Beth Tabler

Paternus: Rise of the Gods is an Exciting dark urban fantasy that brings you along on a wild mythological ride.

The Paternus series is one I have been hearing a lot about for years. Literally years. Usually, what I am hearing is in the form of gushing and squeeing. “Did you read Paternus? No. OMG you really have to!” Plus, the covers are gorgeous and done by cover artist John Anthony Di Giovanni. They are the kind of covers you want to display in your library and possibly have a print framed in there. Having finished the first book, all I can say to myself, “Why the hell did I wait so long?”

“A wielder of words is a wielder of power.”

The blurb sums up the overall feeling of the first book perfectly, “American Gods meets The Avengers, and Supernatural meets The Lord of the Rings, Paternus combines myths from around the world in a modern story of action and intrigue that is “urban fantasy on the surface, but so much more at its core!” It is a story about myths of legend from cultures throughout the world connected through time and all relating to one individual, The Pater.

“I seem to remember someone very close to me, and wise, or so I thought, once telling me—” “—anything is possible.”

The book starts a bit slowly, it lays solid foundations for the upcoming story, so I didn't mind the slower pacing. The main protagonists of the story are two older teenagers, Fi and Zeke. Fi and Zeke are in a relationship, and there is come “will they or won't they” back and forth. Typical stuff that one deals with at that age. Fiona was orphaned at a young age by a plane crash that killed her mother, and as she never knew her father, she now lives with her proper British uncle Edgar his weirdly huge dog Mol. Edgar raised Fiona from a young child, and Fiona looks to him as her father.

Fiona works as an intern at a local are hospital. She has been paying particular attention to an older man named Peter, whom she is drawn to to help. She has a particularly positive effect on him as he is responsive to her but otherwise vegetative. While Zeke is visiting the hospital, it is “attacked by strange and frightening men.” Fiona Patterson and Zeke Prisco work to save Peter from myths legend. They turn to Fiona's uncle Edgar for help, and that is where the story gets utterly wild.

“It was twenty-thousand years ago. The last Great Ice covered much of the planet, and the final battle of the Second Magnificent Holocaust raged. She'd sided with Father, of course – she was always Deva, his sister, Devi to the core. Her Truename was Artio, but at the time she was known by the humans as the Vanir giantess Jörd. When Bödvar saw her she was armored in a massive breastplate, with great golden wings on her helmet, spattered with gore – but beautiful.”

First and foremost, I need to compliment Dyrk Ashton for the sheer magnitude of research he put into creating this story. Many mythological figures from all countries and timeframes play parts in Zeke and Fiona's quest. Some figures, so long-lived, their legends bisect multiple cultures, and contextually, it works perfectly in the story. Ashton lays a solid foundation for all of these characters. As a reader, I went from “Huh?” to “Oh, how cool. Who is going to play a part next?” As for what happens next, and who is a god or legend is spoiler territory. But it gets pretty exciting.

Worldbuilding-wise, there are quite a few information dumps. We have a lot to learn about these characters and their history and connections. It is all-important and valuable information. Usually, I shy away from pages of backstory, but in Paternus, it worked. We need that information as readers. Ashton had me googling with glee.

The narrative starts a little young, as Fiona and Zeke are younger characters. But don't let that fool you; this is not a YA novel. Paternus: Rise of the Gods is a very adult and often brutal story. There is violence, torture, and fighting that could rival any action movie. Climax-wise, Paternus: Rise of the Gods does not have much of a mini-arc. Instead, it is a huge vibrant story that spans three books and close to 2000 pages. But, the ending of Paternus: Rise of the Gods is satisfying and intensely fun to read and gets you ready to jump into book 2.

Paternus: Rise of the Gods is one of the most unique Urban Fantasy stories I have ever read, and I have read quite a few. The series has a solid place in my top ten favorite series of all time. Even with a slow start, this is still a solid five-star read for me. Screw American Gods, Paternus: Rise of the Gods is my mythological urban fantasy of choice.

The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig is a study of different types of horrors. If you haven't read many Wendig books, Chuck writes with various styles and themes. Each one of his novels approaches the theme, whether horror or science fiction, originally. So, if I were to read passages from five different books blindly, I could not pull out a specific Wendig type style. He is an expert at matching tone to the narrative.

Also, I assume that Chuck is a reader, a man who appreciates the written word. I think that because he enjoys books as much as he does, it comes through his storytelling.

For instance, one of his earlier stories in his bibliography is the first book of the Miriam Black series, Blackbirds. Blackbirds stars Miriam Black, an alcoholic anti-protagonist who is cursed with the vision of the death of every person she physically comes into contact with. Miriam is brash and crude. The story is dark and twisty with a slight mystery element, but mostly it is of Miriam trying to survive in a world that hates and reviles her. It reminded me a lot of a much darker Jessica Jones-type character. It had a specific tone of roughness and desperation.

Another and one of my favorite books that I have read in the last five years is Wanderers. It is an epic horror survival story, which often is compared to Stephen King's The Stand. Again, excellent writing skills. When I read it, I could not say that it was a Wendig book, unlike a Stephen King book where I could pick it out in 3 pages.

All this brings me to The Book of Accidents, which seems very much like an amalgamation of the ability to write in various styles siphoned and condensed down into a gothic horror novel that touches on many of the cornerstones of horror. The Book of Accidents effectively has elements of preternatural horror, body horror, psychological, some apocalyptic, Lovecraftian, and even psycho killer style scenes. Wendig distilled the virtues of each of the horror disciplines down into an incredibly atmospheric read that even now, thinking about it, I know that I did not catch every little nuance, and it deserves a second read through.

The story starts with Nate Graves back in his hometown, following the death of his abusive father. Nate, his wife Maddie, and son Oliver move into Nate's childhood home. A home full of memories, not many of them positive. Those previous traumatic memories haunt Nate as if they are ghosts. Oliver, Nate's son, is an empath. He instinctually feels the pain of those around him. The less pain and slower rural lifestyle that the family is hoping for is meant to help Oliver deal with his abilities. However, Wendig describes that even smaller, more rural towns are full of horrors, just like big cities.

As the story progresses, Nate slowly begins to succumb to his brutal past and the PTSD of his childhood. He sees things that are not there; he has bouts of anger and depression. Maddie also has difficulties adjusting to life in this small town. She blacks out while using a chainsaw on a wood sculpture, and her creations come to life. It is difficult to tell what is real and what could be a psychological break from stress at this point in the story. Additionally, Maddie, as a character, is the glue that holds the family together. As her ability to deal with the reality of the events before her diminishes, she has difficulty coping, which begins to fracture the family.

The Book of Accidents plays on the horrors of the mind and the horrors of the unknown. However, I think much more importantly; it is a story about family and the invisible ties that bind individuals to each other and their past events. Nate has a great fear of passing the violence of his childhood on to Oliver through his actions. And in turn, Oliver senses the turmoil inside his father.

Oliver has a difficult time adjusting to school life. He eventually makes friends with other like-minded kids but runs into conflict when another new friend, an older boy named Jake, causes problems in Oliver's relationships. But from the get-go, readers pick up that Jake is more than meets the eye.

Wendig takes all of these bits and pieces of horror and conflict and creates a cohesive narrative that culminates in many jaw-dropping moments. If I were to tell you more, it would spoil the surprises. It jumps from serial killers, dark and evil books, demons, ghosts, and even science fiction elements. Oddly enough, in any other hands, this book would be an incohesive mess. But it all works. The serial killer angle and him disappearing moments before death, the psychological pain of Oliver's classmates, what Maddie does to make sure that they all survive. It all works, and not for one moment does this book let up. It is like a symphony starting with many discordant and uncomfortable notes that come together so fully the force of it nails you to your chair.

The Book of Accidents is another fantastic horror novel to add to Wendig's already impressive repertoire. It is a book of shock and pain and the thin grey line between good and evil. It touches on family and relationships as much as the supernatural aspects. He grinds it all together in a blender and what comes out is a hard-hitting story. It is an excellent book that will appeal to both readers who are new to Wendig's catalog and those of us who have read many of his stories. Go check it out.

As someone who grew up with a massive love for Harry Potter but is now turned off by the saccharin sweetness of that series, The Last Graduate, book 2 of The Scholomance series is a perfect reminder that it is much more fun to play in the dark, snarky side of things.

