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An ancient prophecy foretold the coming of two queens with the power to control all seven types of elemental magic - a Blood Queen who could destroy the world and a Sun Queen who could save it. Furyborn alternates between the perspectives of Rielle Dardenne, a noblewoman who reveals her stunning powers while saving her friend the prince from an assassination attempt, and Eliana Ferracora, a fierce and lethal bounty hunter living centuries later. The action-packed narrative draws readers in right from the prologue and leaves them wanting more at the end. I can't wait to reenter the world of the Empirium with the next installment in the series!
The Girl in the Tower continues the story of Vasilisa Petrovna begun in The Bear and the Nightingale. After the deaths of her father and stepmother, Vasya has few options open to her in the tiny village where many now think her a witch. With the help of the frost demon she takes to the road, seeking adventure. Along the way she stumbles upon a mysterious evil that she may be uniquely suited to help defeat. However, she will have to overcome the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated world in order to save those she loves.
The second installment in the Winternight series is as magical as the first, with colorful characters and a backbone of fairy tale. The author is careful to infuse as much historical accuracy as possible into the story, so that readers feel they have been transported to old Russia. Great for fans of fantasy and fairy tale retellings.
The Goblins of Bellwater is a magical (literally) romance set in a small town near Puget Sound. The Sylvain cousins and the Darwen sisters are all drawn to the forest, and they end up getting more than they bargained for in the process. One way or another, a goblin curse will change the course of their lives forever - will they prevail or will the course destroy them?
It is refreshing to read books featuring twenty-somethings amidst a seeming dichotomy of either teens or thirty-to-forty-somethings in existing literature. Fans of the new adult genre will enjoy the relatable relationships in Ringle's book. It's also a great read for the fantasy crowd, with a well-developed magical creature plotline. A fun story that kept me turning the pages to the end!
As the title implies, Macbeth is a modern interpretation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Set in a tiny town in northern Scotland, the characters are police officers rather than nobles. The law enforcement hierarchy is not too far off from that of royalty, and provides a logical setting for all of the death that ensues. While I enjoyed the interpretation, the book was a bit slow at times and could have been shorter. Nonetheless, Nesbo does a good job bringing this Shakespeare story into the modern age.
The Frostblood saga continues with the second installment, Fireblood. In the aftermath of the events surrounding the melting of the Frost Throne, Arcus tries to stabilize his kingdom as Ruby does her best not to suffocate in the hostility of the court. When a handsome young ambassador from Sudesia appears with an offer to take Ruby there to meet the queen and train with Fireblood masters, Ruby sees an opportunity to not only learn how to defeat the Minax released from the Frost Throne, but also to finally meet more people like her. Her travels to Sudesia test her physical, mental, and emotional strength to the limits as the fates of Tempesia and Sudesia hang in the balance.
Fireblood is an enjoyable read and continues the development of its strong female lead. The unnecessary love triangle is the biggest detractor of the story, but it does not ruin the book. I look forward to seeing how events progress in book three.
Weylyn Grey has always been different. Orphaned at a young age, he lived undiscovered with a wolf pack for years until he befriended a human girl and was later placed with a foster family. His alternative upbringing is not the only unusual thing about Weylyn though - nature appears to behave oddly whenever he's around, whether it's the cluster of animals visiting his room in the night or the storms that appear whenever he's upset. Weaving through time and the perspectives of the people who meet him along the way, Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance tells the story of Weylyn's life.
The unique, well-developed characters and short chapters engage the reader immediately and keeps the story moving until the end. The hint of magic appeals to fantasy fans without putting off those who prefer to stay grounded in reality. A great read for anyone who loves books revolving around interpersonal relationships.
The Gone World is a science fiction mystery that follows Shannon Moss, an NCIS special agent, through a high-stakes murder investigation spanning over 20 years. Shannon Moss is not just an NCIS agent, she has also been trained to travel through Deep Time to the future. When she is called in to investigate the murder of a sailor's family and his missing daughter, she is pulled into a complex web of secrets that threatens to unravel the world itself. She must get to the bottom of the mystery before it's too late.
While the premise of The Gone World is interesting, the book never really grabbed me. Some parts were a little slow and others were confusing, which distracted from the overall plot. However, the characters were interesting and many parts of the story were quite engaging. Fans of time travel fiction will probably enjoy The Gone World.
Invictus follows the life of Farway Gaius McCarthy, a boy without a birth date whose only goal in life is to become a Recorder like his famous mother and spend his days traveling through time. After failing his final exam, he is adrift until receiving an offer from a black market overlord to captain a time machine in order to retrieve valuables from the past. Farway and his team are enjoying their secret adventures until one day a strange girl appears during one of their heists and throws everything into turmoil. Where did she come from? What does she want? As the team works to uncover answers to these questions, they may discover more than they bargained for...
