Book Review: Watcher in the Woods (Rockton, #4) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Watcher in the Woods
Series: Rockton, #4
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: February 5, 2019
Length: 364 pages
Genre: Thriller/mystery
Source: Library
Rating:

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong’s latest thriller, the town of Rockton—and her fans—are in for another hair-raising adventure.

The secret town of Rockton has seen some rocky times lately; understandable considering its mix of criminals and victims fleeing society for refuge within its Yukon borders. Casey Duncan, the town’s only detective on a police force of three, has already faced murder, arson and falling in love in less than the year that she’s lived there. Yet even she didn’t think it would be possible for an outsider to find and cause trouble in the town she’s come to call home.

When a US Marshal shows up in town demanding the release of one of the residents, Casey and her boyfriend, Sheriff Dalton, are skeptical. And yet only hours later, the marshal is shot dead and the only visible suspects are the townspeople and her estranged sister, in town for just the weekend. It’s up to Casey to figure out who murdered the marshal, and why they would kill to keep him quiet.

In the chronology of the Rockton books, Watcher in the Woods picks up the story three days (3! Days!) after the events of This Fallen Prey. Had I realized that ahead of time, I might have just read straight through… but regardless, even after just a couple of weeks, reentering the world of Rockton is like diving straight into a roaring river — rocks and rapids ahead!

If you’ve read my reviews for any of the previous books, you’ll know (a) I’m hooked, and (b) the overall premise of the series… but just in case, here’s my standard quickie recap:

Rockton is a secret hidden town in the Yukon wilderness, a haven for those seeking extreme shelter from dangers in their real lives — or those who’ve committed some sort of wrongdoing and need a place to start over. Rockton, population 200, is filled with an uneasy mix of crime victims and white-collar criminals — although as Sheriff Eric Dalton and Detective Casey Butler come to discover, the town council is willing to defy its own rules for a price and allow more dangerous people to take advantage of Rockton’s protection.

As Watcher in the Woods opens, the town is dealing with the fallout from events in book #3, but in Rockton, there’s never a moment without some new catastrophe on the horizon. A stranger shows up, watching the town, and there’s no way that should be possible. Confronted by Eric and Casey, he states that he’s a US Marshall come to detain one of their residents, who’s actually a dangerous criminal. Eric and Casey are immediately skeptical: How do they know he’s a marshall? Why would he come alone? How can they trust anything this man says?

It becomes moot after the Marshall is shot as they bring him back to town, although now they have new problems on their hands. Is there actually a killer hiding out in Rockton? Can they trust anyone? Who is this dead man, and what fresh problems does his death present?

Meanwhile, Casey has convinced her distant, talented neurosurgeon sister to make a stealth visit to Rockton to perform surgery on one of their residents — the town’s lack of a resident physician is one of their more urgent problems — and her presence in town raises all sorts of other issues, both personal and professional for Casey.

There’s plenty of danger, and some beautifully orchestrated mind games, as Casey once again has to figure out whether people she trusts have betrayed her (and why), whether people she thought she knew are really who they say they are, and what to do to maintain peace and safety in a town that never seems to know a moment of either.

Casey and Eric’s relationship continues to be a treat, and I love how each book gives us more backstory for different Rockton residents as well. Some new characters promise to add even more depth to the community going forward, and the ongoing struggle with the anonymous council that controls the town continues to be fraught, and clearly will be something that Casey and Eric will ultimately have to confront.

There are a lot of balls in the air in the story, but the author is a master juggler. The narrative is complex and full of twists, but it all comes together and the story moves forward quite well. Can’t say more without spoilers!

Obviously, I’m loving this series, and recommend it highly! But start at the beginning, of course.

That’s four books down, three to go… and I can’t wait to dive into book #5!

Next up:

Book #5, Alone in the Wild

Interested in this series? Check out my reviews of the previous books:
City of the Lost (Rockton, #1)
A Darkness Absolute (Rockton, #2)
This Fallen Prey (Rockton, #3)

Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

29Sep2024

Audiobook Review: The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Friend Zone
Series: The Friend Zone, #1
Author: Abby Jimenez
Narrators: Teddy Hamilton and Erin Mallon
Publisher: Forever
Publication date: June 11, 2019
Print length: 372 pages
Audio length: 9 hours 32 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

Kristen Petersen doesn’t do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don’t get her. She’s also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.

Planning her best friend’s wedding is bittersweet for Kristen—especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He’s funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he’d be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it’s harder and harder to keep him at arm’s length.

The Friend Zone will have you laughing one moment and grabbing for tissues the next as it tackles the realities of infertility and loss with wit, heart, and a lot of sass.

