The Legion of Flame by Anthony Ryan – Review

Published: June 27, 2017

Publisher: Ace Books

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Draconis Memoria #2

Pages: 592 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

Empires clash and a fell power stakes its claim in the second in a new series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Raven’s Shadow Trilogy.

For centuries, the vast Ironship Trading Syndicate relied on drake blood–and the extraordinary powers it confers to those known as the Blood-blessed–to fuel and protect its empire. But now, a fearsome power has arisen–a drake so mighty that the world will tremble before it.

Rogue Blood-blessed Claydon Torcreek, Syndicate agent Lizanne Lethridge, and ironship captain Corrick Hilemore embark upon perilous quests to chase down clues that offer faint hopes of salvation. As the world burns around them, and the fires of revolution are ignited, these few are the last hope for the empire and for all of civilization.

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First of all, Iet me just say that I liked the print version infinitely more than the audio version of this series. The audio version of The Waking Fire dampened my enthusiasm for a book that I would have otherwise enjoyed and I decided to forgo that route on this installment. I’m quite glad I did because I managed to finish The Legion of Flame in a pretty timely manner and as you can see by the page count above, it’s no small book.

The Legion of Flame picks up immediately after the events of The Waking Fire and promptly introduces readers to a new POV. Though Sirus appeared in the first book, I have no recollection of him which really says something about both my memory and the lasting impact the book had, huh? Sirus is hiding from the legions of Spoiled and drakes dominating his city but is shortly captured, transformed, and essentially enslaved to the White. The White drake of legend has decided to wrest control of the world from the humans by either burning/devouring them or transforming them into Spoiled and this POV follows that journey.

“This is a kind of legion never seen before. A legion of flame, with which our monster-god will burn the world to cinders.”    – Anthony Ryan

Claydon Torcreek and the crew of the IPV Viable Opportunity are intent on journeying southward to the arctic ice based on a vision Clay had near the end of The Waking Fire. Their journey is quite perilous, though perhaps no more so than the journeys of our other characters, but the result could save the world from the White drake’s horde. Clay’s journeys have both had very classic adventure vibes, the first akin to explorations into the heart of Africa and this one reminiscent of documentaries I’ve seen on explorations of both the North and South poles with more than a dash of Indiana Jones thrown in. Stories like this make the world feel bigger!

Lizanne Lethridge remains my favorite of the characters because I’m partial to espionage. She remains as formidable as ever and surprisingly humble for one hailed as a hero and given the moniker Miss Blood for her actions at Carvenport. I actually prefer her role in this book- she contrives to infiltrate the Corvantine prison-city of Scorazin where she intends to track down the source of another of the Mad Artisan’s designs. I found myself relishing her POV chapters above the others because they were brutally fun and piqued my curiosity.

Overall, I thought the story wove together very well though there are some elements that I found irritating. I can’t explain it, but I struggle to enjoy many stories where past peoples were more advanced than those presently living. I always get a serious case of the eye-rolls when I read it particularly when it’s suddenly revealed and characters are simultaneously amazed and reduced to mere brutes intellectually. Also, I’m pretty sure they did more traveling than Bilbo Baggins and he managed to kill (or at least help kill) the dragon in only one book. Other than this, I enjoyed the story and will definitely be continuing on with at least one more installment!

Soul of the World by David Mealing – Review

Published: June 27, 2017

Publisher: Orbit

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Ascension Cycle #1

Pages: 656 (Paperback)

My Rating: 4.5/5.0

A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

A brilliant debut epic fantasy with a unique magic system and unforgettable characters.

It is a time of revolution. in the cities, food shortages stir citizens to riots against the crown. In the wilds, new magic threatens the dominance of the tribes. and on the battlefields, even the most brilliant commanders struggle in the shadow of total war. Three lines of magic must be mastered in order to usher in a new age, and three heroes must emerge.

Sarine is an artist on the streets of New Sarresant whose secret familiar helps her uncover bloodlust and madness where she expected only revolutionary fervor.

Arak’Jur wields the power of beasts to keep his people safe, but his strength cannot protect them from war amongst themselves.

Erris is a brilliant cavalry officer trying to defend New Sarresant from an enemy general armed with magic she barely understands.

Each must learn the secrets of their power in time to guide their people through ruin. But a greater evil may be trying to stop them.

