ARC Fantasy Review: City of Broken Magic by Mirah Bolender

City of Broken Magic
by Mirah Bolender


Description:
Five hundred years ago, magi created a weapon they couldn’t control. An infestation that ate magic—and anything else it came into contact with. Enemies and allies were equally filling.

Only an elite team of non-magical humans, known as sweepers, can defuse and dispose of infestations before they spread. Most die before they finish training.

Laura, a new team member, has stayed alive longer than most. Now, she’s the last—and only—sweeper standing between the city and a massive infestation.


My Review:
This one caught my eye because I love stories with interesting magic systems. It didn’t disappoint.

I enjoyed Laura, the main character, who is rather all in with regard to her chosen profession. She’s been in awe of sweepers since childhood, even though her own town has been downplaying their need and importance for years. Despite this, she lands an apprenticeship with the rather moody and unpleasant Clae, the head sweeper, and earns her chops on the job. I kept looking for a romance to pop up. There were some hints in certain scenes where perhaps an interest was sparked, but the book ended up being all about the magic and the team of sweepers protecting the city from the infestations. It never went anywhere romantic, not really.

The battle scenes in this story are fantastic. The infestations are amorphous, flowing and solid, adaptable, voracious. Each encounter with them highlights just how horrifying they are. Hiding in plain sight in broken amulets. Biding their time until strong enough to feed, on everything. Even the small ones are daunting. There are just enough encounters to really give you a feel for how the sweepers and their gear work against them.

One thing I thought missed the mark were the pronunciation hints. The first was for Clae and the second was for Amicae. In the first case, Clae, the correct pronunciation was explained too late for it to stick for me, even though it wasn’t all that far into the book. I kept self-correcting after that point, and it was distracting. For the second, Amicae, a person’s technically correct pronunciation was called out, but it was revealed at the same time that none of the citizens of the city said it that way. That left me in a bind since I had been using the “correct” pronunciation to that point, and the citizens’ pronunciation wasn’t explained. At that point, it was too late to adjust, even had I figured out how Laura would have pronounced it.

Finally, the story seems to resolve in a way that might indicate future installments, which I think might be good, but I was left unsure whether this actually would be a first in a series or a straight up standalone. Still, the finale was absolutely gripping, heartbreaking, and eye-widening. It came to life for me. I had a little trouble sleeping that night, and that is a good thing. Fantastic.

Overall, I loved this book. I think fans of fantasy and magic will dig it. There are some glimmers of romantic interest, but they flutter away without a second thought.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.


About the Author:

 

 

Mirah Bolender graduated from college with majors in creative writing and art in May 2014. A lifelong traveler, she has traveled and studied overseas, most notably in Japan, and these experiences are reflected in her work. City of Broken Magic is her debut fantasy novel.



Intrigued? Pre-order your copy at Amazon!

New Release Review: Select by Marit Weisenberg

Select
by Marit Weisenberg

Genre: YA Paranormal
Expected Publication: October 2, 2017 by Charlesbridge Teen

Description:
Coming from a race of highly-evolved humans, Julia Jaynes has the perfect life. The perfect family. The perfect destiny. But there’s something rotten beneath the surface—dangerous secrets her father is keeping; abilities she was never meant to have; and an elite society of people determined to keep their talents hidden and who care nothing for the rest of humanity. So when Julia accidentally disrupts the Jaynes’ delicate anonymity, she’s banished to the one place meant to make her feel inferior: public high school.

Julia’s goal is to lay low and blend in. Then she meets him—John Ford, tennis prodigy, all-around good guy. When Julia discovers a knack for reading his mind, and also manipulating his life, school suddenly becomes a temporary escape from the cold grip of her manipulative father. But as Julia’s powers over John grow, so do her feelings. For the first time in her life, Julia begins to develop a sense of self, to question her restrictive upbringing and her family prejudices. She must decide: can a perfect love be worth more than a perfect life?


