Category Archives: Fiction

Review: Libba Bray – The Diviners

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The Diviners
Libba Bray

Evie O’Neill has freed herself inadvertently from her boring old hometown of Ohio by telling too much of the truth. Now in New York, she has the run of the town – but Naughty John is on a occult killing spree that she has to prevent.

I got almost half-way through this novel, and nothing had happened. No-one I cared about was in real danger, and the Beast didn’t actually feel like a real threat for ‘normal’ people. From what I read from the blurb I think the myriad of characters eventually team up? But I didn’t see any of that, and instead I found myself again wondering why I cared about anyone’s outcome.

Let’s be honest here. I was probably never going to like a novel that was set in the 1920s, where the main character was a drunk flapper girl who didn’t appreciate the gift she had. I like a touch of the supernatural as much as the next person, and I realise that not everyone has morals when using a gift. But honestly? Evvie is an idiot.

I received the third novel of this series for review from Allen and Unwin, but I will not be reading it. Don’t waste your time on this novel either. DNF – 1 star.

Review: Vic James – Tarnished City

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Tarnished City
Vic James

Luke is now a different kind of prisoner – actually imprisoned on an island to await torture and very eventual death. His sister Abi is determined to free him – but who will she end up having to side with to get there? The Jardines are determined to have power, but how many of them are actually interested in it?

This is the same lovely mix of magic and slavery that I enjoyed in the first novel of this series, Gilded Cage. I waited impatiently for this novel, and I was not disappointed. What is it about these novels that draws me in?

I find the method of torture practiced on Luke to be interesting, and it’s great that Vic James has spent a lot of time developing a selection of different story lines. This is one of the few novels in which I actually enjoy the multiple perspectives because each character has a very distinctive ‘voice’.

When I returned to my main bookshelf to install this novel in its rightful place, I wanted to revisit the first novel immediately! But it has now been some time since I read this novel, and of course still more novels vie for my attention. In my opinion, the first novel might have been more exciting for action and daring, but this novel is filled with intrigue.

I’m giving this novel 5 stars for its gripping and sometimes unexpected plot, and also giving an appreciative mention to the interesting philosophical questions that it raises.

Pan Macmillan | 12th September 2017 | AU$19.99 | paperback

Review: Ruth Lauren – Prisoner of Ice and Snow

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Prisoner of Ice and Snow
Ruth Lauren

Valor is heartbroken without her sister, so badly that she is determined to rescue her sister from a prison that no-one has escaped in over three hundred years. Valor is sure that her love for her sister will be enough – and her plan will surely succeed. But what will happen next?

This novel was a wussy one. It revisited old tropes of a sister being wrested away unfairly because of a crime she didn’t commit, and then her sibling doing something equally ‘awful’ in order to be sent there so that they can escape. And then it turns out, surprise surprise, that there is someone else working there who could potentially help them!

Although there was potential for action, it seemed like all the plans Valor had in place were too predictable to succeed. Somehow, the guards just happened to be a lot stupider than the last 300 years? Valor herself is fine, but there are plenty of other strong female protagonists that you can get behind in other, better novels.

I left this novel far too long to review after reading it, and I now don’t remember as much as I should. Slightly off topic, but why is ‘Valor’ as a name always just with an ‘o’, but ‘valour’ as in the personality trait has an ‘ou’? I’m well aware that the Americans use the ‘o’ and Australians use ‘ou’, but it still makes no sense! 

I’m not going to be looking out for another novel in this series. This one was tolerable, but nothing special. If you are looking for this trope, try Gilded Cage and Tarnished City. I’ll give it 3 stars because it did at least try to keep my attention.

Bloomsbury | 1st April 2017 | AU$12.99 | paperback

Review: Kerry Drewery – Day 7

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Day 7
Kerry Drewery

At the last moment, Martha Honeydew has been pardoned from Cell 7, because the true killer stepped forth – just as they had always planned. Unfortunately, that’s when the plan stops working because Martha is still a target, and so is everyone she is close to. Will justice be able to be served for anyone?

Honestly, my enthusiasm for this novel waned over time. After reading Cell 7, I was very excited for what could come next. Cell 7 had what I think was a unique approach to crime, even if it was flawed! Day 7 departed from Cell 7 in offering a range of methods for punishing wrong-doers. These are once again flawed towards people that have money being able to push the judgement, and in fact this is used to Martha’s advantage.

I like the understated cover, it reminds me of James Bond films, which traditionally start with Bond looking down the barrel of a gun. This novel doesn’t have quite as much action as all that though. It tries, but with one character in a cell, and the other hidden to avoid being hunted, it’s difficult to have anything other than words exchanged.

Oh Martha, why can’t you just be sensible and stay out of the way? Her sometimes childish behavior, which I wouldn’t expect from someone who has been on death row, put me off her as a heroine. Isaac on the other hand seemed way too laid back about death. Maybe it is possible to lose too much?

