory explanations or anything. I kept finding myself saying, “Now who was that?” or “Why is she mad?” or “What happened at that place?” or “Why do they not get along?” That really took me out of the flow of the story. So if you are planning on reading this series, you MUST binge-read it. And that will take you quite a while, because...
This book had waaaaay too much going on. It felt as though it could have been stream-lined quite a bit and that would have made the story tighter and more interesting. When I got to the end I was left wondering why several chapters had been included; they could have been left out and not affected the story at all.
The fact that so much was going on also contributed to the fact that this was a very long book. The reader knows that at some point Rielle is going to snap. But everything was dragged out sooooo much that when it did happen it didn’t even register much emotionally for me—I was just thinking, “Yay. Finally. Now maybe we can get somewhere.”
The alternating points-of-view and timelines really added to my enjoyment of the 1st book. But here in the second one I just found myself getting frustrated with the constant back-and-forth. I had to talk myself out of skipping chapters just to get consistent action. The author also threw in chapters from several other characters’ points-of-view, which seemed random to me as a reader, and a too-convenient plot device.
Also, the reader is very well aware that Rielle will suffer from a pretty major fall-from-grace, but even knowing that is coming doesn’t help excuse many of Rielle’s actions. She becomes more and more selfish, impulsive, volatile, and unpleasant. And it was hard for me to see her motivations, so she just seemed like a bad person. If her actions were more organic and less abrupt, it would have made her more sympathetic. In addition, Eliana begins to show behaviors that make her unlikable, as well. She has no loyalty, acts without thinking of the consequences, and seems very clueless. If she had shown more loyalty to Simon throughout the book, the big twist at the end would have had more impact for me.
All in all, this book had way too much going on, and not enough of substance. That, combined with characters who were just unlikable, caused me to not enjoy this book. I am not sure that I will read the last in the series.


View all my reviews

Romanov

Romanov by Nadine Brandes
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I was very excited to read this book, but unfortunately it just fell flat for me. As someone who has always been interested in the last Tsar of Russia and the assassination of his family, this retelling of their last days sounded like a great read. Focusing on Anastasia and her brother, the plot seemed to drag right out of the gate. The book began long before the family's assassination, which to me created a pall and feeling of impending doom over everything. It caused me to not want to invest to much in Anastasia's family, knowing what would soon happen to them. That was not really much of a problem, however, because most of the secondary characters felt very one-dimensional and uninteresting.
The magical aspect of the story was not well-explained, and I never got a good grasp of it. It was barely brushed upon through most of the book and then at the end all of the plot elements completely revolved around magic, so it seemed uneven and tacked on. The conclusion felt very rushed and too much like the author was trying to give everyone a happy ending. This book disappointed me and I considered not finishing it, but ended up skimming most of it.


View all my reviews

Song of the Abyss

Song of the Abyss by Makiia Lucier
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
This was a quick, easy read. I chose it because it sounded interesting, with a YA Fantasy theme. The story involved a strong young woman who knew what she wanted in her life and did what was necessary to achieve her goals. In training to be a master navigator, Reyna is serious about her studies and apprenticeships. After pirates attack her ship and she narrowly escapes, she encounters the young prince of a rival kingdom. Upon returning home she finds people she loves are in danger from the same pirates and must team up with the prince in a harrowing adventure to try to rescue her loved ones, with the fate of all of their countries in the balance.
While this book was full of lush descriptions of various countries and geographical locations, this story still felt as though it could have used more depth. I did like the character of Reyna as well as her prince and the secondary characters, but I don't feel as though much character development went on. The plot, while exciting, just didn't seem as rich as it could have. The many dangerous situations that the characters found themselves in didn't really feel very suspenseful or threatening. There was romance, but it definitely was not one of the highlights of the book.
I did like the fact that this was the second installment of a series, but I did not feel as though I was missing out on any backstory or world-building. This could be a stand-alone book.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light, quick read. The book could have used more depth and character development, but for someone who enjoys strong heroines, adventure, geography, and YA Fantasy, this would be an enjoyable, fast read.