The first book, A Deadly Education, introduces us to Galadriel (I do not know of a more perfect name for a character), a young student starting her junior year at a wizarding academy called Scholomance. The survival rate for Scholomance is around 50%. You do not fail out; you are blown to bits, eaten, have your skin flayed off in strips, have your soul sucked out, or suffer psychological damage. To graduate, you must run the gauntlet through an obstacle course of creatures from hell all bent on devouring your mind, body, and soul.

“the same kind of calm as going through a crying jag and coming out the other side, where you know nothing's changed and it's all still horrible but you can't cry forever, so there's nothing to do but go on.”

There are no fundamental protections, except for those you make yourself. The food is terrible and often poisonous and full of larva, the surroundings are terrifying, plus you still have to deal with teenage drama and hormones. Thankfully most of which is tamped down in favor of not becoming something's dinner. Plus, the children do not leave Scholomance for four years and have limited resources; it is full of political intrigues and a course load that would break the best minds. It is a type of violence that hits you on all sides.

The Scholomance series is not a dark veneer painted over an otherwise sweet and endearing coming-of-age story. No, this is just dark, bloody, and cruel. The good don't win at Scholomance, mater a fact who gives a damn about good and evil. Just live in any way you can. Beg Barter and steel, and maybe you will see sunlight again. But then, maybe not.

“They were already vulnerable, so when they looked at me they were rabbits looking at a wolf - a half-starved wolf who sometimes snapped even at the hand that fed her because it also kept her on a leash.”

In the first book we are introduced to Galadriel, who has the bonus of being extremely unlikeable, naturally. She is much like her namesake, immensely powerful, and naturally stands on a precipice between good and evil. Her power and nature pull her towards the dark; she could flatten entire cities and become a dark queen, and all would despair before her.

“And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

But Galadriel, or El as she likes to be called, doesn't want that and never has. This dark pulling is balanced against the lessons from her mother, who is the antithesis of a dark queen, a healer who freely gives her healing for free to all. Much of the book is El waring with the desires of Scholomance to turn El into the dark queen of destruction that she has inside.

The worldbuilding of The Scholomance is mainly flashbacks of moments out in the real world and the terrifying and otherworldly creation of the school itself. It lives outside of reality in a void between worlds. The entire school is vicious, but the whole point is to protect students from demons that want to consume their inner mana. It does a mediocre job, so wizards must accept that half of their children will not make it out of puberty into adulthood without being eaten.

All of this floundering under a Damocles is what any of the students can hope for until El has an idea... “El realizes that sometimes winning the game means throwing out all the rules...”

This series has a lot of danger and a lot of heart. But unlike the first book, where we are introduced to El and the rules of Scholomance, here we are familiar with how everything works. It is exciting how we slowly see El take apart everything; who needs rules? And come into her power, both physical and of personality. She starts to believe that she can change everything.

I plowed through this book. Every chapter kept me flowing through the pages. Novik has done a lot of stellar series, and she knows how to keep her readers hooked in. I won't tell you what happens to El and her found family. Especially Orion, who we meet in the first novel, swings wildly in the other direction for power. That would ruin everything, but wow, is it exciting. And that ending...

I am giving this my highest rating. It is mind-blowing and fantastic. It ended, and I went clamoring for more. Thank god there is another book planned. If you are a fan of dark fantasy, then you will dig it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An extremely comprehensive gardening book containing detailed information about how to grow all things under lights. Really great guide for the gardener who wants to extend their growing season, or set up a growing operation in their spare room. There is a stigma attached to growing stuff indoors. It isn't just cannabis, but everything! If you can grow it outside, it can be grown indoors! Great book. Definitely, recommend.

Rabbits by Terry Miles is a mind-bending head trip that is part Ready Player One and part The Matrix. It is a book that creeps and burrows into your mind, and you can spend weeks or months analyzing what you read. Rabbits is the kind of book you can read multiple times and still not wholly figure out.

“We each had our reasons for wanting the fantastical world promised by Rabbits to replace the flawed emotional narrative of our real lives.”

Rabbits is based in the world of long-form pseudo-documentary by Terry Miles. Rabbits the novel is about a narrator known as K searching for information about the addictive underground game Rabbits.

Rabbits, the game is very hush-hush. Players who play it do not speak of it and operate on the clandestine fringes of retro-tech and obscure culture. All research done on the game takes place in a shadow world of people in the know. Finding information and clues about Rabbits becomes as much a part of the game as the obvious goal of winning. K's research leads her down winding paths and rabbit holes, searching for information that will help K win the game. Once the game is won, a new iteration will start.

Eventually, K becomes wholly addicted to the game. With the help of K's friend, Chloe, they become entangled in the game world. Also, to complicate things, a reclusive billionaire gets involved who mysteriously ends up disappearing and eventually winning the game has possible world-ending repercussions.

Terry Miles's writing feels very much like listening to a mystery podcast. I haven't heard the original Rabbits podcast. However, it has a dedicated cult-like following. The problem that I ran into with Rabbits is positive and negative. Rabbits is a very intricate and entangled story. The characters question their reality, and the story's narrator is unreliable. It can be challenging to follow along, and I found myself going back and rereading sections of the book, trying to keep track of some of the plot details.

I liked Rabbits quite a bit because of the highly complex nature of the story. I find this kind of story very engaging, and I am a fan of unreliable narrators. But I can understand how a story like Rabbits would be complicated for some readers to enjoy. No part of K's journey is straightforward. Matter-a-fact, there are false starts and details that you think will be important but turn out not to be. Because of this, I can see a story like Rabbits obtaining a cult-like following with the strength of his writing and world-building. Especially if Miles continues to write in this world and interconnects Rabbits to other books. However, I don't see everyone enjoying Rabbits.

Kim Harrison's fifteenth installment of The Hollows series, Million Dollar Demon, gives us what we ask for, a fun story that shows off what Rachel does best. Rachel always brings the Moxie.

Rachel has her hands in many proverbial pies. She is a strong presence in the magic community of Cincinnati. Admired by friend and foe, she commands respect both for her personality and force of will, and her ability to use magic. In this installment of the series, Rachel has to contend with a new vampire in town, Constance.

Right off of the bat, Constance hits Rachel where it hurts, and that is messing with her home and foundational support in the community. Constance goes after Rachels's allies and their homes, causing Rachel to consolidate everyone at her property, the partially destroyed church. Constance is trying to consolidate her power base, and between the two of them is a battle of wills. It is also interesting the contrast that Rachel and Constance have with each other. Rachel tries to take the high road and think about the citizens of Cincinnati, while Constance thinks only of herself and her power. She constantly takes the low road and is deplorable.

Even with the big squeeze coming from Constance's vampires, the cast of characters is strong in this story. Again, like in the previous novel, Ivy is absent. But Jenks and Trent are still huge in Rachel's life. We have a new character we are introduced to, and that is Pike. Pike is the scion to Constance and in a very gray area. For the entirety of the novel, I had no idea where he stood. I liked that a lot and found that once again, Harrison writes fun and exciting characters that are relatable even though they live in an urban fantasy world.

Al didn't play a massive role in this book as he is estranged from Rachel, but I am looking forward to future books where he comes back. The relationship/father figure thing that Al has with Rachel is one of the best parts of the series.

Once again, Kim Harrison has written a great book. The Hollows is consistently a great series with engaging characters. That is a giant accomplishment, especially since this is book 15. There is still more story to tell; with the way that Harrison writes, I could probably enjoy this series for another 15 books.

You can't go wrong with one of the best urban fantasy series out there.

I received this as an advanced copy from Netgalley.com for an honest review.

First I have to start out by saying that I absolutely adore the “The Others” series. I am a pretty big fan. Like, “go out at midnight and purchase the new novel” type fan; I am a fan of this novel too. That being said, it was tough to get used to the new characters in this expansion. I enjoyed the characters in the first five novels so much that it isn't fair to call this “The Others #6”, but maybe “The Jumble #1.” The same overall world, but very different tonality, plotting, and characters.  If you go into #6 thinking that you are going to see Meg and that sort of plot, you are in for some sadness. It doesn't flow quite as smoothly as the first five books did but I think the issue for me is that it is missing the depth of personality the original characters had. Simon, Meg, Vlad, and Tessa all were very original ideas with particular character traits. We haven't got there quite yet with #6.  That might be because we had a much longer time to get to know the other characters in the first five books or maybe Anne Bishop is trying out a different writing style. They are both excellent, but I don't think this novel resonates as well as the others did. Plotting is a bit slow to get going. Anne Bishop is introducing a new area, new characters and introductions take a bit of time. In the end, It was a fun book. Not really a rampant page-turner, but I enjoyed the time we spent together, and I look forward to more installations. It is worth the read just to get to live in the world Anne Bishop created some more.

