I don’t want to talk about this week on the whole, but the books were good.
Started off pretty good, got this one from NetGalley.
Alistair Fall and the Restless Dead by Marianne Gordon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
** I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley for free; my review is my own, and I leave it voluntarily.
This one was a fine little book. It does the switching POVs, which I really didn’t see coming, since the MMC’s name is on the cover. The prose is well done, and the characters largely feel like real people rather than plot devices, which is good. I love the world that Marianne Gordon has created, especially the magic system.
My one quibble is the FMC. I just… I don’t like her. I tried to, but she bothers me every time she is on the page. Maybe it was because I liked Alistar so much. I love almost everything about his character, and the chapters from his POV were undoubtedly my favorite.
This is the first book in a series, so I do think that when the next one comes out, I will check it out (even if Sunny is going to be there). Definitely recommend to anyone who likes cool magic systems and Sherlock.
And a lovely little book from a goodreads giveaway (I won an actual hardcover book!) squeee
Brock Smith and the Dagger of Souls by Jeremy Deshazer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
** I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway for free; my review is my own, and I leave it voluntarily.
I fear that I cannot properly articulate how much I enjoyed this book. This is a solid and heartfelt debut. It has a little bit of that first book shine, slight moments where the writing is a bit rough around the edges, but nothing severe – overall it is a wonderful book.
The themes of loss, grief, and coming of age are handled with real sincerity, and, given how closely it connects to the author’s life, this makes sense and is done well. The personal ties don’t feel forced or heavy-handed. This book was written from a place of real feeling.
As a fantasy hero’s journey, it does what it was meant to: it gives you a likable protagonist and sends him on an adventure, with friends and allies, there’s magic and hijinks – all the good stuff.
Definitely would recommend picking this one up – strong fantasy debut that the author clearly poured his heart into.
Up next, me actually getting my money’s worth from my Kindle Unlimited membership, I’ll review it when I review it – it’s already published and I only have the energy to star things right now
Touch Me by Shanna M. Rogers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Also, that book series I read wrong? I read the first one, as one is supposed to, but not before I read another short story.
The Plan of Darkness by Alex O. Harb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Heavy Sky by Alex O. Harb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
** I received a copy of this book for free; my review is my own, and I leave it voluntarily.
So, I read this series in a highly unusual fashion; I read most of the short stories before I even started the main book. I was torn about starting the series at all, as it is not finished. Instead of being normal and getting the sample, I decided to read Resonance of Silence, which I liked so much that I read more of the short stories, leading me to start this book with a bit more knowledge than I was supposed to have.
What a strong start for this series! I cannot express enough how much I love the world building. The world feels expansive and well thought out; it’s a real page-turner. The overall concept of this book is just great, and the execution was spot on. I have never quite encountered this special blend of sci-fi and steampunk, but I love it. The settings were vivid and beautiful, and the characters were engaging.
The only tiny complaint I have is with the constantly switching points of view. This is mostly just a personal preference, but I really struggle to remember what’s going on and who is who in general (I’m a lost cause with names in real life, too). The switching PoVs adds another layer for me to remember and keep straight, not to mention all the times I was really invested, and then I’d get cut away to another storyline. This story sort of necessitates this type of telling, and if it were eliminated, I do think the overall story would suffer, but I’m still gonna whine about it.
Even with that , and I cannot stress this enough, very minor frustration, this is a unique and worthwhile read. I should like another – please and thank you.
And bringing up the rear, Jonathan Sims – gotta get in that fall mood.
The Burn Line by Jonathan Sims
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Honestly there must be something wrong with me because I feel like I read way more when stressed/overworked/busy in general. Seems like I should be hitting a slump, but I think I certainly read more pages than last week? Idk, I’m going to ignore it.
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