Monday, February 28, 2022

#Review - The Final Girl by Kenneth Preston #Horror #Mystery

Series: Standalone
Format: Kindle, 259 pages
Release Date: August 6th 2021
Publisher: Amazon
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Horror

Five teens went camping. One survived.

Seventeen-year-old Jill Turner is the final girl, the lone survivor of a campsite massacre. Now, a killer is on the loose, and Jill holds the key to catching him. But this killer is no ordinary man. He is a monster, both alive and dead, and Jill knows this all too well. She knows what the monster is. She knows where he comes from. And she knows that he will kill again.

For veteran homicide detective Darlene Moore, this case is personal. Having lost her daughter two years ago, she finds herself drawn to Jill, and she will stop at nothing to protect her. But there is something strange about Jill’s story, something that leads Darlene to wonder if the girl knows more about the killer than she is letting on.

Jill is keeping a secret, one that has cost the lives of four of her friends. As Jill struggles with her past and the knowledge that her actions may have created a monster, Darlene races against time to stop a killer before he strikes again.


Author Kenneth Preston's The Final Girl is a take on the Horror genre with a nod to Stephen King's Carrie. Key Characters: Jill Turner, Detective Darlene Moore, Detective Harry Mitchell, and Amanda Turner. When a game called the Final Girl based on horror movies goes awry leaving four teens dead and one injured but alive, a troubled investigator whose own daughter died several years ago insists on taking the case. But will her emotions blind her to the ugly truth?

Seventeen-year-old Jill Turner is the final girl, the lone survivor of a campsite massacre. Now, a killer is on the loose, and Jill holds the key to catching him. But this killer is no ordinary man. He is a monster, both alive and dead, and Jill knows this all too well. She knows what the monster is. She knows where he comes from. And she knows that he will kill again. Jill is an unreliable narrator. Not to belittle the fact, but she was abused by her own parents for a long time which left her with no friends. Even in school, she was bullied by kids because she was a bit strange. Until she met a boy who came up with a plan that ended in horror.

For veteran homicide detective Darlene Moore, this case is personal. Having lost her daughter two years ago, she finds herself drawn to Jill, and she will stop at nothing to protect her. But there is something strange about Jill’s story, something that leads Darlene to wonder if the girl knows more about the killer than she is letting on. Jill is keeping a secret, one that has cost the lives of four of her friends and could lead to four more if the killer isn't stopped. As Jill struggles with her past and the knowledge that her actions may have created a monster, Darlene races against time to stop a killer before he strikes again.

I choose to read this book because it was rather short at 250 pages, and I knew I could read it within my reading window of a day. It was hard for me to like Darlene. I thought her participation in this investigation bogged down the story because she never really reached out and asked for help from anyone except her partners wife. When she's having a bad day, she does reach out to her ex, but he tells her the same thing. Seek help from a therapist, or drop the case because of the emotional toll it takes on her. While Darlene and Harry make a good team, I was kind of not surprised by the ending and what it means for both Jill and Darlene going forward.

I had a hard time connecting to Jill. Jill is this story's Carrie White, a shy, friendless teenage girl who is sheltered by her domineering, religious mother who gets involved in something that ends up killing a group of Final Group fans. Not unlike Carrie, Jill had to deal with an overbearing mother who believed that she needed to shelter her daughter from being sullied by boys, and those girls. She also had to deal with consistent mocking and bullying at school. Like Carrie, Jill honestly believed she was Carrie who used telekinesis to stop the bullies in their tracks. Except it wasn't the bullying that shatter Jill.





#Review - Fake by Erica Katz #Contemporary #Thriller

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Release Date: February 22, 2022
Publisher: Harper
Source: Publisher
Genre: Contemporary / Thriller

Can you spot the difference? 

Emma Caan is a fake. 

She’s a forger, an artist who specializes in nineteenth-century paintings. But she isn’t a criminal; her copies are commissioned by museums and ultra-wealthy collectors protecting their investments. Emma’s more than mastered a Gauguin brushstroke and a van Gogh wheat field, but her work is sometimes a painful reminder of the artistic dreams she once chased for herself, when she was younger and before her family and her world fell apart. 

When oligarch art collector Leonard Sobetsky unexpectedly appears with an invitation, Emma sees a way out—a new job, a new path for herself, and access to the kind of money she needs to support her unstable and recently widowed mother. 

But every invitation incurs an obligation . . . and Emma isn’t prepared for what’s to come. As she’s pulled further into Leonard’s opulent scene, she will discover what’s lurking beneath the glitz and glamour. When she does, the past she’s worked hard to overcome will collide with the present, making her wonder how much of her carefully curated life is just as fake as her forgeries . . .


From the author of The Boys’ Club, a gripping novel set in the high-stakes world of art forgery that moves across the globe, from the trendy art galleries of Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood to the high-flying international art fairs of Hong Kong. 26-year-old Emma Caan produces handmaid copies of priceless artwork. She isn’t a criminal. Copying is not forging. Her copies of 19th century paintings have been commissioned by museums and ultra-wealthy collectors protecting their investments. 

Emma has more than mastered a Gauguin brushstroke and a van Gogh wheat field, but her work is sometimes a painful reminder of the artistic dreams she once chased for herself, when she was younger and before her family and her world fell apart. So, when Emma, a Yale Art Major, and employee of Gemini Productions which is under investigation, catches the eyes of a rich Russian named Leonard Sobetsky who asks for Emma by name, she finds herself in an whole new world.

Then she lands a dream job as Assistant Director at Florence Wake Gallery, a prestigious gallery in New York which creates modern artworks which she previously sent her own works to and was rejected by the owner. When said owner sends her off to Hong Kong where she will be the face of Florence Wake, she gets entangled in a world of galleries and art exhibitions, art auctions, and crazy rich parties. It's also one of drug-trafficking, money laundering, and tax fraud.