With its cast of quirky, lovable characters and fast-paced action, Invictus draws the reader in almost immediately. Focus on the female and male leads is nearly equal, which will appeal to all readers. The story tackles a question most people probably wonder about time travel - what would happen if someone from the future had a child with someone from the past? What about if a child were born during time travel? This exciting novel pulses with camaraderie, loyalty, adventure, and love until the very end.
A Plague of Giants is the first installment in an epic fantasy series set in a complex world of natural magic. Each country possesses a “kenning,” which is magical ability within a particular type - earth, air, fire, water, etc. Hence the “seven kennings” of the series title. This novel begins with a previously unknown race invading a country in the known world and spreading wholesale slaughter in their wake. Fintan, a bard whose kenning gives him perfect recall and the ability to project his voice, has come to this ravaged nation to tell the story of how the invasion unfolded and what has been going on in the other countries as a result.
He tells the story from the viewpoints of a host of different individuals from throughout the realm, giving the novel a range of narration styles. It is fun for readers to dive into each character and learn more about their countries, kennings, and personalities, as well as discerning their role in the larger saga. With a well-built world and an endless opportunity for great characters, the Seven Kennings series is sure to be a hit with fantasy fans!
The Waking Land follows Elanna Valtai, a young woman who has grown up as a hostage in a foreign court since the age of 5. She is now 19, and as that court destabilizes she finds herself adrift and on her way back to the homeland she barely remembers. She must embrace the powers she has suppressed most of her life and decide who she truly is if she is to have any hope of saving the lands and people she holds dear. This book is a refreshing fantasy perfect for the often neglected late teens/early twenties age group, and anyone who enjoys strong female characters. The world-building draws heavily on existing cultures (Scottish/Celtic, French, Greek), but that makes it relatable. All in all, an enjoyable read.
“Ten Dead Comedians” is a comedic update of Agatha Christie's “And Then There Were None.” Ten comedians of varying levels of fame and fortune end up on a remote tropical island, lured by an opportunity too good to pass up. When they find the island deserted, no sign of their famous host, they aren't too alarmed until they start dying one by one. As the hours wear on, who will be the last comic standing?
The writing is light and the characters are fairly well developed given the relatively short length of the book. The stand-up routines interspersed throughout the story are entertaining and provide additional insight into the characters. A fun read for fans of classic mystery novels.
The Bedlam Stacks immerses the reader in the era of the East India Company, when trade was ruthless and the natural resources of less developed countries were being plundered. Merrick Tremayne has been out of the business because of an injury, but due to his extensive knowledge of plants and an old family connection to a remote Peruvian village he is recruited to travel to Peru for an important mission. He has been tasked with smuggling quinine cuttings out of the country in order to help treat the worsening malaria epidemic in India. When Merrick arrives in the tiny village he encounters unusual superstitions centered around incredibly lifelike statues and the salt line that separates the village from the forest. Equally mysterious is the village priest, Raphael, who appears to know more than he's saying.
The story winds its way through Merrick's journey, with occasional flashbacks to provide more of his history. A lovely tale of friendship and faith set in a fascinating world with just a hint of the fantastical, The Bedlam Stacks is perfect for fans of magical realism.
My Darling Detective is an engaging tale in the style of the classic detective noir. It begins when Jacob Rigolet's mother turns up at an auction to deface a valuable photograph of soldiers in WWII. The incident opens up a cold case and new details about Jacob's past, eventually leading to a tense resolution. Throughout is a radio program that somewhat mirrors the lives of Jacob and his detective fiancee Martha. All in all it is an entertaining story, and librarians and library-lovers will enjoy how central the library is to the narrative.
Three Minutes to Doomsday is the story of how an FBI agent skilled in behavioral analysis identified a previously unknown traitor who had stolen and sold American military secrets to enemy nations during the Cold War. I enjoyed this book at the start, and the material was interesting throughout; however, over time it seemed to move away from just presenting the case to focusing on how skilled Navarro and his team were and how awful everyone else in the FBI was. I do not doubt the story, but it just became a little heavy handed. I noticed in the acknowledgements that the book has already been optioned for a movie, so maybe that prompted some of the dramatization. Despite that aspect, this is a good read for fans of Criminal Minds and those interested in behavioral analysis.
Disney meets nerdom in this delightfully geeky Cinderella story. Danielle “Elle” Wittimer is struggling through life with her controlling stepmother and stepsisters straight out of Mean Girls. What she holds onto most is her love of the show Starfield, which is her last remaining connection to her dead parents. Darien Freeman is a teenage actor who lands his dream role playing the lead character in the Starfield reboot movie - but will he be able to break out of the soap opera heartthrob shadow of his previous role and be appreciated by the nerdy Starfield fans? Going back and forth between Elle's and Darien's perspectives, Geekerella provides a modern and geeky twist on the classic fairy tale that will appeal to nerds across all fandoms.