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Honestly, I’ve been eager to read Soul of the World since I stumbled across it on Goodreads several months ago and had high expectations. I’m glad to say that overall it lived up to my hopes and, though not quite perfect, it was a riveting debut. It’s got everything I could possibly want in a fantasy book- a complex magic system, battles, and the comforting trope of the chosen one, though in this case it’s chosen ones.

Set in a colonial, flintlock fantasy era, Soul of the World provides a fascinating reflection of North American colonialism with more than a dash of French Revolution stirred into the mix as well. Personally, I love this era with all its finery and cries of egalité in the streets. There’s such upheaval and it lends itself quite well to a fantasy story. The need for a leader or hero in New Serresant is an opening that anyone with enough charisma or influence can fill which isn’t necessarily a good thing for anyone involved. While the elite are embroiled in their machinations, the soldiery is up against a foe that seems to know their every move, and the streets of New Serresant are about to erupt in riots. People are crying out for equality and a proper meal. All in all, it’s a rather compelling setting and atmosphere conducive to a tale of epic proportions and I haven’t even mentioned the tribes that exist beyond the Veil! The tribes were fascinating and had just as much as drama as the pseudo-European nobility found in the colonies. I’m glad to see the tribes played a significant role in the story and didn’t fall by the wayside as the colonial drama unfolded.

The magic system in Soul of the World is comparable to the story line in its complexity. It doesn’t overwhelm at the beginning and the reader is introduced to new concepts in digestible amounts. I found that as the story progressed it got more and more confusing because the basic rules (which were vague) were no longer applicable. Let me give you a brief and simplified overview. First of all, you have Binders which use the energies found along leylines to summon power. They can enhance their senses, break bindings, set things on fire, and heal to name a few abilities. Second we have the tribal people’s gifts which are more varied and rely on spirits. Guardians gain the blessing of beast spirits each time they defeat a great beast, meaning they can mimic its abilities. Shamans can see the future and the women have elemental magic. Lastly we have those individuals like Sarine, who has an invisible companion called a kaas, which is a gem-like serpent creature that grants her some unique powers. Like I said, this is much simplified but you can begin to see how much of a role magic plays in Soul of the World.

Soul of the World was an excellent debut and a fine addition to my book collection. The whole point of the book is to introduce readers to the characters that will possibly be ascending to a semblance of godhood. The interludes give readers a glimpse of those who currently hold that title and how they work to hinder or help those that may replace them. I found the introduction to the larger purpose to be somewhat unenlightened and felt that it really needed more than a bare handful of chapters to really make me care. The characters however… I loved the characters. Each of the main POV’s was inherently good and very likable. Erris d’Arrent and Sarine were awesome, though I wish the two could have properly met and had a nice chat together. Arak’Jur, guardian of the Sinari tribe, was just so darn honorable! Even the secondary characters were well-written and I would love to have had POVs for a few of them, especially Reyne d’Agarre. If you’ve debate whether or not to invest your time in this rather hefty book, you can stop now. It was a top-notch read that I would highly recommend and can’t wait to see where the sequel will lead!

Kangaroo Too by Curtis C. Chen – Review

Published: June 20, 2017

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Kangaroo #2

Pages: 320 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

Set in the same world as Waypoint Kangaroo, Curtis C. Chen’s Kangaroo Too is bursting with adrenaline and intrigue in this unique outer space adventure.

On the way home from his latest mission, secret agent Kangaroo’s spacecraft is wrecked by a rogue mining robot. The agency tracks the bot back to the Moon, where a retired asteroid miner―code named “Clementine” ―might have information about who’s behind the sabotage.

Clementine will only deal with Jessica Chu, Kangaroo’s personal physician and a former military doctor once deployed in the asteroid belt. Kangaroo accompanies Jessica as a courier, smuggling Clementine’s payment of solid gold in the pocket universe that only he can use.

What should be a simple infiltration is hindered by the nearly one million tourists celebrating the anniversary of the first Moon landing. And before Kangaroo and Jessica can make contact, Lunar authorities arrest Jessica for the murder of a local worker.

Jessica won’t explain why she met the victim in secret or erased security footage that could exonerate her. To make things worse, a sudden terror attack puts the whole Moon under lockdown. Now Kangaroo alone has to get Clementine to talk, clear Jessica’s name, and stop a crooked scheme which threatens to ruin approximately one million vacations.