Meanwhile, Emma continues taking on new works for Leonard, and becoming friends with an Instagram influencer named Just Jules. She tries to juggle a new career which she really has to play a guessing game as to how much to sell a painting for, to a the world of Instagram where having millions of followers and posting what they may like, is exhausting and taxing. After she's allowed a peak behind the curtain she starts to realize more about this world is fake than just her forgeries. She also has an honest fear of fire having watched her father and his mistress nearly die in one. 

Overall, Fake was a decent story. A glimpse into the world of forging, and those who sell forgeries to millions while keeping secret inventories in locations where the authorities have no access to. At the beginning of each chapters, except towards the ending, Emma is being asked questions by two FBI agents. This addition gives readers a heads up as to where this story is going, and sorry, probably a spoiler, where it might end if Emma is able to survive the crap that is going to splatter back on her for her participation in key events. 

This book is hard to put into a category. It is set in the contemporary world where the author has person political leanings. It isn't so much of a mystery, as it is suspenseful to see if Emma will end up caught in a quagmire. The ending is a bit rushed, but it doesn't leave an open ended question as to what happens next. Readers can pretty much guess what happens next.





Friday, February 25, 2022

#Review - Gallant by V. E. Schwab #YA #Fantasy

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: March 1, 2022
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Dark Fantasy

Number one New York Times bestselling author V. E. Schwab spins a dark, original tale about our world—full of life—a world that mirrors it—haunted by death—and the manor that stands between them. The Secret Garden meets Crimson Peak in this novel perfect for readers of Holly Black and Neil Gaiman. 

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?


 

New York Times bestselling author V. E. Schwab crafts a vivid and lush novel that grapples with the demons that are often locked behind closed doors. Compared to The Secret Garden meets Coraline, Gallant is an eerie, standalone saga about life, death, and the young woman beckoned by both. Olivia Prior grew up in the Merilance School for Independent Girls. Unable to speak, Olivia has survived because most of the girls in the school believe that she's a feral girl. Olivia finds it difficult to fit in at her school where, even if she could speak, it's unlikely anyone would listen.

"We came to Gallant once, and now we cannot leave. We are bound here, chained to the house and the wall and the thing beyond, and it will not end until there are no Priors left."
The other girls are merciless in their cruelty toward her because of her differences. However, Olivia is not one to back down from a fight. Then one day, out of nowhere, a letter arrives from an unknown uncle, Arthur Prior, who asks for her to come home to his estate called Gallant. It seems that Olivia does have family, and they want her to come home to Gallant. Gallant, the one place in the world where her mother told her she would be safe as long as she stayed away. A mother that is apparently dead. 

Upon arrival, she finds a manor with only two servants who weren’t expecting her and a hostile cousin barely older than her. Olivia learns that said Uncle is longer alive, and she gets immediate push back to leave from her cousin Matthew who is the only other remaining Prior still alive. So, who wrote the letter? Who lured Olivia to Gallant? Gallant is a place that is so creepy, and dark, that Olivia has to discover her own place in the world, as well as picking up the Prior family name which has led to grieve, and heart ache. 

Ghouls haunt the halls of Gallant as well and a mysterious crumbling stone wall may hold the answers she seeks. Gallant is a sprawling manor with a lush garden, but it is also a crumbling house with colorless weeds. Gallant is both life and death at the same time. Prior's are the gatekeepers to a world that is a mirror of their own. Prior's have sacrificed their lives in order to keep what's behind the gates from escaping, and destroying the world with his darkness. Gallant takes the concept of locking up your demons quite literally, but that doesn’t always mean they’ll comply.  

For most of the story, Olivia relies heavily on her mother's journal, while trying to put together what happened to her. Olivia can’t resist the locked door, and she finds a different version of her world on the other side. She also finds secrets of both her mother, and her father, who she's never met, origins and fates. Olivia ends up in the same cyclical place of all the other Priors, defending the door to Death and being tormented by dreams each night. A plus is the beautiful, abstract illustrations are peppered throughout the pages between the chapters, and sometimes they appear as single chapters. 

"I am simply nature. I am the cycle. The balance. And I am inevitable. The way night is inevitable. The way death is inevitable."
If you are a reader who loves dark, creepy, gothic settings, then by all means buy, or borrow this book and have fun! 





Thursday, February 24, 2022

#Review - Echoes and Empires by Morgan Rhodes #YA #Fantasy

Series: Echoes and Empires # 1
Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Release Date: January 4, 2022
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Falling Kingdoms series comes the first book in a brand-new duology about forbidden magic and dangerous secrets, for readers of Victoria Aveyard and Margaret Rogerson.

Josslyn Drake knows only three things about magic: it’s rare, illegal, and always deadly.

So when she’s caught up in a robbery gone wrong at the Queen’s Gala and infected by a dangerous piece of magic—one that allows her to step into the memories of an infamously evil warlock—she finds herself living her worst nightmare. Joss needs the magic removed before it corrupts her soul and kills her. But in Ironport, the cost of doing magic is death, and seeking help might mean scheduling her own execution. There’s nobody she can trust.

Nobody, that is, except wanted criminal Jericho Nox, who offers her a deal: his help extracting the magic in exchange for the magic itself. And though she’s not thrilled to be working with a thief, especially one as infuriating (and infuriatingly handsome) as Jericho, Joss is desperate enough to accept.

But Jericho is nothing like Joss expects. The closer she grows to Jericho and the more she sees of the world outside her pampered life in the city, the more Joss begins to question the beliefs she’s always taken for granted—beliefs about right and wrong, about power and magic, and even about herself.

In an empire built on lies, the truth may be her greatest weapon.

 

Echoes and Empires is the first installment in author Morgan Rhodes' Echoes and Empires duology. Morgan has crafted a unique fantasy world that balances mysterious magical powers with contemporary technology, creating an immersive atmosphere that readers will love to get lost in. This action-packed read is impossible to put down once you’ve started. Filled with magic, intrigue, and danger, Echoes and Empires has something for every reader—including a swoon-worthy enemies-to-lovers romance!  

