Tag: fiction

Review and GIVEAWAY: Mortal Heart

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Mortal HeartRobin LaFevers, Mortal Heart

This final book in the His Fair Assassin trilogy focuses on Annith, one of the most skilled novices at the convent of St. Mortain in medieval Brittany. She has lived her entire life in the convent but yearns to be sent on her first mission to the outside world, so that she can finally use her skills to serve the god of death. But the abbess has stubbornly kept her in the convent while allowing other, less skilled novices to go out on missions. When Annith hears that the abbess intends to make her the next Seeress, effectively locking her within the convent walls forever, she decides to leave the convent and find her own way to serve Mortain. Along the way she runs into a group of hellequin, doomed souls who can only redeem themselves by ushering the spirits of the dying into the afterlife. At first the hellequin terrify Annith, but she soon grows closer to their mysterious leader, Balthazaar. Will Annith be able to overcome her past, including the secrets the abbess is keeping, and forge her own destiny?

I was a big fan of Grave Mercy and, to a lesser extent, Dark Triumph, so I jumped at the chance to grab this galley at BEA! Unfortunately, I wasn’t completely enamored with the book, although I’m having a hard time pinpointing why. For one thing, the plot doesn’t have much forward momentum; there’s a lot about Annith’s past and the secrets hidden in the convent, but her current journey is much less interesting. I also found Balthazaar underwhelming as a romantic lead. There’s just no spark between him and Annith, possibly because the book spends so much time in the past. And although his big secret makes total sense in the world of this series, it made me less enthusiastic about him and Annith as a couple. That said, I do think the book is a good resolution to the series as a whole, providing some closure on all the main characters and resolving the dangling plot threads from earlier books. So I’d certainly recommend this novel to fans of the series, but I still think the first book, Grave Mercy, is the best.

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WIN THIS BOOK

Since I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to read this book, I’d like to give someone else a  chance as well. So with that in mind, I am offering one lucky winner my advance reader copy of Mortal Heart. It’s only been read one time and is still in great shape, I promise! 🙂 Here’s how to enter:

  • Comment on this blog post between now and July 3, 2014, at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern time). Be sure to mention that you are entering the giveaway!
  • One entry per person, please!
  • This giveaway is limited to US readers only. (I know, I know, sorry!)
  • The winner will be chosen randomly, and I’ll announce the results in a new post sometime on July 4.

And…that’s it! Good luck, everyone!

Review: Since You’ve Been Gone

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Since You've Been GoneMorgan Matson, Since You’ve Been Gone

Emily and Sloane are best friends; they’ve been inseparable ever since Sloane moved to town two years ago. While Sloane is adventurous and outgoing, Emily is shy by nature and happy to be known simply as “Sloane’s friend.” But one day, Sloane and her family are simply gone, and Sloane isn’t answering any of Emily’s calls or texts. Emily is both shocked and completely overwhelmed — how will she survive the summer without her best friend? Then she finds a list from Sloane, a list of tasks designed to get Emily out of her comfort zone. Not knowing what else to do, Emily decideds to complete the list, hoping that once she does, Sloane will come back. Some of the tasks seem relatively harmless (“Apple picking at night”), while others seem impossible (“Kiss a stranger”). But with help from some surprising sources — including popular class president Frank Porter — Emily makes her way through the list and gains a new identity in the process.

This book is the perfect summer read! It’s got everything — friendship, humor, romance, ice cream, and a sense of infinite possibility. Reading it, I felt nostalgic for the summers I had growing up, playing with the neighborhood kids and feeling like the summer would never end. I found Emily a great, realistic character; she’s more of a follower than a leader, she’s a bit unsure of her own identity, and she relies on Sloane to provide the adventure and excitement in her life. I loved watching her grow as a person and have her own adventures. I also adored the sweet romance with Frank, who is the kind of guy I totally would have had a crush on in high school! But the relationship at the heart of the book is really the friendship between Emily and Sloane, who is an incredibly vivid character even though she’s barely on page. In fact, my only tiny quibble with the book is that I wasn’t satisfied with Sloane’s reason for disappearing on Emily. But I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a great beach or vacation read this summer!

