September 2020 Book Club: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

We read The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey for book club this month. After seeing a lot of bad reviews for it, I went into it with pretty low expectations. Most of my fellow book club readers weren't impressed with it either, but I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would. In fact I liked it enough to continue on with the trilogy, although I did not like the second and third books nearly as much. I ended up reading all three books in succession, so I'm going to post my reviews for all three here.

The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1)  by Rick Yancey

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Post Apocalyptic
Content: Strong language, Quite a lot of killing, Scenes with lots of dead bodies piled up, The conditioning and brainwashing of children in a boot camp setting

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains.
After the 2nd, only the lucky escape.
And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive.
After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.  

 

I don't read a lot of post apocalyptic stuff, but most of the ones I have read have had the "aliens take over the world" theme. Certain elements of this reminded me of  The Host by Stephenie Meyer, although that was a cake walk compared to this, and in the end, the stories had little in common. The atmosphere of this book, and the not knowing if you can trust other people thing reminded me a bit of the TV show Falling Skies. I think it was that atmosphere that won me over. It was tense, and the characters not knowing who they could trust made it interesting for me. Then there is also the "enemy turned lover" scenario that made it interesting too. I think I'm in the minority when it comes to the romance because I actually liked it, and it was one aspect of the book that I enjoyed. I liked the whole "love can change the way a person sees the world and others" theme there, and I didn't think it took over the story or anything.

I'm not gonna lie, this series was depressing at times, and there are some morally questionable things done by characters. I particularly found the boot camp where the children as young as five were being conditioned and brainwashed, and turned into soldiers hard to read. I almost wanted to stop, but I kept going. The main character, Cassie doesn't exactly come off as the most likable protagonist to a lot of people, but I was still able to like her. The thing is, I could understand her behaving in the way she does in this book, because she was a teenager put in a horrifying situation. She's lost her whole family. She's alone, and she's lost all trust in everyone. I could see a person becoming that way in this situation. I do think that the book could have shown us more people willing to trust and help each other. Most of those type of people end up dead in this book. That brings up the questions, how far should we go to save the human race? How much of ourselves should we sacrifice? What would we have to become in order to do that, and is it worth it? 

In the end, I have mixed feelings about this book. I gave it 4 stars because there were things I liked a lot about it, and at certain parts I had a hard time putting it down. As a YA book I would definitely say this isn't a book for young teens. It's very dark and gritty. There is also a lot of cursing in this series as a whole, with lots of F bombs thrown in; more than in most of the books I've read written for adults in the last year.

The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2) by Rick Yancey

 

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Post Apocalyptic
Content: Strong language, Quite a lot of killing, A mostly off page sex scene, Kids as suicide bombers

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

 

I didn't like this book as much as the first one. Maybe because I really didn't care for some of the points of view that were written in this one. I felt like there were too many and it switched too often, and the story didn't feel as tight as the first book. Nothing really happens for the characters I liked, and there was too much written about ones I didn't like. I'm probably in the minority here, but I wasn't a fan of Ringer and we spend a good portion of the book with her. Add on top of that- plans that are made never coming to fruition, the character I found the most interesting from book one being handicapped and sidelined throughout this whole book, and then there is the twist on the twist from the first book. I can't say what it is because of spoilers, but I didn't care for this development, and I thought it added quite a few holes to the story that are going to be hard to fill. This book was disappointing.

 

The Last Star (The 5th Wave #3) by Rick Yancey

 

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Post Apocalyptic
Content: Strong language, Quite a lot of killing, A mostly off page sex scene, Kids as suicide bombers, A gross scene with a mass grave

We’re here, then we’re gone, and that was true before they came. That’s always been true. The Others didn’t invent death; they just perfected it. Gave death a face to put back in our face, because they knew that was the only way to crush us. It won’t end on any continent or ocean, no mountain or plain, jungle or desert. It will end where it began, where it had been from the beginning, on the battlefield of the last beating human heart.

 

I was hoping this last book in the trilogy would fix some of the problems I had with the previous book. Unfortunately I didn't feel like it did. We got some answers, but not everything was answered in a satisfactory way for me. By this time in the trilogy I wanted to start having a feeling of hope, but for the most part it was all gloom up until the very end. The one thing I liked about this book was the fact that finally, in the end they saw the need to insert their humanity and start to trust again. Start to love and give people a chance again. In the end no one goes by their names they were given at the boot camp anymore. Ringer is Marika, Zombie is Ben, Nugget is Sam, etc. Not surprisingly Sam has a hard time with this transition. What traumatized 6 year old wouldn't by this point? But it still hurt to see him that way. This was a series that started out pretty strong and just fizzled out.

