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Review: Brandon Sanderson – Firefight

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Firefight
Brandon Sanderson

David has overcome Steelheart but continues to track Epics – mainly because they seem intent on killing him. When a new threat is identified, David and Prof travel to the next nearest city. There, David needs to find himself again and redefine what he believes.

20945146David! You’re such a nutter! And it makes me love you all the more that you’re so gullible and transparent, yet clever and quick-thinking at the same time. Ah, betrayal. Nothing like it. And it takes David’s wiliness he has developed through Epic hunting to deal with those that seem to be on his side.

Ah, Firefight! I love you! Please don’t die on me again, and again, and again. Especially with what David works out about weaknesses and their significance to all Epics… And how powers are gained too…

There was so much suspense near the end that it near killed me! All the things happening at once, everyone deceiving everyone else, people being discovered. Not to mention the great reveal of.. well, if I told you, it wouldn’t be much of a reveal. Get out there, buy this book.

Just like when I had finished reading the first novel in this trilogy, Steelheart, I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days. My brain was left wondering with more questions than answers.

My one sadness is that the third book in this trilogy doesn’t come out until March 2016. Arg! I can’t wait! I’d love to get my hands on an ARC, but since his work is so popular, I wouldn’t be surprised if ARCs only went to ‘professional reviewers’. Now if only I had that job for a living…

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Elementary, All-New Tales of the Elemental Masters

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Elementary, All-New Tales of the Elemental Masters
Mercedes Lackey
This collection of short stories is a combination of new tales in Mercedes Lackey’s Elemental Masters world, with a weird injection of some authors who have no idea what the Elements should be like.

“Fire-Water” by Samuel Conway brings a fishhawk to a rabbit to stop a small war. I found this entertaining because it was from a different perspective, and it was not what I was expecting from this short story collection at all.

“Fire Song” by Diana L. Paxson takes a young boy out of the city with his family. Fascinating bit of history to be had this one. it was predictable though, of course the son was able to do wonderful things. Masters of the elements do tend to be a bit strange, particularly double masters. I wanted to know more about the future of that child though.

“Sails of the Armada” by Kristen Schwengel forces a Galician sailor into the Spanish Armada. I did know the background for this one. The ending wasn’t quite what was typical for novels, which was actually pretty good. I only wish I knew more about his earlier life.

“The Wild Rogue” by Fiona Patton puts a young water mage into the drunk tank. This one – complete loss. I had no idea what was going on.

“Feathers and Foundations” by Elizabeth A. Vaughan induces an earth mage to seek a rift. This was more like what I would hope from a story! Yes, it had the history element, but it was also well-written and fitting in with the way Lackey writes her stories. I was just waiting for the ‘ah-ha’ moment the whole time. I wish it has been a novel.

“Hearth and Family” by Dayle A. Dermatis solves a problem for a woman without a family. This was just as good as the previous short story. This reminded me of a fairytale for some reason, but its basing in history worked well.

“Secret Friends” by Louisa Swann draws unexpected assistance to a girl who is about to lose her brother. This was perfect for a short story.

“Fire’s Daughter” by Elizabeth Waters musters new friends for Eleanora.  This would work well as a longer story. It was right within the vein of Lackey’s works. I did have a moment thinking she was trans, but she wasn’t.

“Picking Up the Pieces” by Cedric Johnson introduces another victim of Marco. I think this had Pearl and Garnet in it, and ugh, they were just too tidy and annoying.

“The Price of Family” by Jennifer Brozek presents Josie with a problem of ethics. I don’t appear to have written notes about this one…

“Arms of the Sea” by Tanya Huff challenges a crippled water master. I loved it – it highlighted stupid menfolk and the power of healing.

“London Falling” by Ben Ohlander leads a fire mage to his missing brother. This was powerful and disturbing, but I don’t think it was canon within Lackey’s works…

“The King of the River Rats” by Michele Lang involves a fire mage reporter in multiple disappearances of young women. This had the potential to be bigger, but I was personally frustrated by Jane’s minor role. Not to mention I was confused by the ending.

