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 book: I 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!

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.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #496: Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope

 

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 journeys into a submerged world of gods and myth to save her home in this powerful historical fantasy that shines a light on the drowned Black towns of the American South. 

“Our home began, as all things do, with a wish.”

Jane Edwards hasn’t spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she’s found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam promises to wash her home under the waters of the new lake.

Jane will do anything to save the community that sheltered her. So, when a man with uncanny abilities arrives in town asking strange questions, she wonders if he might be the key. But as the stranger hints at gods and ancestral magic, Jane is captivated by a bigger mystery. She knows this man. Only the last time she saw him, he was dead. His body laid to rest in a rushing river. 

Who is the stranger and what is he really doing in Awenasa? To find those answers, Jane will journey into a sunken world, a land of capricious gods and unsung myths, of salvation and dreams made real. But the flood waters are rising. To gain the miracle she desires, Jane will have to find her voice again and finally face the trauma of the past. 

Why am I waiting on this book: I like the idea of mixing gods and myths with a plot based on historical happenings. And of course, I'm wondering who is this strange man and what will happen because of his presence.

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!

Happy Book Birthday to Two Much Anticipated Titles

 

Two titles that I have been excited about are making their debut today.

First up is Boy of Chaotic Making by Charlie N. Holmberg.

From the publisher:

A boy like no other embarks on a transformative journey of magic and self-discovery in the next enchanting Whimbrel House novel by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Merritt Fernsby’s life has changed considerably since he inherited Whimbrel House. He’s engaged to Hulda Larkin, who opened his eyes to the uncanny. And he’s grown quite protective of his uncle Owein—several generations, and iterations, removed. Owein is presently inhabiting the body of a mixed-breed terrier when Merritt receives a missive from none other than Alexandrina Victoria, the Queen of England: I am interested in your dog.

It’s the queen’s duty to the peerage to keep British wizardry empowered. Her offer: England will find a human vessel for Owein, marry him into the royal family, and add this remarkable soul-shifter to its lineage. For Owein, a boy trapped in the body of a pup, it’s a dream come true. How can Merritt refuse? However, once they are in London and in consortium with a necromancer, the situation doesn’t feel right, both with their hosts and the house they inhabit. Owein is having nightmares. And Hulda’s premonitions warn of danger in Merritt’s future. Clearly, someone doesn’t want them in town.

But after two hundred years of being cursed to drift, Owein is determined to chart his own destiny. He’s ready to defy whatever chaos is coming. After all, Owein is the master of chaos, and with Merritt and Hulda’s love and magical support, he can overcome anything.

Boy of Chaotic Making by Charlie N. Holmberg is the third book in the Whimbrel House series. It's being released today by 47North. I've read the first two books and loved them. I expect this one to be really good as well.

The second book coming out today that is on my To Be Read list is The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden.

From the publisher:

January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, Laura receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital, where she soon hears whispers about haunted trenches and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.

As shells rain down on Flanders and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden is coming out today from Del Rey. It looks like it's a standalone. I've read other books by the author and enjoyed them. I expect to like this one as well.

What books that are on your TBR list are coming out today or this month? Have you been waiting for these two titles as well?

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #495: An Intrigue of Witches by Esme Addison

 

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:

National Treasure meets A Discovery of Witches . . .

Introducing the Secret Society mystery series, and kick-ass red-headed heroine Sidney, a Black historian poised on the brink of discovering her true past . . . and her hidden witchy powers!

Thirty-year-old Black woman Sidney Taylor is a talented early American history professor, working in fast-paced Washington DC, with her eyes on promotion. She's also currently persona non grata. Who knew that making an inconvenient historical discovery would see her stuck at her desk, shuffling paper?

So when she receives an anonymous and very cryptic invitation to visit historic small-town Robbinsville, North Carolina and hunt for a missing archaeological treasure - with a million-dollar pay out at stake - it's one she can't refuse. Besides, her beloved grandmother lives in Robbinsville, and it's been too long since she's paid her a visit.

Soon, Sidney's on an exciting treasure hunt, following two-hundred-year-old clues that lead her ever closer to the artefact she's searching for. But what is the artefact? And why is Sidney starting to feel like she's at the heart of a terrifying conspiracy she doesn't understand?

The answer blows Sidney's world apart, plunging her into a dark, glittering world of secret societies, ancient bloodlines, witches and magic, linked to an ages-old conspiracy that could destroy the very principles upon which America was founded.

An Intrigue of Witches by Esme Addison is expected out May 7th, 2024 from Severn House. It's the first book in the Secret Society Mystery series.

Why am I waiting on this book: I like a good witchy book. This sounds like it will be an interesting story what with secret societies, witches, magic, and a conspiracy. It seems like this has all the makings of an urban fantasy which is one of my favorite genres.

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!

Happy Book Birthday to The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is released today from Del Rey. It's the first book in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. I've started reading it, and so far I agree with the description and that it is an entertaining story. Review will follow.

From the publisher:

A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett.

In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible.

Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

By an “endlessly inventive” (Vulture) author with a “wicked sense of humor” (NPR), The Tainted Cup mixes the charms of detective fiction with brilliant world-building to deliver a fiendishly clever mystery that’s at once instantly recognizable and thrillingly new.

Book Review: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

 

If you enjoy stories about the Fair Folk, then this would be a good book for you.

Emily Wilde has finished her Encyclopaedia of Faerie and is back to teaching. Her niece is now attending the college as well. And Wendell Bambleby is never far. He asked Emily to marry him and she hasn't answered yet. Meanwhile, he's continuing to masquerade as a human and teach classes as well.

Then, things are interrupted by an attempt on Wendell's life by assassins sent by his step-mother. Wendell wants his throne back, but hasn't been able to find the door he wants back into the kingdom. After the attack, it becomes more of a priority to find the door. Emily and Wendell are going to the Austrian Alps hunting it, but they cannot go alone. Ariadne, Emily's niece, and Farris Rose, the head of their department at Cambridge, accompany them in their search. And thus the adventure begins.

In search of the Nexus, a sort of hub of doors which Emily believes gives them the best chance of finding a door back into Wendell's homeland, they will encounter all kinds of the Folk and dangers. All of this is told in the manner of journal entries written by Emily. So, we get to be in her head as she describes her experiences. I wasn't as fond of the footnotes that she sometimes includes as she was, though. 

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Emily and Wendell change as they both grew. They are fun to read about in no small part to the way they speak to each other trading teasing remarks as though they'd been married for years.

Shadow remains my favorite as Emily's companion. He seems to be getting up in years, but still manages to protect her when he feels it's needed. He has mastered his glamor as a canine. And I enjoyed seeing Poe added back into the story this time as he was such a help in the first book.

While there is sort of a little lull while they are looking for the nexus, generally the book moves forward at a good speed. The action moves fastest at the beginning and towards the end. And even during the lull, the occurrences move the story along. 

I gave the book 5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the characters and the story. I felt it was well written. If you like stories about the Folk, you will most likely enjoy this book. You might enjoy it even more though, if you read Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faerie first. 

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett was released January 16, 2024 by Del Rey.

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