View all my reviews

The Woman in the Lake

The Woman in the Lake by Nicola Cornick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I was pretty excited to read this book, having really enjoyed the author’s previous work. Threads of suspense, danger, romance, and the supernatural were woven together through a mysterious yet breathtakingly beautiful golden dress. The dress led to lies, violence, jealousy, and murder when it was created in 18th century England, and it seems to be causing the same kind of problems in the present day. The dress was given to a noblewoman by her abusive husband, and manages to make its way to the present day, where it exerts a dark influence on Fen, who stole the dress while on a field trip when she was young.
The story is told from two main time periods, and from the point of view of three characters—the noblewoman and her maid in the 1760s, and Fenulla in the present day. The dress that the story is based around apparently can cause time travel, because Fenulla takes it from 1763 to her own time. As the book goes on we learn more about each of the three main characters and the events leading to a murder described in the prologue of the book. The sense of mystery, forbidding, and danger intensifies as the reader moves through the story.
While I thought that The Phantom Tree was a very intriguing book, this one just fell flat for me. The characters felt one-dimensional and their motivations didn’t make sense or feel organic. Their backstories were not well-explained and so I did not understand why they were making certain decisions or behaving in certain ways. The story also felt disjointed. The reader already knew what the 1760s timeline was heading to, so there really wasn’t much of a mystery there, also the author did do a good job of evoking an oppressive sense of doom. In the present-day storyline, it felt like the author couldn’t decide if she should focus on problems created by Fenulla’s kleptomaniac tendencies, the seemingly supernatural dress, or a mentally-abusive former husband. While I didn’t want to put the book down because I really wanted to know what would happen next, when I read the last line I just found myself saying, “Oh. Well...okay.”
I needed to know more about the dress. Because it was such an integral part of the story, more details on its creation would have really added to the story. Could it “really” exert influence over its owners? And not to give anything away, but since the dress seemed almost sentient, it certainly picked a strange end for itself.
Also, especially in the present-day, the characters accepted various supernatural events much easier than I would have. “When I was younger we entered a time-warp and I stole a dress, but it has had no real affect on me and I left it at my grandma’s house, but now that she is dead I have it back & it is apparently evil.” “Oh. Ok! Makes sense!” I think most people would have a harder time believing all that.
And the time-travel aspect was not really explained well, or even necessary. The dress was essentially only in the possession of two different people. If it had come down through the years causing its subsequent owners to commit various nefarious and evil deeds that would have added a much-needed depth. But the time-traveling just really served no purpose.
I would call this a quick, light read, but definitely not one of the author’s best. I will read books by this author again, but I’m not sure that I would recommend this one.


View all my reviews

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves: # 1)

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I would probably give this book 3.5 stars. It was a good historical YA Fantasy and hard to put down.
A team of misfits in an alternate Belle Epoque Paris work to stop a faction of madmen from gaining access to a piece of the ancient Tower of Babel. This group of friends uses their unique talents to plan a heist to rival "Ocean's Eleven" in order to keep the ancient artifact away from those who would misuse its power. The world-building is very good, the characters are likable, and the plot is very original.
That being said, I did have a few problems with the book. One, I really would have liked more elaboration on the backstory of the characters. Many important things happen to them before the actual book begins, and while these events are related in flashbacks, I think more attention could have been paid to these things. It really would have added to the story. Two, the "mythology" of the story was explained, but this is another area in which more detail could have enhanced the book. Three, the story is narrated by several different characters, and while this is well-done, at times it got confusing and I did have to go back an see which point-of-view we were looking through at the time. Perhaps the author could have varied the voices a bit more to make it easier to identify. Lastly, the climax of the book seemed rushed, and then the resolution/ending seemed very drawn out. The last several chapters just really served to set up the second book in the series. I would have liked a more definite conclusion instead of a lead-in to Book Two.
All that being said, the author had an original story and deftly created a world that drew me in as a reader. The sights, smells, tastes, and feelings were expertly described. The various characters each had idiosyncrasies, backstories, and personality traits that were relatable.
I did enjoy this book, but it almost seemed like the author wanted to do so much that many things were glossed over when they deserved more time. The fantastical story, the mythology and world-building, the decadence of the time, the puzzles/science/ math, the themes of colonialism, marginalization, isolation, being "the other," all deserved more attention than they received just because there was not room in the book. If it could have been tightened up and perhaps had less going on I would have given it a higher rating. I would still recommend the book to anyone who enjoys caper/heist stories, YA, Fantasy, and History.