“Air of Deception” by Jody Lynn Nye mixes an apprentice parfumeuse with a spy. This was excellent. I feel sure however that I have previously read this or something very similar.

“Fly or Fall” by Stephanie Shaver compels an air mage with a bitter choice. This was well-written and quirky.

“Bone Dance” by Rosemary Edghill & Rebecca Fox follows an earth master in a desperate hunt. I’m not sure why it was called this. It was very good and I enjoyed the different perspective and empathised with the Captain.

“The Flying Contraption” by Ron Collins guides a young air mage into the workshop of the Wright brothers. Arg! Why was she not taught air magic responsibly? This was an interesting take on the Wright brother legend.

“A Peony Amongst Roses” by Gail Sanders & Michael Z. Williamson relates the trials of a young earth mage whose talent is growing flowers. I felt like I had read this before, but it was enjoyable and crafty all the same. It could have been a good start to a novel.

“Into the Woods” by Mercedes Lackey tells the adventures of a young earth mage in her red riding hood. This was the Mercedes Lackey original. However it didn’t have much substance and ended the way I expected – a fairy tale! Absolutely online with her other stories but nothing new, and certainly nothing exciting. This is just the beginning of Blood Red.

I read this selection of short stories a very long time ago now. While some of them were good, others failed miserably. I waited so long on posting the review because I didn’t have all the story names and authors. Even now, I think I have two of the stories mixed up…

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Review: A.C. Burch – The HomePort Journals

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The HomePort Journals
A.C. Burch

Marc longs to be an author, but the words never seem to come to him in the city. After he breaks up with his abusive partner, he flees to Provincetown, where he’s taken in by an old woman and her enigmatic companions.

25244093The novel is well realised, with scenery which I can vividly picture right now. There was only one inconsistency towards the end of the novel, when the Captain’s journals appeared in two places at once. I can see them walking down the beach, and Marc trying to write in his tower, complete with the art workshop on one of the middle floors.

I like that in this novel, all of the characters are ok with being one form of queer or another. This is a world I dream of, where it’s ok to be yourself! Everyone in the novel has a role somewhere, even if it’s not where you expect. They were lovely, three dimensional characters that reached out to me through just Marc’s perspective – a mark of a strong writer.

I spent most of the novel in suspense that Brandon would track down Marc. I knew he would eventually, but I didn’t know how much Marc was going to be able to stand up against him. Marc draws people to him without even knowing it, and those people think he’s worth a lot more than he gives himself credit for.

The romance that occurs in this novel is subtly layered and sort of incidental. What threw me was some of the comments of Marc to himself about being extrainged from love. He had been so badly hurt (which is mainly just alluded to intriguingly through the novel), and yet he can’t open up when someone else is trying to help! If the romance was the main theme, the reader wouldn’t keep going.

Instead, the mystery and suspense of the plot grips the reader. I wanted to know the history, and how all the competing interests would be served. I loved the ending. So happy, and yet, bittersweet, and arg, why didn’t they fix things earlier.

At some point recently in my reading, I have moved into the pure fiction genre. I never expected it to happen, usually finding those sort of novels boring and repeditive. But add a hint of mystery and a strong queer element, and you’ve got an avid reader on your hands.

I give this novel a very solid 4 stars, moving up to 5 stars. It’s just not a 5-stars for me because I don’t have a strong desire to read it again. But by all means, go out there and buy it, it’s awesome!

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Review: N.R. Bates – At the Sharp End of Lightening

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At the Sharp End of Lightening
N.R. Bates

Something poisonous is happening throughout the worlds. The sprites and humans of Oceanlight and Earth need to cross the Interface and work out what is going on, before it’s too late for themselves and their family.

25324761There are simply too many perspectives going on in this novel for me to be interested in all of them. The human I could feel empathy with, the sprites I felt completely disconnected from. Half the time I couldn’t care less whether they lived or died. And I also wondered why the human didn’t have better treatment – this is modern times – it’s really rare to have blood disorders now that can’t be treated efficiently.

The internal dialogue of the characters and the forced interactions spoiled this novel for me. I simply started reading it and immediately wanted to put it down. True to my word though, I kept reading it. By about a third of the way in, my interest was stirred a bit more, enough that i was pretty much immersed in it, but all the other books around me were just as tempting to read.

