All posts by skyebjenner

The Hell-Bound Stagecoach by Mike Resnick

July 28, 2020Book ReviewDead Man's Hand, Humour, Mike Resnick, Weird Western, Westernsskyebjenner

Image result for dead man's hand book cover

Title: The Hell-Bound Stagecoach
Author: Mike Resnick
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Humour, Weird Westerns, Westerns
Dates read: 29th June 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: She indicated her basket.

Ben and Miss Alicia are travelling to the end of the line. Along the way, they pick up the Wichita Kid and another mysterious traveller. But when they realise that they don’t want to ride to the end of the line… things get a little… hell-bound.

I had a good giggle at this short story. Which makes sense, because I have frequently found myself giggling a little at Resnick’s writing. There is this incredibly satirical, dry sense to his writing that manages to fit perfectly into the genres he is writing in, whilst simultaneously highlighting some of the more ridiculous aspects of them.

At the beginning of this story, I didn’t really think much about the fact that Ben and Abigail were travelling in the same coach together. To the end of the line. It didn’t really seem like anything drastically surreal or monumental. Until the second man, the Witchita Kid got into the coach. Then I began to realise that maybe things weren’t quite what they seem in this story line… that’s when the smiling and giggling really and truly began…

The characters in this may be “bad”, but they were also completely delightful. They made you want them to win the final altercation. Even if it really wasn’t something that could be considered “for the best”. I love stories in which the “bad guys” are the ones you’re gunning for… pun and everything intended.

<- Hellfire on the High Frontier

Stingers and Strangers ->

Image source: Amazon

Biting Bad by Chloe Neill

July 28, 2020Book ReviewChicagoland Vampires, Chloe Neill, Easy Reading, Paranormal Fantasy, Vampiresskyebjenner

Biting Bad (Chicagoland Vampires, #8) by Chloe Neill

Title: Biting Bad
Author: Chloe Neill
Series: Chicagoland Vampires #8
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 29th June 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: New American Library
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: A giant soaking tub sat in one corner, and tonight, it bore a surprise.

Merit has been a vampire for only a short while, but she’s already seen a lifetime’s worth of trouble. She and her Master, centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, have risked their lives time and again to save the city they love. But not all of Chicago is loving them back.

Anti-vampire riots are erupting all over town, striking vampires where it hurts the most. A splinter group armed with Molotov cocktails and deep-seated hate is intent on clearing the fanged from the Windy City, come hell or high water.

Merit and her allies rush to figure out who’s behind the attacks, who will be targeted next, and whether there’s any way to stop the wanton destruction. The battle for Chicago is just beginning, and Merit is running out of time.

I remember being a bit “eh” about House Rules. It was a good book, but didn’t really grab my attention, and so I took a break from this series. I kind of expected to get the same feeling from Biting Bad, but figured I’d give it a shot anyway. And boy, am I glad that I did. This was almost a revamp of the energy that I found in the first few Chicagoland Vampires books. It had all of that paranormal fun that I was hoping for, plus a number of riots and a lot of sword-wielding. What more could a girl ask for?

Ethan and Merit have taken a long, long time to find their happy-place in their relationship. At first it was supremely frustrating… stubborn and stubborn just constantly clashing and butting heads. But, as this series has evolved, that stubbornness has had a truly endearing quality. And I love that in Biting Bad, they’ve finally found their sweet-spot with their different character quirks and managed to find their happily ever after. Or at least, the beginnings of it.

There is something a little more unique about Chicagoland Vampires in the genre of vampire stories. Probably because it deals a lot more with the inter-politics between humans and vampires – most stories they are not political stories which are discussed between the two races. In fact, they are largely separate. I love that there is a hugely political spin to not just all of the character interactions, but also huge aspects of the storyline. Right down to where the different branches of the police are called in.

I really wasn’t expecting the ending to this story. I thought that some aspects of this novel would carry on until the next and some would cease to exist in this story. I was pretty much 100% wrong on both aspects. Which just makes me want to read the next novel even more… I just have to dig it out of my shelves first…

<- House Rules

High Stakes ->

Image source: Goodreads

Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

July 27, 2020Book ReviewDC Icons, Fantasy, Sarah J. Maas, Superheroes, Young Adultskyebjenner

Catwoman: Soulstealer (DC Icons, #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Catwoman: Soulstealer
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Superheroes, Young adult
Dates read: 28th – 29th June 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: I gotta work.

