The BiblioSanctum

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My thanks go to Strange Chemistry for providing me a copy of Skulk in exchange for an honest review! Every once in a while I’ll delve into the Young Adult genre for my fantasy fix, and this is one of those books that makes me really glad I do.

The story opens with our protagonist and narrator Meg Banks busy sneaking out of her bedroom window in the middle of the night, carrying a backpack full of spray paint. 16-year-old student by day, graffiti artist by night, her plan is to head up to her school and adorn one of its walls with her work. That night, however, Meg is interrupted when she witnesses the final moments of a dying fox, and is shocked when the dead animal inexplicably reverts back into the shape of a man.

After that, nothing is the same again. Meg suddenly learns that the ability to shapeshift has passed on to her, and she is able to change into a fox at will. In addition, a mysterious blue gemstone has come into her possession. In her investigations to find out more about it, she discovers factions of other people like her all around London -- the Rabble, the Horde, the Skulk, the Cluster and the Conspiracy – shapeshifters who all must come together to fight against an ancient threat.

The first thing that hit me about Skulk is that this is not your typical paranormal shapeshifter novel. Not only is the ability to shift into a fox a pretty wild idea, but there are also characters that can change into ravens, rats and even butterflies and spiders (not to mention, thanks to Rosie Best I was also learning all sorts of obsolete collective nouns for groups of animals).

But my favorite part about this book other than its unique premise was the voice of Meg. I admit, when I first learned from the opening pages that she was a rich girl who likes to do things like sneak out in the dead of night to deface her prestigious school’s property with graffiti, I thought she would be one of those annoying YA heroines with a chip on their shoulder and a spoiled attitude. As it turned out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Struggling with her weight and uninterested in the same topics as her friends, in many ways Meg sees herself as an outcast. Along with the physical and emotional abuse she suffers at home from her overbearing politician mother, it wouldn't have surprised me if Meg turned out to be a melodramatic and curmudgeon-y main character. Instead, she was the opposite. I truly didn’t expect to find her so down-to-earth and just so damn real and genuine. It was easy to love her.

Story-wise, I also thought Skulk was fantastic. Something interesting or life-altering seemed to be happening to Meg in every chapter. On the whole, with only the exception of a couple plot points I found confusing or forced, I found the book intensely captivating. Even the romance angle, which is an aspect I find overdone in a lot of YA novels, was very sweet and didn’t end up dominating or disrupting the overall flow of the story like a rude guest. Rosie Best found the perfect balance for this book, hitting the nail on the head for this and so much more. As such, Skulk is probably one of the best YA novels I’ve read this year.

This book isn’t coming out until early next year but I was able to read the ebook version because I backed the Kickstarter campaign. As such, I was going to wait a little before I wrote up a review for the blog but then I realized I just couldn’t contain my excitement anymore. Hence, I’m putting up an early version of my thoughts here on Goodreads instead.

First, a little bit of history: Michael J. Sullivan first took Hollow World to Kickstarter because while everyone he spoke to loved the idea behind the book, he was told this kind of story just wasn’t marketable. Science fiction these days is dominated by established franchises, space operas and military science fiction, etc. It seemed there was very little room for this good old cross-genre time travel tale about a 58-year-old man dying from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, who decides to journey into the future in the hopes of finding a cure.

To be honest, this shocked me, especially after I finished reading this book. Sure, Hollow World may be different from what’s out there in mainstream sci-fi right now (which isn’t a bad thing at all, in my eyes) but given how so many great and original story ideas have found their way to being published in recent years, surely – SURELY – this book could have found a place!

In any case, thank goodness for small press and self-pubs, as well as the crowd-funding sites that support these endeavors. Hollow World is probably my new favorite book by Michael J. Sullivan, right up there with Heir of Novron. Yes, it was a bit strange to be reading something by him that’s not related to Riyria, but it was a very good and pleasant kind of strange. The author’s style and modern lingo really suits the story. And sure, there are some areas where the writing could have been tightened up, and despite rigorous editing there are still some minor things like typos or syntax errors, but such is the way with non-traditional publishing. I certainly wasn’t going to hold that against the book, and was happy just to sit back and enjoy the ride.

I rated this book highly based purely on enjoyment factor. I will admit, though, that I didn’t fall in love with it right away. There’s a lot of world building and setting up of the story, which was all done very well, but that feeling of “Oh wow, this book is REALLY something special” or “Dammit, now I can’t put this down” didn’t hit me until later. It’s obvious that Michael J. Sullivan drew inspiration from H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine for Hollow World and he even makes mention to the classic in his foreword. HOW the protagonist Ellis Rogers traveled forward into the future in a disembodied old van seat surrounded by a stack of plastic milk crates doesn’t matter and isn’t the point – it’s the connotations and ideas that come out of the story that made this book such a great read.

I can also understand now more about the author’s description of Hollow World on the Kickstarter page, or rather, how it’s difficult for him to put into words this cross-genre piece mixing elements of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, adventure and even a bit of romance. This confluence of ideas from multiple genres is probably what made the book such a tough sell to begin with, but I definitely liked its multiple facets.