My Review:
Select is a paranormal romance about Julia, a girl who’s banished to public high school for nearly blowing her family’s cover, and John, a broken tennis prodigy whose soul calls to hers.

I absolutely adored this book. The romance itself was sweet and yet still believable. And despite an immediate connection, there was no instalove. The progression felt natural and right. Adding in the supernatural complications only made this harder to put down.

I also welcomed the complexity of many of the supporting characters. Angus, Liv, Novak, and even John’s brother, all surprised me to one degree or another. I’d have them figured out and then they’d do something unexpected, but still in character. I think the author did a great job giving them unique voices.

Still, this was light enough of a read to be enjoyable without having to work for it.
So overall, I loved this book. I’d highly recommend this to fans of YA and paranormal romance. Young love, a bit of magic (sort of), and plenty of drama make this quite a read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.


Intrigued? Pick up a copy on Amazon.

New Release: Hacked (Tucker Mystery #4) by Ray Daniel

Hacked (Tucker Mystery #4)
by Ray Daniel

Publication Date: June 8, 2017
Publisher: Midnight Ink

Description:
An online controversy threatens to take Tucker offline for good. #TuckerGate

Aloysius Tucker vows vengeance when a hacker terrorizes his ten-year-old cousin, Maria. Promising Maria that he’ll unmask the hacker and get an apology, Tucker goes online to get justice. But the resulting flame war turns deadly when the hacker is murdered. Now more hackers, the whole Twitterverse, and a relentless bounty hunter agree on one thing: Tucker is the killer and must be stopped.

His inbox filled with death threats, Tucker battles Anonymous, Chinese spies, and his own self-destructive rage while chasing a murderer the online community has named the HackMaster. Can Tucker build a case against the killer and clear his name before the death threats come true?

My Review:
Hacked is packed with thrills, and even though it’s part of a series, it reads great as a standalone. This is a book of righteous online indignation leading to lethal offline consequences. The author does a great job of making an exciting and dangerous situation plausible.

Most of the characters are well-developed and interesting. Maria, the victim of the online bully, has her own secrets. Tucker’s a master hacker, but he’s just as susceptible to the pull of internet drama as everyone else. The bullies that go after Maria are punks online, but real people with families and lives offline. And, well, CapnMerica doesn’t quite fit the well-developed criteria, but he was incredibly interesting.

Even the villain, the HackMaster, is more than anyone could guess. I found the outcome surprising, but logical. I had an inkling of suspicion about midway through, but there were several candidates for that suspicion. I didn’t ultimately figure it out until just about the same time as Tucker did.

Overall, I loved this story. While it’s pegged as a mystery, it has its fair share of thrills, too. I’d recommend this to folks who love mysteries and thrillers, particularly if they dig stories about hackers.

I picked up the advance review copy of this book from NetGalley.

About the Author:
Ray Daniel is the award-winning author of Boston-based crime fiction. His short stories “Give Me a Dollar” won a 2014 Derringer Award for short fiction and “Driving Miss Rachel” was chosen as a 2013 distinguished short story by Otto Penzler, editor of The Best American Mystery Stories 2013.

Daniel’s work has been published in the Level Best Books anthologies Thin Ice, Blood Moon, and Stone Cold. Terminated is his first novel.

For more information, visit him online at raydanielmystery.com and follow him on twitter @raydanielmystry.    

More Links:
Amazon Profile          
Goodreads Profile

Books by this Author:

 

Tucker Mysteries in order of publication.

New Release: The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness by Paula Poundstone

The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness
by Paula Poundstone

Publisher: Algonquin Books

Description:
Is there a secret to happiness? Beloved comedian Paula Poundstone conducts a series of “thoroughly scientific” experiments to find out, offering herself up as a guinea pig and recording her data for the benefit of all humankind. Armed with her unique brand of self-deprecating wit and the scientific method, in each chapter Paula tries out a different get-happy hypothesis. She gets in shape with taekwondo. She drives fast behind the wheel of a Lamborghini. She communes with nature while camping with her daughter. Swing dancing? Meditation? Volunteering? Does any of it bring her happiness? And more important, can the happiness last when she returns to the daily demands of her chaotic life?