It took half the novel to even start covering part of the blurb, and it didn’t even cover the Goodreads notes. I felt like I had gained nothing from reading the text, and could have just wiki-ed it for a less painful progress. Then towards the end the jump in time periods left me grasping for purpose.

I signed up for this novel as part of a tour, thinking that someone with a strong science background would have amazing things to offer in a novel. Sadly, I was left wanting for the writing style, as firm as the novel’s progression was. This is the first novel in the series ‘Oceanlight’, so I’m ever hopeful that the author might still find his stride to start speaking through the characters rather than

I feel betrayed by the rest of Goodread’s positive reviews. I always start wondering if I’m reading the same novel. For me, this novel gets a mark of 2 stars. Is it perhaps not aimed at me? Can anyone else tell me what I missed?

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NR Bates was born in London, grew up in Wales, and lived in Canada and Bermuda. He shares his life with his wife,seven cats, one dog and the tropical wildlife of lizards, wolf spiders and ant colonies that seek out a better life indoors. He is an oceanographer and scientist, and has published more than one hundred and twenty scientific papers on ocean chemistry, climate change and ocean acidification.

He is a Senior Scientist at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and Professor of Ocean Biogeochemistry at the University of Southampton, UK. His novels focus on epic fantasy and magic realism, and inspired by his deep love of the ocean and environmental sciences.

Website: nrbates.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NR-Bates/1536689869946441
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NRBatesAuthor

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Review: Holly Golderg Sloan – I’ll Be There

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I’ll Be There
Holly Goldberg Sloan

Sam and Riddle have lived with their father for a long time. They are closely knit into one fabric, yet their father keeps tearing holes in it. When Sam sees Emily for the first time, about to throw up from a forced singing recital, something stirs in his heart for someone other than his brother.

9415957Why did the book grab me? Well, Sam seemed pretty cool, and Clarence had something wrong with him that I could relate to. But then again, Emily. Ok, so Emily could have been a character to hate. She’s completely trusting, naive, no idea. And her parents? Well, you think that they could be a bit more chill. Everything is a bit see-through.

I guess that that could be to contrast Sam. Sam hides so many things, and yet at the same time, he doesn’t know that it’s ok to talk to some people. It’s made clear how this situation came about, but I find it difficult to believe that life was like that for a long time. Something I didn’t understand was why Sam was still with his father even though he was 17. I understand wanting to look after his brother. But really? Something should have twigged that there was something more seriously wrong with their father and that something might need to be done about it.

I’m not sure how I felt about Clarence. It’s easy to push him into the bad guy role, it’s true he’s not nice to his kids and he’s a thief, but he has other things going on. It sounded to me exactly like he had schizophrenia. And if he did, then he wasn’t in control of himself at all really. Who knows? He could have been nice if he had been on medication.

I would have loved to have seen more done with music. Being recognised as a genius doesn’t mean much unless you’re able to write music, performing is not enough in my opinion. It started off as a theme, and could have been used to link more of the text together.

There were some jolting parts for me, such as Riddle’s asthma. Sam didn’t know about it before. No-one knew about it before. But suddenly it becomes all-important. And funnily enough, it’s not Riddle’s fault that things are going to hell! He’s survived so long in his life so far, I don’t see what all the upset is about. Maybe it is to show his growing relationship with his ‘mother’.

I couldn’t decide if I liked the ending or not. I certainly felt all the feels while I was reading it. It seemed like the happily ever after would never come. But the simplicity of it urked me, even if that was entirely proving Emily’s point that everything happens for a reason.

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Review: Lizzie Wilcock – Thirst

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Thirst
Lizzie Wilcock

Karanda has passed through 5 foster homes, and it’s not exactly clear why. But the thing is, her behaviour has been getting worse over time. She’s snarky and completely wary of people – so when she gets the desert all to herself, it seems like the best thing for her. Sol is used to being abandoned – in fact, if you were to count foster homes, he’s been through more than her! But he craves human contact – and Karanda is all he has left.