Indeed, Hollow World is like a study in pluralities – interpretations of God and religion, hive mind versus individuality, harmony versus chaos. When does a utopia become a dystopia? Is it worth it to trade comfort and security for freedom? Sacrifice peace and happiness for a sense of accomplishment? Does it bother me that the book made me want to say yes or say no? Is there a middle ground or why can't we have it all? At certain points, this book made me so angry I wanted to smack the main character upside the head; at others, I was so moved that I was almost in tears. Be shocked, be discomfited, joyous, annoyed, ecstatic, deeply touched – it shouldn’t matter, and it didn’t to me; all I cared was that I was asking questions and contemplating the answers. Without a doubt, the best part about Hollow World is also its most obvious duality: that is light and enjoyable reading but also heavy on philosophy and will definitely make you think.

Cross posted to The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/2013/08/book-revew-isle-of-blood-by-rick-yancey.html

After having positive experiences with both the first two books in The Monstrumologist series, I eagerly anticipated getting my hands on the third book. This probably explains why I wasn't entirely prepared for my disappointed reaction when I finished. Don't get me wrong; on it's own and outside any biases or pre-conceived notions, this book is a solid horror novel for young adults. But compared to the The Monstrumologist and even The Curse of the Wendigo, I have to say it fell quite a bit short.

The book starts off in a similar way as the others, teasing the next horrifying monster that our characters will encounter next. In this case, it's news clippings and reports about "red rain" and bloody raw meat falling from the sky. These incidents and the disgusting nidus, nests made of human parts and poisonous sputum, are the only evidence of the creature known as "the Faceless One of a Thousand Faces" or Typhoeus magnificum. For monster hunters like Pellinore Warthrop, it is considered the "Holy Grail of Monstrumology."

When a mysterious package shows up at the monstrumologist's door, our protagonist and narrator Will Henry witnesses firsthand how exposure to its gruesome contents rapidly turn the hapless courier who delivered it into a mindless, rotting horror. Dr. Warthrop, recognizing what's inside the package as a nidus, takes Will Henry on a race to follow the trail and track down the magnificum.

I didn't think this book was as impressive as its predecessors, for a couple reasons. Firstly, I'm not sure if this is merely a byproduct of Will Henry growing up over the course of the series to become a teenager in this novel, but this was the first time I actually found his character annoying. By design, he was moody, whiny and childish. I also sensed a shift in his narration style to become more abstract and ineffective, especially since we have so many more scenes in this book involving flashbacks, dreams, and delirious visions.

Secondly, my favorite character Dr. Pellinore Warthrop was largely absent for a big chunk of the story. Interesting things happen when he's around, so when he's not, all we're left with is Will Henry being mopey and feeling sorry for himself. While I can understand that this book is supposed to a deeper exploration into the relationship between the two of them, I can't help but think there had to be a better way to accomplish this. The inaction in the first part of the book was a letdown compared to the action and suspense I'd grown used to from this series, and really only the opening and the ending managed to come close.

On the bright side, I thought this was the most humorous out of the three books so far, with more light moments than I expected to balance out the depressing and melodramatic. While I considered this a positive point, The Isle of Blood just had a very different feel from rest of the series, with many departures from what I thought was the norm for these books. Like I said, it wasn't bad, but I can't deny I was expecting something maybe a little more fast-paced and entertaining, and a little less subdued.

The Riyria Revelations series may have wrapped up, but when it comes to this fantasy world and its characters, clearly there are still many stories to be told. Michael J. Sullivan fills in the details of the past first with The Crown Tower, and now with The Rose and the Thorn. Thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley, I was able to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

While the first book told the origin story of the partnership between Royce and Hadrian, I thought this second one focused more on the birth of Riyria and the concept itself. Returning to Medford after a year of being on the road, the two thieves find that trouble has come upon Gwen Delancy, the woman who saved their lives after the harrowing events at the Crown Tower. The whole city is looking for one of Gwen's girls, a young prostitute who may have unwittingly stumbled upon a conspiracy to kill the king of Melengar and his family.

To be honest, I think the fact I was going to enjoy this book was already a foregone conclusion; to me, the romance between Royce and Gwen is one of those fantasy fiction love stories for the ages, and I was giddy with the fact that we got a glimpse into how their relationship first sparked and blossomed. This book also served to provide back-stories for some of the supporting characters in The Riyria Revelations, and we got to see appearances from familiar faces such as Reuben Hilfred and Viscount Albert Winslow.

That said, while I thought the The Crown Tower could be read as a standalone without having much knowledge of the six books of The Riyria Revelations, The Rose and the Thorn on the other hand might not be so easy to get into for newcomers to the world of Riyria, mostly due to the large number of characters and lore it introduces in the opening chapters. Still, it's not such a big avalanche of information that it would be overwhelming; I still have no doubt that the book would be enjoyable to people who haven't read the original series, but it'll just be more to take in.

In general, though, readers who already know the names and the political climate in this period of the books involving the Church of Nyphron will probably have more reasons to find this book exciting. I for one loved it. From the description I thought I would be getting a lot more about Royce and Gwen, but even then I was not disappointed when I discovered their story was just a part of an overall bigger picture. So many past events that I'd been aware of from The Riyria Revelations have now been given a new life and significance.

In sum, this book basically gave me more than I bargained for, and in a good way. I generally love to read these kinds of "world-building" novels that add to an existing story or series, so really, both these The Riyria Chronicles books were right up my alley. I hope Michael J. Sullivan will be open to writing more in the future, even if they aren't necessarily about Hadrian and Royce. As he's shown with this book, even the supporting characters from his world of Riyria have interesting stories to tell.