My main complaints: 

Characters contradict themselves too much.

A revelation that Ringer makes to Ben. It added nothing to the overall story, and came out of nowhere when it was revealed. Maybe giving us some hints and having her suspect something first would have helped?

The romance fizzled out and the scene leading up to sex was weirdly written. Evanland? I mean what was that?

Evan was yet again almost non-existent in this book.

Cassie's inner monologue was weird at times. Planting her flag on the sculpted beach? Uh, never mind...let's move on.

The mass grave scene was too much. 

Some of the plot holes were sort of filled, but not all of them.  

The ending was bitter-sweet, but not in a good way for me.

Mackenzie & Mackenzie P.I. Books 2 and 3 by Jennifer L. Hart

This has been a fun series so far. It's kind of a cozy mystery I guess. Sometimes I have trouble categorizing those. The mother/daughter dynamic still reminds me a lot of Gilmore Girls. At times Mac is more mature than her mother, and if this wasn't fluff it would probably bother me more than it does.

So far I think the first book Sleuthing for a Living is the best one, but these two were pretty good as well. I do find it unreal that a P. I. owned a very expensive car (that got passed down to Mackenzie when the P. I. died). I don't think private investigators make that much. I mean he wasn't like Thomas Magnum living on Robin Masters' estate. He lived in, and owned a sort of rundown apartment building. 

 I also had some issues with book 3 in regards to the timeline of certain happenings, and also in regards to a couple of things that were a stretch to believe, but I'm not taking these books too seriously. These are light reads for when you just want brain candy.

 

 

All Sleuth and No Play (Mackenzie & Mackenzie P.I. #2)  

by Jennifer L. Hart

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery  

Content: Strong language

 

 

 

Another day, another secret.

Novice PI Mackenzie Taylor is going stir crazy. Deep in the throes of a classic New England winter, the endless hours of following cheating spouses have left her feeling jaded and restless. Not to mention the emotional tug of war when the father of her teenage child suddenly starts hanging around and putting a major crimp in Mackenzie’s fledgling relationship with the hot Detective Hunter Black. So when she's asked to help find a missing bride, Mackenzie jumps at the chance to do some good.

Juggling the missing persons case, two headstrong men, being a new landlord of a rundown building, and a sixteen-year-old daughter/ BFF actually acting her age for once and crushing on a much older man has Mackenzie’s contemplating the upside of running away from home. Instead she throws herself into work. But the more dirt she digs up on the missing bride, the murkier the investigation becomes. Was it a simple case of post wedding jitters or did the missing woman make a fatal mistake? And is Mackenzie about to follow her footsteps right into the clutches of a killer?

 

 

 

Sleuthing for the Weekend (Mackenzie & Mackenzie P.I. #3) 

by Jennifer L. Hart

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Content: Strong language

It’s St. Patrick’s Day in Beantown, and Mackenzie Elizabeth Taylor needs the Luck of the Irish to solve her latest mystery—namely, who was the mysterious Uncle Al, the man who left her his apartment building as well as his PI business? But that personal investigation has to take a backseat to raising her teenage genius Mac, and dealing with her immature baby-daddy and demanding mother. Not to mention taking on a job that will actually produce some green.

The case is a gnarly dispute by two Irish pub owners who happen to be brothers as well as rivals over a missing inheritance. With the entire city out pub-crawling, Mackenzie goes hunting for a pot of gold...but winds up with a body instead.

With an assist from Mac, Mackenzie must slip into her gumshoes and go toe-to-toe with Detective Hunter Black, her neighbor, protector, and main squeeze, in order to solve her case. this case and claim the reward before someone else. Can the mother daughter team successfully investigate in the middle of a city-wide chaos? Or is their luck about to run out?

 

 

UnHappenings by Edward Aubry

 

 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Time Travel
Content: Strong language

 

When Nigel Walden is fourteen, the unhappenings begin. His first girlfriend disappears the day after their first kiss with no indication she ever existed. This retroactive change is the first of many only he seems to notice.

