So many words. So little time.
Category: books
This was a solid writing week! I wrote 1k of fiction, and three book reviews; The Geomagician, by Jennifer Mandula, Burn the Kingdom Down, by Addie Thorley, and Honey in Her Veins, by Ruth McKell. (These were three wildly different fantasy reads, and I thoroughly enjoyed all three.)
Happy writing!
Title: Daughter of Egypt
Author: Marie Benedict
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5
1920’s London was enthralled by the discovery of the treasure-filled tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Filled with priceless statues, jewels, and the gold-encased mummy of the boy Pharaoh himself, the burial site unleashed a fascination with the ancient world and revolutionized the world of archeology.
The discovery was made by Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle and his associate, famed archeologist Howard Carter. What no one knows is that without the pioneering spirit of Lady Evelyn Herbert, Carnarvon’s daughter, the tomb might never have been found. As a young woman, Evelyn was fascinated by the story of Hatshepsut, a woman who had to assume the guise of a man in order to rule Egypt. Although she brought peace and prosperity to Egypt, her male successors ruthlessly and thoroughly erased her name from history.
Lady Evelyn’s ambition to find the tomb of Egypt’s first woman ruler exposes her to life-threatening danger and pits her against archeologists who refuse to believe the tomb can be found―and certainly not by a woman. Refusing to give up, Evelyn is on the verge of success when she is suddenly forced to make an agonizing choice between loyalty to her beloved father and Carter and realizing the dream of a lifetime.
I saw the King Tut exhibit several years ago and Egyptian history has always fascinated me, so I was intrigued by this novel. I liked Evelyn, but I did not like the rest of her family much. Her determination to be involved in archeology was inspiring, although I can’t imagine her getting to be on a dig now. It was interesting seeing the Egyptian culture through her eyes as she realized the impact the English were having on Egyptian history and on Egyptian culture then, in the 1920s.
Marie Benedict is a bestselling author. Her newest novel is Daughter of Egypt.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)
This was a decent writing week. I wrote about a thousand words of fiction—not a lot, I know, but I wrote zero words of fiction last year, so I’m doing baby steps this year. I also wrote one book review, Daughter of Egypt, by Marie Benedict, and DNFed The Creek, the Crone, and the Crow, by Rachel Weiss (because it was really dragging for me).
Happy writing!
Title: When the Rain Came
Author: Matthew Eicheldinger
Genre: YA
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Seventeen-year-old Aurora knows how to survive. Life in the foster system has taught her how to stay quiet, stay smart, and stay ready. But nothing could prepare her for this: a never-ending storm that swallows cities, drowns forests, and turns the world into a flooded wasteland.
Trapped in a collapsing house with her strict prepper foster parents, Aurora is forced to live by their rules just to stay alive. Until the day they disappear without a trace.
Alone. Abandoned. And running out of time.
All Aurora has is a waterlogged scrap of paper and a “The Hill.”
With looters closing in and the floodwaters rising higher each day, she’s left with one impossible choice—stay and wait for the storm to take her, or risk everything on a journey through the drowned remains of the world, to a find a place that may or not exist.
It’s forward or nothing.
This felt more like a middle grade than YA. A dystopian read, although the societal response to the weather disaster is basically non-existent, which doesn’t really make sense to me. No mention of weather forecasters, at the very least, much less the response by the government and first responders? That didn’t feel believable.
This was still a solid, very quick read, and is clearly a set-up for a series. Getting to know Aurora at the beginning gave enough of her background and who she was to showcase the change in her towards the end of the book, and the conflict made it intriguing.
Matthew Eicheldinger is a bestselling author. When the Rain Came is his newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: Only Spell Deep
Author: Ava Morgyn
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3 out of 5
Judeth Cole has always had certain uncanny abilities. But when she arrived at Solidago – her grandfather’s estate by the sea – she was forced to keep them secret. There she lived a harsh life under his rule and the haunting legacy of her late grandmother, Aurelia. Until the fateful day she ignited a fire with her magic. It was the last time she saw her family alive.
Seventeen years later, she’s living in Seattle as Jude Clark, and failing at life, when she makes a last detour through her favorite bookstore, selecting a book to read as she waits to die. But when she pulls it from the shelf, an invitation to her for a clandestine midnight meeting slips out.
Jude is quickly swept up into a world of secrets and magic, discovering a circle of powerful new companions led by the mysterious, enigmatic Arla. The source of their magic, Arla tells her, is a goddess, trapped and bound, that they call The Fathom. But Jude swiftly realizes Arla wants this power all to herself, and that she’s willing to kill for it.
Terrified, Jude turns to Levi Orman, the handsome bookseller who’s seen her at her worst. With his help, she begins a research journey that leads her from the crystal waters of the Mediterranean to the icy waves of the Greenland Sea and back to Solidago, the house she swore to never return to. With the Fathom threatening to break free and Arla on the hunt, Jude must finally face her past to save her future.
This was…I don’t know. I didn’t really connect with the character. Judeth was forever doing stupid stuff and then being shocked when disaster resulted, and she’s pretty selfish, too. The Fathom was creepy and I didn’t care for any of that aspect. Actually…I’m not sure why I finished this. Probably because it was a quick read.
Ava Morgyn lives in Houston. Only Spell Deep is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: Heiress of Nowhere
Author: Stacey Lee
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5
1918. Orcas Island, Washington.
Lucy Nowhere has spent her eighteen years working on the vast estate of the eccentric shipbuilder who took her in after she washed ashore in a green canoe as a baby. But she has long wished for a life off the island, and in a matter of days, she is set to leave for college—and, for the first time, choose her own future.