WHEN THE BAT’S AWAY, THE CAT WILL PLAY.

Two years after escaping Gotham City’s slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. Batman is off on a vital mission and Gotham is at the mercy of the new thief on the prowl. Joined by the cunning Poison Ivy and notorious Harley Quinn, she wreaks havoc across the city.

Selina is playing a desperate game of cat and mouse. But with a dangerous threat from the past on her tail, will she be able to pull off the ultimate heist?

I knew that this was going to be an amazing story. A beautiful, iconic superhero who is also a little grey and a seriously sexy, kick ass chick. One of my favourite authors. And a greatly descriptive novel. I knew it would be phenomenal and brilliant. Yet, I still didn’t quite expect how fantastic this would actually be. How flawless. How amazing. How completely, totally and utterly unforgettable.

So I may not have lots and lots of knowledge about the DC comics and superheroes. I know bits and pieces, and Batman seems to be getting a lot of attention in remakes and retellings lately. But I feel like, just having read this, I know so much more. The underbelly of Gotham City and the strength of Catwoman just sing from the pages. I love that Maas is able to write a story that is seriously dark, but maintain all of those wonderful aspects of hope that most superhero stories have.

I loved the romance that filtered throughout this story. You know from the very beginning that Selina and Luke are going to end up together in some format. But the journey to get there was rife with difficulties and horrors. Moments which make you just want that happily ever after all the more. That makes you reach for it and hope that there is a nice moment at the end of all of the battles. Particularly when the release of the joker hangs over the whole storyline – it makes the fleeting moments of courtship so much more fun.

Joining Catwoman with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy was not something that I expected. I’m not sure if it’s something that comes about in any of the other stories, or if it’s done in this fashion. But it was certainly something that I loved. After all, they’re three strong, powerful, intelligent and independent women. Even if they may be a little off-kilter with their moral compasses and morals. They may actually be my favourite trio of protagonists that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in a long, long time.

All throughout this novel I knew that Catwoman had some kind of motive for her actions. I figured she wasn’t just a narcissistic thief. And that there was a reason for all of the mayhem that she was causing. I guessed bits and pieces of it, but it wasn’t until that grand reveal at the end that everything clicked into place. Which, for me, is one of the reasons why I love a Sarah J. Maas book so much.

<- Batman

Superman ->

Image source: Goodreads

Squatter’s Rights by Rochelle Krich

July 27, 2020Book ReviewDark Fantasy, Home Improvement, Horror, Paranormal Fantasy, Rochelle Krichskyebjenner

Image result for home improvement undead edition book cover

Title: Squatter’s Rights
Author: Rochelle Krich
In: Home Improvement (Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Horror, Paranormal fantasy
Dates read: 29th June 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Eve was sure.

Eve and Joe have just bought their dream house. But there is something knocking in the walls at night. Who will win this battle of wills?

The start of this story made me think that it was going to be kind of cute and super sweet. Turns out I was wrong. Fairly seriously wrong too to be honest. This is not a sweet short story. It does not have a happy ending. In fact, I don’t suggest reading it just before bed… there is just something goose bump creating about it that left me cringing and feeling very seriously uncomfortable.

I did guess that this story would be a little random due to the name – after all, Squatter’s Rights are based on the idea that whoever lives in a place owns the place. I didn’t realise how truly dark Krich would take the idea and the story though. How uncomfortable I would be at the end of this short story and how much I would enjoy that feeling of discomfort…

There are many things that this story touches upon. But one of the most poignant – the fact that it is seriously easy to lose trust and faith in another person. How easy it can be to manipulate someone into believing that things aren’t all as they seem and matters should possibly taken into their own hands…

<- Gray

Blood on the Wall ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Stormlines by Alison Evans

July 26, 2020Book ReviewDystopia, LGBTQIskyebjenner

Image result for kindred 12 queer book cover

Title: Stormlines
Author: Alison Evans
In: Kindred (Michael Earp)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, LGBTQI
Dates read: 29th June 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Walker Books
Year: 2019
5th sentence, 74th page: New touches my arm.

Marling has been swept way, way, way out to see. To a mangrove forest where New lives and life is completely different to what they expected.