Several years later, when Nigel is visited by two people from his future, he hopes they can explain why the past keeps rewriting itself around him. But the enigmatic young guide shares very little, and the haggard, incoherent, elderly version of himself is even less reliable. His search for answers takes him fifty-two years forward in time, where he finds himself stranded and alone.

And then he meets Helen.

Brilliant, hilarious and beautiful, she captivates him. But Nigel’s relationships always unhappen, and if they get close it could be fatal for her. Worse, according to the young guide, just by entering Helen’s life, Nigel has already set into motion events that will have catastrophic consequences. In his efforts to reverse this, and to find a way to remain with Helen, he discovers the disturbing truth about the unhappenings, and the role he and his future self have played all along. 

 

 Time travel can be tricky to write, but this was a pretty good time travel story. The book deals with all the intended and unintended consequences of changing the past. I was a little disappointed in the reason all the unhappenings started. I mean really, did it have to be over that? I wanted it to be something more original, but the story kept me interested. 

I enjoyed reading all the emotions the main character went through as things happened, then unhappened. At some points it was heartbreaking. I definitely wouldn't have wanted to live this guys life! 

If you liked Blake Crouch's Recursion, then you might like this one. 

 

 

 

Outsider (Kate Burkholder #12) by Linda Castillo

 

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, suspense
Content: Strong language, A brief description of a sexual encounter that happened in the past.

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder’s past comes back to haunt her when she receives a call from Amish widower Adam Lengacher. While enjoying a sleigh ride with his children, he discovered a car stuck in a snowdrift and an unconscious woman inside. Kate arrives at his farm and is shocked to discover the driver is a woman she hasn’t seen in ten years: fellow cop Gina Colorosa.

Ten years ago, Kate and Gina were best friends at the police academy, graduating together as rookies with the Columbus Division of Police. But the reunion takes an ominous turn when Kate learns Gina is wanted for killing an undercover officer. Gina claims she’s innocent, that she was framed by corrupt officers who want her gone because she was about to turn them in for wrongdoing.

Kate calls upon state agent John Tomasetti for help and with a blizzard bearing down, they delve into the incident. But no one wants to talk about what happened the night Gina allegedly gunned down a fellow cop. Even Tomasetti is stonewalled, his superior telling him in no uncertain terms to back off.

With whisperings of corruption and the threat of rogue cops seeking revenge, Kate and Gina hunker down at Adam Lengacher’s farm. As Kate gets closer to the truth, a killer lies in wait. When violence strikes, Kate must confront a reality that changes everything she thought she knew not only about friendship, but the institution to which she's devoted her life.

 

This series has been a mixture of 3 and 4 star ratings for me. After a rocky start, I've grown pretty attached to these characters. Over time, the stories have mellowed out a bit, meaning that the characters are less abrasive and reckless. They've settled into who they are, and are comfortable with each other. There is also less cursing in the books. I like it so much better this way!

Unlike most of the books in the series, the mystery in this one doesn't directly involve any of the Amish. There is just the Amish family that ends up finding the woman in trouble and letting her stay in their home. I liked that this book was a departure from that same old formula. One thing that I enjoy about this series are the flashbacks we get to Kate's earlier life. This time around it was to the time period after she left home until after she joined the police force in Columbus. As the mystery unfolds, Kate goes down memory lane, back to when she met her friend, Gina, who is the woman in trouble, and through all the ups and downs of their friendship, until it finally ended. Kate comes to a life-changing decision along the way, and I was glad that she finally came to this decision after many books.

I liked the way Tomasetti was supportive in this book. He wasn't overbearing, and he didn't keep telling Kate that she needed to stop putting herself in danger. I thought maybe he went a little too far in the other direction this time, but it was better than the angry, worried Tomasetti. And Kate mostly played it smarter than in some of the previous books. I think they have both grown and changed for the better. That being said, there was one part that didn't feel very realistic to me. I thought they wouldn't have stayed at the farmhouse after the car was spotted in the middle of the night. They blew it off too easily for the situation they were in, and Tomasetti, who in the past has been so worried about Kate, didn't come across as worried enough about that.

My only other problem with the book is the cover. It's a nice cover, but it has absolutely nothing to do with anything that happens in the book. Other than a couple of brief encounters with two Amish women, there is no Amish lady featured in the book, so I'm not sure why they decided on this cover. But I do know that authors really don't have much input on the cover that is chosen for their books, so that's on the publisher.