This is a story that is set in a fantasy world called the Empire of Regara. 17-year-old Josslyn is a name everyone in the Empire knows. She’s the daughter of the former Prime Minister who was murdered by a powerful sorcerer. Magic is outlawed and anyone possessing it are executed by the Queen. When he was murdered, Joss was taken in by her friend Celina Ambrose's family. As the 1 year anniversary of her father's death arrives, Joss is supposed to attend the Queen's Gala and put on a brave face. 

As a character, Joss is unlikable. She's snobby, she's a obsessed narcissist, she's hated by almost everyone, including alleged friends, as well as Celina's father Regis Ambrose who wants her to disappear. During the party, Joss wanders into an exhibit from the alleged terrorist, Lord Banyon who is a legendary warlock. When Joss interrupts a thief named Jericho trying to steal a golden box, the magic releases and possesses Joss must flee with Jericho to help her extract the magic before she is found and killed. But Joss now possesses a powerful memories of the most dangerous man alive, Lord Banyon.

As Joss tries to get control of the magic inside of her, she's gets barraged by Banyon's memories of what really happened in the past that certain people want to keep quite. The memories show that the Queen herself has some secrets that would be her down fall if they were to come out in public. The problems Joss faces in this world will be familiar to readers—campaigns of misinformation, structures of inequality that benefit the powerful, and corruption that reaches the highest levels of government. 

And while Joss’s initial goal is healing whatever magic has infected her, it doesn’t take long for her to set her sights on finding justice, too. As Joss and Jericho finds themselves in the Queen's Keep along with other criminals who enter but never come out, her development as a character grows. She's still annoying at times, and there are a few predictable events that happen towards the end of this story, but for now, I will give her the benefit of the doubt since her entire world has been upturned and there's no going back from what she's learned.

The worldbuilding was a bit unclear. There was a strange mix of modern technology, magic, and monarchy that made it hard to pinpoint the era of the story, but it had a very 1920's feel at times with all the glitz and glamour, socialites, and nobility. This might be a second-world fantasy, but it features cellphones and security cameras alongside its ruthlessly evil wizards. That mixture of high fantasy and high-tech really makes a splash. Put me down as one of those reviewers who didn't expect the book to end how it did. Although, with duologies, you can pretty much expect this sort of ending.
 


The sound of a crash from around the corner drew my attention. I followed the sound, curious and wanting my increasingly inebriated mind to be taken away from my self-­obsessed ruminations.

The sound had come from the Lord Banyon exhibit room, and as I entered, it took me a moment to make sense of what I saw.

Three guards lay on the ground. A fourth fell to his knees, clutching his throat before dropping heavily to his side.

The fifth stood behind the one who’d just fallen—­it was the same guard whom I’d embarrassingly mistaken for Viktor earlier.

His black-­eyed gaze tracked to me, and his expression tensed.

“You again,” he said.

The multiple glasses of wine I’d consumed didn’t make it easy to process information, to say the very least, but I quickly came to the drunken realization that this Queensguard wasn’t really a Queensguard.

My gaze clumsily moved around the room, resting on each of the fallen guards. I couldn’t see any blood, but I didn’t see any movement or breathing or any signs of life at all.

“What are you doing?” I said, my words slow and slurred. “What is this?”

His expression darkened. “Listen to me very carefully. Make a move, make a sound, and I promise you’ll regret it.”

I couldn’t seem to summon a suitable comeback for that, nothing to say that would make sense of this.

He turned away from me, giving me another look at the dagger tattoo on his neck.

“Don’t worry,” he muttered. “I’ll be gone before you know it.”

Crime in Ironport was nearly unheard of, so I had no idea what I was supposed to do. This sort of thing just didn’t happen here.

I wanted to open my mouth and scream, to call for help, but his threat kept me locked in place.

He stood in front of the small golden box I’d admired earlier. He pushed the glass holder back from it and grabbed the box in one smooth motion. No alarms sounded; no sudden burst of a dozen armed guards flooded the room.

The thief looked at the box for a moment, then glanced at me. “This is all I need. I’m out of here.”

Box in hand, the thief strode toward the exit until a hand darted out and grabbed his ankle. It was the last guard who’d fallen—­he was still conscious.

The thief tripped, falling to the ground hard, and the golden box flew out of his grip.

It landed right in front of me. Before I could summon my wits to pick it up—­or run away—­the lid swung wide open, and something rose from inside. It looked like golden smoke. Breath frozen in my chest, I watched as the sparkling, shimmering, swirling golden smoke rose up in a tall funnel, as tall as me. And hung there.

I heard the thief swear, a harsh and guttural sound.

Before I could move, before I could even think, the golden smoke streamed toward me, hitting me with enough force to knock me completely off my feet.

I don’t remember landing.

I only remember the darkness.





Wednesday, February 23, 2022

#Review - Angels of Ashes and Ivory by Raye Wagner #YA #Fantasy

Series: Standalone
Format: Kindle, 480 pages
Release Date: February 17, 2022
Publisher: Amazon
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Angels sharpening their blades. A mortal world plagued by demons. And one young woman torn between them.

As an orphan in Midri, Sanaa wants only one thing: Freedom outside the walls of Vice District.

When she’s caught by the dreaded poachers and sold at auction, she’ll do anything to escape her fate.

Anything.

Rynk has battled his way to the top of the angel hierarchy, but he longs for his fated mate. Instead, the Council sends him to Midri to recover a lost token of the Celestials—the sacred relic he lost as a child. Rynk must seize this one chance for redemption if he ever hopes of finding her—his Beloved.