But old secrets are buried on the Moon, and digging up the past will make Kangaroo’s future very complicated…

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Still full of crazy spy missions, wormhole pockets, and bizarre descriptions of the time, Kangaroo Too was a tremendously fun second installment. I’m surprised at how little buzz I’ve seen for Chen’s sci-fi spy series and hope that my reviews of both Waypoint Kangaroo and Kangaroo Too will persuade you to try it out. These would make fun vacation reading material!

This time around Kangaroo and Dr. Jessica Chu (Surgical) have been assigned to go rendezvous with a contact on the moon in an attempt to track down Sakraida, former D.Int and turncoat. Everything is going according to plan until Jessica Chu gets accused of murder. They’re super-secret government agents so no big deal, right? WRONG! Dr. Chu is in custody and Kangaroo offers himself up as her defense attorney, which couldn’t possibly go wrong. Things only get more interesting from this point on – moon terrorism, secret government projects, moon bases, robot hordes, and clones. Every page was something new and/or exciting and kept me turning pages in anticipation of the next wild action scene. The combination of the characters and plot keep the pace moving along smoothly with nary a moment of boredom.

Kangaroo Too was definitely a fun read on par with the first book, Waypoint Kangaroo, and I was left with a certain sense of eagerness for the next installment. Curtis C. Chen has done a great job of incorporating humor into a serious plot arc. I was left with a goofy smile plastered on my face, pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the antics of Kangaroo despite typically being put off by “funny” books. This book would work well enough as a standalone for anyone thinking of jumping in now, but as with all series, you’ll miss some key points/event from the first book.

A Gathering of Ravens by Scott Oden – Review

Published: June 20, 2017

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Standalone

Pages: 320 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: 

To the Danes, he is skraelingr; to the English, he is orcneas; to the Irish, he is fomoraig. He is Corpse-maker and Life-quencher, the Bringer of Night, the Son of the Wolf and Brother of the Serpent. He is Grimnir, and he is the last of his kind–the last in a long line of monsters who have plagued humanity since the Elder Days.

Drawn from his lair by a thirst for vengeance against the Dane who slew his brother, Grimnir emerges into a world that’s changed. A new faith has arisen. The Old Ways are dying, and their followers retreating into the shadows; even still, Grimnir’s vengeance cannot be denied.

Taking a young Christian hostage to be his guide, Grimnir embarks on a journey that takes him from the hinterlands of Denmark, where the wisdom of the ancient dwarves has given way to madness, to the war-torn heart of southern England, where the spirits of the land make violence on one another. And thence to the green shores of Ireland and the Viking stronghold of Dubhlinn, where his enemy awaits.

But, unless Grimnir can set aside his hatreds, his dream of retribution will come to nothing. For Dubhlinn is set to be the site of a reckoning–the Old Ways versus the New–and Grimnir, the last of his kind left to plague mankind, must choose: stand with the Christian King of Ireland and see his vengeance done or stand against him and see it slip away?

Scott Oden’s A Gathering of Ravens is an epic novel of vengeance, faith, and the power of myth

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Amongst the readers of the grimdark subgenre, A Gathering of Ravens has been highly anticipated and for good reason. To me it read like Beowulf meets the History Channel’s Vikings and held all the gravitas of an epic of old.

The story itself feels quite dense and isn’t something I could read all in one go. I read small chunks of story over the course of several days and still wish I could have spread it out a little more so it could be properly digested. Nonetheless, it was well written and I enjoyed the meandering journey taken by our characters Grimnir and Etain. Grimnir is known by many names, but for our purposes let’s simplify things and say that he is an orc from legend. Grimnir is on a journey of revenge and Etain is his unwilling guide to England and beyond to Ireland. Eventually she willingly accompanies Grimnir further than she truly needs to because someone’s got to retell this epic story of revenge, right?

A Gathering of Ravens is much more plot driven than character driven, making it more difficult to really bond with the characters as you read. I found that I didn’t particular care about their fates because I felt removed from the plights, successes, and failures they faced. I did warm to them by degrees as the story progressed but it took to around the 50% mark for this to happen. Grimnir’s revenge (a cool alternate title) is the primary plot arc, but the interactions between Etain and Grimnir’s respective beliefs is a close second. Prior to her capture, Etain was disguised as a monk and headed to the monastery of Roskilde to pursue her passion and bring the Danes to Christ. Grimnir is a believer in Odin, the great end time of Ragnarok and all the other Norse mythos that goes along with that. The two butt heads frequently, especially at first, but once Etain and Grimnir traverse the roots of Yggdrasil she cannot deny that the world has depths of which she was unaware. Grimnir also cannot deny that Etain’s belief in Christ is powerful and potent against his kind.