Overall, this series is still going strong, and I still enjoy the time I spend in Painter's Mill each year with these characters, so I will definitely keep reading.

Destroyed (The Birthright Series #7) by Bridget E. Baker

 

 

 My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Clean

  

The powers gathered against Chancery have been vanquished, and she has finally conquered the other five families and assembled their stones. All she needs to do is rejoin the final stones and locate the garden so that she can fulfill the prophecy.

But not all her enemies stood outside the gates.

When her direst enemy strikes, she's woefully unprepared. She's willing to suffer the consequences of her lack of judgment, but her failure means the destruction of billions of lives. Can Chancery make the sacrifices necessary to redeem her misplaced faith, or will the Sons of Gilgamesh bring to pass the utter destruction prophesied from the beginning?

This is the last book in The Birthright Series, and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was scared that I would end up completely heartbroken. The love triangle was kind of agonizing! From the start I was team Edam, but Noah grew on me so much, and I ended up loving him too. One was all fire and intensity, and the other was gentle and caring. They seriously needed to be combined into one guy! I honestly didn't know who she would end up with, and of course I'm not going to tell you, but I will say that I've read a couple of other books with love triangles that ended the way this one did, and I'm happy. A little heartbroken as well, but happy.

I'm probably making this series sound like it was all about the romance, but it wasn't. It was about a lot more than that. I enjoyed the overall plot. It was different from anything I had read before with the low fantasy setting in the real world, combined with the daughters of Eve and their descendants. I liked the sisterly bonds in the series as well, and the way it showed the different perspectives of the sisters. I also liked how it showed how sometimes people can get off track by the choices they make, even if their intentions started out good.

With seven books, this series has been a rather long one, but I loved all the books and it didn't bother me at all that there were seven of them. There may have been a few things that could have been left out, and I did feel like some things happened too quickly (namely babies) and maybe some things were wrapped up a little too neatly, but as I read this I thought about how nice it was to get all these little extras in this series. Namely, the alternate points of view books (which ended up being my favorites), and details like the weddings being included. That was what made this series so great to me. I loved getting to linger and spend the extra time with the characters in this series. I loved getting to see all the alternate points of view and how that changed the story. Overall this book was a great ending to the series and I'm looking forward to seeing what Bridget writes next!

Thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 

 

unRepentant (The Birthright Series Book 6) by Bridget E. Baker

 

 

 My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Clean

 

Inara, sick of playing the pawn, has decided to up her game. But not all of her new decisions have been positive, and one misstep can have far reaching consequences. Will Inara play nicely, or bring down the entire family in her fury?

When you've already lost everything that matters...

Inara devoted more than two hundred years of her life to serving Alamecha. She gave up on her epic love. She lost her best friend. She protected her sisters, even as they stole her birthright. Her siblings made error after error, and Inara patiently cleaned up their mistakes.

Gambling over the future of the world isn't daunting.

But when a critical piece of the past comes to light, Inara realizes she sacrificed in vain. Now that she finally knows the truth, Inara is done playing janitor. She's never serving anyone else again. Inara will do whatever it takes to secure the throne for herself--even if that means destroying her mother's legacy.

Going into this book I wasn't sure how I would feel about a book from Inara's point of view. Let me just say, that this ended up being one of the best books in the series! I read most of it in one night, and because I just couldn't put it down, I ended up not going to sleep until 3 0'clock in the morning! Part of the reason for that is the fact that so many things are revealed in this book that I've been waiting for answers for. Another part is that I genuinely liked Inara for most of the book. And of course there is always the fact that Bridget Baker does such a good job at sucking me into her stories.

The scope of this book is huge. Many years are covered, and we get so much background on Inara and some of the other characters. I loved that about the book. I thought Inara's character was well developed and it made sense why she made all the choices she made, even if I didn't agree with all of them. I understood how she got from point A to point B in her life, and I had sympathy for her up to a point. My one little quibble is the insta-love thing that happens at one point in the book. I do need to add that I have since finished this series, and after reading the next book and learning more about how the berserker thing works and how certain feelings can happen for certain reasons, the insta-love made more sense, but at the time I read this I just didn't understand it, and I spent a good part of the book in disbelief. Despite that, I feel like overall this was an excellent book, and after finishing it I had to immediately start the next one! 