24866854There is a lot of ‘Auzzie’-ness in this novel that is going to appeal to locals and overseas people alike. Who doesn’t love cute possums? Something that I felt was an inconsistency was how Karanda’s blood lust rose and fell. Is it just the environment, the challenges, allowing her to cry? It doesn’t seem like something she does very often.

Even as their lives entwine, Sol and Karanda have a past together that only one of them knows. The thing that got me going was that I didn’t know what colour their skins were – I assume Caucasian – but it didn’t matter to them. The adversity exposes their secrets, even if all the reader usually hears is from Karanda’s perspective.

It urked me that the author kept referring to Sol and Karanda as ‘children’. Both of them have seen enough of life to no longer be considered children in my mind, and most of their behaviour was as adult-like as it could be in the situation. Otherwise they simply wouldn’t survive.

The ending was very satisfying, right in line with the rest of the novel. What I enjoyed best was that things were never predictable. I fully felt that one of them could die at any point, they could starve, they could die from infection. It adds a bit of spice to a novel which could otherwise because just another bush-survival tale, just pointed at children.

Did I think it was coincidence about the helicopter coming at that point in time? No. Now that I think about it, it’s obvious that it is the natural events going on, not the two kids.  And the car? I don’t even know.

Was I blown away by this? Not really. But for the right audience? For sure. It’s pleasurable, light reading. 3-stars for adult readers, a generous 4 for it’s designated audience of younger teens.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Closer to Home

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Closer to Home
Mercedes Lackey

Despite having a somewhat unorthodox upbringing and a shiny life respectively, Mags and Amiliy have gone though a variety of challenging situations together. Upon their return to Haven and their Whites, they have to balance their private and public selves to provide a stable face for the kingdom.

20893366Ok, so the summary I just gave you is probably a little too rosy. To confirm your dismay, once again this novel has Mags at its centre. If only this Lackey novel could have had a different hero. There’s plenty of minor meaty bits to work with, but Mags eats them all up with his low-levelview of life and his expectations.

Mag’s terrible speech continues as an ongoing annoyance. I know it’s part of his street persona, but he doesn’t need it to make him stand out from the other characters at all. The other characters seemed defined by their words, rather than their actions, even though a new mind-power mean that more actions could have been described with a hint of emotion.

It took me a little while to get around to writing a review for this novel, simply because I was searching around for other things to read that might be more compelling! I did make a note to jump start my mind for the review though – Another lackluster Lackey offering.

I’ve seen other reviewers complaining that Lackey is simply coming up with ideas for novels from things that have worked previously. In this case, it’s a Romeo and Juliet-esk drama, seen through the eyes of a small dog. Nothing against the small furry dog, just a lot against idiotic noblewomen.

I borrowed this novel from the library. Unless it’s super on sale, I wouldn’t even buy it as a mass-market paperback – nothing new to read here. 2 to 3 stars from me – a bare pass.

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Review: Matthew Reilly – Troll Mountain

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Troll Mountain
Matthew Reilly

Raf’s only family has come down with a fatal disease that no human knows how to cure. The secret rests with the trolls of Troll Mountain – the very animals that killed the rest of Raf’s family. When the authorities of his tribe fail to make progress on helping Raf’s sister, he sets out on a quest.

21882602While at first glance things in society seem very simple, the questioning voice of Ko and Raf’s quick learning expose universal truths. Adults will probably see most things coming, but younger readers will appreciate the unveiling of the potential ugliness of society. It also seems as if Reilly is having a quick stab at the current state of politics (but it’s not intrusive).

This is a novel of the journey, the plot, the scenery and lastly the characters. Raf undergoes character development, but it’s really just a side effect of the journey. It certainly isn’t enough to drive the story. But the plot is swift and doesn’t let the reader or Raf catch their breath, ending up in a short read for me that took around a half hour.

I’m not sure what I was expecting from this novel, but I don’t think it was what I expected from knowing about some of Reilly’s more popular works. I expected a gritty, heavy fantasy novel suitable for long-time converts, and instead got an accessible novel for all ages.

