Title: Crown of Stars Author: Sophie Jaff Pub. Date: 6-Jun-2017 Rating: 4.5 Stars
Crown of Stars is the second book in the Nightsong Trilogy. It can be read as a standalone, which I am thankful for since I have not read the first book. It is a mix of fantasy and psychological thriller and is a true good versus evil story. The plot shifts between Margaret in the 17th century and Katherine in the present.
Margaret is the daughter of a Traveler and has inherited supernatural gifts from her. The community is afraid of her and has shunned her. After her mother’s death, her father remarries and it is soon evident that Margaret will have to leave. She is finally able to secure a position as an alewife in the house of a young, wealthy lord whom she falls for. Tragically, her mother’s killer is now seeking her and she becomes determined to defeat him even at the cost of her own life. Continue reading “Crown of Stars by Sophie Jaff”
Caraval is part fantasy, mystery, and romance all within a young adult wrapper. It is the first book of a series and, be warned, you are left with a huge cliff hanger on the very last page. If you hate cliff hangers you might want to wait until the sequel is out to read this one. That aside, this book is a suspense ride worth taking. It is full of twists that will keep you guessing all the way to the end.
Scarlett and her sister Tella live with their cruel father on a small remote island. Not only is he a cruel man, but he is a powerful man and they are desperate to escape his clutches. Scarlett thinks by going through with an arranged marriage she will finally be free of him. Then just days before her wedding a letter arrives with three tickets to the fabled Caraval. A yearly dramatic performance/game in which members of the audience can participate, if they so desire, with the winner receiving a magical prize. Continue reading “Caraval by Stephanie Garber”
At the core, The Angel Alejandro by Alistair Cross is about greed and lust and its effects when all restraints are removed. A true good versus evil story. The book is rather long (521 pages) and took longer than I thought to read. The reason for the slow read was not the speed of the plot, but I found myself totally absorbed in the story and wanted to go slower and savor all the details.
Alejandro is an angel that has been pulled into this world when Madison O’Riley fell from the roof of her home. He saved her life, yet he cannot remember who he is and strange things happen around him. He hears voices calling for help in his mind and when he responds to one such voice his powers are revealed to the entire world. There is an immediate media frenzy and everyone seems to want a piece of him, including another new comer in town, Gremory Jones. Continue reading “The Angel Alejandro by Alistair Cross”
The Bedlam Stacks is the first book I have read by Natasha Pulley. It is one of those books that gets under your skin. It is a slow build up and then you reach a point that you must finish reading or die trying. When the end comes you just let out a breath you did not even know you were holding. I know it is only March, but I suspect this book will end up being one of my favorites this year.
The story is about Merrick Tremayne who is currently at home in Cornwall convalescing after a tragic accident that almost cost him his leg. He has been contemplating what jobs a cripple can do and his current prospects don’t look so good. When Merrick starts seeing a garden statue move and a tree explode his brother thinks Merrick might be going mad like their mother. To Merrick’s dismay his brother is now insisting he take a position as a parson or be committed. Fortunately for Merrick, Clem, an old friend, drops by and convinces Merrick that he is well enough to make a journey with him to Peru for the East India Company, Merrick’s employer before his accident. Continue reading “The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley”
Herai is a debut novel by Aaron D. Key. The main character is Herai and her story unfolds in two different realities. One reality is called “WITHOUT” and one “THE BETTER PLACE” because an all-powerful being has entered the one reality thereby greatly affecting it. It is not until the end that you know who this being is.
Since you are following two subplots and the book alternates between the two. It made for a slow and arduous read. The plot(s) were difficult to keep straight. I found myself constantly flipping back to see which reality I was reading about. I finally gave up and started making notes in an effort to keep track of everything going on. This is not my most favorite thing to do and made it hard for me to really get vested in the story. Continue reading “Herai by Aaron D. Key”
Title: Haire Suite Author: Piers Anthony Pub Date: 21-Dec-2016 Rating: 4 Stars
Hair Suite, a novella, by Piers Anthony is the sequel to Hair Power. You do not have to read Hair Power in order to enjoy the sequel. If you have read anything by Piers Anthony, you already know his works are witty, humorous and full of puns. Hair Suite most definitely follows in this vain.
The Hair Suits are a small group of people who have been given extraordinary powers by alien Hair Balls. I am laughing as I am writing this, since my image of a hair ball involves cats and vomit. The puns is what makes Piers Anthony’s work so humorous. Anyway, there is another alien power that has arrived on Earth called Chip Monks. The Chips introduce themselves to the Hairs and form a partnership with them to defeat a third alien power that is headed to Earth and could be a major threat to both the Hairs and the Chips. Together they need to eliminate the threat and save Earth for themselves.
As previously stated, this is a humorous light read and typical Piers Anthony. I would go so far as to call Mr. Anthony’s work the slapstick of the fantasy genre. He is poking fun at numerous things and there are a lot of sexual undertones in the book some might find offensive. It is totally silliness and I had a good laugh. If you liked the Xanith series you will like Hair Suite.
I received a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
As an avid reader and fan of fantasy, I have been wanting to read The Invisible Library for over a year. Even after I received a copy, it was in my TBR pile for months. Now that I am finished reading, I am berating myself for taking so long. It was a great story and wonderful start to a new series.
Ms. Cogman has that rare ability to transport the reader to the place and time of her choosing. In this case it is a library that resides between dimensions. The librarians who staff this particular library are there for life and their mission is to collect and preserve rare books from all dimensions. The main character Irene is a junior librarian that has been tasked with finding a book of Grimm fairy tales in an alternate London. Assigned to her is Kai, a librarian in training, who is somewhat of a mystery. In this alternate London magic and the forces of chaos abound. Worlds with chaos are extremely dangerous, leaving Irene to wonder why Kai would be assigned to her for this dangerous mission.
When they arrive in the alternate world, they discover the book they are sent to retrieve has been stolen from the vampire that recently acquired it. Now they must unravel the mystery of its disappearance. Along the way, they meet Vale, a detective reminiscent of Sherlock Homes, minus the Watson, who assists them. They also meet some not so helpful and downright dangerous people. Including another librarian that is trying to be the first to the book in order to scoop Irene.
A great adventure. The plot moved along quickly and had lots of surprises which kept our heroin on her toes. I also enjoyed how Irene’s mind worked and how she kept questioning things in her quest to find the missing book. It gave validity to the story.
The only thing I wanted, that I did not get, is a little more information about The Library itself and some of the characters. There are several bites of information that are hinted at but not fully revealed. It left me craving more. This has set the stage for further development in the series of both the characters and The Library. In addition, the alternate dimensions concept is teeming with infinite possibilities for future stories. My head is spinning just thinking about all the possible missions for the field librarians. In short, I look forward to discovering more about Irene and Kai and reading about their exciting adventures for the The Library.