After loving Abby Jimenez’s Part of Your World trilogy, I knew I needed to go back and read her earlier books. The Friend Zone, the author’s debut novel, is a bit bumpier and less polished than her later books, but it definitely shows the heart and spirit that are such quintessential elements of her writing.

Kristen and Josh have a meet-cute that’s not particularly cute at all: He rear-ends her truck when she hits the brakes without warning. After a contentious exchange, they part ways, never expecting to see one another again… only to come face to face moments later at the fire station where he’s newly stationed.

Josh has moved to LA after a bad break-up back in North Dakota, joining his best friend Brandon at the fire house and hoping to get a fresh start. Brandon’s fiancée Sloan is Kristen’s best friend, so it was inevitable that Kristen and Josh would bump into one another… just maybe not quite so literally.

Putting aside their tension-filled first meeting, Josh ends up taking a temporary job doing carpentry work for Kristen’s home-based doggy supply business. Kristen’s lost-distance boyfriend Tyler is reaching the end of his military service and is due to move in with Kristen once he’s out, but she’s having serious second thoughts. Realizing that Josh is not only fun to be around but also very attractive, Kristen does whatever she can to keep him firmly in the “friend zone”, but there’s no denying that sparks are flying all over the place whenever she and Josh hang out.

Kristen’s life is further complicated by her health. Since her teens, she’s suffered with extreme cramping and heavy, nonstop periods caused by uterine fibroids, and has decided to go ahead with a hysterectomy, scheduled for a few weeks after Sloan and Brandon’s wedding. She knows this is the right choice for her — the only sure way to finally end the constant pain and anemia she’s dealt with for so many years.. But as she and Josh begin to acknowledge their deepening feelings, Kristen’s medical condition gives her yet another source of heartache: Josh comes from a huge family, and has talked frequently of his dream of having a huge family himself. How can she get involved with a man whose dreams so clearly don’t match her reality?

The Friend Zone pulled me in right from the start, although its initial upbeat vibe clashes later with the seriousness of Kristen’s pain and emotional distress. When the plot takes an unexpectedly tragic turn, it feels sort of like two entirely separate books got mashed together.

Parts are very good: I enjoyed the banter and developing connection between Josh and Kristen. Her tactics to keep him in the friend zone are decidedly goofy and quite fun to read about. Flipping between their two perspectives from chapter to chapter gives readers a chance to hear both sides of the story, understand why they act as they do, and see how their decisions and actions affect the other person, whose knowledge in different situations may be limited and missing key information.

Other parts drove me a bit batty. The men in The Friend Zone come across as ultra macho — either military or firefighters, gun owners, hunters, motorcycle riders. There’s a scene where Josh picks Kristen up and carries her over his shoulder to get her to talk to him… and that’s a big no for me.

As for Kristen, I was frustrated by her internalized beliefs. I understand that the author was trying to accurately portray the struggles and emotional distress of what Kristen experiences, but I still found it disturbing to hear Kristen continually think of herself as damaged and less than desirable because of her inability to have children. I might have appreciated hearing this internal dialogue more if it was coupled with therapy or some counterbalance to convey a healthier message. I get that we’re inside Kristen’s head and she’s holding onto unhealthy beliefs about herself, but at the same time, as a reader who’s dealt with fertility challenges, I think seeing Kristen confront these beliefs on the page would present a more well-rounded approach to the issue.

One romance trope that I particularly dislike is when a character makes a decision for the good of their love interest — often, ending a relationship — without actually discussing the situation with their partner. That trope is in full force in The Friend Zone, and it really bothered me. Kristen spends a good portion of the book making decisions that cause deep pain for her and Josh, but never talks with him about what’s going on. So much heartache could have been avoided if she’d been honest with him and trusted him to work through it with her.

Complaints aside, there are also elements that I loved, such as when Josh finally realizes that the way to reach past Kristen’s defenses and get her to hear him is through logic and facts. The way he does this is amazing, and I found it incredibly touching.

Overall, The Friend Zone captured and held my attention, and when the plot takes a turn in the latter part of the book, I could barely catch my breath.

A word to the wise: Proceed with caution if you’re listening to the audiobook! I was on the highway during rush hour when I got to the intensely emotional part of the book, and don’t recommend trying to navigate traffic while choked up and teary-eyed!

As I mentioned, The Friend Zone doesn’t come across as quite as polished as Abby Jimenez’s later books, but it still managed to draw me in and engage my emotions. With her signature mix of humor and traumatic situations and events, it’s a roller coaster ride with a beautiful love story at its heart.

I’m eager to continue the trilogy that starts with The Friend Zone. Next up: The Happy Ever After Playlist.