This novel was originally published in successive chapters as an ebook. I have to say, I probably never would have picked them up. I’m not very patient, and although each chapter wraps itself up nicely, and doesn’t form too much on an impatient cliff-hanger, I wouldn’t be good at remembering to keep reading it. I received this novel in a beautiful hardback from Macmillian. I’d suggest buying it for your young person in your life though – I think it would be worth reading and discussing. 3.5 stars from me.

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Review: Karelia Stetz-Waters – The Purveyor

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The Purveyor
Karelia Stetz-Waters

Helen and Wilson have been forcibly separated in the wake of The Admirer‘s thrilling conclusion. As Wilson suffers from a disorder with no cure, Helen finds herself increasingly lost and uncomfortable, not knowing why Wilson is not returning to her college.

23120239This novel is just as entrancing as the first novel. It is written more from Wilson’s perspective which is a refreshing change after Helen’s insecure narration in the first novel. At the same time, it is obvious that Wilson suffers from the same insecurities. I felt frustrated that they weren’t communicating well, because surely they should have gotten over it in the first novel? But that is what makes this novel more life-like and less like a fiction.

That being said, the things that go wrong that are really random things that get wrong. How likely is it that these things would happen in real life? The whole hierarchy in Wilson’s family seems off, but then again, these atrocities to occur in modern life, and what better way to expose it than in a novel? Her family is seriously interbred and messy, made more so by the questionable sexualities of its members. I wonder how much of this actually goes on…

I had such differing levels of disgust and horror and discomfort all about one person, but I didn’t know that they were someone else until it was too late! I didn’t feel tricked, instead I felt like I’d had an actual expose go on, just like Wilson feels. It’s a clever technique that Karelia uses with expertise in both of her ‘Wilson and Helen’ novels.

I couldn’t make the final connection for what happened to the girls. They’re basically surrounded by myth the whole time. They’re completely legendary, and remain that way. I’d love to hear more from them. I want to know whether they are both happy, whether they decide to study more, and what the collector wanted from them (if it wasn’t sex or religious purposes).

Once again I was left feeling like I’d been walking along hot coals and found myself loving them so much that it felt more painful when it ended. I was pushed along by how things were interconnected and messy and yet not obvious all at the same time. Love, love, loved this novel. Not only did I connect with the characters, the plot didn’t miss a beat and kept moving forward with no inconsistencies.

When I interviewed Karelia, she mentioned that many people seem uncomfortable with the sex scenes in her novels. I think that the majority of them are tastefully done, and actually offer insight into the characters. That is particularly the case in this novel. It’s certainly not a gratuitous pledge to her readers.

I bought this novel for myself after reading Karelia’s other novels, The Admirer, Forgive Me If I’ve Told You This Before and Something True. Let that be a mark to you that I now proudly own all these novels after buying them with my own cash, and would confidently promote them to everyone.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory – The House of the Four Winds

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The House of the Four Winds
Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory

Clarice, or Clarence as she prefers to be known, has been sent out from home to seek her fortune as a swordswoman. Determined to explore more of the world before settling down, she finds herself on a ship to the New World. After a mutiny by the crew, Clarence and her Captain find themselves running out of food and water – and instead heading towards an unknown destination.

16059529Clarence is a traditional female-hiding-as-male character. Not only does she pretend to be a passenger when she’s perfectly capable of looking after herself, she predictably falls in love with the Captain – who is understandably confused about having feelings for a young man…

It’s pretty much black and white what each person is feeling and doing. You know some characters are being sneaky, and it’s almost 100% positive that they are ‘bad’. ‘Bad’ dies out, and ‘good’ wins. Even when you put an all-powerful sorceress in the mix.

This novel was the highlight of the ones I borrowed from the library recently by Lackey. Mallory pulls up Lackey’s slack, and makes the story work. That being said, the execution is improved, but there’s not really any real variation from a known and best-selling story-type. I long for something new and unique – and I think I’m going to have to step away from

I’m interested to see what becomes of the next sisters in the series. They can’t all be firey princesses dreaming of adventure surely? Or perhaps this book won’t be successful enough to demand the writing of those… 4 stars from me.

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