The results are irreverent, laugh-out-loud funny, and pointedly relevant to our times. The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness is both a hilarious story of jumping into new experiences with both feet and a surprisingly poignant tale of a working mother raising three kids. Paula is a master of her craft. Her comedic brilliance, served up in abundance in this book, has been compared to that of George Carlin, Tina Fey, Lily Tomlin, and David Sedaris.

My Review:

If I were asked to pin a moral to this story, I’d say that trying new things can result in unexpected adventures. Sometimes those adventures are fun, sometimes aggravating, and sometimes rewarding. This book is a lot of fun, but I think there is real meaning among the gags, the embarrassments, the moody teens, and the cats.

And even more surprisingly, I found this book to be somewhat scientific despite the tongue-in-cheek disclaimer in the title and the heavy use of ironically scientific report headers throughout. After all, what is science but testing out an idea and documenting your results.

This book is the result of seven years of intense personal research, and the results of the experiments are mixed. Some worked, some didn’t, and none were predictable, even within the same experiment. To tell you the truth, I’m impressed with the author for putting herself out there and jumping right into some things that were very much out of her comfort zone.

I loved the chapters that give the results in a running, time stamped log. The movie day one was hilarious. The mortifying foray into swing dancing was another favorite, both because of the humor, but also because the experience highlights another interesting result, that happiness is complex.

Anyhow, I really liked this book. While it wasn’t as over the top as I’d expected from a book by a comedian, it was real, it made me laugh, and near the end there, if I’m honest, it made me cry a little, too. I’d totally recommend this to folks who enjoy memoirs with a good dose of humor and also to those who want the inside scoop on finding their own personal brand of happiness.

I picked up the advance review copy of this book from NetGalley.

About the Author:
Heralded as one of our country’s foremost comics, Paula Poundstone's quick thinking, unscripted approach to comedy makes for the perfect fit as a regular panelist on NPR’s #1 show, the screwball weekly news quiz show WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME! where she holds the record for game losses. "The others cheat," she says magnanimously, "you wouldn't think NPR would put up with that."

Paula tours regularly, performing standup comedy across the country. Writes Nick Zaino with the Boston Globe: "You know she’s a great comic the way you know any fine performer when you see one -- there's a disarming ease in her craft, an immediate sense that she's so quick on her feet you need never worry about the possibility of something going wrong.” Paula’s interchanges with the audience are never mean or done at a person’s expense. She even manages to handle politics without provoking the pall of disapproval received by less artful comics. "With the exception of that one time," Paula claims.

For more info: 
www.paulapoundstone.com
twitter.com/paulapoundstone
facebook.com/paulapoundstone
youtube.com/paulapoundstone                

Books by this Author:




Audio CDs by this Author:

New Release and Review: Crisanta Knight: The Severance Game (Crisanta Knight #2) by Geanna Culbertson

Crisanta Knight: The Severance Game (Crisanta Knight #2)
by Geanna Culbertson 

Release Date: December 6, 2016

Description:
 A lot of questions ran through my head as I desperately clung to the roof of a magic train crossing over a gaping canyon. Like: How did I get here? What could I have done to avoid this fate? And, did I remember to shave my underarms before coming on this quest? But even after taking on a witch in a gingerbread house, bloodthirsty actors, and a whole mess of magic hunters and other fairytale shenanigans, the biggest, most pressing question pulsing through my brain as my fingers started to slip and my enemy bore down on me was this: Could I really trust the person whose life I’d ruined to keep me from falling? With antagonists closing in, inner demons threatening to consume me, and vivid nightmares chewing up my soul every time I shut my eyes, I was running out of options. I knew the moment to decide whether or not I could truly trust any of my friends was fast approaching. But my head and heart were stuck. For just like the precarious position I now found myself in, the pain of holding onto the path I’d chosen thus far was outmatched only by the worry I had over (gulp) letting it go…

My Review:

Book 2 in the Crisanta Knight series is a lot of fun, but a little darker than book 1.