Overall, A Gathering of Ravens was very good and I would go so far as to call it a classic in the making, if only because of the subject matter and the skill in which Oden wove this story. This is essentially a story of revenge, but if you look a bit deeper, it is also a story of what happens when two worlds collide. Christianity is pushing out the Norse mythos, causing strife between those that believe and those that do not adding an additional layer of depth to an already detailed story. I look forward to checking out more of Scott Oden’s books in the future and hope to find some more awesome historical fantasy.

Review: Godblind by Anna Stephens

Published: July 11, 2017 (US)

Publisher: Talos

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Godblind #1

Pages: 384 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

For fans of Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, and Mark Lawrence comes a brutal grimdark fantasy debut of dark gods and violent warriors.

The Mireces worship the bloodthirsty Red Gods. Exiled from Rilpor a thousand years ago, and left to suffer a harsh life in the cold mountains, a new Mireces king now plots an invasion of Rilpor’s thriving cities and fertile earth.

Dom Templeson is a Watcher, a civilian warrior guarding Rilpor’s border. He is also the most powerful seer in generations, plagued with visions and prophecies. His people are devoted followers of the god of light and life, but Dom harbors deep secrets, which threaten to be exposed when Rillirin, an escaped Mireces slave, stumbles broken and bleeding into his village.

Meanwhile, more and more of Rilpor’s most powerful figures are turning to the dark rituals and bloody sacrifices of the Red Gods, including the prince, who plots to wrest the throne from his dying father in the heart of the kingdom. Can Rillirin, with her inside knowledge of the Red Gods and her shocking ties to the Mireces King, help Rilpor win the coming war?

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I was initially drawn in by the cover art for Godblind, but quickly found myself interested for many more reasons than that. The synopsis was intriguing and the prospect of a brand new female author publishing some serious grimdark work had me sold! Now the real question is whether or not it was as awesome as hoped…. Well it was pretty great.

Let me go ahead and warn you that Godblind is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. I’ve read piles of books featuring violence of all sorts, but a particular scene from this book takes the cake- it actually made me feel a bit queasy which has never happened before. Even now as I recall it I find that I am perturbed. The violence was not gratuitous and changed the course of the story as it had been progressing up to that point, but wow, I wish I would have skipped that scene. Godblind is a dark, gritty fantasy where hope is lost and society is at a tipping point- primed to crumble only to be rebuilt in a crueler, colder fashion with blood as its mortar.

Anna Stephens introduces a truly impressive cast of characters from the very beginning with each POV having only enough pages to draw you in. I was impressed to find that I could actually remember who the characters were after about two POV chapters each, which is a testament to her writing skills in my opinion. That’s not easy to do and there have been a few too many books where I’ve spent hundreds of pages reading only to find that I have no idea who half the characters really are. Rillirin was a particular favorite of mine- she was a slave of the Mireces but escaped when she knifed their king and left him in a puddle of blood. I liked her personality and her story arc, which took her from fearful slave to persistent warrior in training. There was a surprising amount of betrayal this book and I was often second guessing motives and doubting allegiances. I also spent much of the book mulling over what exactly ‘godblind’ meant but it’s sort of explained nearer to the end.

Overall, Godblind was quite good, but perhaps a bit too brutal for me to say I enjoyed it, though I certainly have an appreciation for Anna Stephen’s storytelling skills. If bloody, dark, and brutal fantasy is your thing then you should probably give this book a go! I found conflicting US release dates (thought it was June 20 until 5 minutes ago) but I’m going with Amazon’s declaration that it will be released July 11 in the US.

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi – Review

Published: March 21, 2017

Publisher: Tor Books

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: The Interdependency #1

Pages: 333 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

 

Synopsis:

The first novel of a new space-opera sequence set in an all-new
universe.

Our universe is ruled by physics and faster than light travel is not possible — until the discovery of The Flow, an extra-dimensional field we can access at certain points in space-time that transport us to other worlds, around other stars.