Review: Jackaby

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JackabyWilliam Ritter, Jackaby

Abigail Rook has just arrived in the New England town of New Fiddleham with nowhere to go and no way to earn a living. As she sits in a tavern and ponders her next move, she encounters a strange man who turns out to be R.F. Jackaby, a private investigator with an extraordinary gift for detecting paranormal activity. Abigail’s talent for observation lands her a job as Jackaby’s assistant, and she is immediately embroiled in the investigation of a gruesome murder. Jackaby is convinced that the killer is supernatural, but the police scoff at the very idea — except for one young detective named Charlie Cane. With Cane’s help, Jackaby and Abigail pursue the investigation, encountering a banshee, a helpful madwoman, and a possible bridge troll along the way. Meanwhile, Abigail relishes the excitement of her new job, but several people warn her to stay away from Jackaby. She wants to keep her job, but will it cost her her reputation — or even her life?

Despite the fact that this book is classified as YA or even middle-grade, I really enjoyed it! The book is narrated by Abigail, a plucky protagonist who is suddenly thrown into a magical world with nothing but her wits to rely on. I like that she is basically ordinary; though smart and brave, she doesn’t have superpowers, so she is very relatable as she encounters the surprises and challenges of this world. Jackaby is a really fun character as well, with more than a few similiarities to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock Holmes! I also loved the richly imagined world of this novel, especially the random little gags that didn’t have much to do with the main plot, such as the frog in Jackaby’s office, or what happened to his former assistant. The mystery itself was fairly easy to solve — I figured out whodunnit almost as soon as the guilty character was introduced — but the fun of the book is the characters and setting. I’d definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fantasy, and I’m looking forward to the sequels!

Review: Rose Under Fire

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Rose Under FireElizabeth Wein, Rose Under Fire

Rose Justice is an American pilot who has just come to England to help with the war effort. Though women aren’t allowed to fly planes in combat, she is able to get a job with the Women’s Air Transport Auxiliary ferrying planes back and forth within Allied territory. At first Rose sees her work as a grand adventure, a fascinating change from her sheltered upbringing. But her life is instantly, horribly changed when she is captured by the Germans in the middle of a routine flight from France to England. She is immediately arrested and transported to the women’s concentration camp at Ravensbrück. There Rose confronts the hideous realities of this war for the first time, including the brutal scientific experiments performed on a group of young women known as “rabbits.” But depsite the horrific treatment Rose endures, she forges close bonds with a small group of fellow prisoners and somehow manages to hold onto hope.

This companion novel to Code Name Verity is equally powerful and moving, although it struck me in a very different way. I loved CNV for its suspense, its elements of espionage, and its intense portrayal of friendship. This book is not as suspenseful; we know from the start of Rose’s narrative about Ravensbrück that she is remembering her experiences after she has escaped. It’s also not as personal (if that’s the word I want) because while Rose forms incredibly close bonds with her fellow prisoners, the emphasis is less on individual relationships and more on the experience of Ravensbrück as a whole. Neverthless, this book did strike me on a very deep personal level. It’s easy to become a little desensitized to the atrocities committed by the Nazis, simply because we’ve heard about them so many times, but this book certainly made them vivid for me. The most horrifying thing is that similar atrocities are still occurring in parts of the world today. So this is not an easy read, but I think it’s a very important one.

Review: Mambo in Chinatown

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Mambo in ChinatownJean Kwok, Mambo in Chinatown

Charlie Wong is a 22-year-old woman who lives with her Pa and her younger sister, Lisa, in New York City’s Chinatown. Although Charlie has lived her entire life in the U.S., she has very little contact with the world outside Chinatown. She works as a dishwasher in the restaurant where Pa makes noodles, but she dreams of a different life; so when she learns that a ballroom dance studio is hiring a new receptionist, she jumps at the opportunity. At first, her impulsive decision seems disastrous — she’s too shy, her clothes are all wrong, and she has trouble reading and writing down the dancers’ appointments. But when, due to a scheduling error, she is forced to teach an introductory class, Charlie realizes she has a gift for dancing. As Charlie learns more and more about ballroom, she also becomes more confident and optimistic about her future. But when her sister Lisa falls ill, and Pa will only use Eastern methods to treat her, Charlie wonders if she can truly reconcile her two different worlds.

This book is the literary equivalent of a feel-good movie; maybe it’s not great literature, but it’s entertaining and heartwarming. I really liked Charlie, even though her character arc is somewhat unbelievable (she goes from being a receptionist to a teacher in a matter of months!). She feels shy and perpetually clumsy, and she doesn’t really know how to react to this unfamiliar world of ballroom dancing. Watching her struggle to open up and be more confident was a pleasure, and I felt I could relate to her to some extent. I also enjoyed the portrayal of the Chinese community in this book, as Charlie begins to question some aspects of her upbringing while embracing others. I especially liked that Pa, the voice of tradition in the novel, is portrayed as a sympathetic character even though he doesn’t agree with all of Charlie’s choices. There’s also a sweet romance and a few tidbits about ballroom dancing, which I enjoyed. Overall, I’d recommend this to fans of chick lit or feel-good stories — it definitely left me smiling!

