Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Book Review: The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

 

This is the story of Laura and Freddie Iven, sister and brother. Set during WWI, both Ivens serve in the Canadian army. Laura serves as a nurse, Freddie as a soldier. Both have different, but horrifying, experiences of the war. Laura was wounded and sent home unbeknownst to Freddie. While home recovering, she receives a package indicating that he is dead. But, it's light on the details. And no matter who she talks to, she can't find out where or how he died. When the opportunity arises, Laura seizes it to go back to the war zone and search out information herself.

Freddie had been trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded German soldier named Winter. They make a truce and against odds, dig their way out. They then need to cross the hellscape of war to get to safety. By that time, the tentative bond they forged in the pillbox has gotten much stronger. Neither is willing to give the other up as prisoner nor participate in futher killing.

Both Laura and Freddie have heard rumors amidst the war of a fiddler or hotelier who can give you ease. Those who claim to have seen him have often gone mad - some for the peace he provided. But every peace has its price. Are they willing to pay it?

This book is very well written. The prose is nice, the research impeccable. The descriptions conjure pictures of slices of the war. Their stories are told in alternating viewpoints between Laura and Freddie.

I loved the characters, especially Laura. I felt she had the strongest characterization in the book. Freddie would be second. Laura has as a companion a well off woman who lost her son in the war. The woman goes by the nickname Pim. Freddie has Winter as a companion for much of the novel, but significantly not for some parts. Laura is strong when Pim seems weak. And Winter is strong when Freddie seems weak. 

Pace and plotwise, basically it hits the ground running and doesn't let up much. There's both war action and hospital action with a smattering of other. All of it advances the plot.

I gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Overall, it's well written. Prose flows nicely. Action moves the plot forward at a good pace. Characterization is good, especially Laura. I would recommend this book to people who like a vivid, yet creepy, sort of war story. There are ghosts and hints at other.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden was published February 13th, 2024 by Del Rey.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #499: The Girl in the Bog by Keith Donohue

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings

From the publisher: Ancient heroes from Irish mythology and folklore come to life in the modern world in this dark, atmospheric story. At once a thrilling chase novel and a wry reimagining of Ireland’s oldest epic, it is sure to enthrall readers of Neil Gaiman and Cassandra Khaw.

Everybody is after the girl in the bog.

One morning in a field in Connemara, a farmer unearths the body of a young woman, two thousand years old, preserved under layers of peat. Later that evening she awakens in unfamiliar modern Ireland, ripping a hole through space and time and setting awhirl old animosities and long-held grudges.

Shadowy figures follow her from the pagan past, and each emerges with a claim on the girl from the bog. With help from a trio of wannabe teenage witches, she goes on the run. Joining in the chase is an American archaeologist, who wants to keep the discovery for herself, and two befuddled farmers trapped in the plot. Hosts of fairies out for the night work their magic and mischief, and in the blue hour before sunrise, the saga unfolds in a battle for the ages.

Part fantasy, part mystery, part thriller, part send-up, this comic and poignant love song to Irish literature and the gift of gab does not merely bend genres, it braids them into Celtic knots.

Thr Giirl in the Bog by Keith Donohue is set to be released August 13th, 2024 by Crooked Lane Books.

Why am I waiting on this bookI like the way it sounds. Fairies, witches, a bog girl that comes alive and more spark my interest. I like the juxtaposition of the old with the modern world. It sounds like it will be a bit of a wild ride with some humor to it. 

What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #498: Wink edited by Henry Herz

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings

From the publisher: 

We all remember our favorite childhood classics, like The Giving Tree and The Velveteen Rabbit. Wink explores those classics through the lens of YA fantasy and science fiction. Featuring stories from bestselling and award-winning authors, including Kendare Blake, Leah Cypess, Stacia Deutsch, David Gerrold, Nancy Holder, Alethea Kontis, Jonathan Maberry, Seanan McGuire, and Maggie Stiefvater, Wink takes us on a wonderful romp through our favorite childhood stories.

Wink edited by Henry Herz is expected out June 24th, 2024 from Brigids Gate Press.

Why am I waiting on this bookI like retellings.And I have a fondness for children's literature. The list of included authors looks good too. I'm looking forward to checking this one out and seeing what stories they choose as basis for their works.

What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Happy Book Birthday to Two Very Different Books

 


Two very different books come out today, but they do have one thing in common. They both have at their center female relationships.

From the publisher:

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero are in sore need of a girls’ weekend away. They plan a trip to Atlantic City, but odds are—seeing as it’s actually a cover story to negotiate a deal with a dangerous loan shark, save Vero’s childhood crush Javi, and hunt down a stolen car—it won’t be all fun and games. When Finlay’s ex-husband Steven and her mother insist on tagging along too, Finlay and Vero suddenly have a few too many meddlesome passengers along for the ride.

Within hours of arriving in their seedy casino hotel, it becomes clear their rescue mission is going to be a bust. Javi’s kidnapper, Marco, refuses to negotiate, demanding payment in full in exchange for Javi’s life. But that’s not all—he insists on knowing the whereabouts of his missing nephew, Ike, who mysteriously disappeared. Unable to confess what really happened to Ike, Finlay and Vero are forced to come up with a new plan: sleuth out the location of Javi and the Aston Martin, then steal them both back.

But when they sneak into the loan shark’s suite to search for clues, they find more than they bargained for—Marco's already dead. They don’t have a clue who murdered him, only that they themselves have a very convincing motive. Then four members of the police department unexpectedly show up in town, also looking for Ike—and after Finlay's night with hot cop Nick at the police academy, he’s a little too eager to keep her close to his side.

