Tag Archives: Review

Review: Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

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What would you do if you were offered a chance to be a character in your favorite book series? What would you do if you were one of the story’s villains? That’s what happened to Rae. Rae is in her early 20s and has been fighting cancer since she was in high school. She and her younger sister have a favorite series, The Time of Iron written by Anonymous. Her sister would come to her hospital room and re-read the books to Rae and they would discuss each scene in character. Rae is very sick and one night, she gets a visit by a stranger who gives Rae an offer. Play a role of one of the characters in the Time of Iron Retrieve a flower before it blooms and she will cured. Fail and she would be forever in a coma. Rae doesn’t believe her but then she finds herself playing Lady Rahela, who is about to be executed in the first book. Rae is not as devoted to the books as her sister but she knows the story and she knows what comes next for her character and the other characters and uses that to her advantage. Leaning into her character’s villainous nature, she sets plans in motion to find the flower. She recruits the other villains of the story and gets to work She convinces the King that she is a prophet, saves the heroine, and befriends the leaders of thieves. This is such a fun book. All the characters fly off the page and you can tell that the author had a blast writing it. It is full of all the fantasy romance tropes that we become accustomed to and use it to tell a compelling story. It definitely plays on the whole, who really is a villain and who is a hero? Who decides? I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy books and is looking for a fun and entertaining read.

Review: Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

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This was such a great trilogy. I am curious to see how it turns into a movie or TV series. I know the rights have been sold and Tomi is involved in the script. Zelie has been through so much and honestly wouldn’t have faulted her for giving up but of course she didn’t. Nor did her brother and friends. At the end of the last book, the Maji were successful in overthrowing the king but then overtaken by the Skulls from across the sea. King Baldyr has been hunting Maji’s because he needs the one to help him achieve Godhood. We all know this is Zelie. She escapes but not before he implants in her gold medallion that changes her powers. She has a vision that she must find the other magical person Baldyr needs. Another woman from a mysterious nation, New Gaia. Mae’e is a great addition to the books. I liked her stoicism and fire. I know that might not make sense but it’s true. It was nice to see an expansion of the world but we did sacrifice what was going on in Orisha since most of the action was happening elsewhere. The other criticism I have that the ending wasn’t as satisfying as I wanted it to be. I feel the epilogue could have given a little bit more. Other then that I found it to be a fun adventure like the other books. Baldyr is a much scarier villain then the previous king was. The stakes were much higher because the threat wasn’t just to the Maji or Orisha but to New Gaia as well. This was a good series and I am looking forward to what Tomi does next.

Review: The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu Read by Luke Daniels

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I am definitely a Fantasy girlie and not so much a Sci-Fi. It’s not that I didn’t like listening to this book but I had trouble getting into it. Since I started listening to it, I started and finished three other books. It started out pretty good with scenes of the cultural revolution and then it moved to the modern day and I stopped kind of paying attention. I noticed that points in the book when characters started talking about different scientific theories, I started to space out and then I had to go back because I had no idea what was going on. I think when I finally started to get into it was more than halfway through when Wang was finally starting to get understand how to the play the game. I’m not sure I will read or listen to the other books but I want to watch the TV show. I’m not sure I’ll be rushing to read another sci-fi book anytime soon either.

Quick Review: Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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I do love it when the sequel is just as much fun as it’s predecessor. Evie is really in her power. The shocks of the ending of the last book really has made Evie more of sure of who she is. She really is leaning into her evil side. Which could be good or bad depending on who you asks. Evie and the Villain are in a race with the King to fulfill the prophecy. To do that they must find Evie’s mother. For the Villain’s part, he is all for revenge while keeping his feelings for Evie in check. Not so easy. They ups and downs and humor really make this series. The supporting cast is still amazing. We get to know a little bit more about Becky and a new character point of view and really opens up the world so much more. I had so much fun reading the first two books. I can’t wait to read the next one.

Review: Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade

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This is the third book in the Fan Fiction series by Olivia Dade. I think it’s the last but I hope not. While fan fics didn’t play as big as part in the plot as the first two it was still enjoyable. Peter and Maria meet one day at sauna, have a one night stand only to find out the next day that they are both actors and auditioning for the same show. Of course they get plum roles for the hit series Gates of the Gods that Marcus and Alex are in but they characters spend the entire series on a deserted island away from everyone else. Which would be great but Maria left Peter without a note after their one night stand and Peter is quite salty. He has some issues. Don’t we all. The first two books follow Marcus and Alex dating “normal” people so already this one is different because both Peter and Maria are actors and become very famous thanks to their roles on this show. There is mention of the fandom and shippers. I wished they kinda went more into this because I found fandoms to be so interesting but I understand while it was not a focus. The story is about Maria and Peter and how for them to get together, they both have to overcome their own insecurities and professional obligations. This is also a story of found family. Maria is adopted and is afraid of being abandon. Even though her adopted family is awesome, the fear of being left behind again still stays with her. Peter is desperate for his dad’s approval and to prove he can make it as an artist that he often shuts people out so not to disappoint anyone else. Though each other, they not only find love but a family that cares and supports them. Isn’t that what we all need. To me, this wasn’t as good as the first two but it was still very much enjoyable.