View all my reviews

This Scot of Mine (The Rogue Files: # 4)

This Scot of Mine by Sophie Jordan
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book through Edelweiss.
I have read other books by this author and so was looking forward to reading this book. I was very disappointed, however. The story was disjointed, the characters were flat, and the plot was weak. I almost did not finish it, but plowed on.
The story begins with Clara headed to Scotland after fleeing London from the scandal of informing her betrothed that she is pregnant with another man's baby. On her way she encounters a Scottish laird to fascinates her. Upon arriving at her brother's house she discovers that this mysterious man is a friend to her brother. The laird, Hunt MacLarin, has refused to marry because his family has been cursed--each laird will die before his first-born child takes its first breath. Hunt decides Clara will be the perfect wife because she is already with child. So he proposes. She eventually accepts...
This book had problems for me from the very beginning. The whole backstory of Clara leaving London because of her nefarious fiancé was glossed over, yet a great deal of the machinery of the plot was devoted to it. Clara's actions in London with regards to her mother and fiancé either needed to be shown (and not told), or much less emphasis should have been placed upon it. I kept waiting for matters to be explained, elaborated upon, or cleared up. But none of that happened.
There were also numerous continuity errors that an editor should have spotted. I am hoping that this is just due to the fact that this was an ARC and the book has not been published yet. Surely these matter will be cleaned up before publication. (But I have read countless ARCs that had no mistakes.) There were times when I wasn't sure if it was morning or night, if people had been introduced to each other or not, or why certain things were even happening.
I also wasn't sure why the hero and heroine had taken each other into dislike after the first few chapters. I didn't get it, and it wasn't explained well.
The pacing was strange, as well. At one point, after about a week had taken place in the book, I thought to myself, "Okay, now the story is really starting. I am ready!" And then I checked and there were only about 60 pages left in the book. I was stupefied. And then a period of six months or more was completely glossed over and took place off of the page. I was stupefied again.
This book was full of missed opportunities. The story needed to be tightened up and the plot was full of holes. I did not enjoy it at all. I would not recommend it unless an editor can get in there and fix the problems.


View all my reviews

Evil Things

Evil Things by Katja Ivar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I really enjoyed reading this book and would give it 4.5 stars. It was unlike anything I'd read before, but I am glad that I took a chance on it.
Hella is one of the first real female police officers in Finland during the early part of the Cold War and feels compelled to investigate the disappearance of an older man from a remote Lapland village. Once she arrives she finds an even deeper mystery when the remains of a woman are found in the stark icy forest. Hella must figure out if and how the missing man is connected to the woman, and what has brought such "evil things" to a seemingly inconsequential place.
The writer does an excellent job of drawing the reader into the story by recreating the atmosphere of northern Finland in the 1950s. From the descriptions of the weather to the clothing to the architecture, I was totally immersed in the environment along with the character.
Hella was a really great protagonist for this story, as was her village hostess. Secondary characters were also well-developed, even if they only appeared in the story for a few pages.
The story and plot was engrossing. A mystery grew out of what seemed like something that probably had a logical explanation. And the farther I went into the story, the more the threads of the plot wove to create a tale of tension, danger, and thrilling suspense. The last portion of the book and the climax were breathless.
I truly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystery, suspense, Cold War-era history, or anyone who would just want a a great book to curl up with by the fire on a cold winter night.


