The Diabolic: Review

The Diabolic: Review

There are times when I am certain that there must be something very off with my reading-enjoyment-o-meter, and this is one of those times. This book has a proliferation of positive and glowing reviews from my friends, yet I find myself out of those ranks. The story of Nemesis, genetically engineered to be a living, undefeatable weapon, who is placed as a wolf among intergalactic sheep should have been exhilarating. Instead I found myself mostly bored. There is a sterility to this story that I found kept me at an emotional remove throughout. I’m not sure if that sterility was intentional or not. On the one hand, I think it is as Nemesis was created and “bred” to lack emotion and caring for anything other than her bonded protected, Sidonia. Nemesis’ feelings for Sidonia are vast, capable, and complex; her love for the girl is deep. Her caring for anything… Read more »

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The Queen of Blood: Review

The Queen of Blood: Review

The Queen of Blood is the sort of quiet, more subdued fantasy that mostly feels dreamy and innocent. And then Sarah Beth Durst will turn right back around and remind you at various points that this story has quite the emotional barb. The story of young Daleina, training to be a potential successor to the queen of Aratay, is one in which you will find many of the more common fantasy tropes, but also many subverted. And it’s such an endearing story, and well done in the telling, that I found I didn’t much mind how much of the book follows well worn fantasy paths. Daleina’s world is one full of bloodthirsty spirits. There are spirits for each of the four elements, as well as tree spirits. These pernicious inhabitants barely tolerate the existence of humans; their blood thirst is only ever barely sated. The one force keeping the spirits from… Read more »

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Blood for Blood: Review

Blood for Blood: Review

I felt a bit winded as I finished reading Blood for Blood. It’s an exhausting, emotional, punch-to-the-gut kind of read, and making it to the end feels like its own kind of victory. This is a book that is in turn triumphant, bittersweet, and harrowing. It is a journey that is both cathartic and enraging which might not seem like the most satisfactory reading experience, but one that has an undeniable sense of rightness. It’s an important read, even more so now than before. I enjoyed this volume more than its predecessor, for a number of reasons. I am not a huge fan of journey-type narratives, and Wolf by Wolf is very much that. It’s very straight-forward in that the point of the book is getting from Point A to Point B. This is true of many narratives, but I find the particulars of a motorcycle race not that engaging…. Read more »

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Carve the Mark: review

Carve the Mark: review

This post is sponsored by HarperCollins. This does not affect the content of the review. Are you ready for this? It’s Veronica Roth’s new book! After bursting on the scene with Divergent, the author experienced meteoric success with her trilogy, which also resulted into some pretty enjoyable films. It’s been 3 years since Allegiant caused an avalanche of tears, so everyone is curious: does Carve the Mark live up to its predecessor? The short answer is: yes, if you enjoyed Divergent, you will enjoy this. For myself, I liked Carve the Mark overall, though I’m also left with some questions. Which is not unlike the experience I had with Divergent, for what it’s worth. Things I liked: — The powers are cool. To name a few: Cyra has Rogue-like powers (without that pesky “you can’t touch me” business), Akos can take pain from others, and another guy named Vas feels… Read more »

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Top Ten Tuesday(18): Ten Books I’ve Added To My To-Be-Read List Lately

Top Ten Tuesday(18): Ten Books I’ve Added To My To-Be-Read List Lately

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week, the theme is “Ten Books I’ve Added to my TBR Lately” and we’re happy to be participating! Happy Tuesday, everyone! Let us all hold hands, hug, and congratulate ourselves for making it to the end of this rather trying election cycle. For a brief moment of respite, I’ve compiled this list of the ten titles I’ve been most excited to add to my TBR list recently. Let’s think only of books (for a little while at least).     Mirage by Somaiya Daud This 2017 novel is the first in a new series about an impoverished girl who is forced to become the body double for her country’s cruel princess. It sounds like palace intrigue, court deceptions, and betrayals will abound in this Morocco-inspired fantasy world. Sign me up!   Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare From… Read more »

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Fate of Flames: Review

Fate of Flames: Review

Fate of Flames is a kick-ass, girl powered, diverse superhero novel. I know, what on Earth is not there to like?! In a world almost identical to our own, incredible monsters known as phantoms stalk the Earth killing indiscriminately and causing mass chaos. They can take any form from small to large, serpent to wolf. But all are terrifying and all are capable of inflicting massive damage. The world has managed to develop anti-phantom technologies that can keep entire cities safe. But there are also four Effigies, girls chosen by what force we do not know, and imbued with the power necessary to fight and destroy phantoms. There are only ever four Effigies at any time; when one dies, her replacement is called up. An Effigy could be any girl, and you’ll never know until it happens that you will become one. Such is the case with our heroine Maia… Read more »

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Ghost Talkers: Review

Ghost Talkers: Review

A war story, a ghost story, a love story; Ghost Talkers is all three. It is also a mystery, and one with a decidedly intersectional feminist bent. There is much to explore here in this rich tale of intrigue, murder, romance, and betrayal set in WWI France. In the world of Ghost Talkers, spirits do walk the Earth and mediums have the ability to commune with them. The British Army has assembled its own force of mediums, known as the Spirit Corps, to collect intel from the spirits of recently departed soldiers. Our heroine, Ginger, is one such medium who plays a crucial part in gleaning information of vital importance to the war effort. Early on in the story a series of suspicious deaths ignites the mystery at its core. Worse, the deaths make it clear that the German side has become aware of the British Spirit Corps and is… Read more »

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