See more reviews at The BiblioSanctum

Odd Thomas came highly recommended to me by many people, and which I found to be an interesting take on the "I see dead people" story. The eponymous protagonist is a 20-year-old short order cook whose unique ability to see and understand ghosts allows him to help the local police force solve crimes. Occasionally, he can even help prevent them before they happen. So when a mysterious visitor arrives in Pico Mundo trailing a pack of bodachs (wraith-like harbingers of death and destruction), Odd decides to investigate, and uncovers evidence that a terrible catastrophe is about to happen in his town.

I enjoyed this book, but also wished it gave me reason to like it more. There were many high points, such as the interesting cast of characters and the suspenseful themes which were nothing short of top-notch. And yet, there were also many areas in which I felt the book fell flat. I never managed to get truly engaged with the story, because every time things started heating up, they would slow down again or I felt the plot would suddenly veer off into another direction, thus negating any sort momentum. So often the narrative seemed to be building towards something, but then never quite gets there.

But I think the thing that bugged me the most was the ending, which I found very predictable. Still, being predictable alone wouldn't have bothered me so much, if Dean Koontz also didn't go to such great lengths throughout the entire book trying to convince me that "No, no, this isn't going to go the way you think, I promise!" and then essentially going "PSYCH! It WAS exactly what you think!" right at the very end. I found the storytelling very transparent and not very subtle at all. Still, like I said I enjoyed this well enough, and would be open to checking out the rest of the series.

Update: Interview with the author on my blog: on Japanese mythology, writing underdog characters, creating a new breed of vampires and more http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/2013/08/an-interview-with-ml-brennan-author-of.html

Urban fantasy is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres, and I've certainly been reading a lot of it this year. The problem with that, however, is that I've become a lot more picky, so these days for a UF series to catch my eye, its ideas or stories need to be very interesting and it has to offer something a little different. That's why when the author of Generation V sent me a request for an honest review of her book, I very enthusiastically took her up on it. The book looked like it fit the bill for something more unique and original.

In that, I was definitely not disappointed. The book stars Fortitude Scott, who's not your typical urban fantasy vampire because he's, well, technically not even a full vampire yet. He's still mostly human, a trait which Fort is trying desperately to hold on to in the face of his impending transition. Meanwhile, his full-vampire mother and older siblings look upon him as a constant source of exasperation and embarrassment. But then Luca, a new vampire, shows up in his town and Fort realizes that there are worse monsters than his family.

Several killings and abductions drive Fort to take action. Along with the kickass shapeshifting kitsune woman Suzume Hollis, they try to find a way to stop this ruthless vampire. The problem is, Fort doesn't have much of a plan, not to mention the distraction that is his mess of a personal life. He's broke, his girlfriend is cheating on him, and he's on the verge of losing his job. The good news is, all that might not matter when he manages to track down Luca. In his mostly-human state, Fort realizes he is hopelessly outmatched and is probably going to get himself killed.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love an underdog? Fort is not like other urban fantasy heroes. He's not strong, he doesn't ooze sophistication or finesse like the rest of his vampire brethren in the genre, and he's not particularly fashion-minded either. In fact, he's kind of pathetic, albeit in a very adorable sort of way. The poor guy gets pushed around everywhere -- at work by his boss, at home by his hipster roommate, and in his love life by his girlfriend Beth who manages to convince him that their relationship can benefit from her sleeping around with other people. At a point, he almost becomes too painful to read about, but the nice thing about underdog stories is that they always bounce back. But more on that later.

In the meantime I just have to say I also loved the kitsune fox shapeshifters in this novel. They feature prominently in Japanese folklore, and I thought their inclusion here was a nice twist on the usual shapeshifter-in-a-vampire-book idea. Werewolves are fine and good, but it's also so much more interesting when an author works ideas based on mythology into their stories. Come to think of it, this may also be why I adore another one of my favorite UF series, the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs, which incorporates Native American myths on Coyote. It worked well there, and likewise, the kitsune also worked very well in Generation V.

Suzume Hollis, the bodyguard charged to keep an eye on Fort, is one of the kitsune. Her character is very intriguing. Although I think her attractiveness might have been overplayed a little, she also sets herself apart from a lot of female characters in urban fantasy by being mischievous, quirky, and sometimes just downright silly -- like all trickster foxes ought to be. Usually, I find it's often the male protagonist in an urban fantasy who does all the wisecracking, but Suzume can certainly hold her own on that front.

Speaking of which, I love M.L. Brennan's sense of humor. I know I've described many an urban fantasy as "funny", but very rarely do I actually forget myself and laugh out loud while reading -- something I found myself doing several times during the course of this novel. Fort may be a doormat, but he definitely has a way with words.

To balance out all that humor, though, are also some pretty heavy themes in this book. There are some bold new takes on vampires like their nesting habits, the fact they aren't immortal and that they actually age (even though the process is reeeaal sloooow), but it is the manner in which they procreate that takes the cake as one of the most fascinating and yet disturbing ways I've ever read. It's pretty neat, though. And I love it when books make me feel like that.

One thing I think I would have liked to see more of is Fort's growth over the course of the novel, because as it is he doesn't find his backbone until almost the very end. As well, there are some aspects of the story or character motives that confused me or that I thought could be better explained or taken further, but this also just means a lot of potential for this series. I was happy to hear that there will be a book two, but not so happy when I discovered that I'll have to wait until early next year for Iron Night. This is a great choice for urban fantasy fans looking for something fresh and fun.