View all my reviews

The Beholder

The Beholder by Anna Bright
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss.
I am not really sure how to review this book. The author clearly has a very good imagination, and is also very clever to weave in various fairy tale/mythological/folklore influences. But the plot was disjointed and the characters were weak.
Selah is a girl who is forced by her evil step-mother (yes, that's right) to venture out on the ship "The Beholder" to "court" various princes from other countries to marry. She does not want to leave her sickly father or her homeland of Potomac (somewhere analogous to the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.?) and travel to "England" and then to a Scandinavian-like kingdom to meet her suitors. (There are also other suitors on her list, but we only get through two of them in this book.)
While this premise seemed very interesting to me, actually reading it was not so interesting. There were so many fairy tale references thrown in, I was not sure what was supposed to be a coincidental reference that the reader was supposed to notice and say something like, "Oh, yes, isn't it clever that the Protocol Officer is named after the author of Cinderella?" or if Selah and her shipmates were actually IN some version of a fairy tale. I kept getting confused. The geographical regions also confused me. Was it REALLY supposed to be England? Or Norway? Or Russia? And the time period also left me wondering. There were very few "technological" advances (Selah acted amazed at a radio), and there were no cars, airplanes, electricity, or anything of that nature, and yet many "modern" words were used, and at one point Selah mentions playing basketball. I could not get a grip on what was going on with the setting.
The characters also seemed flat. If I met Selah in person, she would no doubt get on my nerves. She was either crying, pouting, acting put-upon, worrying, or being annoying. I would not want to spend any time with her. Then she "falls in love" with various and sundry boys, alternately feeing guilty about holding their hands or declaring that they will be her whole world. I wanted to shake her.
This book could have been really awesome, and tried to be really awesome, but it was just kind of disappointing. I think if it could have been tightened up, polished, and developed better, it would have been a great book.


View all my reviews

The Day the Crayons Came Home

The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a very cute and clever book. It is just not quite as good as the first one. While the crayons have some funny "adventures," the book just doesn't quite flow as well. Parents will probably appreciate the humor more than their children.


View all my reviews

Corpse and Crown (Cadaver & Queen: # 2)

Did not finish this one. Was not a fan. At all...

Corpse & Crown by Alisa Kwitney





View all my reviews

Lady Derring Takes a Lover (The Palace of Rogues: # 1)

Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could find no serious flaws in it, and I cannot remember the last time I read a historical romance novel about which I could say that.
Lady Derring finds herself a penniless widow, the only thing to her name a warehouse on the Thames. She decides to take on a surprising partner and open a boardinghouse to support herself. Unbeknownst to her, her late husband was a person of interest in the investigation of a smuggling ring, and so the King's Agent Captain Hardy finds himself scoping out the boardinghouse and keeping an eye on Lady Derring and her associates. The two grow closer and the mystery unravels.
The story was really good, the characters were believable, and their actions rang true to me. The chemistry between the hero and heroine was great. I enjoyed Lady Derring, and while she was perhaps a bit naive, she was not annoyingly so. Her dogged optimism was endearing. Captain Hardy was a great male protagonist, and the supporting characters were well developed.
This book was also quite humorous, and I found myself chucking several times. It has been quite a while since I've read a book and not said to myself, "Why did she do that?" or "That makes no sense!" or "Yeah, right, that's totally unbelievable!" or something along those lines. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance. I will be looking forward to the next book in the series.


View all my reviews

Sorcery of Thorns

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret  Rogerson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An orphan who was raised in a library, believing magic and sorcery were evil, must try to find her way when it seems the world is being threatened and the only ones who can help her are those she's been taught to fear.
Elisabeth, who has spent her whole life in a library taking care of malevolent grimoires, finds herself confronted one night by a grimoire gone rabid. The monstrous book attacks her and when she defeats it, instead of being praised for her actions she is held in contempt by her peers. Accompanied by a young sorcerer, Elisabeth makes the journey to the capital where she encounters demonic beings, magic, and sorcery everywhere. She must navigate her new environment, figure out who she can trust, and discover who she really is and how strong she can be.
I enjoyed this story and the originality of the plot. I have read other stories about "great libraries" and magic, etc., but this one was different and unique. While the pacing was a little roller-coaster-ish, I still liked it. It seemed like Elisabeth was plunged from horrific peril to furtive hiding to horrific peril over and over. I would have preferred a slower build to fewer climactic events, but it did not take away from my enjoyment of the book.
I also liked Elisabeth's journey from a young trainee in her home library to a confident woman ready to fight for what she knew was right. She was a character to admire, and her choices and motivations felt believable and organic. Nathaniel was an interesting character, and I had a hard time pinning him down, exactly. Perhaps that's because the whole story was told from Elizabeth's perspective, so everything we know about Nathaniel comes from what Elisabeth observes and feels.
The setting and descriptions in this book are great, and really transported me inside the story. I felt like I could hear the grimoires muttering, smell the after-effects of incantations, and see the flashes of magical emerald light.
I enjoyed this book (as well as the author's previous book), and would recommend it to anyone who likes YA Fantasy.


View all my reviews