Then she finds her employer’s severed head on the beach. Rumors swirl that a mischievous spirit and its minions, the sea wolves, have struck again. Lucy doesn’t believe in myths. She knows that a human—a human murderer—killed him. And when she is unexpectedly named heiress to the estate, she understands the next target is her.
Her closest friend, the estate’s vigilant young guard, begs her to escape while she can. But Lucy knows the only way she can discover who she is, and free the island of its curse, is to find the real killer—before she becomes the next victim.
Honestly, I wanted to know more about the sea wolves! So, my only complaint is that that part of the storyline wasn’t resolved.
This setting was very isolated and insular, but the author depicted it well. I liked the characters and the impact their different cultures had on things. This was a solid historical read, and was very clean, too, making it an excellent choice for a YA audience. Lots of threads twisting and turning and I was never quite sure who the culprit was, but I enjoyed the read.
Stacey Lee is a bestselling author. Heiress of Nowhere is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing | Sarah Barley Books / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.)
This was a solid writing week. I wrote three book reviews, Heiress of Nowhere, by Stacey Lee, When the Rain Came, by Matt Eicheldinger, and Only Spell Deep, by Ava Morgyn. I wrote 1k on the fiction project, and outlined two scenes as well.,
Happy writing!
This week, I only wrote one book review, Midnight on the Celestial, by Julia Alexandra. I thoroughly enjoyed this read! I also wrote my February reading post, and the best books I read in February.
I also outlined two scenes in the fiction project and wrote 1k.
Happy writing!
Title: Midnight on the Celestial
Author: Julia Alexandra
Genre: YA
Rating: 5 out of 5
Roe Damarcus has never been afraid of the dead. Her power to summon spirits has awed the guests of her esteemed family’s galas for as long as she can remember. Her future is certain, and her gift will be another shining jewel in the Damarcus legacy.
But when she fails her realm’s trial to keep her magic and is deemed too dangerous for society, she faces a harrowing choice: give up her gift or serve a punishment sentence aboard the Celestial, a luxurious magical cruise ship where staff members compete for guest votes to earn a coveted retrial.
As a concierge, Roe juggles the demands of affluent guests, cruel bosses, and the suspicion that an infuriatingly handsome silks performer, Ivander, is determined to keep her from a retrial.
But the true dangers surface after her shift ends when the Celestial transforms into halls of nightmares that kill staff members after dark. Faced with the reality of serving aboard, Roe begins to question the ship, trials, and the system that put her there. But the moment Roe sinks into the ship’s dark history, she’s wrongly framed for a guest’s murder. Vowing to conjure her own second chance, Roe will use whatever power she has to uncover the secrets of the ship, her family, and their entwined bloody past… before she becomes the Celestial’s next victim.
I really enjoyed this! I was drawn in from the first page because of Roe’s voice. The world was fascinating—and the Celestial was terrifying. Roe was a character I could relate to because of her faults and her determination. I loved how she made friends on the ship and how resolutely she pursued her goals. The magic system is interesting , and I really liked this world and would be happy to read more.
Julia Alexandra lives in Florida. Midnight on the Celestial is her debut novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: The Primrose Murder Society
Author: Stacy Hackney
Genre: Mystery/thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5
Lila Shaw stopped trusting anyone the minute her husband went to jail for white-collar crime, taking their country club lifestyle with him. Now Lila is broke, friendless, and losing her house—and to make things worse, her true-crime-obsessed daughter, Bea, was just expelled from fourth grade. Desperate for a fresh start, Lila agrees to temporarily move in and clean out an abandoned junk-filled apartment in Richmond’s palatial Primrose building. The luxurious Virginia landmark is filled with retirees who start their days early drinking bourbon and gossiping, in that order.
Soon after Lila’s arrival, the Primrose is thrown into chaos. The owner of the building’s splendid penthouse has died and in his final days he set up a two-million-dollar reward for any resident who helps to solve the 21-year-old murder of his granddaughter at the Primrose. A fan of all detective stories and true-crime podcasts, Bea is inspired to investigate. They really could use the reward money, so Lila reluctantly agrees, in a questionable attempt at family bonding. She’s certain the killer is long-gone after all these years anyway. That is, until another resident is murdered… and Lila becomes the prime suspect.
Now Lila needs to solve both murders to avoid jail, and even worse, losing her daughter to her snobby in-laws. To catch a killer and clear Lila’s name, she and Bea must rely on their elderly neighbors—Jasper, a shy former detective, and Evelyn, an opinionated socialite—along with Nate, a good-looking reporter who keeps appearing at the most inconvenient moments. As the amateur sleuths expose the truth about the Primrose, Lila hopes she can also unravel the trickiest parts of her own life and start fresh.
This was a cute read! Lila has been through a lot, although some of it was because she chose to ignore some glaring red flags. At the beginning of this, Bea was such a brat and needed a spanking (or two) to help get her sorted out, but she eventually settled down—when Lila stopped being so passive.
The residents of the Primrose were such a hoot! I truly enjoyed their antics, although a couple of them were just plain ugly people. The interactions between Bea and Lila were believable, and Jasper and Evelyn added both humor and a foil for the docile Lila.
Stacy Hackney lives in Virginia. The Primrose Murder Society is her first novel for adults.
(Galley courtesy of William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review.)
Tomorrow Is Another Day 