Humanity flows away from Earth, into space, and in time forgets our home world and creates a new empire, the Interdependency, whose ethos requires that no one human outpost can survive without the others. It’s a hedge against interstellar war — and a system of control for the rulers of the empire.

The Flow is eternal — but it is not static. Just as a river changes course, The Flow changes as well, cutting off worlds from the rest of humanity. When it’s discovered that The Flow is moving, possibly cutting off all human worlds from faster than light travel forever, three individuals — a scientist, a starship captain and the Empress of the Interdependency — are in a race against time to discover what, if anything, can be salvaged from an interstellar empire on the brink of collapse.

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I’m so glad I decided to check out The Collapsing Empire! Many of my fellow bloggers enjoyed it and I thought Old Man’s War was great, so I decided to move this to the top of my audiobook list. Scalzi has provided readers with a tremendously entertaining story yet again with such amusing characters foiled by a despairing plot.

As the title proclaims, the empire is on the brink of collapse because the Flow- an unexplainable space/time phenomenon that allows for speedier space travel- is beginning to show signs of degradation. This is not a unique occurrence, but it is exceedingly rare and has resulted in the total loss of two systems in the last millennia which, for the Interdependency, was a traumatic blow. The failure will surely spell the end of the empire, unless the new Emperox, a physicist, and a foul-mouthed house representative can find a solution in time. This of course has all the hallmarks of an interesting story, but Scalzi’s characters always make an otherwise serious plot into something with a humorous edge.

I found myself rooting for the ‘good’ characters and even sympathizing with those that I suppose you could deem ‘greedy villains’. I felt that Cardenia Wu-Patrick was by far the most developed of the characters and her ascension to the throne was done elegantly and believably. She wrought the most emotion from me and I got vibes of Behind the Throne and The Goblin Emperor from her side of things. Kiva Lagos was entertaining, though I didn’t find her character development to be anything but superficial. Marce evoked much the same opinion from me but I think he has the potential to become much more interesting and gain depth as the story goes along.

John Scalzi’s latest space opera is action packed and grabbed my curiosity by the horns and didn’t let go until the final page. I had a fantastically good time listening to this and caught myself smirking on multiple occasions at the dialogue and the dastardly machinations of the houses Lagos and Nohamapeton. Everyone seems to be a pawn to everyone else and it was a crap-ton of fun to see how plot threads tie to together and how the pieces fall. I hope the next installment will prove to be as exciting as The Collapsing Empire!

The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett – Review

Published: June 13, 2017

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Standalone

Pages: 368 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 4.5/5.0

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

Synopsis:

In a breathtakingly vivid and emotionally gripping debut novel, one woman must confront the emptiness in the universe—and in her own heart—when a devastating virus reduces most of humanity to dust and memories.

All Jamie Allenby ever wanted was space. Even though she wasn’t forced to emigrate from Earth, she willingly left the overpopulated, claustrophobic planet. And when a long relationship devolved into silence and suffocating sadness, she found work on a frontier world on the edges of civilization. Then the virus hit…

Now Jamie finds herself dreadfully alone, with all that’s left of the dead. Until a garbled message from Earth gives her hope that someone from her past might still be alive.

Soon Jamie finds other survivors, and their ragtag group will travel through the vast reaches of space, drawn to the promise of a new beginning on Earth. But their dream will pit them against those desperately clinging to the old ways. And Jamie’s own journey home will help her close the distance between who she has become and who she is meant to be…

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If you haven’t heard of The Space Between the Stars or you’re on the fence about whether or not to read it, allow me to give you my humble opinion. You should seriously check this one out- it’s got that “end is nigh” vibe, but without the typical imminent demise aspect and you get a brief tour of the inhabited worlds. There’s even a bit of internal strife, long distance love, and all the characters seem to struggle with their pasts to some degree or another, plus it lacks any sort of zombie which takes away the scary/creepy vibes!

This isn’t a story about the whole of humanity, but rather a story about a group of survivors and how they deal with the loss of most of their fellow humans. Every human inhabited planet was struck by a virus with a survival rate purported to be one in a million leaving human conversation to become something of a rarity. Jamie Allenby is on a remote planet working as a livestock veterinarian when the virus hits and doesn’t know if there’s another living person on the planet. Having livestock as your only company for the rest of your life isn’t very promising. Eventually, she gets off planet with the goal of going to Earth, her home planet and where her ex-significant other (unsure of actual relationship) Daniel had been traveling to when disaster struck.

