Book Review: Starter Villain by John Scalzi

 

This was my first time reading John Scalzi, but it won't be my last.

Charlie Fitzer is a substitute teacher with dreams. He wants to own the pub that he and his dad frequented. Unfortunately the bank turns him down for a loan to do so because he has no collateral. On that same day, Charlie finds out that he has an inheritance from his estranged Uncle Jake. All he has to do is stand up for him at his funeral. The attendees, their actions, and Charlie's reactions are really something. 

Mathilde Morrison, his Uncle Jake's right hand woman, reveals to Charlie that he's inheriting his uncle's business. Not so much the public business, which runs itself, but a more clandestine business of being a Villain.

Tilly takes him to a secret lair on a volcanic island in the Caribbean. Charlie finds out that his uncle has cats and dolphins working for him that communicate via computers. And while his uncle's competitors didn't like him, they don't want Charlie taking over the business either.

I really liked Charlie. He tries really hard to take everything in stride. He succeeds for the most part. I was glad he had Tilly, the cats, and the dolphins to help him. Having Charlie need to negotiate with unionizing dolphins was inspired. The dialog is well done and can be quite funny. The plot moves along at a good pace.  The action pretty much starts with a bang and goes from there. It gets faster the further you get into the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it to people who enjoy well written books with unusual plot lines, devices, and a good dose of humor.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi was published September 19th, 2023 by Tor Books.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #486: The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

 

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 gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a spot on the Round Table, only to find that he’s too late. The king died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, leaving no heir, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table survive.

They aren’t the heroes of legend, like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Table, from the edges of the stories, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill. Together this ragtag fellowship will set out to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance.

But Arthur’s death has revealed Britain’s fault lines. God has abandoned it, and the fairies and monsters and old gods are returning, led by Arthur’s half-sister Morgan le Fay. Kingdoms are turning on each other, warlords lay siege to Camelot and rival factions are forming around the disgraced Lancelot and the fallen Queen Guinevere. It is up to Collum and his companions to reclaim Excalibur, solve the mysteries of this ruined world and make it whole again. But before they can restore Camelot they’ll have to learn the truth of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell, and lay to rest the ghosts of his troubled family and of Britain’s dark past.

The first major Arthurian epic of the new millennium, The Bright Sword is steeped in tradition, full of duels and quests, battles and tournaments, magic swords and Fisher Kings. It also sheds a fresh light on Arthur’s Britain, a diverse, complex nation struggling to come to terms with its bloody history. The Bright Sword is a story about imperfect men and women, full of strength and pain, who are looking for a way to reforge a broken land in spite of being broken themselves.

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman is expected out July 16th, 2024 from Viking. 

Why am I waiting on it? I haven't read much of this type of literature in a while, but I am interested in books that use the Arthurian legend as a base. I'm curious as to how Lev Grossman will handle it and where he will go with 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!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #485: Strange Folk by Alli Dyer

 

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 woman returns to her estranged, magical family in Appalachia and must embrace her own power to protect her family and community when a conjuring goes too far in this lush, shimmering, and wildly imaginative debut novel, perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman, Deborah Harkness, and Sarah Addison Allen.

Lee left Craw Valley at eighteen without a backward glance. She wanted no part of the generations of her family who tapped into the power of the land to heal and help their community. But when she abandons her new life in California and has nowhere else to go, Lee returns to Craw Valley with her children in tow to live with her grandmother, Belva.

Lee vows to stay far away from Belva’s world of magic, but when the target of one of her grandmother’s spells is discovered dead, Lee fears that Belva’s magic may have summoned something dark.

As she and her family search for answers, Lee travels down a rabbit hole of strange phenomena and family secrets that force her to reckon with herself and rediscover her power in order to protect her family and the town she couldn’t leave behind.

Strange Folk by Alli Dyer is expected to be released August 6th, 2024 from Atria Books.

Why am I waiting on it? I like the comparison to Alice Hoffman. I like books set in Appalachia. Lee sounds like an interesting character thrown into an interesting predicament. I want to know what happens to her and her family and community.

What book are you waiting on this week? 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!

Book Review: Deadly Tides by Mary Keliikoa

 

From the publsher:

A missing surf legend. Waterlogged clues. Can he trust his gut instincts to end the wave of murder?

Sheriff Jax Turner is learning to live again. Holding tight to the hope of reconciling with his FBI agent ex-wife, the wary man is determined to keep his focus on his coastal Oregon community. And after a concerned brother requests a welfare check, Jax is troubled to find the absent surf shop owner’s tracks lead to a pool of blood.

Now investigating a potential homicide, Turner chases a tip from his former spouse about a severed foot found on the beach. But when a torrent of leads links the victim to a politician's son, a jealous competitor, and a get-straight program for youth, the steadfast lawman fears layers of lies and secret agendas will keep him from stopping a vicious killer.

Can he unravel the fatal agenda before he’s the next corpse to wash ashore?

Deadly Tides by Mary Keliikoa was published October 24th, 2023 by Level Best Books.

My Thoughts:  Sheriff Jax Turner and his ex-wife Abby Kanekoa are a good team up of characters, one working for Misty Pines and the other for the FBI. Even though they are exes, they still manage to work nicely together. Jax is the one that the book focuses on primarily with some of the story being through Abby's eyes. Both characters show personal growth over the course of the book. Makes me wonder what book 3 in the series will hold in store for them. 

Plotwise, the book moves along at a good pace. Some of the settings are described more than others. Those that are, are written vividly. The house on the side of the mountain and the area around it that becomes a crime scene, for example, are described so well, you could practically be there. The overall plot arc goes well from the first foot washing up on shore until the conclusion. There are good twists. It kept me guessing and changing my mind on just who the killer really was. I was surprised because I had ruled out the character who turned out to be the killer about 3/4 of the way through the book.

I gave the book 5 out of 5 stars. It's well written. The characters are interesting and multifaceted. The plot is well done and has good twists. It kept me guessing right up until the end. There were some references to a previous case which I assumed was in the first book in the series. These were explained enough to not interfere with the enjoyment of the story. If you like a well-written mystery, I would suggest this one to you.

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

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #484: Rift in the Soul by Faith Hunter

 

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: Nell Ingram and her team face a dire, supernatural evil in this newest thrilling paranormal procedural in the New York Times bestselling Soulwood series.

Nell Ingram draws her powers from deep in the earth, and uses them to help Psy-LED, the Psychometric Law Enforcement Division, which solves paranormal crimes. When a local vampire calls to report a dead body on her compound, Nell knows she and her team have to be ready for anything.

But the dead body is just the beginning of a mystery that involves supernaturals of all kinds, including some of the most powerful vampires in the country. As Nell gets closer to the truth, she begins to understand that the perpetrator is tracking her too—and that there is something personal about this crime. Something with roots that go almost as deep as those in Soulwood.

Rift in the Soul  by Faith Hunter is expected out March 5th, 2024 from Ace.

Why am I waiting on this book? This book is the 6th book in the Soulwood series featuring Nell and her coworkers. It takes place in the same world as the Jane Yellowrock books with some crossovers possible. I have enjoyed watching Nell grow in confidence and abilities as the series has progressed. She works well with the rest of the Psy-LED team she is a part of. I'm wondering just what they will be up against this time and how Nell's abilities will play into it. If you like urban fantasy, this is a good series.

What book are you waiting on this week? 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!