Cross-posted to The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/2013/08/book-review-ex-communication-by-peter.html

Superheroes, zombies, and Hollywood -- you really can't go wrong with this combination. This third book in the Ex-Heroes series is just as fun and entertaining as the first two. A big thank you goes to LibraryThing and their Early Reviewers program, which is where I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Since this is a sequel, be aware that there may be possible spoilers here for the previous books Ex-Heroes and Ex-Patriots if you haven't read them yet. It is definitely best to read this series in order, as our superhero main characters and their community of survivors have come a long way. It has been years since the zombie plague decimated humanity, but St. George formerly the Mighty Dragon and his remaining fellow powered teammates have created a safe haven for the remnants of the population.

Still, many dangers still lurk beyond the walls. The hordes of ex-humans have become a new weapon for an enemy known as Legion, who uses the dead as pawns in his attacks against the superheroes. Things are not all well within the walls either, as dissension spreads amongst the survivors and Zzzap's behavior becomes more erratic. The zombie plague has changed the rules about life and death, but even then the heroes are surprised when a couple of faces they thought long departed also show up at the Mount. Featuring the return of an old hero and the arrival of a new one as well, this third Ex-Heroes book definitely goes all out.

Certainly, if you enjoy reading "superhero fiction", this series would be a great choice. The inclusion of the zombie apocalypse injects a new twist into the subgenre too -- because it's not enough that our heroes already have their hands full keeping order in a modern day world, they have to do it in the middle of a planet overrun with undead as well! I just love how ideas like that continue to make these books interesting and fun to ponder.

And naturally, it's the ensemble cast and their unique powers that define a superhero book. This installment allowed me to catch up with St. George, Stealth, Cerberus, Zzzap and Freedom. As always, I continue to find myself entertained by their individual personalities, quirks and hangups. In some ways, reading about how the heroes' attitudes and morals clash with each other is even more fun than seeing them use their powers to fight.

If anything, I felt the book could have done with less action scenes at the beginning. One might think "superheroes vs. the undead" would be something no one would tire of, like, ever -- but you'd be surprised. After all, there's only so many ways you can describe a superhero crushing a zombie's skull, and even in the opening sequence I was tempted to start skimming. However, the book picks up when it starts filling in the events of the present as well as in the past, the latter achieved through chapters that leave the "NOW" and go back to "THEN". These brief looks into the past give the reader the necessary background information to appreciate the story all the more.

I'm happy to see the series will continue. Peter Clines has provided me so much entertainment over the last couple of years with these books, I'd hate to see them end. Post-apocalyptic survival, fast-paced action, superheroes saving the world from evil and monstrous villains -- you'll find that all here.

I absolutely adored this. Magical realism at its finest! And even though it wasn't exactly what I had expected, I can't really say that I minded. Otherwise, as a character so deftly put it in this book, I would be like "a man who complains that someone stole the eggs from his henhouse and replaced them with rubies."

This fantasy novel is also a touching and meaningful immigrant tale at its heart, combining religion and mythology to tell a story of two supernatural creatures who find themselves in New York City in 1899. Chava is a magically-crafted clay golem, brought to life to serve a husband who dies at sea while on the voyage from Poland. When the ship reaches NYC, she is left directionless and without a master. Ahmad is a jinni, released accidentally after being trapped in a copper flask for hundreds of years. Through free from the vessel, he finds himself still bound to the physical world by a band of iron around his wrist, placed there by the wizard who imprisoned him so long ago.

The story plays out like a fairy tale for adults, complete with elements like love and villains. It is filled with wonderful, fully-realized characters which hooked me from the start. The multiple narratives paint an enchanting picture of the bustling and culturally rich setting of turn-of-the-century New York, where immigrants from so many places around the world settled in the hopes of finding a better life. In this milieu, the golem and the jinni become two more faces in the crowd trying to seek a new beginning in America. Despite being creatures of lore, their struggles and aspirations make them feel entirely too human.

Both the golem and the jinni face questions and obstacles that deal with the notion of freedom versus subjugation; how the two characters approach these issues and choose to deal with them is what forms the basis for this story and makes it so interesting. In this novel, everyone you meet will guard their secrets and hold mysteries in their past. As you read on, the fun is in watching all these histories unfold and the connections start to form.

Just simply a beautiful book, and a great choice if you're in the mood for some literary fantasy.


More reviews at The BiblioSanctum

3.5 stars. I think 2013 has seen me branching out into more sub-genres of fantasy than any other year, thanks to participating in events like the Worlds Without End's Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge. Once, Mary Robinette Kowal fell into the category of "An author I've never read before, but would really like to" and so the book I chose for the challenge was 2012 Nebula Award nominated Glamour in Glass.

Someone once told me that when writing a review, it helps to think about what makes a book different and why readers should care. For this one, the thing that struck me right away was the setting. But while I may have read fantasy fiction aplenty that takes place in this time period, this is the first time I've actually ventured into something with strong elements of Regency romance, complete with the stylistic conventions that bring to mind the works of Jane Austen. This is also the first time I've ever heard the term "Fantasy of manners". Hooray for discovering new things!

It wasn't until after I picked up Glamour in Glass that I discovered it was actually the second book of a sequence called the Glamourist Histories. Normally, I dislike reading books in a series out of order, more out of a fear that I'd get lost than anything. That's why I was happy to learn that you don't have to read the first book Shades of Milk and Honey to follow the story and understand what's going on. The magic system in this book, called Glamour weaving and described with textile-related metaphors, was sufficiently explained and the general idea of it is easy to pick up. I also quickly got that our main characters, Jane and Vincent, were newly married since the last book, and now they're looking forward to settling down to a life of nuptial bliss and doing Glamour together.