In the demon-infested world of Midri, Rynk stumbles across a young woman on death’s door. With a single touch, three things become crystal clear to the blind warrior:

1. She is his Beloved.
2. She’s human.
3. She rejects their fated bond.

With demons closing in, Sanaa and Rynk are running out of time. If they don’t overcome the bruises of their pasts, thousands will die.

* Reluctant allies.
* A thrilling discovery.
* A daring plan.

Because it’s not just their hearts at risk— Sanaa’s entire world will be destroyed if the two can’t find a way to accomplish the impossible…

Before the angels burn Midri to ash.


Raye Wagner's Angels of Ashes and Ivory blends high fantasy and romance against a world on the verge of annihilation. There are elements of violence, enslavement, and murder, making this an extremely dark world. The story features two equally damaged characters: Sanaa, and Rynk. Sanaa grew up in the demon infested world known as Midri. She was abandoned as a baby. She grew up in the one honest orphanages in the entire V district. For the past six years, Amma drilled caution into those under her care for fear they would be caught by poachers, and sold into slavery. 

Sanaa wears a pendant around her neck that nobody can see but her. She believes it was put there by Celestials before dumping her off at the orphanage. Because of her unique blue hair coloring, which is a sign of being angel touched, there are those like Prince Ubel who believes she holds the key to thwarting his mother Lilith's attempt at taking Midri from him.  But after making a really bad mistake, she's sold at auction to a flesh dealer named Hadeon Skin. Being a slave is bad, being slaved courtesan under Hadeon is a death sentence.

Rynk, who was orphaned, and raised in the Angel Institute, is a warrior angel who made one big mistake he's spent the last 17 years trying to remedy. Even after years of faithful service as a Power, Rynk has no information regarding his Beloved, despite repeated petitions to the Council of Dominions. He's at the point where he believes one of the first order angels in Celos is holding the information deliberately.Rynk is given a high priority mission to the world of Midri. Midri is where his uncle Vean fled to after becoming a fallen angel. The Thrones claim that the celestial perimeter surrounding Lilith's prison was sparked by a demon trying to escape. 

It's up to Rynk and his partner Thane to investigate the level of corruption, and demon infestation. If the world seems to be lost to demons, the next step is for Midri to be annihilated. He also learns that the demons are searching for the celestial token the babe was wearing when she was kidnapped. If Lilith gets the pendant, she could escape her prison. A first order Demon like Lilith could destroy entire worlds before Terra managed to assemble an army to stop her. After finding that Sanaa was sold to a flesh seller, Rynk finds her stabbed and near death. 

He also knows without a doubt in his mind that his heart has found his beloved. Of course, she ends up refusing it which causes issues between the two. More than a mortal marriage, a Beloved pair was stronger together. They enhanced each other’s powers, provided companionship, intimacy, love. The only way angels could procreate was with their matched Beloved. More than anything, Rynk wanted her. Together, they would become ‘one flesh, one heart, one mind.’

Part of the story goes to Vean, the man who kidnapped an infant child, and left her behind at Amma's orphanage. He's been on the run for a dozen years, trying to stay one step ahead of the Thrones and Powers trying to capture him. The necklace around Sanaa's neck is the one thing that he can offer to Lilith to prove his devotion. Because of his actions, he's lost his wings, became a Fallen, and is now stuck on Midri learning the hard way that demons have no emotions. No feelings. No loyalty. No love. Unless he finds the necklace, he'll be Lilith's slave to her whims.

With Sanaa's world at the end of its usefulness thanks to Prince Ubel and Lilith, Rynk and Sanaa need to work out their grievances soon, otherwise innocent humans will be left to die.  There's an interesting twist in both Amma, the kindly headmistress of the orphanage, and Ahriman, who seems to want to help save Sanaa, as well as Thane. Whenever you have fated mates, it's rare to have one of them deny the connection, only to slowly learn that having him around makes her safe from her nightmares.





Tuesday, February 22, 2022

#Review - Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe #YA #Fantasy

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: February 15, 2022
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy

Set over the course of a day, a girl realizes her life on a glittering, magical island isn’t what it seems in a 1920s-set fantasy, inspired by The Tempest.

The only life Mae has ever known is on the island, living on the charity of the wealthy Prosper family who control the magic on the island and the spirits who inhabit it. Mae longs for magic of her own and to have a place among the Prosper family, where her best friend, Coco, will see her as an equal, and her crush, Miles, will finally see her. Now that she’s eighteen, Mae knows her time with the Prospers may soon come to an end.

But tonight is First Night, when the Prospers and their high-society friends return to the island to celebrate the night Lord Prosper first harnessed the island’s magic and started producing aether – a magical fuel source that has revolutionized the world. With everyone returning to the island, Mae finally has the chance to go after what she’s always wanted.

When the spirits start inexplicably dying, Mae starts to realize that things aren’t what they seem. And Ivo, the reclusive, mysterious heir to the Prosper magic, may hold all the answers—including a secret about Mae’s past that she doesn’t remember. As Mae and her friends begin to unravel the mysteries of the island, and the Prospers’ magic, Mae starts to question the truth of what her world was built on.

In this YA fantasy, Samantha Cohoe wonderfully mixes magic and an atmospheric historical setting into a fantastically immersive world, with characters you won’t be able to forget.

 


In this YA fantasy, Samantha Cohoe mixes magic and an atmospheric historical setting into a fantastically immersive world. Set over the course of a day, a girl realizes her life on a glittering, magical island isn’t what it seems in a 1920s-set fantasy, inspired by The Tempest. The only life Mae Wilson has ever known is on the island where her father, a loyal servant of Lord Prosper, passed away 6 years ago. Mae has been living on the charity of the wealthy Prosper family who control the magic on the island and the spirits who inhabit it as well as the incredibly valuable aether. 

