Book Review and Blog Tour:  A Forgery of Roses, by Jessica S. Olson

Image belongs to Inkyard Press.

Title:   A Forgery of Roses
Author:   Jessica S. Olson
Genre:   Fantasy, YA
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

She’s an artist whose portraits alter people’s real-life bodies, a talent she must hide from those who would kidnap, blackmail, and worse in order to control it. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone.

 But one frigid night, the governor’s wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor’s dead son. Desperate, Myra ventures to his legendary stone mansion.

 Once she arrives, however, it becomes clear the boy’s death was no accident. Someone dangerous lurks within these glittering halls. Someone harboring a disturbing obsession with portrait magic.

 Myra cannot do the painting until she knows what really happened, so she turns to the governor’s older son, a captivating redheaded poet. Together, they delve into the family’s most shadowed affairs, racing to uncover the truth before the secret Myra spent her life concealing makes her the killer’s next victim.

I enjoyed this! Myra was a great character, and her relationship with her sister was just wonderful, and made the book really shine. This book is fairly dark from the first page, but there are spots of brightness. August is another of them. The author portrayed his debilitating anxiety so well, and I was never sure if he would conquer it, or it would conquer him. His family, meanwhile, was absolutely horrible. A lovely read!

Jessica S. Olson lives in Texas. A Forgery of Roses is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:   The Kaiju Preservation Society, by John Scalzi

Image belongs to Macmillan-Tor/Forge.

Title:    The Kaiju Preservation Society
Author:    John Scalzi
Genre:    SciFi
Rating:  4 out of 5

When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization.” Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on.

 What Tom doesn’t tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world. They’re the universe’s largest and most dangerous panda and they’re in trouble.

 It’s not just the Kaiju Preservation Society that’s found its way to the alternate world. Others have, too–and their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.

I don’t delve into science fiction too often these days, but this was a fun, quick read. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and even in serious moments, I enjoyed the characters. The idea itself is so far beyond my comprehension that I just went along with it without question, but Scalzi made me believe in it.

John Scalzi is a bestselling author. The Kaiju Preservation Society is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #166

This week was a much better writing week than last week: I got four book reviews written. I’m off work another week to recover, so hopefully I’ll get at least that many more written this week.

Happy writing!

Book Review:   A Magic Steeped in Poison, by Judy I. Lin

Image belongs to Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends.

Title:    A Magic Steeped in Poison
Author:    Judy I. Lin
Genre:    Fantasy, YA
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it’s her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu. 

When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom’s greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning’s only chance to save her sister’s life.

 But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

I really enjoyed this read! The culture and world were fascinating, and I loved all the sensory details that brought it to vivid life. The characters were believable, and I really loved Ning and the friendships she formed—and the intrigues she landed in. I can’t wait to read the second book in the duology!

Judy I. Lin grew up in Canada. A Magic Steeped in Poison is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Book Review:  The Shadow Glass, by Josh Winning

Image belongs to Titan Books.

Title:   The Shadow Glass
Author:   Josh Winning
Genre:   Fantasy
Rating:  4.0 out of 5

Jack Corman is failing at life. Jobless, jaded and facing the threat of eviction, he’s also reeling from the death of his father, one-time film director Bob Corman. Back in the eighties, Bob poured his heart and soul into the creation of his 1986 puppet fantasy The Shadow Glass, but the film flopped on release and Bob was never the same again. 

In the wake of Bob’s death, Jack returns to his decaying childhood home, where he is confronted with the impossible — the puppet heroes from The Shadow Glass are alive, and they need his help. Tipped into a desperate quest to save the world from the more nefarious of his father’s creations, Jack teams up with an excitable fanboy and a spiky studio exec to navigate the labyrinth of his father’s legacy and ignite a Shadow Glass resurgence that could, finally, do Bob proud.

I should say, first of all, that I love the movie The Labyrinth. Yeah, it’s terribly cheesy, but still, magic. Not sorry. I found The Shadow Glass to be a lot of fun, frankly, even while being totally unbelievable (of course). It was just pure fun! It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it actually sees character growth and change, too. Spend a fun few hours reading this!

Josh Winning lives in London. The Shadow Glass is his debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour:  Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell, by Taj McCoy

Image belongs to Harlequin/MIRA.

Title:   Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell
Author:   Taj McCoy
Genre:   Romance
Rating:  DNF

Savvy Sheldon spends a lot of time tiptoeing around the cracks in her life: her high-stress and low-thanks job, her clueless boyfriend and the falling-apart kitchen she inherited from her beloved grandma—who taught her how to cook and how to love people by feeding them. But when Savvy’s world starts to crash down around her, she knows it’s time for some renovations.

 Starting from the outside in, Savvy tackles her crumbling kitchen, her relationship with her body, her work–life balance (or lack thereof) and, last but not least, her love life. The only thing that doesn’t seem to require effort is her ride-or-die squad of friends. But as any home-reno-show junkie can tell you, something always falls apart during renovations. First, Savvy passes out during hot yoga. Then it turns out that the contractor she hires is the same sexy stranger she unintentionally offended by judging based on appearances. Worst of all, Savvy can’t seem to go anywhere without tripping over her ex and his latest “upgrade.” Savvy begins to realize that maybe she should’ve started her renovations the other way around: beginning with how she sees herself before building a love that lasts.

I thought this was going to be more of a learning-to-embrace-yourself-warts-and-all type of book, but the 15% I read made it clear that wasn’t the case. Savvy’s boyfriend was a total jerk, but she just let him act like a selfish pratt and make her feel bad about herself, and she still let him have that power over her. I was hoping she grew past that, but I was too annoyed to keep reading and find out. This is a me problem, not a problem with the actual book, though, so your mileage may vary.

Taj McCoy is from Oakland. Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Sundays are for Writing #165

Today was not a good writing week: I wrote one book review. I ended up in the ER on Wednesday and then was admitted for another procedure (lymph node biopsy site got infected somehow), and I just got released from the hospital yesterday.

Happy writing!

Book Review:  The Paradise Tree, by R.A. Denny

Image belongs to the author.

Title:   The Paradise Tree
Author:   R.A. Denny
Genre:   YA, fantasy, historical
Rating:  4 out of 5

Welcome to Paradise. Daniel’s alchemy has hurtled them 112 years into the future where a mysterious tree-shaped structure rises into the Moroccan sky. Generations have passed, but a culture grounded in ancient Yoruba traditions has sprung up.

 Peri must choose between trusting the friendly strangers she meets and following Ayoub, the terrorist-turned-pirate, into the unknown. She fights to keep her family together, but her faith is shaken. Nothing is as it seems.

 Caught between two warring factions, the YUS with brain chips and the Natural Resistance Force, Peri must search within herself to discover what truly makes life worth living. How much is she willing to sacrifice for paradise?

The Paradise Tree is the third book in the Pirates and Puritans series. This wraps up Daniel and Peri’s story, after everything they’ve gone through to be together and safe, but it also gives the other characters the endings they deserve.

I liked Daniel and Mya a lot. Both their personalities are strong and distinct, and their intelligences show through, even when I wasn’t quite sure what was true. Peri was kind of their opposite:  she comes across as very passive and just lets life happen to her, even against her better instincts, until the very end, when she finally starts to be her own person.

Ayoub isn’t a likable character to me. He flip-flops too much for me to truly believe him:  one second he’s missing his time as a corsair, the next he wants an AK-47. Then he’s lusting after Salima—who just lost her husband—then he’s remembering his Native American wife and noticing a woman’s breasts. He proclaims he’ll never marry again—then thinks of Salima’s children as his own. I just wasn’t a fan.

I thought the future culture was fascinating, and a bit scary, but it was totally believable, with the things happening in the world today. I liked that there were two such distinct cultures clashing for control (or for free will), and I enjoyed watching how it all played out.

R.A Denny has a law degree from Duke University but chooses to do just what she loves:  write. The Paradise Tree is her newest novel, the third in the Pirates and Puritans series.

(Galley courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  Hideout, by Louisa Luna

Image belongs to Doubleday.

Title:   Hideout
Author:   Louisa Luna
Genre:   Mystery/thriller
Rating:  4 out of 5

Alice Vega has made a career of finding the missing and vulnerable against a ticking clock, but she’s never had a case like Zeb Williams, missing for over thirty years. It was 1984, and the big Cal-Stanford football game was tied with seconds left on the clock. Zeb Williams grabbed the ball and ran the wrong way, through the marching band, off the field and out of the stadium. He disappeared into legend, replete with Elvis-like sightings and a cult following. 

Zeb’s cold trail leads Vega to southern Oregon, where she discovers an anxious community living under siege by a local hate group called the Liberty Boys. As Vega starts digging into the past, the mystery around Zeb’s disappearance grows deeper, and the reach of the Liberty Boys grows more disturbing. Everyone has something to hide, and no one can cut to the truth like Alice Vega. But this time, her partner Max Caplan has his own problems at home, and the trouble Vega finds might be too much for her to handle.

  I enjoyed this read. I liked that there were actually two mysteries here; what happened to Zeb and what the Liberty Boys were up to. Strong writing and vivid characterization hooked me in, but let’s be honest: Alice Vega is not the easiest character to relate to. She’s very prickly, standoffish, and analytical, which makes her come across as cold, but I like the effect Caplan has on her. This is a bit of a dark read, but it’s an engrossing one.

Louisa Luna lives in Brooklyn. Hideout is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Doubleday in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  My Darling Husband, by Kimberly Belle

Image belongs to Harlequin.

Title:   My Darling Husband
Author:   Kimberly Belle
Genre:   Mystery/thriller
Rating:  4.0 out of 5

Everyone is about to know what her husband isn’t telling her…

 Jade and Cam Lasky are by all accounts a happily married couple with two adorable kids, a spacious home and a rapidly growing restaurant business. But their world is tipped upside down when Jade is confronted by a masked home invader. As Cam scrambles to gather the ransom money, Jade starts to wonder if they’re as financially secure as their lifestyle suggests, and what other secrets her husband is keeping from her.

 Cam may be a good father, a celebrity chef and a darling husband, but there’s another side he’s kept hidden from Jade that has put their family in danger. Unbeknownst to Cam and Jade, the home invader has been watching them and is about to turn their family secrets into a public scandal.

This was a solid thriller read. Cam’s secret life and everything he’d been hiding from Jade made me not care for him, but he tried to move mountains to save his family. The interview with him spaced throughout the story didn’t do much to make me like him, either. I did like Jade and the kids, though, so I was interested to see how that played out. The ending didn’t surprise me, but who ended up really standing up to the kidnapper did.

Kimberly Belle splits her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam. My Darling Husband is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)