In it, Crisanta and her band of friends, plus Daniel, are freshly on the run, but heading right into even more danger. And the whole time, Crisanta bears witness to darker and darker dreams involving her friends, herself, her enemies and even the mysterious Natalie Poole.

Action and adventure are huge in this book with rarely a dull moment, even in Crisanta’s dreams, and all of this is paired with quirky re-imaginings of fairy tale favorites. But that isn’t all. Crisanta is facing some existential issues, doubting who she is and whether she’s been deluding herself her entire life. That, and a growing distrust of her dearest friends that’s putting a strain on everything.

I’m not going to outline which fairy tales make an appearance in this book as that would ruin the surprises. I particularly liked the ones Crisanta and team run into in the forest. I think the more into (or formerly into) fairy tales and Disney movies you are, the more of a kick you’ll get out of all the wacky scenarios and cameos.

Overall, I loved this story for its originality, action, and suspense. Fans of fantasy, fairy tales, and action/adventure will likely enjoy this story.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley.


Book Links:
Goodreads
Amazon.com

About the Author:

Image from Twitter

Geanna Culbertson adores chocolate chip cookies, watching Netflix in pajamas, and the rain. Of course, in her case, the latter is kind of hard to come by. As her dad notes, In California, we don't have seasons, we have special effects. On the flip side, she is deeply afraid of ice skating and singing in public. Although, she forces herself to do both on occasion because she believes facing your fears can be good for you. During the week Geanna lives a disciplined, yet preciously ridiculous lifestyle. She gets up each day at 5:00 a.m. to train. Goes to work where she enjoys a double life as a kid undercover in a grown-up world. Then comes home, eats, writes, and watches one of her favorite TV shows. On weekends, however, Geanna s heart, like her time, is completely off the leash. Usually she ll teach martial arts at her local karate studio, pursue yummy foods, and check out whatever s new at her fav stores like Banana Republic. To summarize, she'll wander, play, disregard the clock, and get into as many shenanigans as possible.

Author Links:
http://www.crisantaknight.com/
Goodreads
Twitter @gculbert14

Fantasy Review: The Endless Hills (Water Road Trilogy #2) by J.D. Byrne

The Endless Hills (The Water Road #2)
by J.D. Byrne

Description:
The Second Great Neldathi Uprising has begun, setting the world of the Water Road on fire.

United by Antrey Ranbren, the Neldathi clans have attacked across the great river, laying waste to the metropolis of Innisport. Now they hunt the Triumvirate army in the Endless Hills of Telebria. Antrey knows a crushing victory in pitched battle is what they need to win this war. The Neldathi have swept aside everything in their path, but time is not on their side. That’s why she’s sent Naath and Goshen on desperate missions to find help.

Trapped in Oberton by the negative reaction to her book exposing the Triumvirate’s treatment of the Neldathi, Strefer wonders how the Neldathi have been so successful on the battlefield. She leaves the safety of the city in the trees to find the truth. Along with Rurek, she traces the evidence back to the last place she ever expected.

A world torn apart by war and a dwindling sense of hope for the future - the next chapter in the epic saga of The Water Road.

My review:
A continuation of The Water Road, The Endless Hills takes on both sides of the new uprising. Antrey and Strefer still play important parts, but we also meet a new Ranger captain, who’s pretty interesting, and an ex-prisoner pressed into service on the Triumvirate side.