The Best Thing You Can Steal, by Simon R. Green, has a new series starring a group of thieves and scoundrels set in an urban fantasy world where magic is real. Each group member has a unique set of skills that make them invaluable for the planned heist. Think Ocean's 11 meets Nightside with a bit of Dresden Files, and you have this new series. It is such fun.

“Welcome to London, but not as you know it. A place where magics and horror run free, wonders and miracles are everyday things, and the dark streets are full of very shadowy people . . .“

The story starts with introducing a gentleman scoundrel named Gideon Sable, and no, that is not his real name. He stole this identity like he steals most things, but he now wears this persona like a second skin. He has become the legendary namesake, and all it was to be the master thief, Gideon Sable. And boy, does Gideon he have a heist in mind.

Gideon is the brains of this heist, the cunning rogue who has plans inside plans. More importantly, Gideon is insanely likable. Imagine Danny Ocean but with magic items. I liked him from the first pages of the story, which is a massive credit to Green as an author.

Aside from Gideon, you have his fabulous collection of rogues and malcontents, the Damned, the Ghost, the Wild Card, and Gideon's ex-girlfriend, Annie Anybody. The Ghost is just that, a ghost. He can move through spaces and is only visible to a select few. The Wild Card is a man who has seen some things that make him a complete wild card. Luck bends and twists in weird ways with him. You really have no idea what will happen in his presence. The Damned is a soul who is cursed. He was asked to steal something unstealable from a celestial being, and in doing so, he became something else. Even shadows slink away from him. He is not a man to be trifled with. The last is Gideon's former flame, Annie anybody, a woman who can be anyone; luck and perception bend to her. Her powers are a bit hit and miss but interesting.

“And we set of with speed for the bright lights of London. A car full of weird with a ghost on top.”

This book is pure fun. The Best Thing You Can Steal isn't perfect. The caper wasn't as convincing as I wished it had been, but I think that takes a solid back seat to the fantastic characters and powers. Again likening it to Ocean's 11, you didn't watch Ocean's 11 for the intricate heist. You watched Ocean's 11 for the characters coming together in their respective elements and doing some thievery. The Best Thing You Can Steal does exceptionally well, and it is worth checking out, as is pretty much any of Green's books. His Welcome to the Nightside books are legend.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my open and honest review.


“Red sky before night, no need for a fight. Red sky at dawn, don't yawn. Halflings probably set your barn afire, so gather your war ponies, tie back their manes, and attack–then, my good gnomes, you burn them back.”
Gnute Yakkin, in The Compendium of Gnomeric Resistance Rhymes

First, let me say that I have a deep and intense love of humor, satire, and cheekiness. I am a smart ass in the most profound and deep sense of the word. This was much to my detriment growing up. I can say without hyperbole that this is one of the funniest books I have ever read. Maybe it is my particular brand of punny and silly humor, but this story speaks to me. It is hilarious. It isn't perfect, the story trips over itself a few times and gets lost in the humor, but generally, this book is laughing out loud funny the whole way through.

The story is the second one thus far that takes place in the land of Pell; the first is the tale Kill the Farmboy. However, if you have read the first book in the series some of the characters are revisited, but this is very easy to keep up with as a stand-alone book.

“Few gnomes appreciate how stonking big the culinary accouterments must be to feed the taller folk. More than one gnome has mistaken an oven for cozy guest quarters, only to discover that it's a box of deadly fire.”
Sonni Somnambulist, in How I survived Twenty-One Terrible Places to Sleep

Pell is a land full of creatures of myth and fantasy tropes. In this edition of the series, the brothers Offi, Onni, and their family head to a town for refuges after their home has been attacked by a halfling gang known as Rogues Under Bigly-Wicke. There is a lot of fun cheeky naming going on. With a cast of characters brought from the four corners of fantasy, a ragtag group set off to fight the halfling horde and by God RESTORE THEIR LAND.

All I am going to say is goth cardigans...

Read this if you want some light and fun humor. I wouldn't call the story engaging in a deep plot sort of way, but more like an excellent vehicle for funny jokes which are actually quite good, so give it a try.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for my open and honest review.

If you would like to read more of my reviews or various other bookish things, please come by my blog
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What would you give if someone asked you for everything? If they asked you for your sanity, your future, your love, or the control of your destiny. Would you be able to give everything for that one incredible thing your heart is set on? Not many people would. People say that they would give everything, but they don't really mean EVERYTHING. What does everything look like? Temi Oh poses that question in Do You Dream Of Terra-Two (DYDOTT).

The story is about six (sometimes seven) teenagers: Harry, Jesse, Juno, Astrid, Aria, Eliot, and Poppy. One is a boy king who has never failed at anything. Another is an engineering genius with a broken heart. Another is one who is beautiful on camera and full of life while another is driven if broken second-string team member. Two are twin sisters who are alike as they are different. They enter a school called Dalton at the age of 13, leaping at the chance to be selected for this great adventure. Dalton is horrifically difficult. It asks everything and more of these kids. Much of the story is these kids dealing with the ramifications of psychological warfare that was Dalton. They go up to space, and now what.

“For marooned sailors, the ocean might never be the same after they'd watched it devour another crew. It could come to seem like death personified, death with a will, death with splendid, terrifying power. And so it was for Astrid that day ... Here was death, again, calling their names, and she had touched it.”

Do you Dream of Terra Two, Oh's debut novel is sometimes frenetic and sometimes leisurely stroll through desire, power, and drive to succeed. Oh also takes on the subtler but no less powerful emotions of sadness, PTSD, and mortal despair. It is a lot to take in. Six(sometimes seven) teenagers give up their childhoods, adulthoods, and everything else to fly to a distant planet to colonize and help save humanity. It sounds like a romantic and courageous thing: the best and the brightest sailing off for the unknown. But truth and life are so much messier than that. They believe that they are the best and brightest, by destiny and right - until they don't. And, that is where the story gets interesting.

This is a difficult story to categorize. It is less about the journey of discovery and more about what it means to be human, what it means to be a teenager with this kind of pressure sitting on your shoulders. It is not a science fiction story, at least not in the typical sense. The characters exist in a universe where rocketry and fast-as-light-travel exist, but that is not important except as a vehicle to move the plot forward.

The six teenagers are not likable characters, but they have human, likable moments. Some are boring; some are whiny, some bitchy, and some moody, and occasionally, they can be kind, generous, and courageous. The critical point I think that Oh was trying to make was they are human and real.

She is good at writing these characters. But is this an enjoyable book? Not so much. This is a book where I can respect the craft of Oh's writing skill. I can applaud the finesse she uses to demonstrate these character's plights, and I can contemplate the dilemmas they face. But in terms of pure enjoyment and connection with the characters, it did not land well with me. Maybe that is the point of this, to be unsettled. Space is unsettling; you are thrust into a situation where death is at every turn. You give up everything, including your childhood, for the chance at something greater than yourself. That is unsettling.

If you want to read a character study, this is the story for you. Oh is a fantastic writer. I have no idea if you will enjoy it, as your mileage may vary, but you will be affected by it.

Waiting on a Bright Moon is a short story written by author J.Y Yang, and they are known for their Tensorate series.
This isn't a bad story at all. It is about Xin, an ansible. In this story, an Ansible is a person who is using song and music magic can connect vast distances. It is a role forced upon some woman who a talent for music magic. There are some intrigue and romances. Honestly, though, the issue I had with the story is that in this short story format, the worldbuilding and story did not have a chance to develop a clear picture in my mind. I was often confused and detached from the story, and had to go back and read multiple passages so that I understood what was going on.
I do commend the author on their use of language, though. They have a way of describing moments in a lush prose-like style that I appreciate. The lyrical style of it flowed from line to line.
Even now, the role of an Ansible is vague to me. I think with an extended format into novelette size; this would be a much more intriguing story. As it is, it was only midgrade for me.

The Children God Forgot by Graham Masterton is a terrifying story that pulls many of the different horror levers. 