However, at the start of this book is also the period following the abdication of Napoleon. While Jane and Vincent are on their honeymoon in Belgium, the deposed emperor escapes exile and makes his return to France, leaving the newlyweds with no easy way to return to England.

Certainly, this book was somewhat of a departure from the kind of fantasy I usually read and the experience was very new and different for me. The language and characters' mannerisms are definitely in keeping with the time period, which I have to admit was delightful and yet frustrating at the same time. Mostly, the frustrations come from the narrator Jane and the way she dwells on issues for a long time and perceives every little indignity as a personal slight to her, especially those pertaining to marriage and her husband.

I find this still bothers me even when taking into account the era in which these books take place, a time when men and women's statuses vastly differ, so I'm not holding that against Jane. Instead, my dissatisfaction of her character stems from from her relationship with Vincent and how often their marriage feels "off". First of all, a big chunk of the novel's conflict is the result of a breakdown of communication between the two of them. I've seen this trope commonly used in romances, but I'm personally not a fan of it.

Also, despite being madly in love, the two of them don't seem to know each other very well. Awkwardly, Jane is still constantly discovering new things about her husband that surprises her or makes her doubt him, and I also found myself questioning why she so often feels the need to seek permission or approval from him for every little decision. I have to assume their courtship mustn't have lasted very long, but perhaps this is where I need to pick up Shades of Milk and Honey to find out.

Speaking of the first book, I do intend to go back and read it. Despite my problems with the main character, I thought this book was well-written and contains interesting ideas. I can't really talk about some of the issues in it without giving away too many spoilers, but suffice to say the emotional reactions of the characters are very well-described, deep, and most importantly, realistic and believable. I also love the idea of Glamour magic, which is just abstract enough to give one the sense that it's so much more than can be put into words. I'm looking forward to learning more details about Glamour in the first book, as well as in future installments of this series.

See more reviews at The BiblioSanctum

http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/2013/07/book-review-drowning-girl-by-caitlin-r.html

This novel was our book club's choice for July, the theme of which was "Nominees for the 2012 Nebula Awards". Though this book hadn't been on my to-read list, nor had I a clue what it was going to be about, I'd looked forward to checking it out.

The Drowning Girl, described as dark fantasy and horror mixed with strong elements of magical realism, stars protagonist India Morgan Phelps, or Imp to those around her. Imp also has schizophrenia. As such, much of the novel's themes are centered around the nature of reality and human perception, exploring the duality of fact vs. fiction or truth vs. myth.

The book gets a bit difficult to describe beyond that, because of certain factors like the writing style or the jumble of ideas within. Imp, being an unreliable narrator, had much to do with this. Suffice to say, The Drowning Girl is a ghost story viewed through the lens of mental illness, and is a rather provocative yet critical look into our understanding of consciousness and perception.

The way this story is narrated, which I initially fretted over when I first heard about it, actually turned out to be much less distracting than I thought. I won't deny that at times it could be frustrating -- indeed, by design the book lacks "flow", and there were a couple chapters where I just wanted to grab my head and scream, "I just can't bloody do this anymore!" Imp will also sometimes go on these long, rambling tangents and talk in circles. But still, it wasn't that bad. For the most part, I think I was able follow the main thread.

As a literary horror novel or ghost story, however, it was a very subdued haunting and in my opinion fell a bit flat. Reading this, I became so absorbed by the intricacies and inner workings of Imp's mind that everything else in the story became white noise, almost irrelevant. Which, I suppose one could argue, is the point. Whether or not it was what the author intended, I personally viewed this book as more of an in-depth character study of Imp rather than an actual tale of the paranormal.

In the end, I can't say this book was my cup of tea. In spite of that, however, I can recognize its literary merits, and not the very least of those is the the bold and disjointed way the author chose to tell the story. This stylistic choice which at times annoyed the hell out me is also at the same time what I felt was the book's greatest strength. From my time as an occupational therapy student working in an outpatient mental health clinic, one thing that's always stayed with me is the constant struggle people with schizophrenia have with the breakdown of thought processes and their connection to what can perceived. Reading Imp's memoir brought me back to all the people I've met and worked with, and she feels very real in that sense. So while the writing style may be unconventional, it's also very realistic.

See more reviews at The BiblioSanctum

As you know, every once in a while I will find myself veering from my usual pattern of reading mostly sci-fi and fantasy and venture into the realm of historical fiction. I admittedly will do this for any interesting looking books about European royals or powerful families, especially those related to either the Tudors or the Borgias. Hence, this book.

Blood & Beauty focuses the Borgia family roughly between the years of 1492 when patriarch Rodrigo Borgia first began his papacy as Pope Alexander VI, and 1502 when his daughter Lucrezia Borgia married her third husband Alfonso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. With scandals and rumors aplenty, this was an eventful decade for the notorious family, but also for the rest of Europe as well with their wars and ruthless politics.

First of all, I think that the author made a very brave choice when it came to using the third person omniscient point of view to narrate the story, even though there were both positive and negative sides to this. In getting to know the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in this novel, Sarah Dunant managed to convey the sweeping influence of the Borgias and acquaint us with practically everyone in the family. On the downside, because we don't get to focus on any one POV for long, the connections the reader has with the characters also feel impersonal and distant.