She's never been off the island. She is neither family or a servant, she’s merely a charity case that can live on the island until she is 18. Now that she's turning 18, she's terrified that she won't be allowed to stay. This is an island where spirits of all kind roam freely, and one in particular, Aeris, loves to taunt and tease Mousy Mae. The spirits are also used as servants in a variety of ways. Mae wants nothing more than to learn magic with Miles, the unofficial Prosper that she’s been in-love with since childhood.  

Mae longs to have a place among the Prosper family, where her best friend, Coco, will see her as an equal. To get to that point, she may have to marry the mysterious Ivo. Mae and Ivo were once close friends, but a secret was exposed by mousy Mae, and he's been distant and reclusive ever since. But tonight is First Night, when the Prospers and their high-society friends return to the island to celebrate the night Lord Prosper first harnessed the island’s magic and started producing aether – a magical fuel source that has revolutionized the world. With everyone returning to the island, Mae finally has the chance to go after what she’s always wanted. 

When the spirits start inexplicably dying, Mae starts to realize that things aren’t what they seem. And Ivo, the reclusive, mysterious heir to the Prosper magic, may hold all the answers. As Mae begins to unravel the mysteries of the island, and the Prospers’ magic, Mae starts to question the truth of what her world was built on. Mae can be a frustrating character because she's so meek and fearful in how she interacts with people, even if inside she wants to be different.

Thankfully, Mae finds a backbone. The book takes place almost entirely in a single day, with the exception of the epilogue which takes place off island. I have opinions about certain characters. I felt so badly for Ivo. I thought that he got a really bad deal. I ended up hating both Miles and Coco since they both showed their true colors when it came to how they treated Mae. I would have liked to find out who May meets on the final page. I have my guesses, by I hate taking guesses as to what happens next.




Monday, February 21, 2022

#Review - A Crown of Petals and Ice by Shannon Mayer, Kelly St. Clare #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Honey and Ice Trilogy # 3
Format: Kindle, 304 pages
Release Date: February 14, 2022
Publisher: Hijinks Ink Publishing
Source: Amazon Kindle
Genre: Fantasy / Romance

Queen of the fae courts. Faced with an impossible battle. Destined to never be with the Unseelie I love.

The magical tea has worn off. My eyes are wide open. And it’s with horror that I realize the fate of two realms rests on my shoulders after my mother’s ultimate sacrifice to trap Rubezahl in Underhill.

Terrified humans clamoring for answers, whispered rumors from both Seelie and Unseelie, and a stepmother who seeks the throne for surprising reasons are the least of my troubles.

Rubezahl has returned far sooner than I thought possible. I’m not ready. I can’t win this. And not only that…
He has something crucial if we are to win. He’s taken something I cannot live without.

The place of the final battle has been decided, and two armies will meet. Yet forces beyond my understanding must be satisfied first--old magics rise and demand their dues.

There is no option but to race and decipher the puzzle to save the man I love, the friends more important to me than my own life, and humans and fae alike.

Two realms.
Only I can save them.
We’re screwed.


A Crown of Petals and Ice, by co-authors Shannon Mayer, and Kelly St. Clare, is the third and final installment in the authors Honey and Ice trilogy. Two weeks ago, Rubezahl was catapulted into Underhill by the Unseelie Queen Elisavanna. I recommend that you read A Throne of Feathers and Bone before picking up this book as everything is connected. With the formal announcement from the Oracle, who is as mysterious and annoying as always, Kallik is now queen of both Seelie, after her father was assassinated, and now the Unseelie courts after Elisavanna's sacrifice. 

She hasn't found her footing yet when word arrives that Rube is back, and it may take the combine courts efforts to stop him. To make matters even more twisted, the human population has demanded answers to the hundreds of missing humans that have never been found in the Alaskan wilderness. Then there's the whole Rube can come back any time because Underhill must open periodically to ensure that Fae have access to magic. Without the magic, Fae will begin to die. The path forward for Kalli is unknown because nobody has ever made it this far outside of the Oracles predictions.

Instead of careful preparations and training, Alli and her army must rush to Underhill to save the man she loves and the realm. Thankfully, she's resolved her feelings with Faolan, who was named Regent of the Unseelie court. She has her best friend Cinth alongside kicking ass and taking names. Cinth is wonderful, funny, and a bit bossy, but she's there for Alli no matter what. Faolan finally bucks up and becomes the man he needs to be, but as Lugh’s grandson and Alli’s equal. She still has to figure out Adair's part in the murder of her father, and the fact that Adair is pregnant with the heir to the crown. 

The turmoil of emotions is immediately happening and you are on the edge of your seat the whole time. To save the realm she must be willing to give it all up and battle Rubezahl, even Lan. Kallik grow into a fierce warrior from a nobody, an Orphan, a member of no House, and now the ultimate queen. There are some interesting and hilarious side characters to keep your eyes out for like land kelpie Kik. Since the beginning of the series, we have been on a none stop ride and I think readers will be asking a whole lot of questions towards the ends of this book. 

There is a curious epilogue to this story which I refuse to spoil. One could say that the authors are tortured souls who love to leave readers hanging.





#Review - The Lightning Rod by Brad Meltzer #Thrillers #Espionage

Series: Escape Artist # 2
Format: Hardcover, 432 pages
Release Date: March 8, 2022
Publisher: William Morrow
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thrillers / Espionage

“Trust me, this is a terrific, compelling, unputdownable thriller."  — Lee Child

Zig and Nola are back—in the hugely entertaining, highly anticipated follow-up to Brad Meltzer’s #1 New York Times bestselling thriller The Escape Artist.

Archie Mint has led a charmed life—he’s got a beautiful wife, two impressive kids, and a successful military career. When he’s killed while trying to stop a robbery in his own home, his family is shattered—and then shocked when the other shoe drops. Mint’s charmed life, so perfect on the surface, held criminal secrets none of them could have imagined. 

While working on Mint’s body before his funeral, mortician “Zig” Zigarowski discovers something he was never meant to see. That telling detail leads him to Dover Air Force Base, where he uncovers Mint’s involvement in a top-secret military unit and his connection to military artist Nola Brown. Two years ago, Nola saved Zig’s life—so he knows better than most that she’s as volatile and dangerous as a bolt of lightning.