Caution: DO NOT READ THE SYNOPSIS FOR THE HAPPY EVER AFTER PLAYLIST BEFORE FINISHING THE FRIEND ZONE! I did, unfortunately, and got the spoiler of all spoilers for the major event in the 2nd half of The Friend Zone. Learn from my mistakes!

12Nov2023

Book Review: Heartsong (Green Creek, #3) by TJ Klune

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Heartsong
Series: Green Creek, #3
Author: TJ Klune
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication date: October 22, 2019 (new hardcover to be published January 2024)
Length: 464 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

The Bennett family has a secret: They’re not just a family, they’re a pack. Heartsong is Robbie Fontaine’s story.

All Robbie Fontaine ever wanted was a place to belong. After the death of his mother, he bounces around from pack to pack, forming temporary bonds to keep from turning feral. It’s enough—until he receives a summons from the wolf stronghold in Caswell, Maine. Life as the trusted second to Michelle Hughes—the Alpha of all—and the cherished friend of a gentle old witch teaches Robbie what it means to be pack, to have a home. But when a mission from Michelle sends Robbie into the field, he finds himself questioning where he belongs and everything he’s been told.

Whispers of traitorous wolves and wild magic abound—but who are the traitors and who the betrayed? More than anything, Robbie hungers for answers, because one of those alleged traitors is Kelly Bennett—the wolf who may be his mate.

The truth has a way of coming out. And when it does, everything will shatter.

The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.

Oh my goodness. TJ Klune does it again.

Heartsong, the 3rd book in the author’s powerful Green Creek series, continues the emotional roller coaster introduced in the previous books, Wolfsong and Ravensong. Here, the story is told through the point of view of Robbie Fontaine, a werewolf who joined the Bennett pack at a time of huge trauma and upheaval to the family. Despite his newcomer status, Robbie soon found a place to belong and formed the bonds he’d been looking for all his life.

But as Heartsong opens, Robbie isn’t with the Bennetts at all. He’s in Maine at the stronghold of another Alpha, Michelle Hughes, lovingly fostered by Michelle’s witch, a kindly old man named Ezra. For the reader, this is all very confusing. Why did Robbie leave the Bennett pack? When is this even happening? And why does Robbie seem so… off?

It turns out that our confusion mirrors Robbie’s — something isn’t right here. And as the story progresses, we learn that mind-control magic is at play, and that truly terrible things have occurred.

I’ll keep the plot points as vague as I can, to avoid spoilers. Eventually, Robbie does find his way back to the Bennetts, but even then, he doesn’t know who he truly is, where he belongs, and what all these people — who claim him as pack — might want with him. And yet, there are sparks when the pack Alphas are near, and he can’t help feeling drawn to Kelly Bennett in particular, even though he has no memory of him.

My heart absolutely ached for Robbie, for Kelly, and the rest of the pack, and the more we learn about the events leading up to this point, the more painful it all became. The characters here are so well-drawn that at this point in the series, I feel like I know (and love) them all. So please, stop making bad things happen to them!! (Sigh — a lack of danger might lead to less enthralling storytelling, but at least they’d all be happy.)

Heartsong has moments of terrible danger and violence, as well as the unique brand of laugh-out-loud dialogue that’s amazing throughout the series. And of course, I was too wrapped up in reading to stop and highlight, so these little bits are only scratching the surface:

“If you’re trying to make me feel sorry for you, it’s not working.”

“I’m not.”

“Goddammit. It’s totally working.”

“Does he know we can hear him?” I whispered to Kelly.

“Yeah,” Kelly said. “He just doesn’t care. He says it’s part of his charm, but that can’t be right.”

There’s a scene involving a cold, soup, and balloons that’s honestly one of the best things I’ve ever read. For real.

What more can I say about this series? The depth of feeling and emotional connections are so beautifully portrayed, and I can never not tear up when the pack comes together to comfort and support one another. Ugh, basically, these books leave me all weepy and messy… but in the best way possible.

PackBrotherLoveFriend

Just that one little phrase gets me all emotional again…

Heartsong is a terrific addition to the Green Creek series, and sets up what I anticipate will be the big, final showdown in a powerful way. I absolutely love the mix of personal connection and action set-pieces, and above all, simply adore the Bennett pack.

If you haven’t already, I urge you to give Wolfsong a try! I can pretty much guarantee you’ll want to keep going.

For about half a minute after finishing Heartsong, I was pretty sure I’d hold off for a few months before reading the next (and last) book in the series, to make the experience last longer. But who was I trying to kid? There’s no way I’m going to wait!

As I mentioned in my review of Ravensong, Tor Books is reissuing the entire Green Creek series in gorgeous hardcover editions. All books are available now as ebooks; the new hardcover editions of Wolfsong and Ravensong are both available as well, and the hardcover editions of the last two books will be released in 2024 (Heartsong in January; Brothersong in July).