The story starts with pain, visceral stabbing pain in a woman's belly. The woman in question wakes up in the hospital, completely confused. She finds out she is pregnant, which is impossible. There is no way that she could be pregnant; she had an abortion three months ago. The doctors perform an emergency c-section and deliver a horrifically malformed fetus. One that could not possibly be alive, but it is. Major Cthulu vibes here. Then a rash of strange births and pregnancy sweep through London. 

“How much worse could her life become, if she wasn't even allowed to die?”

Simultaneously, sewage engineer Gemma, owner of the sewage company, and cameraman make a routine check in a section of London's sewers. As they travel through the engulfing claustrophobic darkness of a sewer pipe, they discover a fatberg, a stony mound of toilet paper, and grease clogging the sewer flow. They also find a severed women's hand floating in the refuse. Immediately, chaos happens, lights flash, electricity arcs, and the three workers are thrown into utter and complete darkness while trudging through human waste. To say that the moment is something of nightmares would be an understatement. 

Up ahead around the pipe bend, the three workers can see child-like figures glowing amongst the waste. Child-like figures made of claws, horribly and inhumanly disfigured, that move with lightning speed. They make a run for it, and all make it out except for Gemma's boss, who disappears only to be found later with his legs amputated and his eyes ripped from the sockets. 

DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel of the supernatural squad team up once again to delve into what is lurking in London's sewers and if it is going to stop with one dismembered body or if there will be more. 

Spoiler alert, there will be more. Because, of course, there will be. Masterton will be Masterton, and it won't be just one type of horror. He is going to poke and prod every kind of horror with a stick. He makes you squirm and scream and feel sick. I think that you could have a solid horror story of just the sewer part of the story because, especially for someone with claustrophobia...holy shit. But, there is a robust supernatural angle to this story. What are these things that look like malformed children, and who is the woman with the knives that keeps appearing? 

Unfortunately, I will have to stop the description there because it will give it away if I say anymore. Imagine something like The Strain, but with occult vibes taking place in a sewer. Now top it all off with a police procedural, and you won't be far off. Because at the story's heart is a case that needs to get solved. 

The supernatural squad is a competent duo. There is no flash with them, aside from wanting to get to the heart of the case. They had appeared together in the novel Ghost Virus; if you have read that, you would be familiar with the pair. However, reading the previous installment in no way affects your enjoyment of this one. 

The Children God Forgot will not be for everyone because this is some deep body horror. It is terrifying. I'd put some trigger warnings, flaying, abortion, claustrophobic spaces; there is a lot. If you can't make it through the first three chapters of this book, you will not like what is in store. It will only get scarier and darker with a lot more gore. I love horror, and even I had to put the e-reader down now and then. Because, wow, some of these scenes are dark as hell. One particular one included one of these monstrous fetus-creatures eating a cat and tearing it apart with a cracking sound of a broken rib cage—bits of fur flying everywhere. You get the point. 

If you love horror of all sorts and want to be scared, The Children God Forgot is for you. Masterton is, well, a master of writing horror. If you are new to his books. Congratulations, you are in for a hell of a ride! I know that some of these scenes will be burned on your brain like Masterton used an actual branding iron; I promise you will recover from the cat scene and a few others soon.  

I received this book as an ARC and am new to the series. But, oh man this book has made me a believer. The book is just adorable. Not adorable in the annoying cutesy fart way, but adorable in an uncluttered visually appealing way. This book, and I would have to assume series seems like it would launch a 1000 memes for adults and still be silly and approachable for young readers. A very uncommon combination in books. I enjoyed the lighthearted tone, the graphics, and occasional interesting science fact thrown in. (Good for trivia night as an adult.) I would highly recommend this novel to the 2nd-5th grade reader.

As a side note, I can definitely empathize with Narwhal's obsession with his new favorite food. I too find myself feeling like Narwhal. You may call me Madam von peanut.

Pawn's Gambit by Rob J. Hayes is one of my most anticipated releases for 2021, and it lived up to the hype. Last year I had the pleasure of reviewing the Wuxia epic Never Die, it was my first introduction to Rob as a writer, and I got to say that his books are fast becoming some of my favorites.

“Beauty is emotion, good or ill. Pain or happiness or fear or love. Beauty is in the experience.”

From my review, “Never Die is centered around Ein...and has been sent on a quest from God. ..For Ein's mission to succeed, the mysterious and powerful Emperor of Ten Kings must fall. To succeed in his quest, Ein must walk barefoot across the cities, mountains, and rivers of the countryside and never don footwear. Ein must select champions to fight the Emporer for him, and these champions must die first so that their souls are tethered to Ein.” Never Die was the first installment in the Mortal Techniques world. Pawn's Gambit takes place many years after Never Die and is not a sequel, although there is some fun scattered Easter eggs for the readers of Never Die to enjoy.

Instead, Pawn's Gambit is a stylized Wuxia epic with some steampunk and game theory thrown in that takes place in the same world of Never Die. It has the same rules and techniques, which we learn more about, but it is about redemption and finding peace.

“Yuu shrugged. “Throw her a tea party or something, sure. Whatever works.”

Pawn's Gambit's plot centers around the protagonist Yuu, also known as The Art of War. Yuu is a former famous military strategist, who wears a white mask at all times, and is known for pulling out military wins in the direst of situations. Her ability to see all the angles of a fight are legendary. Though these wins often come at the high costs of human lives lost. Her grandmother, the previous incarnation of Art of War, trained Yuu in all the aspects of war and strategy. However, unlike Yuu's grandmother, Yuu cannot separate herself from the battles. She feels the pain of the deaths that she helped cause, even if she won the war. They weigh heavy on her heart.

“Failure was always due to a lack of focus. With enough attention and preparation, no outcome could not be predicted, and no situation could not be overcome.”

Five years ago, Yuu made a choice that cost her the thing she held most dear but won the battle. The repercussions of that choice caused her to drop the mask and leave batteling forever. She no longer wanted to be The Art of War. Now five years later, we find Yuu sitting in a bar, getting drunk as she does every night, fleecing men for coin in battles of chess. It is below someone who was once The Art Of War, but at this point, all she wants to do is forget and drink till she feels the pain of the loss no more.

Meanwhile, in another realm, the Gods are having a battle of their own. Every 100 years, the gods have a contest to see who will sit upon the throne for the next 100 years. The God who is currently sitting on the throne, Batu, is the God of War. He has brought nothing but devastation and horror to the land of men for the last 100 years. He cannot help it; it is his nature. But it is time for a change.

“The first step toward winning is knowing which game you are playing.”

The contest is this: Each God participating must give up a thing they hold most dear. The objects are placed throughout the land, and champions, chosen by the benefactor God, must go out and find those objects. Whoever has the most items wins. It is a grand scavenger hunt. Natsuko, the Goddess of missed opportunities, has chosen her champion, Yuu. Yuu is not thrilled with this.

Yuu is an interesting character. She is one of those types of characters that isn't likable, but she could care less about being liked. She has a core of inner strength that you can see even when readers start the story, and we see Yuu at her very lowest point. But this story is her redemption arc, and what that redemption actually is, is up to the reader. Hayes doesn't concretely define what redemption looks like for Yuu. I think that makes her a stronger and more interesting character. She has layers and different parts to her. Is she the strategist, the friend, the woman, the human? I am not sure, but I know that the various facets of Yuu are tested thoroughly throughout this story.

The dialog for the story is funny and very human. Hayes can bring out a situation's nuance and doesn't need to pound the reader with heavy-handed dialogue. This made me relate all the more to Yuu and the supporting characters she finds along the way to help her. These characters, seen on the superb Felix Ortiz and Shawn T. King cover, help her in different ways. The journey is not the same as Never Die, but there are similar teamwork elements that carry through.

Pawn's Gambit is a worthy addition to the Mortal Techniques series and a follow-up to Never Die. It is really good, and I am so excited that I got to immerse myself in this Wuxia inspired world with great characters, exciting fight scenes, and heartfelt dialog once again. This story asks some big questions and challenges what redemption is.

You should come and take this journey with Yuu; you will not regret it.

Andy Weir, the author of The Martian and Artemis, brings us another dose of science fiction fun with Project Hail Mary. And when I say fun, I mean fun. His stories aren't light and fluffy, his protagonists are flawed, but his characters have an optimistic quality that helps balance out some of the dark in life. I get a lot of enjoyment from reading his stories, and Project Hail Mary is no exception.