What I’ve just written is the most basic summary of the plot and doesn’t even begin to cover the richness of the characters in The Space Between the Stars. Jamie in particular is quite interesting. She struggles with her past and her continuous effort to run from every problem and hardship has failed, because now she’s running back to the man she left. This story really brings her full circle and is almost a story of personal reconciliation with the viral apocalypse as a background theme rather than the reverse. The other characters were almost equally interesting, though obviously much less defined than Jamie. Rena and Lowry are members of a non-denominational religious order and have a long history with each other. Mila struggles to see a place for herself in a world were skills other than her limited set are required.  Finn is probably incapable of surviving by himself and struggles with the ever-changing situations. The inter-group strife was quite believable given the circumstances and really helped keep the story moving, though some bits of the plot were wrapped up very conveniently.

The Space Between the Stars was just a really good book and so difficult to put down! Anne Corlett has successfully written a book about the destruction of society that wasn’t bleak and awful, but rather focused on personal reconciliation and new beginnings. This is a book that will definitely be placed on my shelf of keepers for more than just that lovely cover. I hope her future books will only continue to get better!

Hunted by Meagan Spooner – Review

Published: March 14, 2017

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Series: Standalone

Pages: 374 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

Synopsis:

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

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After seeing a really encouraging review by one of my fellow bloggers, I decided that I obviously had to order a copy of Hunted for myself and see what the deal was. How surprised I was to find that I enjoyed this Beauty and the Beast retelling! There are definitely some common themes that show up in Hunted but it’s not sickeningly saturated with them.

Yeva longs to return to the woods where she has fond memories of her younger years, so when her father loses his wealth she is given a reprieve from the trappings of society. Her father begins hunting but after glimpsing the Beast he goes missing and Yeva sets off into the woods with only her bow to find him. Yeva is captured by the Beast (of course) and is carried away to his lair in an enchanted valley where he imprisons her and eventually trains her to hunt magical creatures like himself.

I like Yeva and felt that she was a convincing main character- she didn’t magically acquire an incredible skill set, she was actually afraid of her captor, and had totally reasonable emotions (and perhaps a touch of Stockholm syndrome). I also appreciated that, for once, the sisters in a fairy tale weren’t evil and they had a good relationship with Yeva. What a relief! The Beast’s mini-chapters added just enough perspective to make the reader empathize with his plight and understand his actions and reactions towards Yeva. Without them I think the story would have suffered.

Overall, Hunted was a well-done retelling that I would absolutely recommend to anyone who love the original Beauty and the Beast story. Though appearances don’t really matter, the book itself is quite attractive- the dustjacket has a nice shine to it, the Beast chapters have some added graphic effects, and the naked book is a pretty white and emerald color scheme. Did I mention that this is also a standalone? I hope it stays a standalone because it worked perfectly as such.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers – Review

Published: August 13, 2015

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Wayfarers #1

Pages: 404 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 4.5/5.0

Synopsis:

Somewhere within our crowded sky, a crew of wormhole builders hops from planet to planet, on their way to the job of a lifetime. To the galaxy at large, humanity is a minor species, and one patched-up construction vessel is a mere speck on the starchart. This is an everyday sort of ship, just trying to get from here to there.

But all voyages leave their mark, and even the most ordinary of people have stories worth telling. A young Martian woman, hoping the vastness of space will put some distance between herself and the life she‘s left behind. An alien pilot, navigating life without her own kind. A pacifist captain, awaiting the return of a loved one at war.

Set against a backdrop of curious cultures and distant worlds, this episodic tale weaves together the adventures of nine eclectic characters, each on a journey of their own.

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Can I just say that this book was shockingly awesome? It really was. Since its release in 2015 I’ve seen lots of buzz and mostly favorable reviews so I decided it was high time to check it out for myself. I decided to pick up the audio version, which had great narration and is definitely worth checking out if you’re also an audiobook listener.

The Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet is a wild, fun, character driven sci-fi roadtrip. The crew of the Wayfarer is vibrant and kind, plus it’s a multi-species crew which means ample opportunity to learn about the different alien (and human) cultures. Kizzy, the zany mechanic, was one of my most favorite characters. She always had a snack in hand and her tight friendship with Jenks was great. Doctor Chef came in at a near tie for Kizzy, because who couldn’t love a giant caterpillar-esque person that loved all things cuisine and served as ship’s doctor too?