And yes, in case you’re wondering, I plan on having all four hardcovers on my bookshelves!

Save

26Oct2023

Audiobook Review: Me by Elton John

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Me
Author: Elton John
Narrators: Elton John & Taron Egerton
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Publication date: October 15, 2019
Print length: 374 pages
Audio length: 12 hours, 28 minutes
Genre: Memoir
Source: Purchased
Rating:

In his only official autobiography, music icon Elton John writes about his extraordinary life, which is also the subject of the film Rocketman.

Christened Reginald Dwight, he was a shy boy with Buddy Holly glasses who grew up in the London suburb of Pinner and dreamed of becoming a pop star. By the age of twenty-three, he was on his first tour of America, facing an astonished audience in his tight silver hotpants, bare legs and a T-shirt with ROCK AND ROLL emblazoned across it in sequins. Elton John had arrived and the music world would never be the same again.

His life has been full of drama, from the early rejection of his work with song-writing partner Bernie Taupin to spinning out of control as a chart-topping superstar; from half-heartedly trying to drown himself in his LA swimming pool to disco-dancing with the Queen; from friendships with John Lennon, Freddie Mercury and George Michael to setting up his AIDS Foundation. All the while, Elton was hiding a drug addiction that would grip him for over a decade.

In Me Elton also writes about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish and becoming a father.

In some ways, I feel like Elton John has been in the background of most of my life. I remember listening to Good-bye, Yellow Brick Road, Philadelphia Freedom, Crocodile Rock, and more throughout my younger days. And who can forget the media fascination with his costumes and those huge glasses?

Still, I never particularly knew much about Elton John’s life, other than the glimpses provided in celebrity news over the years — first the glamour of his huge star status and all the rich and famous people in his social circle; later, the more grown-up version who sang at Princess Diana’s funeral and raised money for important causes.

Now, having read Me, I finally feel like I know more, and I’m so glad that I do. In his memoir, Elton is honest, funny, and frank. He’s not out to make himself look good or to put on a false front — he writes about his career triumphs, but also about his addictions, his fears, and his problems across the years. As a whole, Me is a look at a remarkable talent, his origins, his growth, and his impact.

As the book follows Elton’s life, mostly (but not always) chronologically, we learn about his childhood, his early interest in music and the major musical influences that inspired him, the struggle to make music into a viable career, and then the absolutely fortuitous circumstance that led to his partnership with Bernie Taupin. Together, the two wrote hit after hit, catapulting Elton into a level of superstardom that’s never really faded.

The memoir details the exhilarating elements of sudden fame — traveling by chartered plane, the parties, the limitless spending, the sex and cocaine — but also clearly shows how out of control his life became, until finally rehab and sobriety were the only options left. We’re also treated to his romance with his husband, after years of shallow relationships, and their road to parenthood.

Me isn’t all drama and tragedy by any means — there are some very, very funny stories in there, including being ultra-catty with Rod Stewart, as well as bittersweet memories of a strong friendship with John Lennon, and then the devastation of his loss. Elton speaks lovingly of his close friendship (and musical appreciation for) Freddie Mercury, and is practically reverential toward some of his musical heroes, such as Aretha Franklin and Leon Russell.

Elton is frank when it comes to showing himself at his worst — the drugs, the extravagance, the flings — but actually quite respectful toward those he’s had falling-outs with. When friendships or professional relationships disappoint, he describes what happens, but by no means engages in pettiness or tries to tear other people down.

The audiobook is mainly narrated by actor Taron Egerton, who plays Elton John in the movie Rocketman (which I haven’t seen yet, but absolutely want to), and Elton John himself narrates the opening and closing chapters. While it’s fun to hear Elton’s voice in these chapters, it’s actually much easier to listen to the rest of the book with Taron Egerton narrating, as his diction and speaking style is much crisper and easier to take in.

If you’re at all interested in Elton John’s life and career, then I highly recommend checking out his memoir. It’s warm, open, and above all, very entertaining. I found myself really moved in parts, and laughing out loud in others. Overall, Me gave me insight into a fascinating person, someone’s whose image I was familiar with, but whose life I knew next to nothing about. A terrific listening experience.

2Sep2023

Book Review: White Bird by R. J. Palacio

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: White Bird
Author: R. J. Palacio
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication date: 2019
Length: 224 pages
Genre: Middle grade
Source: Library
Rating:

Soon to be a major motion picture, starring Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson!

Inspired by her blockbuster phenomenon Wonder, R. J. Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with an unforgettable, Sydney Taylor Book Award-winning story of the power of kindness and unrelenting courage in a time of war.