This last point wasn't much helped by the long sections of historical context and fact-dumping that were pervasive throughout the chapters, bogging down many parts of this book. This also made the novel feel more emphatic towards historical events rather than the characters, when I usually prefer it to be the other way around. On the other hand, this allowed us to see the bigger picture outside the personal dramas of the family, shedding light upon the political turmoil in other parts of Europe.

However, at times I felt like I was reading a dramatized history textbook. I would have preferred more emphasis on the characters; though, of all of them, Lucrezia did come across to me as the most well-rounded and fleshed-out Borgia. Still, Sarah Dunant pretty much played it safe with the rest when it comes to the exploration and interpretation of their personalities, and I wouldn't have minded if she'd pushed it a bit further. I'm usually okay when historical fiction writers take liberties, as long as those liberties aren't completely outlandish and mentioned in an author's note.

Anyway, no doubt this period of time was very interesting when it came to the Borgias, but history does show us that the fun doesn't end there. It's why I was glad to hear that Sarah Dunant's already preparing a follow-up novel to this one. This is the first time I've read anything by her, and despite some minor issues I had with Blood & Beauty, I did enjoy it. I would be absolutely open to picking up the next book.

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Update: Interview with the author on my book blog http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/2013/08/building-broken-empire-interview-with.html

4.5/5 stars. This was a book I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, so thank you to Ace books and Penguin for this most excellent reading opportunity. The cover of Emperor of Thorns proclaims, "All reigns must end..." and I have to say, the prospect of getting my hands on this third installment of The Broken Empire series and finding out what will become of Jorg Ancrath made this one of my most highly anticipated fantasy novels of 2013.

I was not disappointed at all. A caveat for this review, though: this being the final book of the trilogy, the following summary and my subsequent thoughts may contain possible mild spoilers for the two books that came before. In any case, Emperor of Thorns would not serve as a good starting point for someone new to this series; best to start with book one, Prince of Thorns, in order to watch the main character grow and develop throughout the course of these books.

Indeed, Jorg Ancrath is twenty now; the boy prince has become a king, the ruler of seven nations. But where there is more, Jorg will always want it. He has set his eyes on becoming the emperor, a position decided only by vote during a truce period which comes every four years, when the rulers of a hundred fragmented kingdoms of the empire convene for an event called Congression. In the hundred years of the interregnum, however, no one candidate has managed to secure a majority of the vote.

But Jorg has plans to change all that. On his journeys across the broken land, he has made even more discoveries about the mysterious Builders of their past, and he will use their secrets and technology to suit his purposes. And yet, equally as ambitious and bloodthirsty as Jorg is The Dead King, watching events unfold from beyond the veil. Jorg may take care to guard his fears and weaknesses, but the Dead King and his necromancers and army of lichkin are waiting, ready to strike at Jorg where he is most vulnerable.

As with the previous book King of Thorns, this one also takes us through different timelines in Jorg's life, with one thread following Jorg on his journey to Congression and the other focusing on events "Five Years Earlier." There are time-jumps aplenty, which makes rereading the first two novels a fine idea, but the author also includes a handy little refresher crash course before the prologue. Or you might be like me: whenever I came to a memory or flashback sequence in this book, I found it easy to figure out when and where in time I am using clues like which one of Jorg's companions or acquaintances are still alive! Those familiar with Jorg's character likely won't be surprised to hear you can form a rather complete history using the impressive trail of death and destruction he leaves behind, but more on that later.

Let me just say now that it has been a pleasure following Jorg on his anti-hero's journey, watching him mature from a boy to a man. But Jorg has never truly been young in the first place, not really; he's seen way too much death, betrayal, cruelty and brutality for that. Yes, he is a selfish, violent, deeply disturbed and deplorable character, but above all, he's also honest and unashamed of everything he is. That and the fact the only predictable thing about him is his unpredictability made him a very interesting character to follow.

Still, I suppose you could say I've never really felt connected to Jorg, because believe it or not, I actually find it very hard to relate to someone I honestly think is quite insane. And the years since the first book have in no way cooled his temper or impudence. However, in spite of it all, I still like him. I can't help but be drawn to this refreshingly original protagonist who calls himself a "broken boy" and wraps himself up in his anger to escape his past. So, can I really find it in myself to fault Jorg for going all Kill Bill Medieval-style on his enemies or anyone who even looks at him wrong? Not really, no.

The thing I love best about this series, though, is that nothing is as it seems. I've mentioned before in the past that the first two books contain relatively familiar fantasy ideas, except Mark Lawrence takes them all and spins them on their head. The third book is no different at all, and pretty much every chapter past the midway point contained something that made me stop reading, shake my head and go, "Whoa." There are just so many unexpected surprises, and even the setting itself is a twist, which I remember was a huge mind-blowing moment for me when I read the first book. Emperor of Thorns explores that setting a lot more, and we're seriously treading into genre-bending territory here.

And finally, WHAT AN ENDING. Needless to say, readers who have been following The Broken Empire up to this point will have no excuse to miss this. Even though Mark Lawrence wrote in his Afterthought that this will be the last book in this series, I don't find myself overly upset. I'm actually quite satisfied with how everything wrapped up. I am just grateful there is an ending, and to me, it was perfect.