I will need to read Final 7, which should be the concluding novel of this trilogy (but you never know). Although Day 7 wasn’t as awesome as Cell 7, I would still like to find out what the conclusion is for Martha and Isaac. Because of this, I will grant this novel 4 stars rather than 3 stars. Funnily enough, the consensus on Goodreads is the same!

Allen & Unwin | 30th August 2017 | AU$19.99 | paperback

Review: Anne McCaffrey – Crystal Singer

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Crystal Singer
Anne McCaffrey

Killashandra Ree dreamed of being a diva after ten years of concentrated training. In her final presentation, she’s told she’ll never be anything but a backup singer – so instead she decides to become a Crystal Singer. Few people that land on Ballybran leave, but Killashandra doesn’t care – she just wants to keep singing for her career.

Sitting here reviewing this in fact months after I have read it, I am tempted to read it again. It’s like a much better version of another set of singing novels I attempted a long, long time ago. I don’t seem to have reviewed it, but I think the author was someone Modeste?

Killashandra is a powerful heroine who takes what she wants, even if she tends to be a bit blindsided sometimes. As usual, the protagonist is strongly gifted in something else to make the world revolve around her. She has to work for it though sometimes.

I found the character development in this novel very powerful. I think that without it, this novel would have fallen flat on its face. The environment/world building is quite good, but there is only so much description that you can take about rocks. I also thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of her training – I only wish I could sing rocks!

I confess, this is the first McCaffrey novel I have ever read! And here I am loving dragons. I will now try to make time to get my hands on her other novels and read them. This novel receives 4 stars from me.

Review: Emily Barr – The Truth and Lies of Ella Black

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The Truth and Lies of Ella Black
Emily Barr

Ella has just been ripped out of school and taken to her dream destination, Rio. Unfortunately, her parents won’t let her out of their sight and she knows there’s a big secret they are keeping from her. She’s keeping her own secrets, like how she just put a hammer through a fledgling’s head…

It had the potential to be a thriller, but thanks to The One Memory of Flora Banks, I was primed the whole time for something interesting to be going on with Ella’s brain. And it turned out that there really wasn’t anything that exciting. That romance? Pathetic. Oh, star-crossed lovers etc etc. I’ll tell you all my secrets, and you will return them. Yeah sorry, but one sorrow does not cancel out another, and it doesn’t seem like Ella even took anything on board.

I polished this novel off very quickly, but in the end I didn’t really feel very satisfied by it. Does Ella actually understand herself better? Is she still a selfish, horrible person? It’s not Bella that is at fault, it’s Ella through and through that is entitled and a cry-baby.

On that note, I found the take-over of Ella by Bella completely unrealistic and repetitive. Is she that bloody naive? I thought maybe she had some strange version of multiple-personality disorder. But no no, it’s just simple repression. Ella talking to herself just comes across as strange, particularly her thoughts of suicide vs her preservation instinct.

The more I write this review, the less I like the novel. I’ll give it 3 stars because I didn’t struggle to finish reading it. Not highly recommended.

Penguin Random House | 2nd January 2018 | AU $17.99 | paperback

Review: Gregg Hurwitz – The Rains

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The Rains
Gregg Hurwitz

Chance Rain is just a simple farm-boy with a love of science until the asteroids arrive. Then all the adults turn into zombies, and only children are safe – until they turn 18 of course. With a single adult left to guide them, and a Bully-boy to try to control, can the Rain brothers still make it through and come up with a solution to the invasion?

I was glopping through the mud and becoming numb to the spectacle of adults mapping the ground blindly right from the beginning. I could feel the fear sweat running down my spine. Plus, I loved that joke ‘Rain can only go in one direction – down!’. The the two brothers turn out to be the most hardy of all of the child survivors, but they don’t really know why.

What I didn’t understand was Eve and Chance’s relationship. If Eve was that into Chance, why wouldn’t she go on missions with him? And Chance’s relationship with Alex – well, I thought Alex was a bit of a manipulative survivalist. If the two boys in charge of looking after her are in love, of course they will put her needs first. Smart move.

I also don’t understand why they are so special. Wouldn’t there be kids somewhere else that have taken down a Queen? Or some towns that were smart enough to chop down the poisonous vines before they took over? I feel like there have got to be some parts of the world that are still safe such as Australia. No-one cares about Australia, including aliens most of the time.

I really thought that this novel might be a stand alone, but once again, I was disappointed. However, it looks like a duo, and for some reason, the back cover makes me think that the other one is already out. But how could that be when this one was given to me by publishers? Anyway, the conclusion of this one was quite ok, but then there was a cliffhanger introduced right at the end. If you haven’t picked up this novel yet (or even if you have), I’d recommend waiting until you have that second novel.

 

This was an unexpectedly good dystopian novel that deserves to be given a chance (haha). 4 stars from me.

Penguin Random House | 2nd January 2017 | AU$19.99 | paperback

The 18 Best Reads of 2017

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Best Reads of 2017

I thought about the new year coming, and that I had best give you a quick overview of what my highlights were! I also found it interesting to discover that some of my favourite authors, such as Juliet Marillier, were not on the list. Maybe I can hope for more novels from them in 2018…

January: Emily Barr – The One Memory of Flora Banks and Sara Barnard – A Quiet Kind of Thunder. Both of these novels are worthy YA novels that tackle interesting neurological disorders.