The plot of the story, though not so thoroughly detailed as the characters, was engaging as well. The Wayfarer is a ship outfitted to punch holes in space, which means shorter travel time between distant planets. The Wayfarer has recently picked up a new crewmember and has a brand new job lined up that could mean moving into a whole new league once complete. This job means going into the potential hostile territory of the Tauremi, an alien species that has interest in joining a sort of space confederation. This is exciting, but it’s not the endpoint but the journey here that’s important. There are tons of pit stops- family visits, part pick-ups, rescues, and rendezvous- and each is a brand new adventure.

The Long Way to A Small Angry Planet was a tremendously fun read that provided a little something for everyone. The characters were lovable, the action was memorable, and best of all it had a great ending. You can leave this as a standalone or continue on with A Closed and Common Orbit, which features a few familiar characters, but from the synopsis it seems to branch off in a different direction. I look forward to reading more from Becky Chambers in the future!

Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau – Review

Published: June 6, 2017

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Series: Dividing Eden #1

Pages: 336 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 4.5/5.0

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

A sweeping fantasy, by the bestselling author of The Testing, about two royal siblings forced to compete for the crown.

Twins Carys and Andreus were never destined to rule Eden. With their older brother next in line to inherit the throne, the future of the kingdom was secure.

But appearances—and rivals—can be deceiving. When Eden’s king and crown prince are killed by assassins, Eden desperately needs a monarch, but the line of succession is no longer clear. With a ruling council scheming to gain power, Carys and Andreus are faced with only one option: to take part in a Trial of Succession that will determine which one of them is worthy of ruling the kingdom.

As sister and brother, Carys and Andreus have always kept each other safe—from their secrets, from the court, and from the monsters lurking in the mountains beyond the kingdom’s wall. But the Trial of Succession will test the bonds of trust and family.

With their country and their hearts divided, Carys and Andreus will discover exactly what each will do to win the crown. How long before suspicion takes hold and the thirst for power leads to the ultimate betrayal?

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Eeek! I’m so happy that Dividing Eden was actually really good, especially since so many YA books fail to live up to the hype generated on social media! I can’t say that I’ve seen an excess of promotions for this one and it deserves the promos! My eye was initially drawn to Dividing Eden by the simple, elegant cover design and a synopsis that promised some serious sibling rivalry- something that hasn’t yet become overdone in the genre.

The aforementioned siblings are Princess Carys and Prince Andreus of Eden- twins that have always had each other’s backs no matter what. This begins to change after the king and their elder brother Prince Micah are killed (supposedly) by a neighboring enemy and their mother is declared unfit to rule. The two must compete against one another in a series of trial to gain the throne and this, as one would expect, drives the once close siblings further and further apart. What makes this really interesting is the fact that both are hiding things that would be detrimental if brought to light – Carys is addicted to a painkiller and Andreus has episodes that sound similar to a panic or asthma attack (I’m no doctor). There’s a whole big mess that happens because of kept secrets and trusting the wrong people. If you add in snow monsters, curses, and a hint of future sight you have a rather dramatic and enticing story.

Carys and Andreus were great characters from the start and each developed even more distinct personalities as the book progressed. They made real choices that people would make based on feeling betrayed, fearful, neglected, etc. and they were understandably naïve about certain things, particularly Andreus who didn’t have to be as forward thinking or cunning as Carys. I liked Carys from the moment she had slitted pockets sewn into her dresses so she could access her weapons- a girl should always have something sharp handy! One thing about the characters/story was how the queen suddenly just snapped after the loss of her husband and son and decided that she was going to go get eaten by the Xhelozi – I have suspicions about this… poison perhaps? Previously she had seemed very collected and while grief can elicit some very atypical behavior, I felt this was a little odd.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised that Dividing Eden exceeded my expectations and even made me wish it was a little longer. I was SO rooting for Carys at the end and I hope she crushes her enemies thoroughly in the sequel. It would be so satisfying. I highly recommend Dividing Eden for those who enjoyed Kendare Blake’s newest book, Three Dark Crowns. The stories have some similar themes that I really enjoyed!