“When I'm stressed out, I revert to imperial units. It's hard to be an American, okay?”

I am relatively new to the church of Weir. Weir's church? I started a deep dive on his projects last month, obviously starting with The Martian. It is the most known of his stories and was made into a big-screen movie starring Matt Damon that won a slew of awards. What is so incredibly cool about Weir's personal story is how The Martian came about. The Martian started as a serialized novel. Chapters were appearing daily on Weir's website, where his 3000 followers vetted the science. It became so beloved that Weir took it and put it up on Amazon as a .99c story. It became a bestseller, which then was made into a movie, then awards, so on and so forth.

Before any of the hoopla around The Martian, Weir wrote a short story called The Egg. It got a following, so much that some have started following it as a philosophy of life or religion a la L. Ron Hubbard. Much to Weir's chagrin. It, too, was made into a short film and had 20 million hits on youtube. What I am saying here is that folks love his work. It resonates.

This brings us to Weir's newest novel, Project Hail Mary that is releasing in May of 2021. The premise is thus, “Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish... it's up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.” Ryland is a brilliant and very ordinary person. There isn't a glorious charisma about him. But he is an immensely likable character who faces the arduous task of saving the human species. Not only does he have to puzzle out how to save humanity, but he also has to do it with no memory. Alone. It seems like a very similar premise to The Martian, but it isn't. The vastness of scale changes the dynamics of the story. Ryland has the fate of existence resting on his very confused shoulders.

Ryland is in many ways similar to Mark Watney. This is either because there has to be a little bit of open-mouthed awe and a general sense of optimism to be a scientist or astronaut. Both require an ability to believe that there is more out there and reach for it with both hands. Or, this type of character is one that Weir enjoys and understands. Some authors write snarky protagonists that quip their way through scenes. Weir writes intelligent, optimistic, and ridiculously resourceful scientists. I'd happily read either type. That overt sense of optimism permeates Weir's writing, and sometimes a bit of happiness goes a long way.

“Maybe it's just the childish optimist in me, but humanity can be pretty impressive when we put our minds to it.”

Much like The Martian, Project Hail Mary has a whole lot of science. That is Weir's style. And, much like The Martian, it can get info-dumpy. But, I think it depends on how much you enjoy science, physics, and math. I appreciate those subjects, and Weir's descriptions got me excited and interested in the idea that the story was theoretically possible. Knowing how much Weir enjoys science, I am betting much of it is possible. Maybe, not probable. But when the fate of all human existence hangs in the balance, humanity would do some crazy things.

Aside from the exciting plot, a significant part of this novel is the supporting characters. Without spoiling the story, one of my favorite characters was that of Eva Stratt. She is tasked with putting together the team, science, and space ship to save humanity. She is a bulldozer in high heels. But surprisingly, instead of going to type and making her a bitch, she is ruthlessly efficient. I would be intimidated to be around her but not because she was going to tell me off. More because she would be weighing and measuring my usefulness.

There are other great characters in the story that, again, without spoiling it, show Weir's appreciation for science fiction. And, as a science fiction lover myself, I appreciated how he constructed them. I know that you will like what he did too. Rocky is one of my favorite characters in science fiction now.

Project Hail Mary is a great story. It is filled with all the things that made The Martian great but added in a thrilling tale and another empathetic protagonist. It was delightful, and I plowed through it, finishing it off in one day. Come for the fun story; stay for the great characters.

The Armored Saint by Myke Cole is a quick-moving grimdark fantasy that grabs you by the throat in the first few pages and doesn't let go.

I came to The Armored Saint by way of Myke Cole's other series, Shadow Ops. Although Shadow Ops is an entirely different genre, I enjoyed Myke Cole's use of language and world-building in it, and I was hoping that that would transfer to a grimdark novel. I was in for a pleasant surprise, Myke Cole kicked the writing up a notch in Armoured Saint. When reading The Armoured Saint, it feels like Myke Cole has indeed found his groove.

“Heloise Factor is my favorite kind of hero, the one who makes mistakes and suffers for them, and comes out swinging anyway. I can't wait for you to meet her.” –Myke Cole

Starting, I knew very little about the series except for what I could glean from the gorgeous cover work done by Tommy Arnold. I had heard that Heloise was a Brienne of Tarth type character, but I knew little else. It is exciting to go into a series cold with very little information and see where the narrative takes you. It doesn't always work out. You learn pretty quickly which books will work for you and which don't. But I am pleased to say that the buzz about this book is well earned. The Armored Saint is a great read.

The Armored Saint is the first book in the Sacred Throne series. The conclusion to the trilogy, The Killing Light, will be coming out on November 12th of 2019. Oddly, The Armored Saint is considered a Novella but is more of a short novel coming in at 206 pages. I wouldn't call this a hefty book by any stretch, but it is a full-bodied, fully realized story.

The story is told from the perspective of Heloise Factor. A young woman living a quiet life in a quasi-medieval town where magic and religion have mixed to form an authoritarian regime. This regime early on is described as something to be both feared and in awe of and has a deified Emporer at its head. The religious group that acts as the sword and cudgel for The Emporer frames many of its actions as “I know that this may seem cruel, but it is for your own good.” The totalitarianism is terrifying, as this religious group seems like an unstoppable force in the townsfolk's lives.

“Did we have to do it? She asked.
“No,” he answered, his voice breaking, tears falling into his beard to turn the flakes of ash to gray slush. “No, child. We didn't.”...
He took a deep break then spoke again. “And making us complicit means, we will never call them to account for the crime.”
― Myke Cole, The Armored Saint

I am glad the Cole wrote Heloise the way that he did. Instead of couching Heloise's character in false bravado, and confidence of a character much older, he wrote Heloise to be the child that she is. At the start of the story, Heloise is pure innocence. She has not seen the ways of the world as many of the older, more grizzled characters that surround her. She is sheltered and loved like the rare flower that she is. Her responses and actions in different situations wisely reflect that. Often I would be reading this book and think, “God, why is she doing that” only to be reminded of what I was like at 16. I was young, so incredibly immature and naive, and I made stupid decisions. Cole's writing wisely reflects that.

Along with her naivete, he wrote Heloise to have a backbone of steel. This steel is a beautiful counterpoint to her naiveite. You know, as a reader, that Heloise is going to be a force to be reckoned with when she gets a bit of experience under her belt.

“Fear is a deadly thing, Heloise. It can drain a person of all their strength, make them weak before their enemies.”
― Myke Cole, The Armored Saint

One of the best aspects of this character-driven story, along with Heloise, is the masterfully use of language to convey emotion and thought. Cole is a person who speaks plainly and succinctly. There is no flowery prose in The Armored Saint. Cole using language like a knife. He cuts through the bullshit to bring you raw emotion and stark scenes. Parts of this book are grim. Cole does not mince words. He will bash you as a reader, or cut you to the quick if he needs to. There is no mercy in the world of Heloise.

My only complaint about this masterfully crafted story is the love interest, or at least how it initially presented. It felt too immediate to me. It felt shoehorned into the flow of the story. The odd thing is, as the story progressed, the feeling of the love story as an afterthought dissipated. By the end of the book, it was the appropriate and correct direction for the story. I no longer doubted the authenticity of it, and it felt as real to me as it did to Heloise.

“It is a person you love. Not a name. Not a he or a she. A person in all their shining glory. There is a thing in us, Heloise. A seed. It makes us who we are. It is our core. That the thing that we love. It alone exists. It alone is holy. It has no home, no name. It is neither male nor female. It is greater than that.”
― Myke Cole, The Armored Saint

In conclusion:
We need characters like Heloise.
We need strong female leads.
We need accurate representations of love.
We need beautiful dark worlds with morally ambiguous characters.
We need more of this series and whatever else Cole can come up with.

The Armored Saint was a hell of a read. Dark and beautiful, atmospheric, and ruthless, I loved this book. And I love Heloise.

One Day All This Will Be yours, Adrian Tchaikovsky's newest novella releasing in early 2021, is a brilliant and witty time-channel take on what happens when you are the only one left, and you damn well want to keep it that way.

Our titular narrator wakes up from his calm and untroubled clumber. He peers out onto his estate; there isn't a cloud in the sky. And, even if there was one, a little rain is good. Bring on the rain for us farmer types, he thinks. It is a beautiful day because everything and all days are gorgeous, forever and ever amen. This beauty was hard fought for in a winner take all fight over the future, past, and every branch of possibility spread out forever—the casualty war. A war waged by many who could not remember why they were fighting. The past had been expunged, and the future was a fractured mess.