I really loved the use of gender-neutral language used throughout this story. It’s interesting, because I constantly wondered what gender both Marling and New identified as. Yet, it really isn’t important. It had absolutely no bearing on the story and had no interest points for the greater storyline. Yet, that use of gender-neutral language was something that both drew me in and completely intrigued me. It was an interesting point that was made.

There was a great post-apocalyptic feel to this story. Unlike many of the other stories I’ve read which feature a nuclear apocalypse, or disease, or even magic, as the vector to the end of the world as we know it… this one used the rising waters and climate change. Something that is, scarily, not completely out of bounds of imagination. Yet, somehow, this world was really pretty and somehow intriguing.

I love that even though this is set in a post-apocalyptic world, it is still set in Australia. In a bit of a round-about way. The use of the coast of Queensland and Mangroves helped to make this even more familiar and eerie. In the most beautiful of ways. All in all, I really have no words for how fun and enjoyable I found this story.

<- An Arab Werewolf in Liverpool

Questions to Ask Straight Relatives ->

Image source: Bookdepository

On Fire by Sylvia Day

July 26, 2020Book ReviewContemporary romance, Erotica, Hot in Handcuffs, Romantic Suspense, Sylvia Dayskyebjenner

Hot in Handcuffs - Bookshelf • Best Selling Books by #1 New York ...

Title: On Fire
Author: Sylvia Day
Series: Shadow Stalkers #4
In: Hot in Handcuffs (Sylvia Day, Shayla Black & Shiloh Walker)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary romance, Erotica, Romantic suspense
Dates read: 29th June 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: “There’s a little café around the corner, although we might have to wait a bit for a seat.”

When Deputy Marshal Jared Cameron investigates a series of arson attacks in a seaside town, the biggest blast of heat comes from sexy fire inspector Darcy Michaels—until their scorching after-hours affair is compromised by a secret from Darcy’s past.

This was an incredibly fast-paced, heart-pumping novella. It was a little gritty, a lot of fun and incredibly intriguing. It had my heart pumping, my breath catching and my jaw clenching. Which is everything that you want in a romantic suspense novella. There was also some lovely, hot, steamy sex… which was just a little bit toe curling.

This novella starts out strong – it starts with an arson investigation and the obvious point that there is someone preying upon this small town. And then it just gets more and more intense from there. There is the history of Darcy’s sister that is quickly unraveled. The jealousies of multiple men. And just a great, big mystery behind it all. I spent the whole time trying to figure out who the actual culprit was… and was completely blind sided when the bad person was finally revealed. Not the person I expected at all.

One issue I did have with this novella was that I really and ultimately couldn’t figure out the actual motives behind the crimes. I understood parts of it, but other parts were just confusing. I think it drove home the fact that they were just certifiably nuts. But I still wanted a much more in depth explanation…

<- Arresting Desire

The Unwilling ->

Image source: Sylvia Day

Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare

July 25, 2020Book ReviewGwendolyn Clare, Historical fiction, Ink Iron and Glass, Steampunk, Young Adultskyebjenner

Title: Ink, Iron, and Glass
Author: Gwendolyn Clare
Series: Ink, Iron, and Glass #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical fiction, Steampunk, Young adult
Dates read: 29th June 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: So, that left only one option available to her: she would have to scribe a laboratory for herself.

Our best weapons are words.

A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation, where her mother – a noted scriptologist – constantly alters and expands their reality.

But when her home is attacked and her mother kidnapped, Elsa is forced to cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative Victorian Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of young scientists with a gift for mechanics, alchemy, or scriptology – and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and tragic past. She recruits the help of thse fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.

In this thrilling debut, worlds collide as Elsa unveils a deep political conspiracy seeking to unlock the most dangerous weapon ever created – and only she can stop it.

Wow. This was just… wow. And I don’t even remember when I bought it. Or why I didn’t read it straight away. Because… seriously… wow. This was awesome, powerful and brilliant. It was filled with all of those wonderful steampunk moments, and the aspects of young adult stories that I already know that I love. The fact that it is based in historical Italy, instead of Victorian London like many steampunk stories… that just added to the feeling of “wow”. I should really find a better word, but this one just seems to work so well…

One of my favourite things about this novel is probably just how powerful Elsa is. Most of my books feature a female lead who is powerful. But there is something so much… extra about her. Something which definitely drew me in from the very beginning. Add that to the creation of different worlds and realities… and the access to these realities is through a portal in a book… I found this to be one of my favourite worlds that have been built in a long time. There was something so eerily and beautifully familiar about all of it… whilst being completely new and refreshing.

