Genre – Page 10 – The Spine View

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer is a coming-of-age story that I can only be described as a cross between Ground Hogs Day and Beauty and the Beast. It is hands down one of the best fairy tales I have read in a while. Meant as a retelling, it goes above and beyond the original.

Prince Rhen of Emberfall has been cursed to relive the same autumn season of his eighteenth year over and over again by a powerful enchantress. To break the curse, all he has to do is make a girl fall in love with him. Of course, the enchantress throws a further twist into her game by having Rhen turn into a terrible monster at the close of each season. Despite this, Rhen has been arrogant enough to believe it would be easy. Born of privilege he is used to everything being easy. As season after season goes by with no true love, he is losing hope and now he is running out of time because the enchantress has said this will be the last season.

Grey, Rhen’s Caption of the Guard and protector, is given the ability to cross over to our world. At the beginning of each season he brings back a girl for Rhen in the hopes that it will be the one this time. With the stakes even higher this season, he must get the right girl. However, fate is against him when a girl with a limp prevents him from returning to Emberfall with the intended girl. Instead Grey is forced to abduct Harper.

Harper has not had an easy life. She was born with cerebral palsy and limps profoundly. Her father has deserted the family and left enormous debts with a loan shark. And to top it off, her mother is dying of cancer. Her brother is the only thing good thing right now in her life. He is actually working for the loan shark to pay off the debt. So, when Grey abducts her, her main concern is not in helping Rhen but returning home before her mother dies. Therefore, Rhen is going to have to pull off a miracle to break the curse.

I am totally in love with this book. I liked everything about the book, the prose, plot, characters and world building were so, so good. I can’t think of anything that I didn’t like about the book, which is unusual for me. Even with books I love, there is normally some little nitpicky thing I don’t care for, not the case here.

Of course, the characters were my favorite part. The author did a wonderful job of making me love them all. It is such a fabulous thing when I totally get the characters. The plot is also worthy of a comment since it worked so well with the characters and there was enough intrigue and twists to keep me reading and engaged. I just had to know how Harper was going to handle things once she found out about the true nature of the curse. Totally looking forward to reading book two.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of fantasy and fairy tales. This is a book that should be at the top of TBR list.

The Deserter by Nelson and Alex DeMille

I thought I was going to love, The Deserter by Nelson and Alex DeMille; however, after multiple tries, I called it quits at 165 pages in. The story never drew me in and the characters lacked the development I love. The writing is good, so no complaints there.

I have read other reviews and for the most part other readers enjoyed the story. I believe it boils down to the book not being my tastes. My advice is to read what others have to say and draw your own conclusions. Though I suspect if you are a DeMille fan you will enjoy this one.

I received a free copy, at BookExpo 2019, in exchange for my honest review. I will leave you with the blurb from the book (see below) since I did not read far enough to write my own synopsis.

When Captain Kyle Mercer of the Army’s elite Delta Force disappeared from his post in Afghanistan, a video released by his Taliban captors made international headlines. But circumstances were murky: Did Mercer desert before he was captured? Then a second video sent to Mercer’s Army commanders leaves no doubt: the trained assassin and keeper of classified Army intelligence has willfully disappeared.

When Mercer is spotted a year later in Caracas, Venezuela by an old army buddy, top military brass task Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor of the Criminal Investigation Division to fly to Venezuela and bring Mercer back to America—dead or alive. Brodie knows this is a difficult mission, made more difficult by his new partner’s inexperience and by his suspicion that Maggie Taylor is reporting to the CIA.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus, by Erin Morganstern, is an amazing debut novel. This is one of my favorite books this year, maybe in several years. The story is magical, imaginative and totally entertaining. If this is a debut novel, think what the author still has in store for us!

Celia Bowen is the daughter of a famous magician. She has been in training with her father from an early age. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that when Le Cirque des Reves auditions magicians she shines and is quickly hired. But the circus is more than just a circus. It is a competition between two young magicians, Celia being one of them.

For Celia and Marco, the competing magician, the rules of the competition have always been vague. They know the circus is the venue but they are not sure how a winner will be determined. They each craft fantastical shows under the black and white stripped tents. A magical feast for the eyes and senses. There is just one little, tiny problem, Celia and Marco fall in love and in this story there can only be one winner.

I dare not say more, least I ruin this fantastic story. What I can tell you is, I was hooked within the first five pages. The book has all the things I love from a great read: outstanding plot, awesome characters, and surprising twists and an overall air of magic.