The Book of Polly is the imaginative story of a girl who grows up with a mother old enough to be her grandmother. The highlight of the book is the vivid characters, whose antics often caused me to laugh out loud. Everyone can relate to having weird friends and relatives that drive you crazy as much as you love them. More than anything, The Book of Polly is a story about family and the things we will do for the ones we love.
The Stranger in the Woods is the fascinating true story of a man who one day simply abandoned everything from his life and began living in the Maine woods. He then went on to survive in the woods for over 25 years without any human contact, reemerging only when he was finally caught by the police after more than two decades of stealing supplies from the community near his camp. Journalist Michael Finkel was able to get the man, Christopher Knight, to open up a little about his experience, although Knight remained very averse to human contact. This story is an intriguing portrait of survival and the variations in human behavior. The narrative is written in a logical, compelling style that draws the reader through the book. At times one can forget this work is nonfiction!
The Book of the Unnamed Midwife is a bleak portrayal of just how quickly the world as we know it could crumble around us. Set in the modern U.S. after a terrible virus has wiped out more than 98% of the population, especially women and children, the story is told through a combination of journal entries and narrative. The focus is on an obstetrics and gynecology nurse, aka the titular “Unnamed Midwife,” who took care to chronicle her life following the plague. This haunting novel delves into the realities of human nature when basic survival is the prime objective. A great read for fans of Station Eleven and other postapocalyptic novels.
Paul Dini's blunt and candid tale of survival and healing is accompanied by wonderful illustrations in this powerful graphic novel. It is courageous of Dini to share the struggles of his recovery, and I think many will find inspiration in his story. I imagine the narrative will resonate particularly with others who have grown up with the Batman characters as their imaginary companions. At the end, Dini poses the question: “Who cares about my story?” He answers: “I care.” That care and determination shines through in this moving work.
When the skeleton of a newborn is found on a construction site, three women are drawn to the story - a reporter, a mother who once lost a baby, and a young wife with a secret. The Child alternates primarily between these three perspectives, as the reporter works to uncover the truth about the “Building Site Baby.” It is an engaging mystery, but if one is expecting a thriller this book does not really deliver. However, the characters are interesting and I never got bogged down while reading. It is a good beach read!
Unpunished returns to the world of Maggie Gardiner, forensic scientist, and Jack Renner, homicide detective (and vigilante killer). Maggie and Jack have an uneasy truce born of mutually assured destruction following the events of the first book in the series, That Darkness. Unpunished is a little lighter on the forensic science than the first book, but it was still an interesting and fun detective novel. Readers who haven't read the first book may feel a little lost regarding the Jack and Maggie tension, but would still be able to enjoy the mystery arc within Unpunished. I am curious to see where the Maggie/Jack relationship is headed in the next installment!
The second installment of the Themis Files does not disappoint! The story unfolds in the same format as Sleeping Giants - news reports, journal entries, and interview transcripts from our favorite mystery man. Game of Thrones meets Arrival in a book where the plot twists start at the beginning and the action never stops. While readers could most likely appreciate Waking Gods on its own, it would be a good idea to read Sleeping Giants first. I'm already looking forward to book #3!
The Animators is a story of relationships - a messy, intense roller coaster of emotion that is ultimately rooted in love. Some of the relationships work and others fizzle out, but that's life. Join Sharon and Mel on their journey through life, art, love, heartbreak, success, failure, and success again. While not all of this book really grabbed my interest, the characters are well developed, and fans of realistic human relationship dramas will enjoy it.
Winter Tide follows Aphra Marsh, a subspecies of human who will one day change into a near-immortal fish-like being and join her people under the sea. Until then, she and her brother must survive the hostility of other humans who don't understand her kind and who are experimenting with forces they do not fully comprehend. While the story gets off to a slow start, it picks up later on and has a satisfactory ending. The book is also part historical fiction, taking place a few years after the end of WWII. I admit that I probably missed out on some appreciation of the tale because I have not yet read any of H. P. Lovecraft's works, but despite that I still enjoyed the book.
A Crown of Wishes is the spellbinding sequel to the enchanting debut A Star-Touched Queen. Vikram is a young prince trying to prove himself to an unfriendly council, and Gauri is an enemy princess who trusts nothing and no one except her own fighting skills. When they are given a chance to compete in a magical tournament to win a wish, they must work together to survive and succeed. A Crown of Wishes is full of the same vivid description and imaginative characters that brought A Star-Touched Queen to life, and it continues the immersion in Indian culture. Fans of Stephanie Garber's Caraval and Sarah J. Maas' Court of Thorns and Roses series will enjoy this book.