Review: Death at the President’s Lodging

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Death at the President's LodgingMichael Innes, Death at the President’s Lodging

This first installment of the Inspector Appleby series is a classic locked-room mystery set in the fictional St. Anthony’s college, where its president, Dr. Umpleby, has just been murdered. Because of the prominence of the victim, Inspector Appleby is summoned from Scotland Yard to assist the local police. He soon learns that the layout of the college would have made it impossible for someone without a key to access the scene of the crime. Therefore, suspicion centers around the other fellows of the college, most of whom either had a key or could easily obtain one. As Appleby begins his investigation, he notices strong tensions among these men and uncovers various professional rivalries. He also begins to realize that the case is cluttered with many side issues and diversions. But as he sifts the relevant facts from the distractions, Appleby eventually reaches a conclusion as bizarre as it is shocking.

I’ve now read two mysteries by Michael Innes, and what I’ve learned is that I love his solutions, but I’m not terribly fond of how he gets there! In most mysteries that I read, there’s not a lot of irrelevant information; every fact the detective discovers is a clue. In this book, on the other hand, much of what Appleby discovers isn’t relevant to the solution of the murder. This is certainly more realistic than, say, a Poirot mystery, but it made the reading experience more difficult for me. I also didn’t like the relative lack of character delineation. It’s been less than a month since I read this book, and already I couldn’t tell you the main suspects’ names! Nobody (including Appleby) has much personality, so the murder is more like a logic puzzle than a dramatic event involving actual human beings. All that said, I really did love the solution to this one, which got downright farcical in places! So overall, I’m glad I read this book, but I doubt I’ll get sucked into the rest of the series — which is probably a good thing!

Review: Across a Star-Swept Sea

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Across a Star-Swept SeaDiana Peterfreund, Across a Star-Swept Sea

In this post-apocalyptic retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel (!), Earth’s civilization has been all but destroyed, thanks to the horrific unintended consequence of genetic engineering known as Reduction. Now, the island of Galatea seeks vengeance through revolution: aristocrats are being captured and forcibly Reduced, their minds irreparably damaged. Meanwhile, the neighboring island of Albion seems more interested in flirtation and gossip than in Galatea’s problems — except for the Wild Poppy, who daringly rescues Galatean aristocrats out from under the noses of the rebels. No one suspects that the Wild Poppy is really Persis Blake, a seemingly idle and frivolous courtier of Albion. In order to maintain her cover, Persis must befriend Justen Helo, a Galatean scientist whose family is famous for curing the initial Reduction. Justen seems to disagree with his country’s violent policies, but can Persis trust him? And will she be able to maintain her cover as their relationship deepens?

The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of my all-time favorite books, so I was really excited to discover this retelling with a sci-fi twist! I think the novel does a good job of following the original story while not being a scene-for-scene copy. While the original novel is mostly told from Marguerite/Justen’s point of view, this version is largely from the perspective of the Pimpernel character, Persis. In fact, one of the most fun aspects of this book is that the characters are gender-flipped! I did have one large-ish problem with the book, though; most of the larger narrative of How We Got To This Point was totally lost on me. There were some wars, and some people got Reduced, and the people who didn’t became the new aristocrats, I think? To be fair, it’s not that complicated…I’m afraid I just didn’t want to pay that much attention! Still, I picked up enough to get the gist of things, so I guess it doesn’t matter that much. Overall, I didn’t love the book, but it’s still a fun read for Pimpernel fans, especially those who also like YA.

Review: The Taliban Cricket Club

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Taliban Cricket Club, TheTimeri N. Murari, The Taliban Cricket Club

The heroine of this novel is Rukhsana, an intelligent, independent young woman fighting for survival under the Taliban regime in Kabul. A former journalist, Rukhsana is no longer allowed to work, but she still manages to publish stories in foreign newspapers by using a pseudonym. When she is summoned to appear before a Taliban minister, she fears she’s been discovered; but to her surprise, the minister simply announces that Afghanistan will be holding a cricket tournament in three weeks, and the winning team will be leaving the country to compete with other teams around the world. Rukhsana seizes this opportunity to escape by convincing her brother and other male relatives to form a cricket team. Women are not allowed to play, but Rukhsana is familiar with the game from her time as a university student in Delhi. Will she be able to coach her team to victory and freedom, or will her rebellion have dire consequences for herself and her family?