If prose could sparkle this book would glow. Every time I picked the book up, I felt like I was walking into it instead of just reading about the characters, locations, etc. Not often does a book do this to me and it is a very special thing when it does.

As I mentioned above, this book is among my favorites reads this year. Not only was the story interesting and new, the author’s prose was effortless. If you have not had the opportunity to read this yet, I don’t know what you are waiting for.

I received a free copy in a Read It Forward giveaway.

Cursed by Thomas Wheeler

Cursed, by Thomas Wheeler, is a retelling of King Arthur told from the POV of Nimue, The Lady of the Lake in the original tale. There has been a steady stream of retellings over the years, but I don’t recall one told from the POV of Niume. So I was intrigued and wanted to read this one and see how it stacked up. It is a unique retelling of King Arthur, which I found interesting.

Nimue is the daughter of one of the leaders of her Druid tribe. She should have an inherited status within the tribe, instead she is an outcast. She is feared because of the magic she can command and there are others that fear her and her kind also. The Red Paladins have been systematically killing and destroying homes of Fey. When they arrive at Nimue’s village to destroy it, her mother gives Nimue a sword and tells her to find Merlin and give him the sword.

When she embarks on the journey she meets Arthur, a rogue warrior, who aides her. She also discovers that the sword is very powerful and she wishes to use it to save her people who are being massacred throughout the country. When she discovers a group of Fey hiding in a cave they recognize the sword she carries. It is an old sword with old Fey magic. She is anointed the Queen and is seen as the savior of her kind. The question is will she be strong enough to be everything they need her to be.

The story had so much potential. Unfortunately, the characters were flat and didn’t fit the plot. I was so wanting a strong heroine; however, Nimue I found to be a lack luster leader. I was expecting a more Joan of Arc type character but was given a poor imitation instead. Merlin was a drunk and Arthur acted more like a hormone infused teenager. In my opinion, the minor characters were better.

The plot was good, but the execution was not the best. The POVs changed among the major characters as the story progressed and there was not always a smooth transition between them. This made the story feel kind of jerky instead and winding and flowing evenly throughout. The pace was good which helped a little to overcome some of the issues.

There is a lot of art work in this book. Since my copy is an ARC some art was not present. However, from what I did have, I can tell you the art was more suited to a graphic novel. I was expecting so much more and was greatly disappointed.

Even with the short comings I enjoyed this one; but, it will never be on any of my favorites list. This is a middle grade book but because of the violence and other subjects it is better suited to the older middle grade reader. I recommend it to those middle grade readers who like graphic novels because this book has a graphic novel feel.

I received an ARC copy at BookExpo 2019, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Three Days at the Brink by Bret Baier

I love historical novels both fiction and nonfiction, though I rarely have a chance to read nonfiction. It took me a long time to want to read nonfiction after years of forced reading in school. Therefore, I can honestly say that I am not a scholar and read now entirely for enjoyment and I enjoyed reading Three Days at the Brink, by Bret Baier. It was a thoughtful, through and in-depth look at FDR.

Going in I thought this book would be mainly about the Tehran Conference, it was that and so much more. The first of the book covers FDR’s childhood, his rise through the political ranks and to the presidency. The remainder of the book focuses on his presidency through WWII. There was a lot of focus on how he “charmed” both Churchill and Stalin.

Though FDR was not perfect, he was an outstanding statesman. He was the right person at the right time and he was instrumental in the success of the Tehran Conference. I thought Mr. Baier made an honest attempt to present FDR as factual as possible and it made for a fascinating story.

A well written and researched book than any history buff would love to own, and it would make an excellent addition to any collector’s WWII archive.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Tuesday Mooney Talk to Ghosts by Kate Racculia

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts, by Kate Racculia, is, in many ways, an ode to Edgar Allan Poe. In fact, the entire book abounds with Poeness. It is chalked full of literary references to all things ghoulish, spooky and other cultural references to the supernatural. All of which I found delightfully entertaining.

When eccentric billionaire Vincent Pryce dies, he sets in motion a treasure hunt, as part of his legacy, that anyone can play. He was obsessed with the strange and bizarre so it is no surprise that his clues are Poe inspired. This suits Tuesday Mooney just fine. All her life she too has been interested in witches and the supernatural and she just happens to be very good as solving puzzles.

