Category Archives: Book Review

Blood Debt by Jeanne C. Stein

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Hexed

Title: Blood Debt
Author: Jeanne C. Stein
Series: Anna Strong Chronicles #6.5
In: Hexed (Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James & Jeanne C. Stein)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Urban fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 23rd January 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: I still can’t shake the idea that watching Stephen and I dance around each other, feeling the attraction, fighting it, would have been his idea of a joke.

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Synopsis

From national bestselling author Jeanne C. Stein comes “Blood Debt,” in which bounty-hunter-turned-vampire Anna Strong is visited by three witches who ask her to right an old magical wrong. Anna will have to live up to her last name to make it through alive.

Thoughts

Most of the time, when I find novellas in a short story collection, they stand up fantastically on their own. Sometimes you even forget that they are part of a greater series. This isn’t quite like that. It is a tale all about the repercussions of a crime obviously committed in a previous story. That’s not to say that this wasn’t a ridiculously enjoyable novella, but it was one that I constantly felt like I needed to have read about the original “crime” to fully understand what was happening.

I really like the idea of a bounty-hunter-turned-vampire and I can’t wait to get my grubby little hands onto this series. It sounds like one that is going to pull you in straight away. And that isn’t with the consideration of the idea of being the Chosen One. Again, I need to actually read the series to completely understand this, but Stein did a very good job of outlining all of the background information enough to not make me feel completely lost and confused.

Unlike the rest of the novellas in this collection, Blood Debt had a bit of a love connection. It had this fun budding relationship that makes you want to yell out loud in joy as the story concludes. Now I just have to find the time and money for the rest of this series… I want to see how the couple develops!

<- Double HexedHexed ->

Image source: Ilona Andrews

The Morning After by Claude Bolduc

Book Review, ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: The Morning After
Author: Claude Bolduc
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Vampires
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: She could have chosen another.

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Synopsis

A woman wakes up blind and alone, now she just has to figure out exactly what happened to her…

Thoughts

I mostly enjoyed the premise of this story. It was just obvious that it was a translated short story, and I think that in that it lost some of its oomph. The general, fun gist of this story was great – but as I said, there were many moments that felt like they could have been more interesting, but there was something that just didn’t make it across translation…

I like that in this journey to remembering who she is, the young woman seems to be finally getting her feet under her. There is a sense of completion, and this idea that maybe she has a slightly interesting immortal life ahead of her. Until the end. When you realise that she really doesn’t have all that much time left after all.

 <- Mamma’s Boy ReviewAll You Can Eat, All the Time Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

A History of Magic by J.K. Rowling

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for harry potter a history of magic book cover

Title: Harry Potter: A History of Magic
Author: J.K. Rowling & Others
Series: Harry Potter Illustrated Editions Companion
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Illustrated, Urban fantasy, Witches
Dates read: 19th November 2018 – 2nd January 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Non-fictional text
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Harry, Ron and Hermione left the castle together, crossed the vegetable patch and made for the greenhouses, where the magical plants were kept.

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Synopsis

Harry Potter: A History of Magic is the official book of the exhibition, a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between Bloomsbury, J.K. Rowling and the brilliant curators of the British Library. It promises to take readers on a fascinating journey through the subjects studied at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – from Alchemy and Potions classes through to Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. Each chapter showcases a treasure trove of artefacts from the British Library and other collections around the world, beside exclusive manuscripts, sketches and illustrations from the Harry Potter archive. There’s also a specially commissioned essay for each subject area by an expert, writer or cultural commentator, inspired by the contents of the exhibition – absorbing, insightful and unexpected contributions from Steve Backshall, the Reverend Richard Coles, Owen Davies, Julia Eccleshare, Roger Highfield, Steve Kloves, Lucy Mangan, Anna Pavord and Tim Peake, who offer a personal perspective on their magical theme. Readers will be able to pore over ancient spell books, amazing illuminated scrolls that reveal the secret of the Elixir of Life, vials of dragon’s blood, mandrake roots, painted centaurs and a genuine witch’s broomstick, in a book that shows J.K. Rowling’s magical inventions alongside their cultural and historical forebears. This is the ultimate gift for Harry Potter fans, curious minds, big imaginations, bibliophiles and readers around the world who missed out on the chance to see the exhibition in person.

