Tag: fiction

Son of a Gun by Lee Ness

Title: Son of a Gun
Author: Lee Ness
Pub. Date: 4-Dec-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

When I was asked to review Son of a Gun, by Lee Ness, it was pitched to me as in the vain of the Jason Bourne books by Robert Ludlum. Since I loved that series, I was stoked to read this book and I was not disappointed. There was lots of action, plot twists, and characters to love and some to hate.

John King is a nobody, he does not exist and he likes it like that. In the world of espionage, he operates within, he is known simply as Eidolon, an apparition, and he is the best.  As an assassin for hire he uses this to his utmost advantage. He works alone, stays in the shadows and even his face is not known.  Continue reading “Son of a Gun by Lee Ness”

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Title: The Sun is Also a Star
Author: Nicola Yoon
Pub. Date: 1-Nov-2016
Rating: 5 Stars

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon is another one of those books that has been on my to-be-read list since it first came out.  Why, oh why does it take over a year to get to such a good book? After reading books like this I almost always beat myself up for not getting to it sooner.

In this story, the author is asking the reader to believe in fate and love at first site. Daniel is in the right place at the right time to meet Natasha.  Only Natasha is scheduled to be deported back to Jamaica that very evening. Therefore, Daniel has only a few hours to convince Natasha that two people can fall in love in an initial meeting and he has the science to prove it. Natasha is very skeptical, and rightly so, especially since she is Jamaican and he is Korean and she knows her parents would never approve of a relationship with Daniel.  Continue reading “The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon”

Snow by Mikayla Elliot

Title: Snow
Author: Mikayla Elliot
Pub. Date: 31-Jul-2017
Rating: 4.5

As a lover of fantasy and paranormal I have read a lot of vampire stories some good, some bad. Snow by Mikayla Elliot most definitely falls into the good category. It is a different take on the standard vampire tale.

Neva is a young woman who is working in her parents’ bakery until one day she is whisked away to the castle of a nearby Lord as a potential wife. Once at the castle she is turned into a vampire by Lord Thedryk. She is told she is the person that the vampire world has been waiting centuries for to be reborn.  She is the one that will change the course of all vampires forever.  Because of this, she is the target of the vampire Zachariah who wants to stop her fulfilling her destiny. Before she even has a chance to figure out what her destiny will be she must deal with Zachariah.  Continue reading “Snow by Mikayla Elliot”

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Title: The Rules of Magic
Author: Alice Hoffman
Pub. Date: 10-Oct-2017
Rating: 5 Stars

I could not wait to get my hands on this book. Therefore, I was super excited to see it was a selection at Book of the Month. I loved Practical Magic and just knew that The Rules of Magic would be the same. I was right!

The Rules of Magic is the prequel to Practical Magic and in it we meet Jet and Franny, when they are young, along with their brother Vincent. The story starts in New York when the three siblings are still children living under what they consider harsh parental rules. They can’t wear black, red shoes, or have any books on magic, among other things. They know they are different but their parents refuse to discuss their heritage with them. Then one day an invite from their Aunt Isabelle arrives and the trio sets off to Massachusetts on their summer break for a visit.  Continue reading “The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman”

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pub. Date: 8-Aug-2010
My Rating: 5 Stars

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare has been on my to-read list for a very long time. I do not entirely know why it has taken me so long to get to this book. After all, the book has all the elements I enjoy, strong plot, memorable characters and excellent world building.

Tessa Grey arrives in England not long after her grandmother dies. Her brother, Nathaniel, has arranged for her passage and upon arriving at the dock she is meet by the Dark Sisters.  Her brother has been unavoidable detained and has sent them in his stead or so Tessa is lead to believe. The Dark Sisters quickly imprison her in their home and set about teaching her how to use her powers that she herself did not know existed.  Continue reading “Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare”

The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee

Title: The Queen of the Night
Author: Alexander Chee
Pub. Date: 2-Jan-2016
Rating: 3 Stars

The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee is one of those books that I should have fell in love with from the opening pages. From the synopsis it sounded to me like most everything I love about historical fiction. Sadly, I was disappointed.

Lilliet Berne is a famous Paris opera singer with a checked past. She has survived untold hardships to arrive at the place she is today. There are only a few people who know the whole truth of who Lilliet really is, a sum total of four, and it seems one of them is out to expose her. She knows this because a new opera has been written just for her, the crowning glory for an opera singer, and her life is the story. All her secrets will be exposed to the world. Continue reading “The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee”

Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble

Title: Beneath Copper Falls
Author: Colleen Coble
Pub. Date: 10-Jul-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble is a crime thriller/romance for lovers of fast paced novels. This is the sixth book in the Rock Harbor series, but fear not, it can be read as a stand-alone. Since I have not read the others in the series, I can honestly say that I suffered no ill effects.

After leaving an abusive relationship, Dana Newell has returned home to the UP of Michigan and has a job waiting for her as a 911 dispatcher. She is excited to see her brother, her friends and have her life return to normal. She moves in with her brother and starts the process of rebuilding.  Continue reading “Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble”

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017 edited by John Joseph Adams and Charles Yu

Title: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017
Author: John Joseph Adams
Pub. Date: 3-Oct-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017 edited by John Joseph Adams and Charles Yu is an anthology of short stories that embraces all varieties of Sci-Fi and Fantasy.  It is an interesting and diverse compilation.

It opens with Head, Scales, Tongue and Tail by Leigh Bardugo a story about a young girl who falls in love with a boy that is not really human. It was probably my favorite and set my expectations high for this anthology. Another favorite of mine was Everyone from Themis Sends Letters Home by Genevieve Valentine a story about the repercussions of a world in which everyone is plugged in and what are the rights of people in that type of world. Continue reading “The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017 edited by John Joseph Adams and Charles Yu”

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

Title: Sometimes I Lie
Author: Alice Feeney
Pub. Date: 13-Mar-2018
Rating: 5 Stars

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney is a chilling debut novel that you will not put down until the last sentence is devoured. This psychological thriller is in the vain of Gone Girl and is sure to keep you awake long after you have finished reading. Definitely one of the best this year.

At this point I usually give a synopsis of the plot; however, this time it is impossible to without some sort of spoiler and I hate spoilers. Believe me, this book is too good and you will be thanking me after you read it. Instead I am just giving you the blurb from the book. Continue reading “Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney”

House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick

Title: House of Shadows
Author: Nicola Cornick
Pub. Date: 17-Oct-2017
Rating: 5 Stars

House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick is a wonderful, fictional story that has been skillfully woven into and around English history. The story line was rather complex as the reader is actually following three separate time lines, one in the 17th century, the 19th and the present.

The story opens on the death bed of Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen, as she implorers William Craven, the First Earl of Craven her faithful and devoted cavalier, to destroy a pearl and a jeweled mirror that she believed had wrought havoc in her family. The story then leaps forward to the present when Holly gets a call in the middle of the night from her niece saying her father, Holly’s brother, is missing. Continue reading “House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick”