All posts by skyebjenner

For Sale by David Sakmyster

Book Review, , ,

Overview

Blood Lite IIITitle: For Sale
Author: David Sakmyster
In: Blood Lite III: Aftertaste (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Easy reading
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Carefully reflect on all the intangibles.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

A cleverly worded ad for the sale of a haunted house… would you buy it?

Thoughts

I always think that the adverts for houses are entertaining. The wording is always so majestic, the terms often obscure. And guessing what’s secretly wrong with the place can be kind of fun. Well, with this ad… I really didn’t have to go far to guess. But my god was it an entertaining read.

I love how this ad completely takes the mickey out of real estate agents and haunted houses. Everything that is stereotypical and expected appears here and the determined positive spin on the property had me laughing throughout. It’s kind of a pity that this sort of humour isn’t more prevalent within more for sale ads…

 <- The Steeple People Review The Man Who Couldn’t Be Bothered to Die Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Silver Silence by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Silver Silence

Title: Silver Silence
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #16, Psy-Changeling Trinity #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: At least I don’t lose to ten-year-old ponies from Tajikistan.

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her extraordinary Psy-Changeling world with a story of wild passion and darkest betrayal…

Control. Precision. Family. These are the principles that drive Silver Mercant. At a time when the fledgling Trinity Accord seeks to unite a divided world, with Silver playing a crucial role as director of a worldwide emergency response network, wildness and chaos are the last things she needs in her life. But that’s exactly what Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater bears, brings with him.

Valentin has never met a more fascinating woman. Though Silver is ruled by Silence – her mind clear of all emotion – Valentin senses a whisper of fire around her. That’s what keeps him climbing apartment buildings to be near her. But when a shadow assassin almost succeeds in poisoning Silver, the stakes become deadly serious… and Silver finds herself in the heart of a powerful bear clan.

Her would-be assassin has no idea what their poison has unleashed…

Thoughts

The conclusion of the first season of the Psy-Changeling series was brilliant. It tied of arcs, but also helped to introduce new characters and changeling packs. The idea of changeling bears especially appealed to me, and Silver Silence finally introduces one of these stubborn creatures was thoroughly enjoyable. The fact that he is partnered with button down and deadly Silver Mercant from Kaleb’s domain just makes it all the better.

I love the stubbornness and overbearing (haha, get it?) attitudes of the bears are exactly what I imagine a large and unconventional family would feel like. I love the emphasis which Singh places on the importance of family throughout the entire series. The way that this weirdly echoes in Silver’s family is kind of fun. Although there is the idea that there is a complete lack of similarities between the two, there are so many fun similarities. They highlight the importance of loyalty and love in family. And the fact that no matter what, you don’t turn your back on those that love you. Ultimately, this is put to the test in Valentin and Silver’s relationship. And, even though I expect the couples’ happily ever after in Singh’s books, I actually doubted it for a little while. And that new twist was a refreshing change.

I’ve heard many theories about how the powerful encourage war and mayhem – it makes more money. This new Psy-Changeling tale brings this idea into the light and I can’t wait to see how this idea progresses. Silver and Valentin might be on the road to finding their place in the world, but what about the rest of the characters? What about the rest of the Psy-Changeling world and the future of their children? It’s going to be such an amazing journey!

<- Allegiance of HonourOcean Light ->

Image source: Goodreads

Distressed Travelers by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

Book Review, , ,

Overview

Blood Lite IIITitle: Distressed Travelers
Author: Nina Kiriki Hoffman
In: Blood Lite III: Aftertaste (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Horror
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: All this extra security was a pain in the butt.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Somebody’s feeding on the frustrations of those at a airport with delayed flights. But the real question is, who wants to feed on him?

Thoughts

This short story made me feel sick. To be fair, it could have been me getting car sick. Because I was reading this in the car. On windy roads. Late at night. But, I’m pretty sure that I felt sick because this story kind of freaked me out.

It started off innocently enough. Weird alien feeding off of people’s emotions. The veritable smorgasbord of an airport. The added deliciousness of cancelled flights and the stress that this brings. But, then things take a far more incidious turn… he finds someone with no emotions.

You can  kind of see where this goes… packed airport, guy with no emotions, seedy motel… yeah, there’s a reason that I felt a little crook after reading this short story in the dark, on a windy road, in the middle of nowhere…

 <- Short Term Review Bayou Brawl Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Mort by Terry Pratchett

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Mort

Title: Mort
Author: Terry Pratchett
Series: Discworld #4, Death #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Easy reading, Fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Corgi
Year: 1987
5th sentence, 74th page: And so Mort came at last to the river Ankh, greatest of rivers.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job.