Thoughts

I bought this because my sister wanted it and it had something to do with Harry Potter. Mostly because it had something to do with Harry Potter… I have a sickness.

And I’m really glad that I did. This was an incredibly interesting and engaging alternate look into the world-famous world created by J.K. Rowling. And as someone who couldn’t get to this great exhibit in England (you know, being that I’m in Australia and all), it was a great way to imagine really being there.

I love the intertwining of history and fantasy in anything that I read. The modern day with ancient mythologies. So the idea of a book all about these combinations and a world that I am more than a little obsessed with… it worked perfectly for my happy, geeky little brain.

 <- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ReviewThe Tales of Beedle the Bard Review ->
Image source: Bloomsbury

Troll by Jane Yolen

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for troll's-eye view book cover

Title: Troll
Author: Jane Yolen
In: Troll’s-Eye View (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Villains
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: But Troll, having no imagination, could not fathom what that splash and crash meant.

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Synopsis

Troll is small and doesn’t have much imagination. But that doesn’t stop him from making sure he has a decent meal every once in a while.

Thoughts

There’s something about trolls that is always… I guess amusing. Probably because they are often cast as dumb, lumbering and far south of thoughtful. And, this short story really doesn’t do anything to dispel those ideas. What it does do is take a creature that is traditionally gross and smelly and making him… well, kind of cute.

Although Troll is still kind of a villain in this story (he keeps eating others), it’s hard to dislike him. That very cute, dopey characterisation makes him seem like just a happy bystander to the eating of the goats and other creatures. It doesn’t make it feel like a story in which there is really a bad guy or a good guy. Rather a young fool trying to survive, and a heap of other fools who keep going near him…

 <- The Boy Who Cried Wolf ReviewCastle Othello Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Queen Rising by Danielle Paige

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for queen rising danielle paige book cover

Title: Queen Rising
Author: Danielle Paige
Series: Stealing Snow #0.2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Magic, Paranormal fantasy
Dates read: 10th January 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: And she felt the gravity of the boy and the dress and the promise of being something new.

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Synopsis

Enter a world of elemental magic, forbidden romance, and betrayal in this prequel to New York Times bestselling author Danielle Paige’s upcoming Stealing Snow.

Margot grew up as an apprentice to the witches Nepenthe and Ora, but she doesn’t possess the incredible magic that they have. So when the old Snow King asked her to kidnap Ora, she obeyed his command, hiding her true motives from the witches. Though the witches could kill Margot for her betrayal, they showed her mercy–and without her old friends at her side, she must find her own way.

Leaving the world she knows behind, Margot decides to put her affinity for thieving to use by embracing the Robber trade. But she is set for a much greater fate. . . and more of the prophecy foretelling Algid’s future will be revealed. Along the way, Margot must find her way from being a magic-less apprentice to be becoming a queen in her own right.

And Margot’s role in the prophecy is only just beginning. . . In the future, she is destined to cross paths with a girl named Snow, who will have the power to change Algid forever-for better, or for worse.

Thoughts

This was such an amazing novella. Which I was kind of expecting because I also thought that Before the Snow was amazing. Especially as a wind up to the actual novel and the first full-length story in this series. The only thing that annoys me about this is the fact that I decided to read Stealing Snow for my Around the Year in 52 books challenge… so I don’t get to read it until the 16th of July…. That’s a loooooong time to wait.

Queen Rising follows Margot through her journey to the cusp of adulthood. Although her life intersects with that of Nepenthe and Ora (who were featured in Before the Snow), this novella introduces you to an entirely different side of Algid. Which I thoroughly enjoyed, the multiple sides of a universe that are shown in two simple novellas. It makes me wonder how the novel will unfold – so much information has been crammed into the preceding tastes that have so thoughtfully been offered.