If Finlay can juggle a jealous ex-husband, two precocious kids, her mother’s marital issues, a decomposing loan shark, and find Vero’s missing boyfriend, she might get out of Atlantic City in one piece. But will she fold under the pressure and come clean about the things she’s done, or be forced to double down?

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano is out today from Minotaur Books.

Next up is Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk which is out today from Dutton.

From the publisher:

It is the twilight of Europe’s bloody bacchanals, of murder and feasting without end. In the nineteenth century, a vampire arrives from Europe to the coast of Buenos Aires and, for the second time in her life, watches as villages transform into a cosmopolitan city, one that will soon be ravaged by yellow fever. She must adapt, intermingle with humans, and be discreet.

In present-day Buenos Aires, a woman finds herself at an impasse as she grapples with her mother's terminal illness and her own relationship with motherhood. When she first encounters the vampire in a cemetery, something ignites within the two women—and they cross a threshold from which there’s no turning back.

With echoes of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and written in the vein of feminist Gothic writers like Shirley Jackson, Daphne du Maurier, and Carmen Maria Machado, Thirst plays with the boundaries of genre while exploring the limits of female agency, the consuming power of desire, and the fragile vitality of even the most immortal of creatures.

What books have you  been waiting for today? Are you more of a Finlay Donovan person or Gothic vampire or both? I'm both. Reviews to follow.


Sunday, March 3, 2024

Book Review: Boy of Chaotic Making by Charlie N. Holmberg

 

Once there was a dog who'd been a house who'd been a boy. Owein could remember that. He was now a mixed terrier breed dog. He communicated with his many greats nephew via magic. Merritt Fernsby loved Owein (his many greats uncle). And he enjoyed talking with him, but one of the consequences of doing so was a temporary loss of his voice depending on how long they'd been talking.

Hulda Larkin, Merritt's fiancee, loved Owein too. So it was the three of them, after discussion, who decided to see exactly what the Queen of England had in mind when she said she was interested in Owein. And especially what she had in mind when she said that they could find Owein a human body and transfer him into it and marry him into the royal family. Merritt and Owein travel to London to find out exactly what the deal is. Adventure ensues.

The characters in the book are well done, especially Merritt, Owein, and Hulda.I liked them for who they were on the page and for the way they interact with one another.

The world building is consistent with the first two books in the Whimbrel House series. I like that for every kind of magic used there is a natural sort of reaction. For example, Merritt's voice is affected when he converses mentally with Owein.

In general, the plotting and writing is well done. It's better to have read the first two books before you read this one. The story moves along at a good pace. And I was a little surprised at the culprit in the mystery.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's well written and entertaining. If you like historic fantasy set in a slightly different world from ours, then you would most likely enjoy this book and series. It appears there is a book 4 on the horizon. I look forward to it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinions or review.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #497: Nightmare of a Trip by Maureen Kilmer

 


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings


From the publisher:

A horror-tinged National Lampoon’s Vacation: This is one family getaway they’ll never forget...

Leigh Somerset wants to spend some quality time with her kids before they grow up, and her husband has always fancied himself sort of a Clark Griswold figure. So the Somersets will be spending their family vacation on the road, driving from suburban Milwaukee to Orlando, Florida. Already off to a rocky start, when they stumble upon an abandoned, half-burned farmhouse in Indiana, the Somersets inadvertently unleash an eerie past that will follow them the rest of their trip.

From creepy indoor waterparks to paranormal-activity plagued Cracker Barrels, it’s one thing after another in the pursuit of the great American summer road trip. Will the Somersets be able to shake these bad vibes and get on with family bonding, or will the road less traveled become the highway to hell?

Nightmare of a Trip by Maureen Kilmer is due to be released September 10th, 2024 from G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Why am I waiting on this bookI like Maureen Kilmer's work. She does a great job of blending horror and humor. Her previous novels, Suburban Hell and Hex Education were both fun horror reads. And this one sounds like it will be a good read as well. "A horror-tinged  National Lampoon's Vacation" - what fan of horror blended with humor could resist?

What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Book Review: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

As far as murders go, making a tree spontaneously grow out of someone killing them instantly is pretty unique. This is exactly what happens to an Imperial officer as the inciting event in this mystery.

Ana Dolabra along with her assistant Dinios Kol are assigned to investigate. Din acts as Ana's eyes and ears as he has been modified as an engraver to have a perfect memory. Ana seldom leaves home, so the accuracy of Din's evidence gathered and interviews are of utmost importance. In addition to seldom leaving her home, Ana wears a blindfold most of the time and swears like a sailor. The swearing somewhat scandalizes Din, but Ana can get away with a lot because of how well her mind works while solving a case. 

I loved both Ana and Din.They work so well together. We get to know Din a little more though since the story is told through his eyes.

The world building is excellent. The Empire reminds me a little of a medieval walled city in structure. The further away from the wall you get, the more affluent you are. And in this case, the further away from the wall you get, the safer you are from the leviathans who try and breach the wall. So in addition to working on solving the mystery, Ana and Din must be aware of the dangers lurking.

Overall this is a very well written book. I gave it 5 stars out of 5. It has a fascinating mystery, excellent world building, and interesting characters. And as it is book one in a series, I look forward to reading more about Ana and Din. I'd recommend this book to people who enjoy a good fantasy as well as those who enjoy a good mystery in a fantasy setting.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett was published February 6th, 2024 by Del Rey. It is book one in the Shadow of the Leviathan series.