Henceforth, Death is no longer going to be the end, merely the means to an end. It’s an offer Mort can’t refuse. As Death’s apprentice he’ll have free board, use of the company horse – and being dead isn’t compulsory. It’s a dream job – until he discovers that it can be a killer on his love life…

Thoughts

Death is always considered such a horrifying and exacting end. But, in the case of Mort, it’s really just a beginning… and an apprenticeship. With Pratchett’s unique and entertaining take on it.

Alright, that introduction to this review feels very confusing and convoluted. But, honestly, that’s generally how I feel before, during and after reading one of the Discworld novels. They’re weird, they’re confusing, and they have a completely unique take on the world. Even when I feel like there may be a far better, more amazing message than what I’ve absorbed, I feel like I’ve learnt something interesting and fantastic after I turn the last page. The fact that this story is about the personification of Death, something that I have been struggling to deal with a little lately, just makes it all the more fun and poignant.

I loved the princess in distress with her noble rescuer theme throughout this. Yet, it was the fact that the ending wasn’t quite one that I expected that was really enjoyable. After all, the typical story would be tall, suave rescuer saves princess, they live happily ever after. Nothing goes like this throughout, and although Mort makes blunder after blunder in his apprenticeship, there is a really nice happily ever after (of a sorts) at the conclusion.

<- Equal RitesSourcery ->

Image source: Penguin Books Australia

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Equal Rites

Title: Equal Rites
Author: Terry Pratchett
Series: Discworld #3, Witches #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Easy reading, Fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Corgi
Year: 1987
5th sentence, 74th page: Across the forest animals broke and scattered as the shadow passed overhead, crying and cursing.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.

The last thing the wizard Drum Billet did, before Death laid a bony hand on his shoulder, was to pass on his staff of power to the eighth son of an eighth son. Unfortunately for his colleagues in the chauvinistic (not to say misogynistic) world of magic, he failed to check that the bab in question was a son. Everybody knows that there’s no such thing as a female wizard. But now it’s gone and happened, there’s nothing much anyone can do about it. Let the batttle of the sexes begin…

Thoughts

There is an incredibly poignant and obvious message in this novel – that we are all equal and entitled to equal rights. That’s not to say that this tale isn’t filled with Pratchett’s (I hesitate to say) typical sense of humour. There is the satirical humour scattered throughout that draws you into his world, whether you want it to or not. Luckily, for me, I was ready and happy to be swept along in his chaotic, entertaining realm.

Esk is a typical little girl with six big brothers. She’s tough, independent and keen to prove herself against the big, wide world. The fact that she is partnered with a supremely magical and powerful wizard’s staff just helps to complicate things. That, and her mentor is a slightly uneducated witch. And there is no such thing as wizards in this world… when is anything ever simple in Discworld?

As I’ve mentioned before, I completely loved the fact that this book highlights women’s rights and equality. It is something that I strongly believe in, and although sometimes it is a topic touched upon, it isn’t something that people tend to really delve into when writing or reading. We talk about equality, but I haven’t actually read such a well written novel that highlights the importance of this. The fact that this story was written in the 80’s and is still discussing issues that we are facing today just heightens my respect for Terry Pratchett.

<- The Light FantasticMort ->

Image source: Pinterest

Too Pretty

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There is no surer way to end a conversation with me or get me ragey than to start commenting on my looks. I was lucky with the genetics, whilst I’m not a stunner, I have  a good figure, hair and skin tone that means absolutely zero work and I’m good at pretending to have an amazingly sunny disposition (sometimes whilst imagining a multitude of ways to get rid of you…) But all of that doesn’t mean that I don’t have other good attributes. Something that often gets forgotten.

Only a few weeks ago, I got the comment “But you’re too pretty and nice to be smart…” I was talking with a customer about the fact that I’m doing a PhD. Since I was at work, I couldn’t do anything but laugh. Because I’m sure in some convoluted way, it was meant as a compliment… but what I REALLY wanted to do was ask “what the fuck do you think a smart person looks like?” “Do you think that we’re all mean, dungeon trolls?” Honestly! And that made me think of all the other times I’ve been treated like I’m dumb or faking it because there in so many people’s minds, there is no way that a woman who is not unfortunate looking could possibly be smart.

I look back at high school and the fact that my “friends” used to say that the gifted education teacher wanted to sleep with me… which was apparently the only reason that I was able to start attending University while still in Year 12. Never mind that I had passed three Year 12 subjects with flying colours in Year 11. Or the fact that I had to go through a reasonably intense application process to get into the program. Or the fact that I worked my arse off, and generally beat out every single one of my peers when it came to grades… no… somebody wanted to have sex with me, and therefore I was in extensions.

Flick forward to University. I was constantly being told by the people in my classes that I must be wrong because we got different answers. Or being asked by male classmates if I wanted their assistance, even though I had finished my practical 10 minutes ago and was chatting about my weekend with a friend. There seems to be this underlying assumption that to be pretty means dumb…

So next time you want to tell someone that they can possibly be X because they look Y… think again. If you say it to me when I’m not trying to be kind and professional at work, I will probably scream… and definitely contemplate giving you a Gibbs slap to knock some sense into you. Honestly.

Dating After the Apocalypse by Stephen Dorato

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Blood Lite IIITitle: Dating After the Apocalypse
Author: Stephen Dorato
In: Blood Lite III: Aftertaste (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Easy reading, Fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Julie seemed to be a regular, ordinary girl – a bit reserved, but who wasn’t these days?

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

How does one date after the zombie apocalypse destroys the world?

Thoughts

I haven’t been single in a very long time. And I haven’t had the misfortune of too many horrible dates. Which makes it extra enjoyable (and kind of foreign) to read about dating. And horrible first dates. And one night stands… putting what I assume is a zombie apocalypse and the end of the world as we know it into the mix just made it all the more fascinating and enjoyable.

The way that this story, like all good short stories, turns itself on its head at the conclusion was highly entertaining. The idea that there are more terrors in settling down than people already experience kind of made a comment on how hard it can be to actually settle down. Both symbolically and physically, this is a good example of the difficulties of dating, getting married and living your happily ever after…

 <- The Great Zombie Invasion of 1979 Review Typecast Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Queen’s Army by Marissa Meyer

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

The Queen's ArmyTitle: The Queen’s Army
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1.5
In: Stars Above (Marissa Meyer)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Steampunk, Strong women
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Z pushed himself back into the exam table.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.

Thoughts

Levanna’s army is shown in Cinder and it seems kind of scary. Which is why a short story about one of the young men who are placed into this situation and created as a soldier worked in quite well. It’s the story from behind enemy lines that is not only introducing a character that will (I’m sure) appear in the next novel, but helping to highlight the horrors which Levanna inflicts upon her own people.

There really wasn’t much that was shocking in this story. It was expected that the soldiers would be genetically modified. That the lead would be unwilling to join the legions. And that he would eventually triumph over the other sufferers of brutality. The way in which it was done was completely different though. Mostly because of the great and unique world in which Meyer has placed her characters.

Now that I’ve read about the boy, I can’t wait to meet the man in Scarlet…

 <- Cinder Review Scarlet Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

CinderTitle: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Steampunk, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Puffin
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Yes, her ratio should be impressive.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

A FORBIDDEN ROMANCE.
A DEADLY PLAGUE.
EARTH’S FATE HINGES ON ONE GIRL…

Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen – and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth’s future.

THIS IS NOT THE FAIRY TALE YOU REMEMBER. BUT IT’S ONE YOU WON’T FORGET.

Thoughts

Cinderella is a fairly well known fairy tale. After all, it’s the perfect rags to riches tale. The story of someone overpowering their bad situation and finding a good one. The fact that there is a handsome prince, and a pretty dress and a ball…that just makes it all the more appealing and sweet… at least normally, Cinder gives this tale a very different spin. And one that I personally love to pieces.

I am fairly new to the steampunk genre. But, I absolutely adore it. It’s something that marries a range of different themes and styles into this perfect little world. The fact that this was then partnered with the childlike world of riches kind of made this series absolutely perfect for me. Having already read Glitches, I had a little more backstory on Cinder’s unwanted presence in the Linh household. But, even without that, the creation of a future world in which cyborgs walk (and are owned) among us was fun. The joy and happiness of Peony and the quirkiness of Ito just helped to make the story a whole lot more enthralling. And cute. There were a lot of serious, hard and sad moments throughout the story for Cinder, but the attitude of not only her, but her companions made it a lot easier to bear.

I really wasn’t expecting the ending to this story. Although it is a Cinderella tale, it didn’t quite end in the same way. And it left the tale wide open for the next book in the series… which I now have to wait for… there’s always something great about a surprise at the end of a series, and it always makes getting the next book in the mail all the more exciting…

 <- The Mechanic Review The Queen’s Army Review ->
Image source: Jennifer Melza

The Mechanic by Marissa Meyer

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Stars AboveTitle: The Mechanic
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #0.9
In: Stars Above (Marissa Meyer)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Steampunk, Strong women
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: “But without knowing what’s wrong with -”

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.

Thoughts

This is an alternative view at a great scene in Cinder. And it’s something that I enjoy in a series – looking at another character’s point of view. The fact that it is Kai, the other half of the love match in the first full Lunar Chronicles novel, made it even more captivating. And, it was enlightening as to why Kai fell for Cinder. After all, she is constantly described as being very plain. So I found it a little difficult to really understand their connection in this scene. Until I read The Mechanic, then everything fell into place.

I like that the heroine of this story isn’t described as beautiful and stunning. It’s difficult to connect with characters when they are constantly described as otherworldly. The fact that Kai’s draw in to Cinder is her simplicity and difference makes you feel like everyone has their own hope for the future.

 <- The Little Android Review Cinder Review ->
Image source: The Lunar Chronicles Wiki