In R. J. Palacio’s bestselling collection of stories Auggie & Me, which expands on characters in Wonder, readers were introduced to Julian’s grandmother, Grandmère. Here, Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with Grandmère’s heartrending story: how she, a young Jewish girl, was hidden by a family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II; how the boy she and her classmates once shunned became her savior and best friend.

Sara’s harrowing experience movingly demonstrates the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives. As Grandmère tells Julian, It always takes courage to be kind, but in those days, such kindness could cost you everything. With poignant symbolism and gorgeous artwork that brings Sara’s story out of the past and cements it firmly in this moment in history, White Bird is sure to captivate anyone who was moved by the book Wonder or the blockbuster movie adaptation and its message.

I’ve never read Wonder (am I the only person left who hasn’t?), and hadn’t heard of White Bird before either, until I went to a movie theater over the weekend and saw a trailer for the film adaptation of White Bird… and just had to know more about it. Luckily, my library had a copy available to borrow immediately, and I read the whole book over the course of a day.

White Bird is a middle-grade graphic novel, with the bulk of the story set in occupied France during the Holocaust. The framing device is a contemporary story about a boy named Julian (who apparently is a character from Wonder). Julian’s grandmother speaks to him about kindness and helping others, and shares her own story with him for the first time.

In the tale within a tale, Sara is a young girl living a charmed life with her parents in a small town in France, where she attends a lovely school, has good friends, and is very happy. The family is Jewish, but doesn’t fear for their own safety at first, even as the Nazis invade France. They live in the free zone, and feel secure knowing that they are French citizens. Even as Jews are restricted in their movements and forced to wear yellow stars, Sara’s parents don’t feel a need to escape, until suddenly it is too late.

At school, Sara sits in her assigned seat beside a boy called by the nickname Torteau in all her classes. Having survived polio, the boy is mocked and treated cruelly by their classmates due to his twisted legs and reliance on crutches. While not actively mean to Torteau, Sara isn’t friendly either — she mostly ignores him, until one day she drops her sketchbook and the boy returns it to her.

When Nazis arrive at school one day and order all the Jewish children to come with them, Sara hides instead, and it’s only a matter of time until she’s discovered — but Torteau finds her first, shows her a secret tunnel out of the school, and brings her to hide in his family’s barn. The boy’s name is actually Julien, and he and his parents become Sara’s protectors for years to come, keeping her hidden, safe, and cared for while the world falls apart around them.

I won’t say more about the plot, but it’s powerful, heartbreaking, and lovely. The graphic novel’s art style is simple but affecting, and mixes in Sara’s sketches and dreams with her day-to-day experiences in a way that lends a magical feel to key scenes.

The author includes a great deal of historical notes at the end that are informative and yet easy to digest, and this section seems like it would be very accessible and helpful for younger readers who are new to reading about the Holocaust.

Themes of love, loyalty, friendship, taking a stand when witnessing wrong-doing, and helping those in need are strongly depicted without being preachy or heavy-handed.

White Bird is a powerful, moving reading experience that actually brought me to tears at certain points — not something I typically expect when I pick up a graphic novel.

I highly recommend this book, and plan to check out the movie version when it’s released. Meanwhile, having finally tasted this author’s storytelling, I hope to read Wonder in the near future as well.

30Aug2023

Book Review: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: With the Fire on High
Author: Elizabeth Acevedo
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Publication date: May 7, 2019
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Young adult fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.

Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain—and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life—and all the rules everyone expects her to play by—once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.

I’m going to stick to a quick take on With the Fire on High: I loved it.

Told with beautifully descriptive language, this first-person story follows Emoni through her senior year of high school. She navigates college essays, caring for her toddler, and thinking about her future while also working part-time to help her abuela pay the bills. Emoni never regrets her daughter Emma, but she does dream of using her astonishing gifts with food to someday have a career as a chef, maybe even open her own restaurant.

Her charter high school adds a culinary arts elective that seems tailor-made for Emoni, even when her more practical side thinks it might make more sense to take an extra study hall instead and really get her grades up. Even once she starts culinary arts, she has doubts — why must she follow the instructor’s detailed recipes when she’s itching to put her own spin on the flavors?

Emoni is a strong, sensitive character who hasn’t had it easy. She’s had to learn responsibility the hard way and embraces her role as a mother, even while sometimes despairing that she’ll ever be able to work, study, and find a way to explore her dreams. She loves her family, her neighborhood, her hometown of Philly, but she’s also still a teen who loves her friends and maybe even is interested in the cute new guy who just transferred to her school.