One of the things I love about this book, and the series so far, is how it draws you in emotionally. I want Antrey to win, but I also care about the characters introduced on the other side of the conflict. Both sides of the story are put out there in a relatable way. Good people on both sides. Old wrongs needing to be made right, but a new generation that isn’t at fault. Complex themes that really get you thinking.

Then, add the action and you have quite a fun and engaging read. Battles, strategy, personal conflict and favorite characters put in the line of danger make it all worth reading. The suspense in places had me on edge, and some of the outcomes are shocking. In the final chapters, one in particular left me reeling. That emotional connection to the characters is really what tipped this over for me.

So, overall, I loved this book. I’d highly recommend it to fans of epic fantasy. It’s just a good, solid read with a lot of meat to it. Fun and emotionally engaging. A great escape.

I received the review copy of this book from the author.


Book Links:
The Water Road
The Endless Hills

Learn more about The Water Road trilogy from the Water Road Wednesday posts on J.D. Byrne's blog.


About the Author:


J.D. Byrne

JD Byrne was born and raised around Charleston, West Virginia, before spending seven years in Morgantown getting degrees in history and law from West Virginia University. He's practiced law for more than 15 years, writing briefs where he has to stick to real facts and real law. In his fiction, he gets to make up the facts, take or leave the law, and let his imagination run wild. He lives outside Charleston with his wife, one-eyed dog, and black cat.

Facebook: JDBAuthor

Twitter: @JDBAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JDByrne

Web: jdbyrne.net

New Release and Review: Rise of the Chosen (Lifeblood #1) by Anna Kopp

Rise of the Chosen (Lifeblood #1)
by Anna Kopp

Description:
In Sam's world there are two rules. Rule #1: Nobody dies. Protect the living at all costs. Rule #2: Everybody dies. At least once.

The Waking was a global event in which a force called the Lifeblood invaded all humans who died. The few strong enough to control it came back as powerful immortals. The rest let the bloodlust take over and awoke with one goal - to kill.

Newly appointed Watch Guard Samantha Shields has a legacy to uphold. Her father died a hero defending their city and now she wants to follow in his footsteps. Except for the dying part, of course. Unfortunately, fate has other plans as she discovers deep dark secrets that make her choose between her loyalties and the lives of everyone in her city. Both rules are in play as Sam is forced to make hard decisions that could cost her everything - including the person she cares about most.

My Review:
Rise of the Chosen is a rather interesting take on the zombie apocalypse. In it, all who die are either Chosen or Woken. Chosen are superhuman immortals, the best line of defense against the woken. Woken are mindless, vicious killers who are just as superhuman and immortal as the chosen.

What I liked most about the story were the ways humanity came up with to protect themselves from the woken. Each method seemed like something people would actually do, though there were some very dark strategies at play for even the best of them.

I also enjoyed the romance. The intimate scenes were fade-to-black, allowing the story to focus on the threats facing the heroine and the city, but it’s blended right into the plot in a natural and believable way. It seems like there’s more story to tell, which is great since there are more books coming in the series.

The only thing I didn’t quite buy or like was how Sam’s loyalties shift. I can’t go into details because they’d spoil the surprise, but let’s just say I’d have chosen differently.

Overall, I really liked this story. Fans of the zompoc and dystopian genres will probably dig this story. There’s meat behind this one, not just rampaging undead and hopeless scenarios. A great read.

I received the review copy of this book from NetGalley.

About the Author:

Anna Kopp is a writer from Ohio. She's a World of Warcraft playing mom of two boys who love Minecraft.

Book review contributor to My Trending stories at https://mytrendingstories.com/profile...

ARC Review: The Quest for Truth (Paranoia) by Jonathan-David Jackson

The Quest for Truth 
by Jonathan-David Jackson

Description:
Oscar's orderly paranoid world has been turned upside down by the Red Fist Army and he now lives in exile. With the help of Penelope, Jim, and Mr. Hodge the hedgehog, he must free their hostage town, take on the Red Fist, and discover the truth about Dr. Boggs.

However, when things go wrong and Oscar loses his closest friends, he has to rely on an unlikely group of refugees with surprising mental abilities. As he continues on his journey to freeing the town and himself, he finds out more of his own truths than he ever imagined, and absolutely nobody shoots lasers out of their eyes.


My Review:
Gives a totally new meaning to the term egging...

The Quest for Truth is book two in the Paranoia trilogy by Jonathan-David Jackson. Oscar Well, having narrowly survived the hostile Red Fist takeover of his town and state through shear luck and paranoid overreaction, is hiding out with his new best friend, Hodge, and his new girlfriend, Penelope. But they cannot hide forever. Red Fist is searching for them. In fact, they could be watching right now.

When I read the first in this series, I wasn't sure which direction a sequel might take. The Quest for Juice went from the ramblings of a paranoid man trying to track down the mysterious man named Ron, who stole his favorite orange juice off the shelves, to a surreal conspiracy proving to Oscar that his paranoia may not be all that far off. Now that I've read number two, I'm happy to report that it did in fact take a direction, and that direction was just as twisty, unpredictable, and absurd (in a good way) as the first.

Before getting into my favorite characters or my opinions about the plot, I'd like to mention the footnotes, which I realize I left out of my review of the first book. These spice an already humorous book with off-hand comments and asides that make these stories hazardous to read in public (if you value your reputation as a sane person). I found myself giggling uncontrollably before getting more than a few pages in, and I even had my son read those initial pages so he'd know his mother wasn't, in fact, losing her mind. My advice is to follow those links as soon as you come to them in the story, don't even finish the paragraph, just follow.

As for characters, I must say I'm pleased that Mr. Hodge plays such a big role in this story. Mr. Hodge is a hedgehog (the cover promises more hedgehog, and it delivers). He's also Oscar's conscience. I'm not certain if this was intended, but it's definitely how it plays out. I love how Mr. Hodge enforces his advice, though I'm pretty sure Oscar doesn't. It's also fantastic that there's another charismatic critter in this one. I'll leave it at that, so as not to spoil the surprise.

I think another cool thing about this book is that it pits people that are different, in particular the mentally ill, against superior forces that want nothing less than their complete and ultimate destruction. In the story, some of these disorders take on superhuman proportions (my favorite is the one that makes enemies feel minty fresh), though others are more mundane disorders like cleptomania and many are downright silly.

But, the underlying plot is that these people are being targeted by Red Fist specifically because they are different. They are being captured, experimented upon, and killed, all with the goal of ultimately purifying the human race of the genes that caused their conditions. There are some parallels that can be drawn to certain real-life events, making this story chilling in places. Sure, the humorous approach makes this an entertaining read, but the underlying plot is sinister and all the more scary because it could and has happened before (if not targeting this particular element of humanity).

So, overall, The Quest for Truth is a hilarious yet frightening book. Adult humor, gore, and mental instability color everything in this story. So, in short, this is not a book for kids. However, adults who enjoy books that embrace the absurd, who like hedgehogs, and who like a good bit of action will likely enjoy this story and its predecessor, The Quest for Juice. I eagerly await book three, The Quest for Nothing in Particular.

I received a copy of this book as an ARC from the author.


About the Author:

Jonathan-David Jackson was born in Gastonia, North Carolina, at 3 in the morning on May 14, 1987. At first, he could not walk, talk, or indeed use the toilet. After a year of intensive training in NC, he moved his family to Kingsport, Tennessee, where he finally overcame those early disabilities. Soon, he was walking and talking as good as anyone, and perhaps better. Walking and talking wasn't good enough, though, so he also learned to write.

He wrote and wrote, and with gentle encouragement from his wife, he finally wrote a book. Then he wrote this biography. Then he wrote other books. Perhaps he'll do more things; that would certainly be exciting.

Amazon  |  Goodreads  |  Website