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4.5 stars. Incredible. My sincere thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Republic of Thieves in exchange for an honest review. To cut to the chase, this highly anticipated third book of the Gentleman Bastard series was absolutely worth the wait!

The book picks up immediately after the events of Red Seas Under Red Skies, so bear in mind that this review may contain minor spoilers for the previous novels in this series. Last we saw Locke Lamora, he had been fatally poisoned, leaving his loyal friend Jean Tannen desperately trying to find a cure. Their salvation finally comes in the form of a sorcerer called Patience, who offers to save Locke -- but for a price.

With political elections looming in the Bondsmagi city of Karthain, factions are looking for pawns to help sway votes in their favor. Patience purges the poison from Locke in exchange for his services to help her side, but then reveals the identity of his counterpart working for their political opponents. It is none other than Sabetha, a woman from Locke's past. She is his greatest rival -- but also his greatest love.

Wherein I saw the second book as a deeper examination and study into the relationship between Locke and Jean, this third book is all SABETHA SABETHA SABETHA. And about time too! For the last two books, Scott Lynch has teased us with mention and scant details of this mysterious femme fatale in Locke's life, but she has never made a true appearance until now. For a long time, Sabetha was just a name, and it's incredible how so much anticipation has been built up around her. I for one was very excited at the prospect of finally getting to know more about her character, and I was not disappointed.

Alternating in between chapters about Locke and Sabetha's entanglement with the Bondsmagi in the present is also a separate plot line about the Gentleman Bastards gang in the past. This half of the story focuses on Locke, Jean, Sabetha and the twins Calo and Galdo when they were thieves-in-training, and their guardian Chains sends them off to join a theater troupe to learn the skills of the trade. In truth, I actually preferred this story line a lot more than the other involving the political election. I'm not surprised at how I devoured these chapters; my favorite parts of the first book The Lies of Locke Lamora involved the glimpses we got into Locke's childhood, after all.

And so, it was just as great to be able to return to Locke's past again in The Republic of Thieves. The Gentleman Bastards taking on acting roles in a play made for an ingenious idea, and as the central theme it provided plenty of humor and entertainment. Fun as it was, these flashback chapters were also bittersweet given how it features several old faces that we know aren't around anymore. But it was also worth it to gain more insight into Locke's character as well as a deeper understanding into his complicated relationship with Sabetha. We're there from the moment they meet to the moment they become lovers, and as dysfunctional as that journey is, Scott Lynch still had a way of making it feel very sweet and intimate.

As a whole, I also feel that the series has matured along the way. To me, this third book came across as a little more serious, though that might have to do with the slow start. Winding down from the adventures on the high seas in book two, there were a lot of loose ends to tie up and explain before the story could really get moving, which made getting through the first half of this book a little tedious. Admittedly, the beginning of the book does drag a bit. But the good news is, once you get over that hump, the rewards are well worth it. Both story lines (past and present) pick up and the book takes off like a runaway train. After this point, you will not be able to put it down.

Bottom line: If you're like me and enjoyed the first two books as much as I did, then picking up this third book is a no-brainer. You'll learn more about Locke's past, and some major things also happen at the end which involve his identity and might shake things up for future installments. And if you haven't been acquainted with the Gentleman Bastards yet, I highly recommend these books, starting with The Lies of Locke Lamora. Probably one of my favorite fantasy series out there right now.

Alien stories are always a fun ride, especially when 1) the aliens are unconventional, and 2) their relationship with humankind goes beyond the typical invade them/uplift them dichotomy. Alien stories are even more interesting when they're mixed up in a spy thriller. That being said, the latter isn't usually my cup of tea, but I have to appreciate The Lives of Tao for not taking itself too seriously and for being just quirky enough to win me over.

I'm also as fond of unconventional heroes as I am of unconventional aliens. A self-doubting, weak-willed, TV-dinner-munching and out-of-shape IT technician working at a dead end job probably isn't someone who immediately comes to mind when you think of the ultimate secret agent. It definitely wasn't what ancient alien life-form Tao had in mind either when he had to choose a new host after the untimely death of his last one, but it's not like he had a choice. That's how our hapless protagonist Roen Tan woke up one day hearing an alien's voice in his head.

Two factions make up Tao's species, the Quasings: the peace-loving Prophus and the savage Genjix. The two sides have been engaged in a covert war for centuries, with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance. As a high-profile Prophus, Tao finds himself racing against time to whip Roen into shape and to train him in the subtle arts of espionage. His new host must become combat-ready and fast -- before the Genjix can discover his identity and eliminate him.

An alien consciousness in a person's head certainly isn't a new idea, but like I said before, this book struck me as more unique and scores highly with me because of the complexity in the relationship between the aliens and humans. And that's not all to it either; the internal conflicts between the Quasings themselves also gave this story a nice spin. Basically, stories about aliens that are out to invade earth and kill everyone are a dime a dozen. It's nice to read one where the extraterrestrials (or at least a faction of them, anyway) are on our side for a change, and what you do know, aliens can disagree amongst themselves too when it comes to how to deal with us puny humans.

This was a really great book, filled with action and suspense as well as plenty of humor. However, beneath all that is also a very good message. Throughout the course of the novel, we see Roen grow from a loser with low self-esteem to a someone with confidence who's no longer afraid to fight for what he wants. As unlikely as it sounds, this really is a Cinderella story, with its main character starting out dejected and miserable but ending up a much happier and healthier man. Tao taught Roen many things beyond gathering intelligence and martial arts, not the very least is the fact that complaining will get you nowhere. If you want something, you have to work for it -- and getting off your butt is only the first step.