The narrator, the last soldier of the causality war, and his cohorts fractured and dismantled time itself. If you don't like the current path this government is on? Go back and sew discord 200 years ago so that that government won't come into existence. Don't like that Einstein helped develop the Manhattan project, go back in time and scare him so badly about what his ideas wrought that he destroys everything around his energy formula. It takes the philosophical question of, “would you go back in time to kill Hitler as a baby” to a whole new level.

The list goes on and on. So much so that there isn't much left after time has been tinkered with so much. Just pockets of reality that disintegrate in the blink of an eye when they reach a critical moment.
It is as if many malicious time lords from “Doctor Who” were warring with each other had no scruples.

How do we get to the point of a bright sunny day on a perfect farm? Well, if I told you that it would spoil the fun, and in the words of River Song from Doctor Who, “Spoilers!” However, know that it involves an Allosaur named Miffly, poison (occasionally), a couple of statues, and a possible sarcastic bastard of a soldier, or he just might be lonely. It's hard to tell.

This soldier narrator has an excellent reason to act the way he acts and do the things he does without compunction. In his saving the future and living it up as best as possible, he faces something that challenges everything. That is the exciting part.

One Day All This Will Be Yours is another brilliant science fiction novella in the sea of Tchaikovsky's deep and brilliant catalog. Tchaikovsky has proven in the last decade or so that he is a man who can write anything. Such as science fiction, as seen in his Children of Time series, where he eventually became known as the “spider guy.” Walking in Aldebaran, where he smashes horror and science fiction, creating an existential take on madness. Or his huge epic Shadows of Apt series. A sprawling and immense epic story involving beings known as Kinden. You would be hard-pressed to find a story by Tchaikovsky that is not a great read. One Day This Will Be Yours, which takes the time-travel-gone-crazy trope and turns it on its ear, is another excellent read to add to his catalog.

Pacing and world-building wise, Tchaikovsky understands the fundamentals needed for a tight and gripping novella. Unlike regular novel lengthed stories, novellas have a stricter economy of words. You only get so many words to work with to create world-building, dialog, and character arc. It is the same constraint that short story writers deal with but to a more extreme extent. Some writers are good at this “dialed in” type of writing style, while other writers are very good at it. I would put Tchaikovsky in the latter group. I have read three of his novellas/short novels recently, and not in a single place did I ache for some part of story creation that was lacking. Readers loathe to branch out into novella/short novels and short story length stories because some writers struggle to pare their ideas down to the minimum word count with the maximum effect.

This problem isn't the case in One Day All This Will Be Yours.

The humor is wry and witty; the narrator's situations are hilarious and wild but do not stray into the ridiculous or uncomfortable. The pacing is quick, a must for a novella. And, the story overall is sweet in its own twisted way.

I loved this book, in case you can't tell. It will find a place of honor on my bookshelf and as a delightful reread in my future.

First and foremost, Ryan is a close friend of mine who I work with on both Grimdark Magazine and Beforewegoblog.com. It may seem sketchy that I would give him a five-star rating, it isn't. I am a merciless reviewer, and if you give me something to read, I am happy to provide you with an objective opinion. Conversely, I will also sing your praises to the heavens and lay my dreams at your feet if you have written something incredible. The latter is what I have in Red in Tooth and Claw.

“He moves forward, footsteps crunching on frozen grass, and hears a low, pained bleating. He sees the hart on the ground, obviously injured. A back leg is crushed and bleeding, and there are scrapes and sores across its belly. But there is no other animal around. The hart looks at him with blank eyes. A ring of black around its mouth. The snow stops falling.”

Red in Tooth and Claw is one of the most tension-filled novels I have ever read. Reading it was like feeling the vibrating inside when you are shaking with fright—being a caged bird bashing itself against the bars. Reading it is when the pit in your stomach drops because you know you are not the badest mofo in the room. Reading this is the psychological dread that you get when you are going to die and the futility of it all. All of these emotions are wrapped up in a story that has echoes of The Revenant but is solidly so much better.

“The death in those mountains would have been a far worse death. The spirits are obviously malevolent. So are they creating this winter to mess with the rot? Is the rot a different force the spirits hate? Is it a side effect of them trying to kill Chemosh or Agash or anyone else who stumbled into that ruined city? Or is it Mother?”

Emotions aside, what this story is about is a bit more challenging to explain. For one, this story employs ambiguity and an unreliable narrator. Those right from the first gives you a messy set of impressions expressed from both sides of a cultural chasm. This story is about the duality of two cultures represented by two central characters, Chemosh and Agash. We start the story in the cell of prisoner Chemosh. Chemosh is thinking about his hunger, his pain, his loneliness, and the cruelty of it all. Through a series of circumstances, Agash and Chimosh are thrust together to brave the cold, power and harsh forces of a night bent on killing the rot that permeates the land.

Chemosh is not some unknowledgeable yet quirky heathen which is an insulting and tired trope. Chemosh and his people have a rich language and culture, but Agash does not understand it, so to Agash, it is lesser. Agash, his jailer, similarly has his reasons for things, and there is no moment where Agash will get his comeuppance at being oh so mean to poor Chimosh. This is a much deeper and grittier story than that. It is not about the end goals but the journey. They are two individuals who are about to endure something terrifying.

This is also a very tight book. It is not a sweeping tale; it is a tight space of a story. Howse has to consider is page length and space of time to work with. 150 is not a lot of time to tell a story such as this, but he works flawlessly with what he has.

Red and Tooth and Claw is an excellent book, at least to me. Perspective is key to a book experience. I am claustrophobic, and some of the scenes made me want to throw up in fear. The book practically radiated the tension and anxiety that someone with claustrophobia has. It is that good.

You really should check this out. It is such a good book, and I hope it finds itself in many great folks' hands.

Witchsign by Den Patrick is a slow burn of a novel, but promises a solid foundation for the Ashen Torment series. Den, whose previous stories included the dark fantasy series Erebus Sequence, writes Witchsign as a novel that can be appreciated by adult and YA readers alike.

Their town of Cinderfall is colored in gray shades, whether it be from ash or dirty snow, brother Steiner and sister Kjellrunn have only known the gray their whole lives. Steiner is a fledgling blacksmith apprentice; his goals in life are to take care of his family, especially his eccentric sister Kjellrunn, find a wife to love, and live in as much comfort as he can fight for. Kjellrunn has always known she was a little bit different. Instead of chasing boys and persuing relationships as some of the other girls in her village, Kjellrunn seeks out the calmness and solemnity of the forest. It brings her quietude, beauty, and color.

A ship arrives, as it does every year, full of the Empire's Invigilators. Invigilators are servants of the Empire and, specifically, the Emporer that seek out and sense those with witchsign. A set of power of the elements. Some have the ability for fire, some earth, some wind, and some water. If an Invigilator detects the witchsign than that child needs to report to the ship the following morning and be taken away permanently. No one knows what happens to the child. They are just gone. The Inviligators are rightly feared by parents and children alike. The time of the Invilligators has come, and it is Kjellrunn's turn to be tested...

The story is told almost entirely from the perspectives of the two kids, Kjellrunn and Steiner. Kjellrunn is left in the village and shunned by the whole community save for her dad and uncle. Steiner is mistakenly shipped away to an academy/prison that sits on a rocky island surrounded by rough seas called Vladibodgan. The island's location is a great secret and only know to those of high ranks in the Empire, and ships that bring supplies to the island. The kids' lives have taken drastic turns from each other. Steiner must survive his ordeal. He doesn't have Witchsign, and that is of great embarrassment to the invilligators in charge. Kjellrunn shunning leaves her unable to get food for her family; her family's smith is also being shunned and told to move to another town. Kjellrunn only wants to survive and help et her brother back at all costs. At the same time, Steiner wants to get off of the island and protect his sister.

I think this parallel of intention between Steiner and Kjellrunn is the heart of the story. Both are desperate to save the other. This desperation fuels the characters desire chapter by chapter. It is an exciting perspective for a reader to watch the scenes unfold and know that they might miss each other if they are successful.