I love that there are three main affinities for the “mad children”. And one of those is Alchemy… I’m still a little vague as to exactly what alchemy encompasses. But I do love that Skandar is the creation of one such “mad boy”. He may be my favourite, quirkiest creature yet. Definitely the most unique, a squidlike cuddle monster who can also attack and kill others… I may be a little ghoulish and blood-thirsty. But it was an idea and execution that I particularly enjoyed. And it kind of helped to make some of the more serious moments… less serious.

Leo and Elsa are a great couple in this. I love the way they fall for each other and the constant banter that they have. Their histories are intertwined and their futures even more so. And although there are moments in which you’re not entirely sure if they’re going to actually make it… you really just can’t help but hope for the best. Or at least, that’s what I’m hanging out for in the next book… when I have enough money to actually buy the next book…

<- More Gwendolyn Clare

Mist, Metal, and Ash ->

Image source: Goodreads

Unremembered by Jessica Brody

July 25, 2020Book ReviewJessica Brody, Romance, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Unremembered, Young Adultskyebjenner

Unremembered (Unremembered, #1) by Jessica Brody

Title: Unremembered
Author: Jessica Brody
Series: Unremembered #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Romance, Science fiction, Time travel, Young adult
Dates read: 29th June 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Especially given you… well, celebrity status.

When Freedom airlines flight 121 went down, they didn’t expect to find anyone. Alive, that is.

But there was one survivor. Which is why a sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage – alive – is making headlines across the globe.

Even stranger is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. but can she really trust him? Can she trust anyone?

I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for quite a while. Ever since I read Unstolen. It looked kind of cute and intriguing. But honestly, that was the extent of my thought process. It was always a book that I’ll get to at some point. And then I needed a book with a title starting with a U for a reading challenge… and wow. This is not just good. It is ridiculously good. I actually couldn’t believe how much this pulled me in. And just how quickly.

Alright, so this is a bit of a teeny little romance. Which is why I gave it one less star than I probably would have otherwise given it. I do tend to find that star-crossed lovers can get a bit of an overbearing trope. And for the majority of this novel, that was kind of how I felt about that main relationship. But then… but then it really started to develop. As more of Sera’s history was revealed, her relationship with Zen became less and less irritating and more and more developed. And now? Now I can’t wait to see how that will develop in the next two books in this trilogy. Started out a bit eh, but the relationship quickly built upon itself and developed into a great aspect of the storyline.

I knew that there was a time travel aspect to this novel. After all, it says so on Goodreads. But this wasn’t quite the time travel that I was expecting. There is surprise after surprise throughout this novel that makes you constantly reconfigure and question the whole time travel angle. And at the very ending? You’re still kind of questioning things. Still wondering if you have all of the information about time travel locked away into your brain. And what you’ve probably missed… it makes for a seriously intriguing and great way to tell a time travel story.

Aside from the teeny / young adult storyline and the very unique take on time travel… I absolutely adored how Brody is able to play with the idea of memories and thoughts all the way throughout this story. In each and every moment, you’re questioning what is real and what is manufactured. And how memories can be stored. How much influence memories actually have on our personalities… it’s a fascinating realm to play with and Brody did an absolutely fantastic job of making you think through each and every sentence.

<- More Jessica Brody

Unstolen ->

Image source: Goodreads

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

July 24, 2020Book ReviewAlexandra Christo, Fairy tales, Mermaids, Retellings, Young Adultskyebjenner

Title: To Kill a Kingdom
Author: Alexandra Christo
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Mermaids, Retellings, Young adult
Dates read: 27th – 28th June 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: “Have you known for a while?” Sakura asks.

I have a heart for every year I’ve been alive.

There are seventeen hidden in the sand of my bedroom. Every so often, I claw through the shingle just to check they’re still there. Buried deep and bloody.

Princess Lira is siren royalty and revered across the sea until she is cursed into humanity by the ruthless Sea Queen. Now Lira must deliver the heart of the infamous siren killer or remain a human forever.