 <- Before the Snow ReviewStealing Snow Review ->
Image source: Bloomsbury

Before the Snow by Danielle Paige

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for before the snow danielle paige book cover

Title: Before the Snow
Author: Danielle Paige
Series: Stealing Snow #0.1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Magic, Paranormal fantasy
Dates read: 8th – 9th January 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: “Call me Nepenthe,” she ordered.

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Synopsis

Enter a world of elemental magic, forbidden romance, and betrayal in this prequel to New York Times bestselling author Danielle Paige’s upcoming Stealing Snow.

Young Nepenthe is half-princess, half-mermaid. Though she longs for the sea, her father wants her to stay on land. But only love can make a mermaid give up the water, and Nepenthe doesn’t love anyone the way her mother loves her human father. She wants to live as a mermaid and become the River Witch, like her mother.

Then Nepenthe meets Prince Lazar, the son of the all-powerful Snow King of Algid, and she can’t help but fall for him. After a horrible tragedy strikes, Nepenthe joins forces with a young fire witch named Ora to save Lazar and protect the kingdom. But it soon becomes clear that Ora loves Lazar just as much as Nepenthe does… And now Nepenthe must decide: inherit the power of the River Witch, or betray her friend to be with the boy she loves.

And Nepenthe’s role in the prophecy is only just beginning. . . In the future, she is destined to cross paths with a girl named Snow, who will have the power to change Algid forever-for better, or for worse.

Thoughts

I had no idea what to expect from this novella, or even what to expect from the rest of this series. I had just bought Stealing Snow because it was cheap in the Boxing Day Sales. And the cover looked pretty. And it was one of those stories that I’m so glad I did. At least, judging from the first novella (I haven’t got to the actual novel yet).

From the very beginning it is obvious that this is a great origins story. Not just of the villain, but also there is the hint of a key role that the River Witch is going to play in the greater series. Starting with the prophecy that is obviously going to govern the rest of the series drew me in from the very beginning. And the fact that the Prince (soon to be the Twisted King) starts off as an innocent pulled me in even further.

There is something almost sinister about the prince from the very beginning. Partly because there is a lust for power and triumph from his very first moment, but as his relationship with both Ora and Nepenthe develops, it become obvious that there is much more to it. And it isn’t until the final scene that you realise he is already beyond redemption.

 <- Stealing Snow ReviewQueen Rising Review ->
Image source: Bloomsbury

Dead Hand by Sharyn McCrumb

Book Review, ,
Overview
Blood Lite

Title: Dead Hand
Author: Sharyn McCrumb
In: Blood Lite (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Horror
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: And after that, of course, you’ll be in even more demand for these kinds of appearances, because the sponsor will expect you to keep their potential customers happy.

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Synopsis

An engineer decides to raise the dead to try and help his NASCAR team, but things have changed too much for the old man, and all he wants is to pass on into a quieter life.

Thoughts

I don’t follow cars. Or racing. And especially not NASCAR. I only really vaguely know anything about it to be honest. So reading a short story that had a horror component was kind of interesting. And a little disconcerting. And I didn’t entirely understand this short story…

I did like the emphasis on the change of time and the ways in which things so drastically change. How what was a field of skill two generations ago, is more about publicity and fans. And I really liked this distinction. There was the ideal that sometimes it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie and things change. Maybe we should just change our ideals with them…

 <- The Bell from HELL!!! ReviewDay Off Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Seeing is Believing by Erin McCarthy

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for seeing is believing erin mccarthy book cover

Title: Seeing is Believing
Author: Erin McCarthy
Series: Cuttersville #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Romance
Dates read: 24th – 26th January 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: “I like Brady,” he mom said.

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Synopsis

Cuttersville, Ohio is full of ghosts, and they all want Piper Tucker’s help. One guy in town just wants Piper.

Ever since Piper Tucker was yougn she wanted to be like everyone else, but her uncanny ability to see ghosts always put her on the other side of normal. And the apparitions are showing up now more than ever, desperately seeking help. But what can she possibly do for them? They’ve already been dead for years. Besides, she has a personal concern of her own right now. A real flesh and blood concern – named Brady.