She and her friend Poindexter, aka Dex, play Mr. Pryce’s game and are quickly joined by her neighbor’s daughter Dorry, whom she tutors, and Nathanial Arches a rich playboy. They all are playing for their own reasons and nothing is as it seems even the game… especially the game. With so much hidden under the surface anything could happen and it does. When the many layers are pulled back and the truth is revealed it is shocking and brilliant.

The story is steeped in the supernatural, yet at the heart it is about relationships, love and loss. Like the treasure hunt, the author uses the many layers of the story to explore the connections of family and friendship and how love and loss affect them. It was exceptionally well done and the action of the plot made what could have been mundane and boring, exciting and thrilling.

As good at the plot was, it is the quirky characters I loved the most. Tuesday who always dresses in black and speaks, in her head, to her dead friend’s ghost. Dex, the drag queen, who just wants to be accepted for the “real” Dex. Then there is Dorry who is still dealing with the death of her Mother and Nathanial who has so many secrets and guilt you wonder how he can carry that weight. The hunt brings them all together physically, but it is the unseen, the emotional connection that is what truly shines here. It is subtle, sublime and so well done!

It is a given that readers who are interested in the supernatural will definitely want to read this book. Because of the relationships and themes explored, I think this book will appeal to a much wider audience. So, if the supernatural is not your thing, don’t let the word ghosts in the title deter you from reading this little gem. You will miss out on a truly amazing story.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

This novella, Binti by Nnedi Okorafor, is in the vain of Octavia Butler. It is a quick read and the action pulls the story along rather swiftly. The prose was really good. The basis of the plot was not new but that was OK because the execution was good.

The only thing I longed for was a little bit more character development. I felt there was so much to Binti we did not understand. For example, why she felt she must leave her family and all she has known for an unknown future at Uni. I hope the next books will fill in the gaps for me.

This is one for fans of YA Sci-Fi . In addition, if you are a fan of Butler then you most likely enjoy this story. However, this is not a heavy on the Science book. Therefore, hardcore fans of the genre may not find this one to their liking.

Book Blurb:

Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti’s stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself – but first she has to make it there, alive.

Trust Nobody By Ken Kuhlken

Everybody who reads your work is liable to respond differently. Even in a group of smart, knowledgeable writers or editors, you might get responses ranging from abject boredom to wild acclaim.

The graduate school I attended is famous, so good writers apply. I went there expecting that most every participant in the workshops would give me wise insights. Most of them didn’t.

But I didn’t need the comments of fifteen people. From the critiques of two or three with whom I felt some accord, I learned plenty.

Everybody brings his background to his reading. When a reader appreciates my work, I know it could mean he relates for his own reasons. Say we both were raised by our grandmothers. Or she may dismiss my story in reaction to something personal, such as a hurt she suffered or a bias with which she has armed herself. A person who grew up with alcoholic parents may bond with a story about a boozer or recoil from it.

The odds of an agent or editor accepting a book she reads over coffee in the morning may be higher than the odds of her buying one she reads in moments snatched between phone calls.

Suppose several readers point to the same problem. Odds are good your story has failed to communicate the way you’d like it to. But that doesn’t mean the readers’ suggestions for fixing the problem are correct. They’re worth considering, but not necessarily the best way to solve the problem.

When critiquing an early draft of a novel by Kevin McIlvoy, I noted that a certain section dragged along, earning more yawns than the rest of the story. I suggested cutting some details to speed it up. Kevin later told me he’d solved the problem by adding to the section, using more details that made it more gripping.

Your task is to listen to critiques with your mind open, then ponder each comment as much as it deserves, all before you decide whether to revise. And if you decide to revise, consider suggestions, but also look for alternative ways. Suggestions can come from other people, but revisions have to come from you.

About Ken

Some of Ken’s favorites are early mornings, the desert in spring, kind and honest people, baseball and other sports played by those who don’t take themselves too seriously, most kids, and films he and his Zoe can enjoy together.

He reads classic novels, philosophy, theology, and all sorts of mysteries. On his blog, he offers some hard truths and encouragement about living as a writer.

He has long been the author of novels, stories, articles, poems, and essays. Lots of honors have come his way, including a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship; Poets, Essayists and Novelist’s Ernest Hemingway Award; Private Eye Writers of America Best First Novel and Shamus Best Novel; and several San Diego and Los Angeles Book Awards.