Everyone wants to talk to Nola, but she’s not cooperating—and indeed doesn’t want to be found. In order to track her down, Zig teams with Nola’s long-missing brother, who’s just as combustible as she is. As they follow Nola’s trail, they discover one of the U.S. government’s most intensely guarded secrets—an undisclosed military facility that dates back to the Cold War and holds the key to something far more sinister: a hidden group willing to compromise the very safety and security of America itself. 

Trouble always finds her. . . .

She’s the lightning rod.

The Lightning Rod, by author Brad Meltzer, is the second installment in the authors Escape Artist series. This story picks up two years after the ending of The Escape Artist. Zig and Sgt. Nola Brown are the lead characters in this series. She's a mysterious, enigmatic loner who seems to have trouble following her wherever she goes, who was artist-in-residence for the U.S. Army, and who at best can be called antisocial. He has the heart of a lion and will stop at nothing to protect those he loves, and formerly worked as a mortician for Dover Air Force base. Together they form a highly combustible, mesmerizing team. 

Zig, a meticulous mortician, now working in the private sector, is still reeling from events from two years prior as well as the death of his daughter over a decade ago. This time around, readers get a brief storyline between Zig and his former wife who moved on with someone else after the shocking death of their daughter. But, the story actually begins with Jim "Ziggy" Zigarowski getting a call from Wil from Dover asking him to take up the case of one Lt. Colonel Archie Mint who was murdered in cold blood along with a valet who was notorious for stealing from the rich. 

When Wil says that Mint is one of theirs, Zigs internal warning goes off, and he soon realizes that something is wrong. Archie Mint led a charmed life, he’s got a beautiful wife, two impressive kids, and a successful military career. When he’s killed while trying to stop a robbery in his own home, his family is shattered—and then shocked when the other shoe drops. Mint’s charmed life, so perfect on the surface, held criminal secrets none of them could have imagined. To make matters even more twisted, Nola knew Archie from work at a secretive operation that was set up in case the US was hit with a nuclear explosion, or zombie apocalypse.

During Mint's funeral, Zig is stupefied to find armed federal agents are present. Nola is also at the funeral, and appears to be running from something or someone. Everyone wants to talk to Nola, including her twin brother Roddy who appears suddenly out of nowhere after years of being separated. But Nola isn't cooperating; indeed doesn’t want to be found. Zig soon discovers that Roddy, now a cop, is just as combustible as she is. There is something really wrong with this case, and if he looks too deeply, he's going to be stuck in the middle of a major conspiracy with deadly consequences.

As they follow Nola’s trail, the trail leads to a top secret military facility (reminiscent of the 112,544-square-foot underground bunker at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia that was built to protect all members of Congress during the Eisenhower administration). Bad things happened at at the facility long ago, and it looks as if what's about to happen now may be even worse. This book also contains a storyline from Zig's friend Amy Waggs who doesn't exactly like how Nola has treated Zig.

Waggs just wants to get to the truth, but what truths will she uncover? There's also a group of assassins called The Reds who appear to be working as a clean up crew to prevent secrets from being exposed. Chapters shift from current happenings to Nola and Roddy's traumatic childhood years to perspectives of other characters, thus giving readers interesting and important background information that, of course, comes together at the end.

This story was a wild ride, and I know that per the publisher, there's another story forthcoming soon. I'll be waiting. 





Friday, February 18, 2022

#Review - The Other Side of the Sky by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner #YA #Fantasy

Series: The Other Side of the Sky #1
Format: Paperback, 480 pages
Release Date: September 8, 2020
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Epic

Forbidden to touch, will they be doomed by their love? The Wrath & the Dawn meets Renegades in this literary, genre-bending, stunningly romantic YA fantasy—the first in a planned duology—from bestselling, powerhouse authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.

Prince North’s home is in the sky, in a gleaming city held aloft by intricate engines powered by technology. Nimh is the living goddess of her people on the surface, responsible for providing answers, direction—hope.

Linked by a terrifying prophecy and caught between duty and fate, they must choose between saving their people or succumbing to the bond that is forbidden between them.

Magnetic and gorgeously thematic, New York Times bestselling author duo Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner have crafted a gripping tale of magic and logic, fate and choice, and an impossible decision between an empty future and a deadly love. Perfect for fans of Claudia Gray and Laini Taylor. 

 

The Other Side of the Sky, by co-authors Amie Kaufman, and Meagan Spooner, is the first installment in the authors The Other Side of the Sky duology. The story is action-packed and thrilling, full of betrayal, dark secrets, unlikely alliances, and hidden prophecies. The story blends fantasy and sci-fi, and logic and magic, to create a complex and fresh story about two entirely separate worlds and people, brought together by fate. 

Prince North’s home is in the sky-cities of Alciel, gleaming cities held aloft by intricate engines powered by technology. As prince of the sky cities, and second in line to the throne, North has a future laid out for him that he can’t ignore. North tries to get people to understand that it is imperative to find resources necessary to keep the sky island afloat. To prove his point, he slips from the meeting to fly his glider to the palace; he hasn’t counted on mechanical failure, though, and is soon plunging Below, from where none have returned and he will likely meet an awful fate. North finds his cushy lifestyle change in a major way when he has to face a deadly mist, and a girl who thinks he's the answer to her problems.

Nimh is the living goddess of her people on the surface, responsible for providing answers, direction, and hope. As the surface world’s living goddess, Nimh is forbidden to touch anyone else, lest her power be taken from her. She's been a so called goddess for 10 years, when the previous goddess decided to find love which isn't allowed. Nimh also faces a rebellion by a group known as Graycloaks who want to destroy her, and the Cult of the Deathless who want to kill her. She is convinced though, that a vision she has experienced is the answer to everything.

Society in the sky developed with technology, while the society on the ground developed with magic. The society on the ground think those in the sky are Gods who fled 1,00 years ago, while those in the sky are not aware that those on the ground even exist, believing the ground to be poisoned. Nimh puts her faith in magic, North relies on science. As North and Nimh race to save their worlds, North and Nimh try to resist the pull they feel toward each other, with plenty of emotionally-compelling romantic tension and longing along the way.

Curious enough, it is Bindle the Cat who caught my attention and stole the show. Bindle is right there in the middle of the action, and seems to be a bit on the protective side of both Nimh, as well as North after they meet. Of course, the story ends on a blistering cliffhanger ending which is pretty much expected when you have a duology. The sequel and conclusion called Beyond the End of the World, released January 18th 2022 by HarperCollins and I will be borrowing it from my local library soon. 





Thursday, February 17, 2022

#Review - The Accomplice by Lisa Lutz #Thrillers #Suspense #Mystery

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Release Date: January 25, 2022
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thrillers / Mystery

Best friends Owen and Luna can’t be mentioned without the other. When Owen’s wife is murdered—and Luna finds the body—uncovered secrets throw everything into question in this riveting novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Passenger.

Owen Mann is charming, privileged, and chronically dissatisfied. Luna Grey is secretive, cautious, and pragmatic. Despite their differences, they form a bond the moment they meet in college. Their names soon become indivisible—Owen and Luna, Luna and Owen—and stay that way even after an unexplained death rocks their social circle.

They’re still best friends years later, when Luna finds Owen’s wife brutally murdered. The police investigation sheds light on some long-hidden secrets, but it can’t penetrate the wall of mystery that surrounds Owen. To get to the heart of what happened and why, Luna has to dig up the one secret she’s spent her whole life burying.



Lisa Lutz's The Accomplice examines the bonds of shared history, what it costs to break them, and what happens when you start wondering how well you know the one person who truly knows you. This book is Lisa Lutz’s return to more classic suspense, like her novel The Passenger. This story starts in 2002, ends in 2019, with several stops in-between. Owen Mann is charming, privileged, and chronically dissatisfied. Luna Grey is secretive thanks to her childhood, cautious, and pragmatic. 
 
Despite their differences, they begin forming a bond the moment they meet in college. Their names soon become indivisible--Owen and Luna, Luna and Owen--and stay that way even after an unexplained death rocks their social circle. If you've ever heard the term "trouble magnet" you could legitimately say that the term fits Owen and Luna perfect. The story begins at Markham University in Hudson Valley, New York where both Luna and Owen are attending college. 
 
Per the description of the University, it is apparent that this is where troubled kids go for a second chance after not getting into Ivy League schools. Luna has a dark past that seems to haunt her. She also tends to have seizures. Luna and Owen, as well as their friends Mason and Casey, are heavily into pot and alcohol. As the author unravels who these characters are, you slowly come to realize that they could have both used major psychiatric help early in their formative years. 
 
Luna had a really messed up childhood thanks to her own brother being a murderer, Owen's family is as dysfunction as they come, but at least has an older brother. When someone learns about Luna's past, it leads to the unfortunate death of a fellow student who was intimate with Owen. In 2019, it's Owen's wife who was friends with Luna who is shot and killed as she is out for a run. The more you try to avoid it, the more you realize that people die around these two, and someone should have intervened years ago to break them apart. 
 
But Luna and Owen are drawn to danger and to each other not out of any romantic inclination, but a friendship that goes beyond what's considered normal. No, there's no kinkiness between the two. But their spouse are driven to be with each other, instead of working on their own marriages. Even the Detectives involved in catching Owen's wife's murder have questions as to how anyone could be friends with either of them.  
 
One of the things that I thought was unnecessary, was the quick change of narrations that seem to happen at the blink of an eye. From Luna, and Owen, to Irene, and the cops who are investigating Irene's murder. Have you heard of the term "A ride or die friend?" It’s that person you can always count on through thick and thin – during breakups, sudden loss, and all of life’s struggles. Extreme loyalty to someone or something.    . They’ve spent years keeping each other’s secrets, running interference if someone is bothering the other, lying if necessary - even to each other, if they think it will help, and generally having each other’s backs whatever the scenario. 
 
 


September 2002

Owen Mann first noticed Luna Grey in an Intro to Ethics seminar. He would watch her, fascinated by the way she hunched over her notebook, scribbling, glancing up occasionally to see if anyone was watching her. Owen thought she was pretty, pretty in a way that might last or grow on you. She definitely wasn’t one of those beauties who made you do crazy things. By all objective standards, Luna appeared normal, reliable, and even a bit square. Owen, however, saw past Luna’s ordinary armor. He recognized a feral quality in her. He saw a girl roiling with secrets. And he would have paid good money to know a few of them.

Luna always knew when someone was watching her. Sometimes she’d wait it out. Other times she’d stare back and force the prying eyes to withdraw. When Luna glanced back at Owen, he smiled brightly, even though they’d never met. What the hell was he smiling about, she thought. Luna had seen Owen before. It occurred to her that he might know who she was. But the smile was wrong for someone who had her number. The girl sitting next to Owen was trying to get his attention. When the girl saw where Owen’s eyes had landed, she fixed her gaze on Luna, shifting it from curious to withering within seconds. Luna quickly turned away. She’d seen that expression too many times to count.

In her head, Luna repeated, They don’t know, they don’t know.



A few days later, Owen ditched the glaring girl and sat in Luna’s row, a few seats away. Luna felt her whole body tense up, until Owen fell fast asleep and didn’t stir, even after the lecture was over. Luna tapped him on the shoulder to wake him as she climbed over his legs, clearing out of class. Owen rubbed his eyes, shook himself awake, and chased after her.

“Hello . . .” Owen said, as he caught up with Luna and began to walk in stride. “I don’t know your name.”

“I don’t know your name,” Luna said.

Owen had a stupid grin on his face. If she didn’t have a secret, he thought, it would be deeply disappointing. Luna couldn’t decide if the smile was taunting or goofy. Owen stepped in front of Luna and extended his hand.

“Owen Mann. A pleasure to meet you,” he said.

Luna kept her hand by her side, debating whether to respond in kind.

“What can I do for you, Owen Mann?” Luna said.

“Has anyone ever told you that you have the social graces of a mobster?”

Luna fought hard not to laugh. “That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,” she said.

Luna offered her name; Owen explained why he’d followed her. He’d slept through the Kant lecture and wanted to borrow her notes.

“Why my notes?” Luna asked.

Owen shrugged. “Don’t know. But they have to be your notes.”

Luna weighed the request. Then she leafed through the notebook to confirm there was no personal information in there and handed it to this Owen guy. They agreed to meet an hour later at the library.

Markham University was a small liberal-­arts college in the Hudson Valley. It sat on twenty acres of dense woods and prided itself on self-­directed independent study. It was also a safe haven for lazy stoners who wanted a break from life. Think summer camp with cushier accommodations. Markham U was Luna’s first choice and Owen’s third-­backup school.

Owen chose a seat on the third floor of Bancroft Library, at a desk nestled by a wall of windows. He opened Luna’s notebook and poised his pen over a blank pad. Once he examined her text, he dropped the pen and visibly slumped in his chair. He couldn’t decipher a single sentence of her handwriting.

As he stared at the mysterious script, it occurred to him that she was writing in code. Either way, it was aesthetically pleasing. He took out his sketch pad and rendered an abstract interpretation of Luna’s notes. Then he removed his headphones from his backpack, blasted Mogwai on his MP3 player, and looked out the library window, watching the human traffic on the quad.

Luna arrived at the library five minutes before the one-­hour mark.

“Done?” she said.

“Can anyone read your writing?” Owen asked.

“No. Never,” Luna said, relieved.

“Then why did you give your notes to me?”

“I thought you might be the first.”

Owen liked her voice. It was deep, deadpan. Her pitch rarely wavered, even when she asked a question. Most people were cautious and slow to warm around Luna. Owen just barreled forward, unafraid.

“I’m going to need you to translate,” Owen said.

He pulled out a chair and slid the notebook across the desk. He waited for Luna to sit, not even considering that she wouldn’t. Luna accepted the chair and reviewed her notes. Sometimes, even she had trouble reading them. Above her head, a fluorescent light was flickering its way to death. Luna clocked it with annoyance.

“They should fix that,” Luna said.

The flickering light unsettled her more than a light should, Owen thought. Luna spent thirty minutes summarizing the lecture for Owen, who took notes in his own hand, which was so clean and concise that it almost looked like a font designed to resemble human script. Luna felt the heat of the flickering light. Her head gave her that familiar warning signal, the one she often ignored. It was like the police standing outside her head, knocking on her temple.

“There are two duties that are part of the categorical imperative,” she said. “Um, there are negative duties, like don’t kill or be an asshole. And positive duties to help others. But then, okay, say you’re helping another person—­you’re just supposed to promote their happiness. Kant didn’t believe in paternalism, which is pushing your morals and ethics on someone else. He was super into autonomy. And, um—­”

Luna made a choking sound. Her eyes rolled back, her body went stiff, and she began to vibrate and tilt to the side. She fell off her chair onto the hard linoleum floor. Owen winced as he watched her head hit the ground and bounce up again.

Owen called for help, but the entire floor was empty. He crouched next to Luna, balled up his jacket, and put it under the base of her neck. She made a gurgling sound, which Owen misinterpreted as choking. He stuck his fingers in her mouth, trying to press down on her tongue, remembering something he’d read or heard or seen on TV about people swallowing their tongue in the midst of a seizure.

He called for help again, but Luna’s convulsions had begun to fade. He removed his fingers from her mouth and wiped them on his sweatshirt. He pulled out his cellphone and dialed 911. He told the operator what had happened. The operator asked if Luna was breathing. Owen turned his head and let his ear hover above her mouth. He could hear her soft, wispy breath.

He told the operator that she was breathing but unconscious and provided their location. Then he sat on the floor next to Luna for several minutes, watching her inhale and exhale. It seemed to Owen as if she were in a deep, luxurious slumber.

Luna opened her eyes. She first saw that flickering light again, and then she saw the boy staring down at her. He looked familiar, but that concerned gaze was even more familiar. A trail of drool slid down her cheek.

Owen covered his hand with his sleeve and wiped it off.

“What are you doing?” Luna asked.

“Wiping drool off your face,” Owen said.

“Do I know you?” Luna said.

“Not well.”

“What happened?”

“I think you had a seizure,” Owen said.

“I know that,” Luna snapped.

“I called 911.”

“Where am I?” Luna said. Then she noticed books. From the angle on the floor, it looked like she was trapped in a library maze. “Oh yeah, right.”

When she sat up, her brain felt like an eight ball in a glass of water. She reached up and touched a small lump on the side of her head.

“The ambulance should be here any second.”

Luna stumbled to her feet. “I need to get out of here before they come.”

“You should see a doctor,” said Owen.

“Why? I’m fine.”

“Has this happened before?”

“I’m epileptic. Of course it’s happened before.” Luna picked up her notebook and shoved it in her bag. She turned to Owen. “Thanks for . . . whatever you did.”

“I just put my jacket under your head.”

“That’s it?” Luna said, with a note of skepticism.

She slung her backpack over her shoulder and checked her close perimeter for any lost or forgotten items.

“I made sure you didn’t swallow your tongue,” Owen said, as casually as one can say that.

Luna froze and then slowly looked up at Owen. Her eyes narrowed. “Tell me you didn’t stick your fingers in my mouth,” she said.