He’s Piper’s childhood crush, and no sooner is he back in town than their sparks start giving off heat. For Brady, it’s hard not to notice the sexy young woman Piper’s become, or forget the special gift she had as a girl. And right now it could come in handy, because a long-forgotten murder has been keeping a restless spirit from finding peace. All Piper and Brady have to do is solve the crime to put the specter to rest. But the passion brewing between them is just as restless, and could prove twice as dangerous.

Thoughts

I’m kind of sad that this is the ending to the series. I’ve been enjoying Cuttersville so much over the past few weeks. And now it is over… I’ll just have to find another series to sink my teeth into next I suppose. And this was such a great and fitting end to this sweet romance series as well. Piper is so much sweeter and more huggable than the other women featured. And I love that you have watched her and Brady grow up a little over the preceding books.

Although there are ghostly interventions and influences over the other Cuttersville stories, this is the first one in which there is a really intense spiritual storyline. I love the fact that an intense ghost story was mixed in with a beautiful and sweet romance. It’s not a mix that I’ve seen often, and it is one that I both loved and never wanted to put down.

I loved the simplicity and beauty of this sweet romance. And it worked even better, because I read it while I was plagued with a migraine. The easy read meant that it was hard to put down and easy to lose track of time throughout the pages. So easy that I spent an entire morning feeling my heart melt while I was avoiding study. And now I have to get back to it and catch up on the mountain of work that has been sitting there…

 <- Abby’s Christmas Spirit ReviewA Date With the Other Side Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

A Serpent in the Gears by Margaret Ronald

Book Review,
Overview
The Mammoth Book of Steampunk

Title: A Serpent in the Gears
Author: Margaret Ronald
In: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk (Sean Wallace)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Steampunk
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: A second concussion rumbled below us, this one more distant, and from down the hall I heard the captain’s cursing take on a note of relief.

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Synopsis

A mission of science and politics quickly turns into something more where the Merged are taking over and imminent war is on the horizon.

Thoughts

This was a slightly easier read for a steampunk short story than what I have been immersing myself in lately. Or maybe I was just a little more awake and lucid…

I like the idea of a mix of machinery and mechanics being foreign. Most of the steampunk stories that I read take it for granted that the vast majority of the characters have a mix of the two systems in their bodies. The fact that this was an oddity and something that made others uncomfortable was something I found a little more relatable. After all… it’s something that is kind of happening now and I’m not really sure how I feel about running around with mechanical systems inside me…

As with all steampunk short stories, I’m not really sure what the message was. And I feel like I probably even missed plot points that I would pick up on if I went back and read it again (which I will in the future). But for now… I thoroughly enjoyed the imagery and the journey that this short story took me on.

 <- Reluctance ReviewThe Celebrated Carousel of the Margravine of Blois Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Mathematical Inevitability of Corvids by Seanan McGuire

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for black feathers ellen datlow book cover

Title: The Mathematical Inevitability of Corvids
Author: Seanan McGuire
In: Black Feathers (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Horror,
Mental health
Dates read: 28th January 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Pegasus Books Ltd.
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: She’s the only one that’s stayed.

Synopsis

“One’s for sorrow, two’s for joy.” Brenda counts corvids as a way to understand the mathematics of her day. But when the unthinkable happens, will her counting and corvids help her? Or will they spell the end?

Thoughts

I feel like I liked this story a little tooooo much. It was dark, twisted and resulted in murder. And yet I absolutely loved it. Can’t stop thinking about it. Feel almost completely obsessed with it. Although, unlike most short stories that I love this much… I’m more than happy that it ended when it did. This was poignant and powerful, but it was also perfectly succinct in what it was attempting to entail.

There’s something hard about being different. And in this short story, the horrific way in which others can treat a child who is different are highlighted. There is a knowledge and understanding in the slightly jittery voice that highlights just how aware the young protagonist is. And when this hatred of her difference leads to something far too horrible to contemplate… well, that’s why this short story is on the horror shelf.

I don’t often feel sympathy for people who do a “bad thing”. Especially not something delivered in cold blood. But I definitely did in this story. And it left me feeling both awed and uncomfortable. A feeling that I think is fantastic to gain from a well-written short story.

 <- The Obscure BirdSomething About Birds ->

Image source: Amazon