Prince Elian is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world, and captain to a deadly crew of siren hunters. When he rescues a drowning woman from the ocean, she promises to help him destroy siren kind for good. But he has no way of knowing whether he can trust her…

I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for a while, and I kind of figured that it was just going to be another cute little retelling. I was excited to read it, but wasn’t desperate to. And then I read this. And honestly… WOW! This is an AMAZING Little Mermaid retelling. I honestly just can’t get it out of my head. It’s dark, it’s fun and it’s weirdly sweet…

Probably one of my favourite things about this novel / retelling is that Lira is completely predatory. She isn’t the nice, sweet, innocent mermaid of the Disney stories. Or even the kind of sad sack from the original Hans Christian Andersen story. Instead, she is tough, hungry and completely powerful in her own right. I also love that she is seriously sarcastic and aggressive in so many, many, many ways. Which, of course means, she fits perfectly with Elian. He’s also a pretty intense predator, and a pirate. Although, in this battle, I think it’s actually Lira that I found more intimidating and powerful… just as it should be.

Although this is a really nice little romance, it’s definitely not going onto my romance shelf. It’s a little unromantic in many places, and although it does still follow that fairly typical YA romance pattern… there is something a little extra about it. Something that doesn’t give me romantic feelings, but rather, happily ever after, big smile feelings…

The world building, characters and story line of this novel is just phenomenal. It made the story completely impossible to put down and forget about. Impossible to forget and stop thinking about. What makes that fact really horrible… this is a standalone. I would love to find out more about how Elian and Lira get along in the new world that they’ve created. Find out more about Lira’s cousin… there are so many more stories I want told from this world!!!

<- The Crooked Place

More Alexandra Christo ->

Image source: Goodreads

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

July 24, 2020Book ReviewCharlaine Harris, Crime, Harper Connelly, Mystery, Paranormal Fantasyskyebjenner

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris - Books - Hachette Australia

Title: Grave Sight
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Harper Connelly #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Mystery, Paranormal fantasy
Dates read: 27th June 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: I found it with my other sense, instead of asking for directions.

Harper Connolly is honest, ethical and loyal – and ever since a bolt of lightning zapped her on the head, she’s had an extra-special talent: she can find dead people.

It’s not a common-or-garden job. Some people find Harper’s talent useful and fascinating, but she’s getting used to most people treating her like a blood-sucking leech, preying on the recently bereaved and offering false hope. She’s become an expert at getting in, getting paid and getting out fast.

So when Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver are hired to help in the Ozarks, they’re wary. Their mission is to find a local teenager – missing, believed dead – and instead they find that someone is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to bury a secret. 88 It doesn’t take long for Tolliver to be is locked away on trumped-up charges and leave Harpeer fighting for her life…

So this is a much better start to a series than the first Sookie Stackhouse novel. It’s a little more developed, which I think is probably just an indication of Harris’ developing skills. From the very outset, you are thrown into the world of Harper Connelly and her unique powers. From the very outset you are completely swept away and enmeshed with a woman who is quite damaged and has a seriously great personality.

I loved how this story started completely in the present. But, as the story unfolded, parts of the past also filtered through and helped to fill you in on so many important little titbits. It was a great way to create a beautifully dimensional and emotional character that you constantly felt connected to. It built upon all the trials and tribulations of the present story. It also helped to highlight exactly why Tolliver and Harper were so close. Just not in the way that is often implied…

Alongside the paranormal journey and discovery of Harper’s past, there is a great mystery to this story. In fact, it almost reads a bit like a cozy mystery. Just not quite. But still, it has that same sense of mystery to it and the almost innocence of the story line that the other cozy mysteries I’ve read hae had. However, there are a few more stakes raised. And a little bit more darkness due to Harper’s unique gift. It gives a slightly different feeling, and removes some of that innocence. Mostly though, I do love this paranormal aspect and brilliance. Particularly when it just makes the story that little bit darker.

Although the end of this story involves Harper and Tolliver getting the hell out of dodge, I can’t wait to see how this series unfolds. Partly, I kind of hope that they both get a bit of a happily ever after. It obviously wasn’t going to be in the Ozarks, but I look forward to jumping into this series and finding that at some point… hopefully.

<- More Charlaine Harris

Grave Surprise ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.

All posts by skyebjenner

The Hell-Bound Stagecoach by Mike Resnick

Biting Bad by Chloe Neill

Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

Squatter’s Rights by Rochelle Krich

Stormlines by Alison Evans

On Fire by Sylvia Day

Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare

Unremembered by Jessica Brody

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris