fantasy – Page 2 – The Spine View

Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett

Shorefall, by Robert Jackson Bennett, is the follow up to Foundryside and the second installment of the Founders series. The author has once again shown us how outstanding world building, but together with great characters, can draw you into a world beyond your imagination. It is an epic fantasy tale that you are sure to enjoy.

It is three years later in Tevanne, Sancia, Orso, Berenice and Gregor are all back and they are trying to change the world. They want to make scriving available to everyone and Sancia in particular wants no more slaves. They have started their own foundry and though they are small, they are mighty. By changing the way society works they hope to break the hold that the large foundries (i.e. the Dandolos) have on the people.

They are just starting to put their plan in action when a wrench is thrown into the works. The wrench being a heirophant. The first heirophant no less and he is dead or should be. It seems that Gregor’s mother has found a way for him to live again. Now that he is here, he will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

I normally give a much longer synapsis; however, I hate spoilers and I don’t want to spoil anything for you, though I have to admit I am tempted to tell you more. This is a great plot and there are a lot of unexpected turn of events that you will not see coming and I just can’t bring myself to ruin it for you. The author used these twists creatively, and they keep you engaged. This made for an exciting read and I know you will think so too.

The characters in the book are well thought-out. I especially liked the interaction between the various characters. They felt authentic.

There is a lot to take in with this book. The rules for scriving and the way everything works will keep you on your toes. In fact, I found it a little too cumbersome at times. As such, it is the one negative for me.

You really need to read Foundryside first, if you have not already. It will get too confusing if you don’t have the first book as the background. However, if you are a lover of epic fantasy you will not mind as all reading or rereading book one before you tackle this one. The imagination it took to create this is mind blowing. Super inventive story sure to entertain. Don’t miss out on this one!

I received a free electronic copy in exchange for my honest review.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. K. Klune

Pub. Date: 17-March-2020
Rating: 5 Stars

There is something extremely wonderful about this book that is hard to put into words because it is so many things all at once. The author has given the reader a great cast of characters to love and an outstanding plot to go along with it. It is just one of those stories that is sure to touch your heart.

Linus Baker has been a case worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY) for a long time. In his job, he investigates orphanages for magical children and makes recommendations as to whether they should remain open or be closed. He is meticulous in his reports and always follows the rules to the letter.

Linus in his off time, does nothing of note. He lives an uneventful and rather dreary life by himself with just his cat for company. Until one day when he is called to the offices of Extreme Upper Management and is assigned a case of utmost important and secrecy. He is to spend four weeks at an orphanage and while there he is to observe and provide a full report every week.

He is given a dossier on each child and not much else. There are six children in all at this particular orphanage, each one dangerous, but one child in particular is of greatest concern and who just happens to be the Antichrist. To say Linus is scared is an understatement; but, he sets aside his fears determined to do his job to the best of his ability. He becomes immersed in the day-to-day activities of the orphanage and even participates in outings. What he discovers is a very special sort of magic that has nothing, and yet everything, to do with the children.

The central theme in this book is about differences and prejudices. It explores how these prejudices affect others and how just one person can start a change. The author uses the magical children’s characters to explore the differences between individuals and how prejudices can harm. The whole thing was handled so well and the quirky, magical children will make you smile. They are able to open Linus’s eyes and he starts to see things is a new and wonderful way.

The plot was imaginative and well-paced. The author uses this fantasy setting to teach life lessons in a subtle way and I appreciated that it was not an in your face story. I also liked how the children and Author give hope to Linus. In little subtle ways, the author is asking the reader to rethink their own prejudices.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I know it will not be my last. I highly recommend this one to everybody, though I think it is more geared toward young adults. I also recommend this book to older middle grade readers who have reached this reading level because the characters will undoubtedly speak to them.

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmer

A Heart So Fierce and Broken is the second installment in the Cursebreakers series by Brigid Kemmerer. The author once again uses her amazing talent to continue the saga of Emberfall. A world where loyalty and friendships will come into question. This is a world you will want to visit again and again.

Grey is missing, and Rhen and Harper fear that upon killing Lilith he is stuck in our world. No one knows that he is in hiding and working as a stable boy. His job has always been to protect the king at all costs. Now he hides to protect the king because he fears what will happen if anyone finds out he can do magic. He is afraid to admit to himself that there is truth in the rumors about a true heir to Emberfall.

Grey believes that Rhen should be the heir to Emberfall. Now that Rhen has Harper by his side the kingdom should start to thrive again. Yet, there is still the threat of Karis Luran. Therefore, when the king’s men finally find Grey and through a strange turn of events he ends up of the wrong side of the fence. He will have to choose sides. Will he be loyal to Rhen or to Emberfall?

There is much to love in this story. First, I was so glad we finally learned more about the stoic Grey. His character was underdeveloped in the first book and now I have a true sense of who he is. In addition, there were several new characters introduced in this book that helped round out the story. The author is particularly adept at adding those minor characters that enhance the story. Kudos to her for a job well done.

The plot was just as good at the first book and there were several surprises that I was not expecting. The pace of the book was relatively fast. There was only one spot I felt the story could have moved a little faster. However, I get that it had to happen in order for the character development to occur and it is so minor thing. In the end, I appreciated the characters more because of it and can easily call it was a willing sacrifice.

A Heart So Fierce and Broken is such an imaginative, entertaining story I know you will fall in love with the characters and the world, just as I did. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of fantasy. If you have not done so already, I suggest you read the first book in the series, A Curse So Dark and Lonely, beforehand because you don’t want to miss out on anything in this delightful tale.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer is a coming-of-age story that I can only be described as a cross between Ground Hogs Day and Beauty and the Beast. It is hands down one of the best fairy tales I have read in a while. Meant as a retelling, it goes above and beyond the original.

Prince Rhen of Emberfall has been cursed to relive the same autumn season of his eighteenth year over and over again by a powerful enchantress. To break the curse, all he has to do is make a girl fall in love with him. Of course, the enchantress throws a further twist into her game by having Rhen turn into a terrible monster at the close of each season. Despite this, Rhen has been arrogant enough to believe it would be easy. Born of privilege he is used to everything being easy. As season after season goes by with no true love, he is losing hope and now he is running out of time because the enchantress has said this will be the last season.

Grey, Rhen’s Caption of the Guard and protector, is given the ability to cross over to our world. At the beginning of each season he brings back a girl for Rhen in the hopes that it will be the one this time. With the stakes even higher this season, he must get the right girl. However, fate is against him when a girl with a limp prevents him from returning to Emberfall with the intended girl. Instead Grey is forced to abduct Harper.

Harper has not had an easy life. She was born with cerebral palsy and limps profoundly. Her father has deserted the family and left enormous debts with a loan shark. And to top it off, her mother is dying of cancer. Her brother is the only thing good thing right now in her life. He is actually working for the loan shark to pay off the debt. So, when Grey abducts her, her main concern is not in helping Rhen but returning home before her mother dies. Therefore, Rhen is going to have to pull off a miracle to break the curse.

I am totally in love with this book. I liked everything about the book, the prose, plot, characters and world building were so, so good. I can’t think of anything that I didn’t like about the book, which is unusual for me. Even with books I love, there is normally some little nitpicky thing I don’t care for, not the case here.

Of course, the characters were my favorite part. The author did a wonderful job of making me love them all. It is such a fabulous thing when I totally get the characters. The plot is also worthy of a comment since it worked so well with the characters and there was enough intrigue and twists to keep me reading and engaged. I just had to know how Harper was going to handle things once she found out about the true nature of the curse. Totally looking forward to reading book two.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of fantasy and fairy tales. This is a book that should be at the top of TBR list.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus, by Erin Morganstern, is an amazing debut novel. This is one of my favorite books this year, maybe in several years. The story is magical, imaginative and totally entertaining. If this is a debut novel, think what the author still has in store for us!

Celia Bowen is the daughter of a famous magician. She has been in training with her father from an early age. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that when Le Cirque des Reves auditions magicians she shines and is quickly hired. But the circus is more than just a circus. It is a competition between two young magicians, Celia being one of them.

For Celia and Marco, the competing magician, the rules of the competition have always been vague. They know the circus is the venue but they are not sure how a winner will be determined. They each craft fantastical shows under the black and white stripped tents. A magical feast for the eyes and senses. There is just one little, tiny problem, Celia and Marco fall in love and in this story there can only be one winner.

I dare not say more, least I ruin this fantastic story. What I can tell you is, I was hooked within the first five pages. The book has all the things I love from a great read: outstanding plot, awesome characters, and surprising twists and an overall air of magic.

If prose could sparkle this book would glow. Every time I picked the book up, I felt like I was walking into it instead of just reading about the characters, locations, etc. Not often does a book do this to me and it is a very special thing when it does.

As I mentioned above, this book is among my favorites reads this year. Not only was the story interesting and new, the author’s prose was effortless. If you have not had the opportunity to read this yet, I don’t know what you are waiting for.

I received a free copy in a Read It Forward giveaway.

Cursed by Thomas Wheeler

Cursed, by Thomas Wheeler, is a retelling of King Arthur told from the POV of Nimue, The Lady of the Lake in the original tale. There has been a steady stream of retellings over the years, but I don’t recall one told from the POV of Niume. So I was intrigued and wanted to read this one and see how it stacked up. It is a unique retelling of King Arthur, which I found interesting.

Nimue is the daughter of one of the leaders of her Druid tribe. She should have an inherited status within the tribe, instead she is an outcast. She is feared because of the magic she can command and there are others that fear her and her kind also. The Red Paladins have been systematically killing and destroying homes of Fey. When they arrive at Nimue’s village to destroy it, her mother gives Nimue a sword and tells her to find Merlin and give him the sword.

When she embarks on the journey she meets Arthur, a rogue warrior, who aides her. She also discovers that the sword is very powerful and she wishes to use it to save her people who are being massacred throughout the country. When she discovers a group of Fey hiding in a cave they recognize the sword she carries. It is an old sword with old Fey magic. She is anointed the Queen and is seen as the savior of her kind. The question is will she be strong enough to be everything they need her to be.

The story had so much potential. Unfortunately, the characters were flat and didn’t fit the plot. I was so wanting a strong heroine; however, Nimue I found to be a lack luster leader. I was expecting a more Joan of Arc type character but was given a poor imitation instead. Merlin was a drunk and Arthur acted more like a hormone infused teenager. In my opinion, the minor characters were better.

The plot was good, but the execution was not the best. The POVs changed among the major characters as the story progressed and there was not always a smooth transition between them. This made the story feel kind of jerky instead and winding and flowing evenly throughout. The pace was good which helped a little to overcome some of the issues.

There is a lot of art work in this book. Since my copy is an ARC some art was not present. However, from what I did have, I can tell you the art was more suited to a graphic novel. I was expecting so much more and was greatly disappointed.

Even with the short comings I enjoyed this one; but, it will never be on any of my favorites list. This is a middle grade book but because of the violence and other subjects it is better suited to the older middle grade reader. I recommend it to those middle grade readers who like graphic novels because this book has a graphic novel feel.

I received an ARC copy at BookExpo 2019, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Writers of the Future Vol. 35 edited by David Farland

Writers of the Future Vol. 35, edited by David Farland, is an anthology of Sci-Fi and Fantasy short stories by up-and-coming new authors. In total there are twelve stories chosen from an international writing contest conducted on a quarterly schedule. Therefore, the top 3 stories from each quarter is what appears in the volume. In addition, this volume contains short stories from established, well-known writers and advice for new writers and illustrators.

The book also contains illustrations for each short story. The illustrations are chosen in the same way as the short stories and I felt were a nice bonus to the book. I also liked that each story was prefaced by a short introduction to both the writer and illustrator. I enjoyed learning about these debut authors and illustrators in the industry.

In an effort at brevity I am going to touch on only two of my favorite stories in this collection. The first story I want to talk about is Release From Service by Rustin Lovewell, illustrated by Emerson Rabbitt. In this Fantasy story, a young man must choose between what he has been trained for most of his life and what he knows is right even though the choice will cost him his life.

What I liked about the story was the character development. I prefer character driven stories over plot driven and this story is a perfect example of how a good author does not need a hundred plus pages to give the reader a character that is relatable. It also helped that the plot was spot on. This story I would rate as five stars.

The next story I want to talk about is a Sci-Fi story, Super-Duper Moon Girl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler written by Wulf Moon and illustrated by Alice Wang. This story actually made me cry. It is about a young girl living on the moon with her parents. She is the sole surviving student of a school bombing that left her unable to breathe on her own. She has an AI unit in the shape of a dog who breathes for her and is her protector. Yet, some times protectors are too good at what they do. This is also a five-star story. Same as the previous story, I loved the character and felt a real connection.

There are other stories that I feel rated five stars or close and some I would give a four too. There was only one I was not crazy about and that was Yellow Submarine. I felt the plot was not very inventive. Yet, the prose was good. I would rate that one as three stars.

As a whole, I was surprised at the quality of the writing and illustrations. There was a big variety in this collection and the stories were, for the most part, first-rate. Therefore, it made me want to read the next story and the next, until the end, which came a bit too quickly for me. I am left with the quandary of how to rate the book overall. As a whole, I would rate this collection as 4 stars, maybe even pushing 4.5.

I highly recommend this anthology to lovers of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. There is something to love in every story and the illustrations were fabulous. I am excited to see what the future holders for these new authors and illustrators and once you read this collection I suspect you will be too.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The Memory Tree by John A. Heldt

The Memory Tree by John A. Heldt is the second book in The Carson Chronicles series. The book follows the Carson siblings on their continuing adventure of a lifetime as they struggle to find their lost time traveling parents. Book two picks up where book one ended and, as you can imagine, nothing seems to go right for the siblings.

Shortly after arriving in 1918 the siblings decide they can cover more ground by splitting up. Adam and Bridgett, now expecting their first child, have taken up a temporary residence in Minnesota not far from Duluth. This becomes home base with Adam as the head of the time traveling group. From here he will help guide the search for their parents, Tim and Caroline Carson.

The twins, Caitlin and Cody, decide to visit an old friend from 1889 and so they travel to Pennsylvania. The plan is to visit a family war hero, while in Pennsylvania, in the hopes that their parents have done the same. In the meantime, Natalie takes a journalist position at the Minneapolis Post. She will travel as far as war torn Europe to cover her human interest stories. Greg heads off by himself following yet another trail of ancestral clues to Mexico to meet another family member.

In attempting to cover all the bases, in this time traveling game of tag, will the Carson sibling ever caught a break? It seems they encounter even more problems than they did in 1889. Despite the setbacks and hard ships they will endure, the siblings remain upbeat and optimistic. Their parents have left them a big clue and maybe, just maybe this is the time period they are able to reunite.

As I have come to expect from Mr. Heldt, the characters are what make this developing story. Told from various POVs , each sibling and their parents have their own observations and contributions to the tale. The passion which Heldt portrays the characters makes them memorable and you can’t help rooting for them even when you know things are not going to work in their favor.