Quick Review: Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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This book was nothing but delightful. Evie Sage needs a job when she literally stumbles upon the Villain in the woods and wouldn’t you know, he needs an assistant. So Evie goes to work for the mysterious Villain. Who for the last 10 years has been causing a ruckus in the kingdom and to the King. Evie loves her new job. Yes, from time to time the Villain may shoot at one of the interns and Becky, head of HR is her personal nemesis but other than that. It is a good job. The villain is also a good boss for a villain. It doesn’t hurt that he’s handsome again for a villain. Lately the Villain’s plans have been foiled. It’s like someone from the outside knows when and where he is going to strike and he asks Evie to track down the traitor. Comedy ensues as Evie tries to find the traitor but can’t quite keep up. This book is so much fun and entertaining and I was happy to find out that it’s a series so there will be more adventures with Evie and the Villain. I can’t wait to read more.

Quick Review: The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (translated by Ken Liu and read by Luke Daniels)

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This is now a series on netflix and when I watched it a few months ago and discussed what I thought of the show, a friend who had read the books suggested that I try them out, too. The book is set largely in China either during the cultural revolution or in modern day. A secret military project in the 60s makes contact with an alien civilization and in the modern day we see the fall out of those actions. A bunch of the modern day stuff takes place in a video game, which gives us an interesting third setting that introduces the characters, and us, to the aliens. There is heroism, selfishness, horror, and surprise. A lot to recommend this bit of sci-fi, really.

Luke Daniels brought many of the characters in the novel to life. I enjoyed his voice acting. I also enjoyed the progress of the novel. I am on the wait list for the next two and I do believe I will check them out from the library when they come available.

Review: The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

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It has been a while since I posted. I would say I’ve been busy and on vacation but Kate was on vacation with me and she still managed to post things. I was reading Assistant to a Villain and then my preorder for this book came and I had to read it. When we last left Oraya and Raihn they had won the Kejuri, Raihn killed Vincent to become king and then forced Oraya to marry him instead of putting her to death also. It’s kind of messed up but let’s just go with it. They are not in a good place. Oraya, understandably is a mess. She is grieving her father and feeling betrayed by Raihn. Her people are on the run and those who are her enemy now occupy her home. Raihn is now King even though he never wanted to be and being a former slave is not exactly well liked by his nobles. It is a good thing that I read the novella, Six Scorched Roses because Vale and Lilith return in this book to help Raihn out.

For me, this book did start off a bit slow. While the other book went almost immediately into the action of the Kejuri. This one focused on the politics of court. Which important to building the world but also to show the difficulties ahead for both Oraya and Raihn. Once, they are overthrown things start moving again as they action starts to really gear up. I could have done without the mini horcrux missions they had to go through to find mysterious weapons that Vincent left behind. I know it was important to the story as it not only explained more about who Vincent was and his motivation but also an avenue to learn more about Oraya’s mother. The introduction of it was a bit clunky. Other than that, this was a satisfying sequel. I want to say that this the ending of their story but there is definitely a little cliffhanger with a Goddess that will eventually have to be resolved but I believe the next book will focus on Mische. Which I totally support. She could use some happiness.

Review: The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

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Set on a small island North of the Arctic circle in Norway in the 1600s, this novel follows the lives of women in a fishing village who lose most of their men in a freak storm and then get caught up in the witch hysteria sweeping Europe. It is centered on the lives of Maren, a young girl woman from the island who lives with her mother, sister-in-law and her newborn nephew and Ursa, the Bergen born newly wed wife of the new Commissioner assigned to the town. Their relationship was an unexpected twist that I really enjoyed. Ursa is not prepared to find herself at the edge of the world in a one room house without so much as a maid and Maren is not expecting to stumble into a friendship with this helpless woman. As their friendship grows, a fever of distrust and poisonous religiosity spread through the village.

This book was compelling. I was infuriated, saddened, and touched. The ending caught me by surprise. If you like books that center women’s stories and historical fiction. I recommend you try this one!

Review: A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (read by Mary Robinette Kowal)

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Y’all, this one was fun.

Our main character, Samantha, is an archeo-entomologist and she is on hiatus from her job at a dig site because they found human remains. Since she can’t work until the remains are identified and dealt with according to the wishes of living family or the they’re repatriated to the tribal nation to whom they belong and since she’s sublet her apartment in Arizona for six months, Sam decides to stay in North Carolina with her mother.

When she returns to her mother’s house, she finds it off. Where the things had previously been bright and cheerful, they’re now cold and sterile. And her mother seems to be more anxious than she’s ever seen her before. But, she and her mother settle into a little routine of boxed wine and British detective shows. But things get weird. And then they get weirder. And then they get weirder still. Sam ends up having to play detective on her own so she can figure out if she’s going crazy, if there is something wrong with her mother (maybe both!), or if there’s something very, very wrong with the house.

I didn’t mean to pick two books more or less in a row where an unsettling living situation was part of the plot, but I’m glad I did. This is more Southern Gothic vibes than Gothic horror, but it was still good. The chilling parts of the plot were chilly and the weird parts of the plot were indeed unexpected and weird. I really like T. Kingfisher’s novels. Something that is true about both this and Hollow Places is that they have a protagonist who is an accomplished woman who, for varying reasons, has to return home. And I liked that Sam was a Ph.D. and that her speciality was part of the plot. Insects aren’t really my jam, but its fun to see people, even fictional people, get excited about what makes them excited.

So, if you like creepy stories about family and home situations that are not quite right, I recommend this. I do have a little warning, though, if swarms of bugs are a big nope for you, there is some swarming.

It was a fun read! This was another book that I got from my local library!