All in all, an entertaining science fiction thriller with a heavy dose of comedy, which almost makes this one feel like an...urban sci-fi? In any case, it'll be like nothing you've read before. I'm looking forward to more by Wesley Chu, and definitely can't wait until we catch up with Roen and Tao again.

More reviews at The BiblioSanctum

http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/2013/07/book-review-thousand-names-by-django.html

Apparently, I love "flintlock fantasy". The phrase, which according to Wikipedia has been around since the 1990s to describe a sub-genre of fantasy "set in a Regency or Napoleonic-era period", admittedly only entered my lexicon just this year. But all this time, I knew deep in my gut that there simply had to be a term out there for this incredible and distinctly unique brand of fantasy with the musket-era setting that I so adore; I just never knew the name for it until now.

There's just something so attractive to me about fantasy inspired by this period, mostly because of the fascinating historical ideas and imagery that immediately come to mind, themes like revolution and war, battles waged with gunpowder weaponry, discovering new worlds and colonialism, etc. That's what first drew me to Django Wexler's The Thousand Names. Just the first sentence in the blurb was enough to make me add this to my must-read list, and the positive reviews it received only made me bump it up to the top.

The book is mostly told through the perspectives of two soldiers, assigned to a sleepy desert colonial fort out in the fringes of the Vordanai empire. However, a recent uprising and subsequent takeover of the city of Ashe-Katarion by a local sect called the Redeemers has resulted in the outpost not being so sleepy anymore. Now the king of Vordan has sent reinforcements, and Captain Marcus d'Ivoire finds himself welcoming a whole new garrison of inexperienced recruits to join his Old Colonial troops. Then there's Winter Ihernglass, a low ranking soldier who unexpectedly earns a promotion and comes into command -- except getting more attention is the last thing Winter wants, given the fact she is actually a woman who masqueraded as a man in order to enlist and flee her past.

With the Colonials on the march to take back the city, both Marcus' and Winter's lives are in the hands of the newly arrived Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich, a military genius whose demeanor and tactics are unlike anything anyone has ever seen before. But despite the confidence and aptitude Janus exudes, it soon becomes clear there is a lot more to the mysterious commander. Marcus begins to suspect that his colonel's objectives -- and ambitions -- may extend beyond simply defeating the Redeemers, encroaching into the realm of magic and the supernatural.

My experience with this book pretty much played out like a fast-paced and passionate relationship. The Thousand Names practically came out of nowhere for me; I'd probably only heard about it around a month before its release, leaving me not much time to anticipate it. Nevertheless, I went into this with higher-than-high expectations, and ultimately I have to say even those were met and exceeded. I fell in love with this book really quickly, probably within the first few chapters, especially after the two main characters were established. This might make me sound silly, but I won't deny after turning the last page I actually couldn't help but feel slightly lost and a bit melancholy, finding myself caught in a sort of "oh crap, I'm finished, what the heck do I do with myself now?" kind of fugue. I was just that addicted to this book.

Obviously, I loved the setting and the world-building. The writing had a way of putting you right there with the colonial garrison, so it wasn't hard to sympathize with the characters and the foreignness of their situation or the awkwardness of being strangers in a strange land. I was also fascinated with the idea of this ragtag colonial army that's made up of one-part green recruits and one-part jaded-and-couldn't-care-less old veterans, and all the rules of warfare go out the window. The Redeemer forces may vastly outnumber the Vordanai, but the fact that the former is made up of mostly militia and over-confident Auxiliary troops gave their clashes plenty of suspense, and the detailed battle scenes in the desert are worthy of any military fantasy.

But the highlight of this book had to be the characters. I absolutely adored Winter; she was probably my favorite character, but Marcus wasn't far behind either. What's great about these two characters is that they feel deep and real, and are immediately the kind of people you want to like and to see succeed. Beyond that, everyone in this book also has secrets and mysteries, and so you just want to keep reading to find out more.

This even applies to the supporting cast. Most of them are pretty well fleshed out too, and I think the fact that Colonel Janus is my second favorite character in this book despite him not being a point-of-view character is a testament to that. The author also focuses briefly here and there on Jaffa, a character inside the city of Ashe-Katarion, giving insights into what's happening on the side of the Redeemers. I felt this was important, as it gives us a look at the opposition, or else it's easy just to think of them as a faceless enemy army.

All told, this book was hard to put down. For its length, I finished it in really good time, and it was one of those rare gems where I knew it would go straight onto my shelf of favorites even before I had reached the quarter-way point. Easily one of the best books I've read this year so far.

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Something about this second book just didn't do it for me, despite the action and the twists and turns in the plot. In this sequel, Sandman Slim is paid big bucks to be a bodyguard to Lucifer, who has come to Hollywood to make a movie of his life. The vampires and porn stars and zombies make this book sound wicked and glamorous as all hell, but to be honest, I had to really struggle to stay focused on the story.

Stark's background, which actually is actually quite original and unique for urban fantasy, had so enthralled me in the first book, but it's also not quite enough to hold a story together if it has a weak foundation in the first place. It didn't matter in the end how much action and badassery was thrown my way, it was all distraction and didn't really disguise the rather light plot. There's quite a bit of set-up for some major things happening later in this series, though, so I'll keep going and hope I'll have a better time with the next book.