I loved the writing in this book, and loved Emoni’s openness and vulnerability. She has doubts and worries, but also knows what’s right and where her priorities need to be. She’s loving and generous, and having ended up pregnant as a high school freshman, she’s learned to hold her head up even when the world seems to want to drag her down into shame.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author — it was wonderful. I’ve been hearing great things about this author’s books for years, and now I see why. I will definitely be reading more by Elizabeth Acevedo, and recommend With the Fire on High wholeheartedly!

26Nov2022

Book Review: Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #1) by Tamsyn Muir

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Gideon the Ninth
Series: The Locked Tomb, #1
Author: Tamsyn Muir
Publisher: Tor
Publication date: September 10, 2019
Length: 448 pages
Genre: Science fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

The Emperor needs necromancers.

The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

Of course, some things are better left dead.

I’ve been hearing about Gideon the Ninth since its release three years ago, and I’ve owned a copy for over two years now… and I can finally say that I’ve read it!.

I have to admit that I’d been feeling rather intimidated about starting Gideon. It’s a big chunky book, and the first few pages are devoted to a guide to characters, their houses, and roles. And when books start that way, I’m immediately wary. Why do I need all this information up front? Just how complicated is this book going to be anyway?

In the case of Gideon the Ninth, the answer is — very complicated. In fact, the word that kept coming to my mind while reading was “inpenetrable” (and that’s not a word I use often in my daily life). Gideon is dense, complicated, and somewhat opaque. I’ll explain, as best I can.

The world of Gideon the Ninth appears to be a dead world, resurrected by the Emperor (also referred to as a god) some ten thousand years ago, powered by necromancy and seemingly built upon the ashes and discards of an earlier civilization that had technology and scientific exploration — perhaps a world like our own? Gideon herself is a resident of the Ninth House (the Houses are all different planets with different powers, from what I understand), and the Ninth House is grim, dark and gloomy and peopled by ancient nuns and servants made of animated bones. The Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House is Harrowhark, a powerful necromancer who can perform amazing and dangerous feats with bones, and who seems to live to torment and dominate Gideon.

When a communication is received summoning the necromancer and cavalier of each house to the First House for a chance to become immortal, Harrow forces Gideon into the role of her cavalier, even though Gideon had been plotting to escape the Ninth House for good to become a soldier. But Gideon has no choice, and soon finds herself on another world, where they and other necromancer/cavalier combos must solve unspecified riddles in order to unlock the mystery of even greater powers.

Look, this book is a lot. I have to admire the author’s creativity and skill at inventing such a complicated, strange world — but at the same time, this book was difficult to get through, and I’m not convinced it was worth the effort. Keeping the many, many necromancers, cavaliers, their powers, and their houses straight was a huge chore, and at some point I just shrugged and stopped trying. The challenges and tests didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, and I had (and have) so many questions about this world.

That said, I liked many of the characters (or at least found them interesting), and Gideon herself is profane and disrespectful enough to make her someone to root for, even when I had no clue what was actually going on.

I’m glad I finally read Gideon the Ninth, but at some point along the way I lacked the energy and commitment to really try to make sense of it all, so I’m sure there’s a bunch that just went right over my head. Some big, complicated books are worth the painstaking attention it takes to get through them. I’m not sure I’d put Gideon in that category.

Still, there are some great sequences mixed in amongst all the more puzzling scenarios, and the ending seems to set up a fascinating next step for the series. If I didn’t already own the next two books, I’m not sure that I’d rush to seek them out — but since I do, I expect that I will continue the series… eventually. I think I need a break at this point, but before too long, I’ll likely dive back in with Harrow the Ninth.

12Mar2022

Book Review: Tiamat’s Wrath (The Expanse, #8) by James S. A. Corey

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Tiamat’s Wrath
Series: The Expanse, #8
Author: James S. A. Corey
Publisher: Orbit
Publication date: March 26, 2019
Length: 537 pages
Genre: Science fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Thirteen hundred gates have opened to solar systems around the galaxy. But as humanity builds its interstellar empire in the alien ruins, the mysteries and threats grow deeper.
In the dead systems where gates lead to stranger things than alien planets, Elvi Okoye begins a desperate search to discover the nature of a genocide that happened before the first human beings existed, and to find weapons to fight a war against forces at the edge of the imaginable. But the price of that knowledge may be higher than she can pay.
At the heart of the empire, Teresa Duarte prepares to take on the burden of her father’s godlike ambition. The sociopathic scientist Paolo Cortázar and the Mephistophelian prisoner James Holden are only two of the dangers in a palace thick with intrigue, but Teresa has a mind of her own and secrets even her father the emperor doesn’t guess.
And throughout the wide human empire, the scattered crew of the Rocinante fights a brave rear-guard action against Duarte’s authoritarian regime. Memory of the old order falls away, and a future under Laconia’s eternal rule — and with it, a battle that humanity can only lose – seems more and more certain. Because against the terrors that lie between worlds, courage and ambition will not be enough…

I’m not sure how much point there is in my writing reviews of the books in this series at this point. Tiamat’s Wrath is #8, and it’s amazing… but I don’t want to talk too much about the plot, and honestly, if you haven’t read any of the books, none of this is going to make any sense.

But trust me, this is a fabulous series, and #8 — the 2nd to last novel!! — is as excellent as I’d expected.

In this book, the underground begins to fight back against the overwhelming might of the Laconian Empire. Against the backdrop of intrigue and rebellion and intergalactic battles, we once again become immersed in the lives of the featured characters — including our beloved core crew, but also a couple of new lead characters who are surprising and who take the story in unanticipated directions.

The plot shifts between the various systems connected by the ring gates and the capitol buildings of Laconia. As the battles range, the dangers mount — but the most dangerous force is the ancient alien civilization that the Laconian High Consul has been intentionally poking. (Don’t poke the bear!!) The humans have wars to wage, but it’s this other force that ultimately may bring humanity to its demise.

Stakes are high, and the action is dramatic, but once again it’s the more intimate stories of the characters that touch me and intrigue me and, in some cases, leave me gasping and wiping my eyes.

It’s a rare talent in the world of sci-fi fiction that can strike at such an emotional level while still keeping the plot and action tearing along at an incredibly fast pace. The Expanse series continues to keep this balanced approach going, even this deep into the storyline, which is probably why I love it so much.

That, and I just adore the characters.

Once I started, I simply couldn’t stop, and tore through this hefty book as quickly as I possibly could (while still taking time for work and sleep). I do intend to enforce a break for myself at this point… must read other books before racing ahead to the end of the series!

When I do continue…

Next up for me will be the novella Auberon, a 78-page novella that takes place either during or after the events of Tiamat’s Wrath. (It’s listed as #8.5 on Goodreads, but I haven’t wanted to look too deeply into the plot details before I read it.)

And after Auberon… it’ll be on to the final book in the series! I’m really not ready for it to end.

27Jun2021

Book Review: A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: A Single Thread
Author: Tracy Chevalier
Publisher: Viking
Publication date: September 17, 2019
Length: 336 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

1932. After the Great War took both her beloved brother and her fiancé, Violet Speedwell has become a “surplus woman,” one of a generation doomed to a life of spinsterhood after the war killed so many young men. Yet Violet cannot reconcile herself to a life spent caring for her grieving, embittered mother. After countless meals of boiled eggs and dry toast, she saves enough to move out of her mother’s place and into the town of Winchester, home to one of England’s grandest cathedrals. There, Violet is drawn into a society of broderers–women who embroider kneelers for the Cathedral, carrying on a centuries-long tradition of bringing comfort to worshippers.
Violet finds support and community in the group, fulfillment in the work they create, and even a growing friendship with the vivacious Gilda. But when forces threaten her new independence and another war appears on the horizon, Violet must fight to put down roots in a place where women aren’t expected to grow. Told in Chevalier’s glorious prose, A Single Thread is a timeless story of friendship, love, and a woman crafting her own life.

A Single Thread is a quiet, low-key historical novel that I probably never would have picked up on my own, so I’m glad my book group picked it for our June read.

Set in 1932, Violet Speedwell’s story unfolds as she settles into her new independent life in Winchester. At age 38, Violet is a spinster, one of the many women left alone after losing a loved one during the Great War. Still grieving her lost brother and fiance, Violet felt crushed by the demands of living with her embittered mother, and moved to Winchester to create distance and find a new path for herself.

In Winchester, she works as a typist at an insurance office, and happens by chance to discover the society of “broderers” — the embroidery group who create beautiful cushions and kneelers for the cathedral. Although Violet has never embroidered, she’s fascinated by the group’s work, and longs to create something of beauty of her own, as a way to leave her own mark on the world.

Joining the broderers, she not only becomes absorbed by her new craft, but also finds friendship and a sense of belonging and purpose. She also meets Arthur, one of the cathedral’s bell-ringers, a kind older man who cares for his fragile wife, yet seems to share a mutual attraction with Violet.

Over the course of the novel, we see Violet emerge from her loneliness and grief and start to make a life for herself, finding new hope and meaning in the community she’s chosen.

Violet’s story is lovely in its own quiet way. An action-packed plot this is not — and if this weren’t a book group book, I’m not sure I would have made it past the early chapters, with all their details on cathedrals and embroidery. I’m glad I stuck with it. A Single Thread is a gently, lovely read, and while the ending was perhaps a little too rosy to be entirely believable, I found it overall to be a thoughtful, graceful experience.