February: Vic James – Gilded Cage and Emily Reynolds – A Beginner’s Guide to Losing Your Mind. A nice fantasy/futuristic novel and another neurological offering (but this time a personal story).

March: Sally Hepworth – the mother’s promise and Laurie Frankel – This Is How It Always Is. These two novels took us out of YA territory and into more Adult fiction. The former novel looked at a hypothetical problem, while the latter looked at real life gender non-conformity.

April: Brigid Kemmerer – Letters to the Lost, John Scalzi – The Collapsing Empire and Amy Tintera – Avenged. Three hits here, another YA, the only Sci-Fi of the year and a Fantasy. Avenged was the second novel from Ruined in 2016.

May: I spent some time overseas in May, and thus, no 5-star reviews here either.

June: Emery Lord – The Names They Gave Us. Just one novel this month, a fabulous YA novel from an author I am coming to adore. Another of her novels starred in November. When We Collided is her novel from 2016.

July: Kathleen Duey – Sacred Scars. I had reviewed Skin Hunger, and read this one at the same time, but I took a long time to get around to reviewing it. Actually, this is not even a new novel to my shelf or new in any sense of the word. Many years later we are still waiting on the third and final novel in this series…

August: No novels reviewed here, due to my PhD completion. I’m Dr. Herbert now!

September: Megan Jacobson – the build-up season. This YA novel was a worthy successor to her first novel, yellow. Once again, Jacobson attempted to address some holes in YA fiction with interesting family relationships.

October: Allison Rushby – The Fifth Room. Here we have a bit of science, and another hypothetical. How far would you go to do the experiments you wanted to do?

November: AJ Conway – The Successor, Krystal Sutherland – A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares and Emery Lord – the start of me and you. Conway’s other novels My Nova (2012) and Skyquakers (2016) are more Sci-Fi, while this novel is a straight fiction. Krystal Sutherland follows in the great YA standard she set in Our Chemical Hearts. And finally we see a third brilliant novel from Emery Lord (which honestly I didn’t expect, as when there is more than one novel per year by an author, I start to worry about quality).

December: Katie Kennedy – Learning to Swear in America and Garth Nix – A Confusion of Princes. Finally we see one of my old favourite authors here, Garth Nix. Technically this novel probably isn’t a 5 stars for me any more, but it was still awesome for its age-bracket. Learning to Swear in America brought a little science back into YA to round out the year!

Keep in mind that I did not get around to reviewing some of these novels until well after their release dates. That means that for those where you can expect a sequel, well, those are almost released! This includes ‘Gilded Cage’, expect a review of the second novel, Tarnished City on the 9th of January 2018. There are also some novels left that I have read but not reviewed, and these will now roll over to 2018.

Review: Michael Tolkin – NK3

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NK3
Michael Tolkin

North Korea released a virus that turns people into Drifters, or essentially, Zombies. Some people are immune, or have been retrained in time. All technology has been lost – except one plane out of there. I didn’t hang around long enough to find out if they even left.

“Deliciously dark prose”? Try incomprehensibly dark plot line. I tried desperately to connect with any of the characters, but instead found them falling out of my mind faster than a Drifter forgot their families. Skipping around different perspectives gives this novel nothing worthwhile, and just left me confused and irritated. There seemed to be no forwards plot that I could identify in the first half of the novel, and after that I gave up.

Looking for a virus/biohazard take-over-the-world thriller? Try SKITTER or The Ego Cluster. Want something with Zombies? Try The Rains (review to come). This one is probably not going to be for you unless you enjoy incomprehensible plots with characters that you can’t connect with. I couldn’t finish this novel. 1 star.

Allen & Unwin | 31st October 2017 | AU$29.99 | paperback

Review: Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski – Edgeland

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Edgeland
Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski

The Drain is designed to take the rich dead through to the afterlife. No-one knows what is actually beyond the drop, but when a death boat accidentally takes a funeral payment with it, Alec and Wren fall in. If they are ever to get out of the Drain they will have to understand its problems and its secrets,

Wren is a plucky heroine that seems to be afraid of nothing except perhaps another betrayal. Alec on the other hand seems a bit wussy to me (which is perfectly ok), but he toughens up and becomes a character you can empathise with. They don’t really know what to expect next, and so neither does the reader.

This reminded me of Nightfall, honestly, which shouldn’t be surprising, as it’s by the same authors. Another novel by them is Dormia, which is also a decent read. But why aren’t they working on the inevitable sequel to Nightfall? There was certainly more there to be explored as well.

I’ll be keeping this novel on my shelf as a 4-star winner. I know some other readers who might enjoy it, and I’d love to get the opportunity to lend it out to them! For a ‘Hot Key’ book, it was very good. I’ve had bad experiences with them before, such as fly on the wall, but these authors kept me much better entertained.

Allen & Unwin | 1st August 2017 | AU $16.99 | paperback