This is a book I should have loved, and I’m a little confused about why it didn’t quite work for me. The premise is certainly compelling, and I was very interested in learning about daily life in Afghanistan under the Taliban. But while the picture Murari paints is certainly bleak, I didn’t connect to it on an emontional level; I believed the book’s depiction of a lives full of fear and oppression, but I didn’t feel it. The book frequently mentions that Rukhsana and her family are in grave danger, but we hardly ever see that danger firsthand, so the suspense doesn’t really build. I also think Rukhsana’s conflict is a bit too superficial or simplistic…she views the burka as a prison and hates the Taliban with every fiber of her being. Now, I’m not defending the Taliban, but I think having a little moral ambiguity in some of the characters would have made this a stronger novel. I did enjoy the contrast between the world of cricket, with its notions of order and fair play, and the world of war-torn Kabul. But overall, I was hoping to connect with this book more than I did.

Review: Borrower of the Night

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Borrower of the NightElizabeth Peters, Borrower of the Night

This novel introduces Vicky Bliss, a confident, no-nonsense art historian and professor at a small Midwestern university. She and her colleague/boyfriend Tony stumble across a clue to a lost work by Tilman Riemenschneider, a 16th-century German woodcarver. They decide to embark on a friendly competition to see who can discover the artifact first — a competition Vicky is determined to win. She sets off immediately for the supposed location of the artifact, Castle Drachenstein in Rothenburg, Germany. Unfortunately, Tony is hot on her trail, along with several other parties interested in recovering the lost masterwork. As Vicky and her competitors begin their search, they soon realize that something is amiss at Castle Drachenstein, and the root of the trouble lies in the distant past. Is the castle being haunted by the ghost of a former countess, or is there a less supernatural explanation for the danger Vicky finds herself in?

I’ve read and enjoyed the first few books in the Amelia Peabody series, so I was interested to try this series as well. Overall, I thought it was a fun read and a pretty decent mystery. The emphasis wasn’t so much on the “whodunit” aspect of things; rather, the novel focuses on the suspense and danger evoked by the gothic setting. In that respect, I was reminded a lot of Mary Stewart’s novels (which I also really enjoy), and the archaelogical aspect of the plot called to mind “Indiana Jones.” I also liked reading about Vicky, whose sassy comments and progressive (in the 1970s) views always seemed to stir up trouble. I didn’t always like or agree with her, but she was consistently amusing! Overall, I found this book a fun read and will definitely be picking up the sequels at some point.

Review: Letters from Skye

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Letters from SkyeJessica Brockmole, Letters from Skye

This epistolary novel tells two parallel love stories, each set against the backdrop of a world war. In 1912, Scottish poet Elspeth Dunn receives a fan letter from David Graham, an exuberant young American. Elspeth replies to the letter, and she and Davey soon strike up a regular correspondence. At first they discuss literature and their favorite books, but soon they’re exchanging ideas about everything under the sun, including their most secret dreams. Unsurprisingly, Elspeth and Davey fall in love, but their romance is fraught with complications. When America enters World War I, Davey enlists immediately as an ambulance driver on the battlefields of France. Additionally, Elspeth is already married, so her stolen moments with Davey are as fleeting as they are precious. Meanwhile, in 1940, Elspeth’s daughter Margaret — also involved in a wartime romance — stumbles upon one of Davey’s letters and decides to search for the secrets in her mother’s past.

In theory, I should love this book, since it combines a lot of my favorite things: epistolary novel, WWI and WWII setting, love stories, family secrets. But while I found it an entertaining read, my overall experience was somewhat disappointing. First of all, the story is really about Elspeth and Davey, so the parts about Margaret felt very cursory and not fleshed out at all. I would have liked to know a lot more about her reactions to her mother’s secret, as well as the details of her own romance. Also, the story itself seems very superficial, given the gravity of the WWI backdrop. Even though I enjoy light romances with happy endings, I felt like this book lacked emotional stakes. Elspeth and Davey are likeable characters, and their letters are often very charming, but I was never in any real doubt about the end result of their story. Maybe part of my problem is that this book seems like a copycat of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, only not nearly as good! Overall, this book is a nice, quick read, but it won’t stay with me the way Guernsey has.