As far as characters go, Steiner and Kjellrunn are pretty standard. At least at this point. Steiner is a sort of angsty teenager but, at his core, has morals and strength. Kjellrunn is also similar, angsty, but where Steiner has a core strength, Kjellrunn has a lot of emotion. I think this part is a means of differentiating her from other characters in the book. She feels a connectedness to the world and nature specifically that is not experienced in other characters. Both characters have moments where they are irritating. Steiner is very much a hothead, and Kjellrunn is a bit flighty. I think that as the story progresses, we will see these two characters mature. Their natures both will be tempered by experience, and they will grow as people.

There are also some great side characters in this book. The book mainly focuses on the siblings; however, we get insight into the side characters and interact with them. I get the impression that their presence in the main character's life will play a crucial role in future books.

I generally enjoyed Witchsign. Some moments slowed the pace down, and I was looking forward to switching perspectives. I think inevitably when reading Witchsign you will be either Team Steiner or Team Kjellrunn. Both have similar goals, save the other person. But I found myself on Steiner's team. I looked forward to the parts that featured him while not being wholly engaged in Kjellrunn's plight. Maybe that will change in future books, and Kjellrunn will be a character that will have more growth and be more enjoyable for me to read. But as it stands, she seems almost as a side character.

The worldbuilding shines in this book. Patrick expertly creates a unique world. Some elements build on popular mythology in fantasy novels, but generally, the world feels very fresh and inventive. I loved the magic system. The last 20% of the book moved at a lightning pace. The action, coupled with the sold world creation, made it fly page to page. I hope that this pace continues in the next novel, Stormtide, and I am looking forward to seeing what new plot twists Patrick will pull.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely gorgeous pictures and detailed information. Gardening books can become almost clinical with instructions. However, this book manages to skirt the line of information-rich and “coffee table” quality which gardening books seldom do. It makes the reader want to look through it again and again. Additionally, the section that covers featured plants is very useful. There is an entire world out there of plants that gardeners are not exposed to on a daily basis and this section shows you the lovely plants you can get for your garden. It really is an extraordinary book and I think that any succulent lover would benefit from having it in their library. A must-have!

This is one of those children's books that touch your heart. It doesn't matter if you are young or old, close your eyes and you will be transported because of the beauty of the words. This is truly a beautiful book.

White Trash Warlock is a hell of a good urban fantasy that stands heads above most stories in the genre. If you are looking for a story that incorporates realistic characters, good pacing, an exciting magic system, and LGBTQIA representation. This is the book for you.

“People aren't less just because they don't live the way you do.”

“I didn't say that,” Robert said.

“You think it,” Adam said. “You think we're all trash because we don't have nice cars and ugly houses. Life isn't just about money.”

I am someone who has read extensively in urban fantasy. It had been my choice genre until about three years ago when I became more interested in dark fantasy and graphic novels. I have read hundreds upon hundreds of books in the genre. Many follow a very formulaic structure. The main character is plucky but down on their luck, or they probably do investigations of some sort and are either a wizard, warlock, or witch. Sometimes even a druid like in the great Kevin Hearne novels, The Iron Druid Chronicles. Plot-wise, there is a massive problem with the protagonist's city or family. Usually, a big baddie comes to kill magic practitioners or the protagonist's family and friends. Or protagonist must go through some transformation and become something else. It can be formulaic, but I don't mind that. It is part of the joy of the genre; not every author has to reinvent the wheel to tell an engaging and thought-provoking story. I bring this up because while White Trash Warlock does have some of the genre's more formulaic tropes and tendencies. i.e., a big bad boss that only the protagonist can kill, but at no time when reading White Trash Warlock did I feel it was stale. Quite the contrary, Slayton took some formulaic tropes and twisted them around a bit. He made something that could be an old hat, exciting.

The plot of the story rolls out thus. Adam Binder is a sensitive man. Sensitive in being able to feel the energies of the paranormal. He has a gift or a curse, depending on how you view it. This sensitivity rules his life, and he tries to work around it; he is often overwhelmed by the energies and feelings of masses of people. “Adam Binder hasn't spoken to his brother in years, not since Bobby had him committed to a psych ward for hearing voices.” Being committed causes great turmoil between Bobby and Adam, as it should. Something dark and murderous possesses Bobby's wife, Adam comes to Colorado from rural Oklahoma to see if he can help. This dark thing that is infecting people in the city is a power unlike anything Adam has ever seen, and to survive, he must call on energies above his paygrade. Plus, there is a great love triangle and banter with immortals of all sorts.

“He wants to help you. It's okay to ask for things, Adam. It's okay to need or want things for yourself.”

Adam is brash and egotistical at times, but at other times he is calm and broken. The author does an excellent job of walking the line of not being too much of either quality. It adds authenticity to Adam's character. Furthermore, Adam and his brother Robert's backstory and family drama are infinitely more in-depth than the usual passing mention of a troubled past. Their pasts have defined who they are. It shows in the way they talk and interact with each other. I connected with these characters in ways that I did not from authors like Laurell K. Hamilton or Jim Butcher's urban fantasy. We learn about the backstory of the main characters Anita and Dresden in those series, but it takes a lot of time and books to make the connection that White Trash Warlock sought to make right away. That makes White Trash Warlock stand above its contemporaries in the urban fantasy genre.

The pacing of the tale is smooth, with action and bits of horror in all the right spots. My only complaint about the story was it was too short. I wanted more from author David Slayton. Not a bad complaint to have, and I am desperately hoping for a sequel as the story ends in the perfect spot to jump into another book.

“Bobby gripped his fork. “I just want you to be happy, Adam, to be-“

“Normal. I know,” Adam said, trying to keep calm. “But I'm not normal, Bobby. And I don't want to be. Stop trying to fix me.”

Also, author David Slayton wrote and is essential to mention that Adam Binder lives in a state of food insecurity. It is quite the contrast to his brother Bobby, a doctor who lives a very fluffy life in a big house where he never has to worry about what he will eat next. Adam also has been witness to and been the victim of domestic violence. Adam is also gay and has faced discrimination from his family. All of these aspects of Adam's life enhance Adam's character and give it, again, authenticity. None of the writing that Slayton did regarding these aspects of Adam's life come off preachy or forced. It feels like Slayton touched on all these things with great sensitivity and understanding.

So, if you dig urban fantasy that is deep, well written. It has excellent characters, pacing, and plot, and an authentic lead protagonist White Trash Warlock is for you. It is a hell of a good book.

Seanan McGuire, the author of Across the Green Grass Fields, the newest addition to the Wayward Children series, is bringing us a touching and verdant tale that takes place amongst centaurs and unicorns.

Seanan McGuire, author of countless novels, novellas, comics, short stories, and songs, has an inborn connection to myths and legends. In reading her stories, it seems like McGuire takes tales of old and twists them, turns them on their head, and serves them to her readers like an exquisite delicacy. I have gorged myself on her stories in the past. I can say that I have enjoyed what Seanan has written for her full catalog in one way or another. Even the stories that don't 100% connect with me as a reader, I appreciate her mastery as a writer. Luckily for me, she is a prolific writer, and I have many choices in stories.

All that being said, I enjoyed Across the Green Grass Fields, as I have enjoyed or loved the other books in her Wayward Children series, but this one was not my favorite. I came out of the story almost ambivalent to the plot.

The story starts with the main character, a little girl named Regan. Regan is different than other girls in the story. You see how Regan is kind and empathetic and how she stumbles in personal relationships as McGuire details the intricacies of those relationships with her peers. Girls can be mean, the mean girl stereotype is there for a reason, and she is getting the full force of it due to her “best friend.” While Regan is ten at the start of this story, that is only in years as Regan is far wiser in some ways than your average ten-year-old girl. Regan has one passion, and that is a love of horses. According to Regan, this is an acceptable passion for a young girl. Had she had a passion, for say, bugs, she knows that she would be ostracized and shunned as some of her classmates had been. She keeps most of this love to herself and does not share it with her schoolmates. This self-awareness plays a significant role in Regan's character's development as the story moves onwards.

As the story continues, Regan ages, and her schoolmates physically develop. But, Regan seems stalled in her childlike stage. She is standing on the precipice of starting that terrible transition to adulthood but not quite getting there.

She goes to her parents with the question, “Why?” Why is she different than the other girls? Her parents let her know that she is intersex. I am delighted that McGuire took such a real and pertinent issue and gave it the treatment it deserves. Regan is an example of one of McGuire's strengths, in that she treats and creates children as real human beings. They feel fear, panic, and emotional turmoil and are not treated with, pardon the pun, kid gloves.