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21May2021

Book Review: Golden Child by Claire Adam

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Golden Child
Author: Claire Adam
Publisher: Hogarth Press
Publication date: January 15, 2019
Length: 304 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

A deeply affecting debut novel set in Trinidad, following the lives of a family as they navigate impossible choices about scarcity, loyalty, and love
WINNER OF THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE – “Golden Child is a stunning novel written with force and beauty. Though true to herself, Adam’s work stands tall beside icons of her tradition like V.S. Naipaul.”–Jennifer Clement, author of Gun Love
Rural Trinidad: a brick house on stilts surrounded by bush; a family, quietly surviving, just trying to live a decent life. Clyde, the father, works long, exhausting shifts at the petroleum plant in southern Trinidad; Joy, his wife, looks after the home. Their two sons, thirteen years old, wake early every morning to travel to the capital, Port of Spain, for school. They are twins but nothing alike: Paul has always been considered odd, while Peter is widely believed to be a genius, destined for greatness.
When Paul goes walking in the bush one afternoon and doesn’t come home, Clyde is forced to go looking for him, this child who has caused him endless trouble already, and who he has never really understood. And as the hours turn to days, and Clyde begins to understand Paul’s fate, his world shatters–leaving him faced with a decision no parent should ever have to make.
Like the Trinidadian landscape itself, Golden Child is both beautiful and unsettling, a resoundingly human story of aspiration, betrayal, and love.

Golden Child is an absorbing, heart-breaking book about a family’s life in Trinidad, about opportunities and tragedies, and about choices that should never be made.

The Deyalsinghs are a Hindu family living in rural Trinidad, far from city life and its conveniences. The water supply comes and goes, homes must be barred and gated to keep out the roving bandits and gangsters who are a constant threat, corruption is everywhere, and everyone knows everyone’s business. The father, Clyde, works hard to provide his sons with a better life than the one he had, while mother Joy’s extended family provides assistance and financial help as long as they are able.

The sons, Peter and Paul, are twins, but Paul was deprived of oxygen at birth and has been labeled “slightly retarded” all his life (although as we get to know Paul, this clearly seems to be a false label). Peter is brilliant and shines academically, but Paul struggles to keep up — yet Joy insists that the boys must stay together. A kind priest takes an interest in Paul’s education and offers to tutor him, yet Paul is constantly aware that he’s not good enough, that he’s a burden, and that his path will be different than Peter’s.

As the book opens, Paul has failed to come home one afternoon. With evening approaching, and all the danger night brings, Clyde begins a frantic search for him. We learn that there was a break-in at the house only weeks before, and that the bandits left frustrated at not finding money in the home.

From here, we flash back to the boys’ birth, early childhood, and years of school, seeing how the family grew and changed. We’re shown snippets of different times of the boys’ lives, and through these scenes, come to understand Peter and Paul’s connection to one another as well how very differently their family, schoolmates, and teachers view the two boys.

Finally, we come back to Paul’s disappearance, learning that he has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. In alternating chapters, we follow both Paul’s experience and Clyde’s efforts to free him. I won’t divulge how it works out, but it’s harrowing and frightening and absolutely awful to read about what Paul goes through.

It’s a little challenging to write further about this book without revealing the resolution, so I’ll just share some overall thoughts.

The structure of the book was an obstacle for me in terms of feeling invested. The opening, as the family realizes that Paul is missing and Clyde goes out to look for him, doesn’t provide enough information — I didn’t get a good sense of who this family is, what their background is, and how they fit into the world around them. It was only in part 2, as we go back through the family’s story, that I became more engaged with the characters. I get that this structure is a deliberate decision on the part of the author and editors, but in my experience, it was awkward and made me feel not particularly interested in the book as a whole. I’m glad I stuck with it, though, as it does pick up and become more cohesive once the background is provideed.

The depiction of life in Trinidad during the period in which the book is set is well-drawn, with an unvarnished portrait of a land that can be beautiful, but whose people prey on one another, where the economy offers few opportunities, and where grift and connections and playing along with the power structure can be the difference between life and death.

The characters are all sharply distinct, although Peter’s inner life is left unexplored. Clyde and Paul are the two most developed characters, and the more we get to know them, the more painful the book becomes to read.

Overall, Golden Child is a moving depiction of a time and place that I hadn’t previously known much about, with characters I ended up caring about and an ending that left me feeling gutted. It’s a tough read emotionally, with beautiful language as well as an overwhelming sense of sorrow.

Golden Child was my book group’s pick for May. I don’t know that I would have come across it otherwise, and as always, I’m grateful to my book group for broadening my horizons! There’s a lot of food for thought and lots to discuss and debate, and I’m so looking forward to hearing other opinions on this disturbing, powerful book.

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