You can find Ken here: https://www.kenkuhlken.net/

Ken books are available for purchase here:

Midheaven

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Midheaven-Ken-Kuhlken/dp/1719585776/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1561671037&sr=8-2

Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/midheaven-ken-kuhlken/1001188066?ean=9781719585774

The Very Least

Amazon: https://amzn.to/30FEa91

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-very-least-ken-kuhlken/1129158286?ean=9781725909786

The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan

Pub. Date: 25-Jun-2019
Rating: 4.5 Stars

I was in the mood for a fun, light read and that is exactly what I got with The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan. The story is uplifting and warm, that centers around the meaning of family with a dash of romance and a little mystery thrown in. It made for a lovely reading experience, total escapism.

Zoe is a young mother living in a tiny flat in London with her son Hari. Hari’s father is mostly absent from their lives and provides no financial support. She is barely getting by and is one disaster away from being homeless.

Despite her circumstances, Zoe is determined to provide the best she can for Hari. Therefore, when she sees an ad for a nanny to three children in Scotland she jumps at the chance. Her hope is this will provide a more stable home life for Hari. In addition to the job as nanny, she also takes a day job running a mobile bookshop for a mother-to-be who is confined to bed rest until her baby is born.

She quickly finds that both jobs are more than she bargained for. The book van’s patrons are reluctant to buy from someone other than Nina the van’s owner. This forces Zoe to get creative in order to keep the business afloat. The 3 children she is nanny to had been described as “gifted” when “troubled” would have been a much better word to use. How will she make all of this work?

I adored the quirky characters. It seemed that even the minor characters had something unusual, or flawed, about them that endeared them to me. Either as in the case of Zoe, her intelligence that I felt hindered her common sense sometimes and, at times, left her unsure of herself, to Nina’s obsessiveness. I admired Zoe’s resilience and that she was unflappable. She had to be in order to tackle all the challenges she faced. I do wish I had understood Ramsey a little better. I know this book was not his story, yet I could not help wanting to know just a little more about him.

The plot was not the strongest I have read, but there was enough tension to keep me reading. I found myself wanting to know how Zoe was to going to handle Ramsey’s brood of hellions. I almost excepted them to play nasty tricks on Zoe, like put a snake in her bed. Some of what they did I thought was rather mild. The pacing of the plot was good and there was one revelation at the end I was not expecting that gave a little spice to the story.

Overall this is a solid feel good story and I recommend this lovely gem to readers of all kinds, especially those who like books that fall into the Women’s Fiction genre and Romance. Also, if you are looking for a beach read this book would be a perfect choice.

I received a free copy from the publisher, via Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program, in exchange for my honest review.

The Bowes Inheritance by Pam Lecky

Guest Review by J.A. Miller:

The Bowes Inheritance, by Pam Lecky, has all the elements of a great book: compelling characters, a riveting plot, subplots that twist and turn, romance, intrigue, heartache and surprises. Set in Dublin and England in the late 1800’s, the story revolves around two impoverished sisters who inherit an estate in England – and all the unexpected drama that comes with it – from an uncle they never knew existed. I loved the book and so will you.

Book Blurb:

Dublin 1882: When determined but impoverished Louisa Campbell inherits a large estate in the north of England, from an uncle she didn’t even know existed, it appears to be the answer to her prayers. Her younger sister, Eleanor, is gravely ill, and believing that the country air will benefit her, they decide to take up residence at Bowes Farm, situated on the Cumberland coast.

However, they soon realise that all they have inherited is trouble. Their uncle had managed to alienate almost everyone in the area and worst of all, was suspected of being a Fenian activist. His reputation leaves Louisa and Eleanor battling to gain acceptance in polite society, especially with Nicholas Maxwell, their handsome neighbour and local magistrate. His father was cheated out of the farm during a card game fifteen years before and he is determined to get the property back.

Louisa unearths secrets from their family’s past that threaten their future while the spectre of their mysterious benefactor overshadows everything. When a Fenian bombing campaign comes close to home, Louisa finds herself a chief suspect and must fight to clear her name. She must dig deep to find the courage to solve the mysteries that Bowes Farm holds before their lives are destroyed. And most importantly of all, will she be able to finally trust and love the man who is surely her sworn enemy?

John Anthony Miller was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a father of English ancestry and a second-generation Italian mother. Motivated by a life-long love of travel and history, he normally sets his novels in exotic locations during eras of global conflict. Characters must cope and combat, overcoming their own weaknesses as well as the external influences spawned by tumultuous times. He’s the author of the historical thrillers, To Parts Unknown, In Satan’s Shadow, When Darkness Comes, and All the King’s Soldiers, as well as the historical mystery, Honour the Dead. He lives in southern New Jersey with his family.