Regan reaches out to a “friend” and explains to her friend what being intersex is. She wants to talk about a momentous thing in her life so she reaches out to a “friend.” The “friend” reacts as I can imagine some children reacting and starts yelling at her, calling her a boy and telling the school. What should be an intimate moment between friends turns into taunting and jeers from uninformed and cruel kids. Regan runs out of her school.

At this point, Regan finds a door.

If you are familiar with any of the Wayward Children books, you understand the significance of a door and what it means for the child. The door is to a place, unlike your home. In previous books, a door led children to a land of mad science and death, a goblin market, or lands made of candy. Each land changes the child. In this child's case, the land that Regan walked into is one called Hooflands. A land of centaurs, unicorns, and other creatures of the same ilk. Perfect land for one who loves all creatures equine. It is said when a human child comes through a door into the Hooflands; it portends to change. By the act of her coming to The Hooflands, her human nature wills a destiny into effect. One that will affect the citizens of The Hooflands and change the world they know. Regan does not believe in destiny.

“Welcome to the Hooflands. We're happy to have you, even if you being here means something's coming.”

The second and third part of Across the Grass Green Fields details the land of centaurs and unicorns. It is an unusual lake on the mythos behind these creatures. McGuire's Worldbuilding is lush and verdant. Like any of her other stories across multiple genres, there is always a slightly dark edge to everything. What may be green and gorgeous with towering trees and emerald green moss will likely be housing monsters. This speaks to McGuire's familiarity with folk tales and legends. Before Disney, stories such as The Little Mermaid and Hansel and Gretel were tales of fancy as much as cautionary. Good does not always conquer evil. Sometimes the witch does eat the children, and the mermaid might not get the prince. And, of course, everything has teeth.

Regan spends years living amongst the creatures of The Hooflands. She becomes a wild girl, probably who she was always meant to be. She also learns self-reliance, kindness, strength of will, and character. I like who Regan becomes; it feels like a proper extension and growth for her as a character. But, as a human is an omen for significant change in the Hooflands, Regan has a destiny that will be fulfilled. Even if she doesn't believe in fate and wants to be left alone with her found family.

“She still didn't believe in destiny. Clay shaped into a cup was not always destined to become a drinking vessel' it was simply shaped by someone too large to be resisted. She was not clay, but she had been shaped by her circumstances all the same, not directed by any destiny.”

The fourth and final act of the story is where Across the Green Grass Fields lost me a little bit. This book has beautiful writing, a great explanation of centaurs' matriarchal society, and touching descriptions of the real friendships Regan makes. But, beyond the lush details, the actual plot and final crescendo of the story fell flat for me. It felt anti-climatic in the face of such excellent writing. However, I have to say that Regan's very practical nature is entertaining to read. The vital thing to note about the ending, even though I found it anti-climatic; it is in line with Regan's character. One of the major themes of Across the Green Grass Fields has to do with destiny or lack thereof. Regan believes in her future, her own path. It will not be defined by what and who thinks it should. That idea starts slow when dealing with her peers' preconceived notions and eventually crescendos at the end of the story. Regan becomes more comfortable in her shoes and does not care if that bothers anyone.

Overall, I enjoyed this addition to The Wayward Children series, great characters, and a lush world. It is solid, but I think it lacks the same oomph that other books in the series have. I will continue reading the Wayward Books, taken as a whole series; they are lovely and some of McGuires best writing.

The Library of the Dead is the first of the Edinburgh Nights series by author T.L Huchu. The protagonist is the 14-year-old ghostalker named Ropa. She uses her skills to work as a messenger between dimensions passing messages for loved ones to assist in closure so a spirit can move on. She also does some banishing of the more dangerous creatures from our plane of existence.

It is a lot to expect from a 14-year-old kid. But what is remarkable about Ropa as a protagonist is that, yes, she is 14. However, she is tempered in the struggles of poverty and the seedier side of Edinburgh; this gives her an air of being 14 and so much older and wiser. She takes care of her blood and found family as best as she can while trying to right wrongs that you would think are above her paygrade.

The story starts with Ropa living in a caravan with her sister, Izwe, and her grandmother. She cares for her grandmother by helping pay bills so that her grandmother can get her monthly medicine. She also has a distant companionship with a fox named River. Although Ropa has dropped out of school, she still thirsts for knowledge, often quoting Sun Tzu as the story progresses. As I said, Ropa is no ordinary protagonist.

The Library of the Dead is stylized as The Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things. I think that is an apt description. Ropa can see dead things, hear them with the help of a mbira tuned to the spirit's frequencies. Ropa comes upon a spirit that needs help to find their missing son. This is where the investigative aspect of the story comes into play. Ropa sets out on a quest of a sort to find the missing boy taking her through all kinds of adventures, including tangling with a milkman and an occult library set on her enslavement.

“Something smells off in the barns. Even in this city of olfactory tragedy, this scent's more pungent and desperate than anything I've encountered before.”

The Library of the Dead is written in the first person with Ropa's voice. This can be offputting, I don't tend to connect well with stories told in the first person, but in the case of Ropa, author T.L Huchu gave Ropa such a strong voice that she did not get lost amongst the characters. She is highly likable, and you want her to win, plus the addition of Scottish slang and dialect added dimension to the character.

The setting is the streets of Edinburgh. It was strange as the story had a futuristic vibe, floating cars, but the roughness of poverty and extreme violence. It reminded me a bit of the setting of Blade Runner minus the robots.

“That's the thing about this learning stuff. No sooner have you picked one thing up before you're sent off after another book. Sometimes the guys I listen to say contradictory things and I have to choose for myself who's right and who's wrong. Other times they're both right and it makes no sense to pick one over the other, so you just have to be pragmatic: pick what works now and discard it for something else when the time comes. That's how I like to operate. Can't afford to put myself in some sort of ideological straitjacket. That's for losers.”

I liked this story. The vibes, the protagonist, and the setting had me interested from the start. Edinburgh is a place described as having many types of magic; some of it shows up in the novel, and some of it is because Edinburgh is an old city steeped in history. The alternative worlds that Hench describes are also engaging, places that are gravityless and full of demons. Library of the Dead is a dark and fast-paced novel that had me in the opening chapters. I can't wait for the next addition to the story.

While I can appreciate the writing skill and the fascinating premise in, The Helm of Midnight, the first book in The Five Penalties series, it was a slower read for me which took me out of the action more than I would have liked.

“His will to kill might very well be ingrained in his echo.”

The first thing you notice when you hold The Helm in Midnight in your hands is the gorgeous cover art and tagline, “Evil Blooms in the Darkness.” The cover art combined with the saying gets you thinking about all sorts of intriguing ideas. To go along with the tag line, the author, Marina Lostetter described the story as The Silence of the labs meets Mistborn. Two of my favorite novels. The premise of the novel is certainly not far from that mashup. There is a lot of evil in this story combined with solid fantasy elements.

The story starts with a very detailed heist, a heist that goes somewhat off of the rails. Or did it? This fantasy story has the flavor of a police procedural. We are introduced to three protagonists in three different time frames. At first, this felt jarring, but Lostetter is an excellent storyteller and gave each of the protagonists' solid voices that made them easy to differentiate them from one another. Firstly, we have Krona, whose story takes place in the now. I found her to be the most interesting of the three people. She has a complex relationship with her sister De-Lia. Krona's profession is that of a Regulator who protects magical artifacts; this includes the magical death mask mentioned in the blurb. There is a lot to unpack for Krona's character, but mostly what I think of her are tenacity and intelligence. Essential aspects for someone who is in an investigative field. She is well written, and I enjoyed her sections of the story immensely.

Secondly, we have the character Melanie, and her chapters take place two years before Krona's chapters. I did not connect with Melanie as much as I would have liked. Much of her story I can't go into as it can be a bit spoilery, but she is an essential aspect of the overall narrative. Finally, the third point of view is that of Chabon himself. This is where Lostetter's skill at writing shines. He is freaking terrifying, evil personified. But, his character's darkness was familiar in that it resembled the malevolence of serial killers in history. I liked that. It allowed me to make some connections but also added a terrifying believability.

The darkness and violence in this story are executed very well. Wow. I enjoy dark fantasy and complex characters, so this was right up my alley on that front. There must have been a lot of research into the darkness and violence.