In addition, the events of the time and descriptions of an era, now one hundreds in our past, are deftly woven in and around the unfolding story. Heldt brings you into this magically time in our history and then sends you on this grand adventure with the characters you have grown to know and love. Overall this is a wonderful story that I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

I highly recommend this book for people who love historical stories, with a touch of fantasy, that are grounded in facts. In several ways this series reminds me of Outlander. The historical interwoven with the fictional families, relationships and romance makes for a delightful read. While I used my Kindle Unlimited account to down load this e-book, the author did request that I read and review it. Regards of how I acquire a book, all opinions are my own.

Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows by J. M. Bergen

Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows by J. M. Bergen is a captivating tale that is a little bit Harry Potter with a dash of A Wrinkle in Time thrown in. It tells the story of a young boy and how he discovers what and who he truly is. It is an adventure filled with magic and mystery all wrapped in a thrilling package for any reader to devour.

Thomas Wildus is your typical middle school kid who just happens to be anything but ordinary, though he does not know this yet. Thomas goes to school, hangs out with his friends and is learning Kung Fu, definitely average. Until he goes into a book store looking for books about magic… real magic, because one of the last things Thomas’s Dad said to him before he died was, “magic is real.”

The book store owner, Huxley, gives him a book that is locked in a box and makes him promise that he will only read it when he is alone and that he will tell no one that he has the book. Additionally, he is told he must return the book immediately once he has finished reading. So starts his introduction into the world of magic. He will have to learn quickly because there are dark forces already looking for artifacts hidden by his ancestors that are capable of destroying the word.

What a great middle grade story. Even though I am well beyond middle grade age, I enjoyed this one immensely. Sometimes, I read middle grade stories and feel like the story is dumbed down or that I am being talked down to, not the case here. The story flowed along so nicely and the prose was age appropriate; yet, written in such a way as to appeal to older readers.

I loved the characters in the story, especially Thomas and I had empathy for him throughout. There was enough action to keep even young reader’s interest. In addition, the plot was well thought out and the story fit the characters nicely. In a nutshell, I liked everything about it. The ending wrapped up; yet, hinted at more to come. I am truly looking forward to the next book and to see what is in store for Thomas.

I highly recommend this book to all middle grade readers and those older readers that love Harry Potter. This is one book you don’t want to miss. Be sure to add it to your TBR list.

I received a free copy from the author through Library Thing’s Early reviewer’s program.

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

The Ruin of Kings is a debut fantasy novel by Jenn Lyons. It is the first in, what I understand is to be, a 5 books series titled A Chorus of Dragons. To date, I have only read the preview, so this review is based on that alone.

Since I have not read the book in it’s entirely, here is what the publisher has to say:

Kihrin is a bastard orphan who grew up on storybook tales of long-lost princes and grand quests. When he is claimed against his will as the long-lost son of a treasonous prince, Kihrin finds that being a long-lost prince isn’t what the storybooks promised.

Far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family’s power plays and ambitions. He also discovers that the storybooks have lied about a lot of other things things, too: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love, and how the hero always wins.

Then again, maybe he’s not the hero, for Kihrin isn’t destined to save the empire.

He’s destined to destroy it . . .

What I liked most about the book is that I was drawn into the world immediately and became invested in the character right away. I felt sorry for Kihrin because he was in jail, even though I thought he brought some of his situation on himself, I wanted to know the whole story behind how he ended up in this situation.

The plot moved along nicely. Even though I only read the preview, I was able to get a sense of the world that allowed me to follow the story without any problems. I would think as the book progressed you would have more world building and character development. It worked for me and I actually prefer that authors don’t do a data dumb at the beginning.

The way the author told the story from the present looking back reminded me of The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. However, unlike Rothfuss, the author had two characters tell the story and the book jumped between three time lines, the present, and two pasts told from different POVs. This I found a little confusing and a couple of times had to reread a few pages to stay on track with each timeline. I thought this could have been handled better and took away a little from the book.

Overall, despite the one negative, I liked the story and want to read the book in its entirety. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes epic fantasy.

I received my preview of The Ruin of Kings, via NetGalley, from the publisher.