 

Thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 The Nemesis by S.J. Kincaid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Space Opera, Fantasy
Content: Strong language, off page sex between a married couple, some depraved behavior at a party is mentioned.

 
Three years ago, Tyrus Domitrian shocked the universe by killing the woman he swore to love forever. The woman for whom he upended the Empire. The woman with whom he wanted to build a new, and brighter, future.

Now, the once-idealistic heir apparent has become the cruel Emperor Tyrus, wielding his authority with an iron fist, capable of destroying galaxies with a single word, controlling all technology with a simple thought. He has bent the Grandiolquy to their knees, and none have the power to stand against him.

But there is a muttering among the Excess. They say that Nemesis is not truly gone. They mutter of her shadow spotted in distant galaxies. They say that Nemesis lives. That she will rise, and rally the people to topple man who was once her truest love—and is now her fiercest enemy.

 Art by Vivien Gintner at https://evilienne.tumblr.com/

“I saw love on his face. It was real. A villain could love. He loved me. But love was no reason, no justification, no excuse.”

What a roller coaster this series has been! I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this one, especially after the second book in the trilogy broke my heart into a million pieces. The wait for this book was long, but worth it! This trilogy was inspired by I, Claudius and I think the author did a fantastic job weaving that inspiration into these books. I don't want to say anything else about the plot, or too much about Tyrus, or anyone's motivations, but I had hopes that my heart would be mended by this book. I'm not going to say whether it was or not, you'll just have to read the book. I will say that I was impressed, even though things got rather convoluted at times, and I'm not sure the lengths one particular character went to were necessary, but I enjoyed it anyway. My only real complaint is that one character, who is basically a terrorist never has to suffer consequences for some of the things she did.

I would put this trilogy in the older teen category, as there is quite a bit of violence, and depravity in it, though not a lot of detail given. Think of the hedonistic Roman empire. If you like space opera, lots of political machinations, and are looking for a YA trilogy that has a more intricate plot, then you might like this.

A Chorus of Fire by Brian D. Anderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Strong language

A shadow has moved across Lamoria. Whispers of the coming conflict are growing louder; the enemy becoming bolder. Belkar’s reach has extended far into the heart of Ralmarstad and war now seems inevitable.

Mariyah, clinging to the hope of one day being reunited with Lem, struggles to attain the power she will need to make the world safe again. But a power like this is not easily acquired and will test the limits of her mind and body. She will need to look deep inside herself to find the strength to achieve what even the Thaumas of old could not.

Lem continues his descent into darkness, serving a man he does not trust in the name of a faith which is not his own. Only Shemi keeps his heart from succumbing to despair, along with the knowledge that he has finally found Mariyah. But Lem is convinced she is being held against her will, and compelled to do the bidding of her captors. He is determined to free her, regardless the cost.

Their separate roads are leading them to the same destination. And once they arrive they will have to confront more than the power of Belkar. They will have to face themselves and what Lamoria has forced them to become.

 
This was a great sequel to The Bard's Blade. Sometimes the second book in a trilogy can feel disappointing, like it's just a bridge from book 1 to book 3, but not this one. Anderson's writing is easy to read while at the same time, he has built complex characters. In a way it reminds me of Michael J. Sullivan's writing. I'll definitely be looking for other things written by this author.

There were a couple of things that I thought would probably happen that I was completely wrong about, and I'm glad I was wrong. I really don't like it when a book is predictable. Although the overall plot is nothing new, and in many ways it reminds me of classic high fantasy, it somehow still feels fresh.

Once again I loved the bards and music in this series, and was thrilled when Lem was shown the magical aspect of being a bard. I really like the way the bard's magic is being woven into this story, and the history of the world. I haven't read a fantasy series with music in it like this since I read the Kingkiller Chronicles books, and honestly, I like these better.

I also loved how true to each other Lem and Mariyah are, even though they are apart. Each of them has changed so much since they've been apart, I was wondering how things would be for them when they were finally reunited. They've both had to make some hard choices and are no longer the naive innocents they were in the beginning of their journey. It seemed like they were giving up the part of themselves that the other loved the most. Will they still love each other the same after all this is done? We do get an answer to this at the end of the book, but I'm not about the spoil it here.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: adult
Genre: Mystery, psychological suspense
Content: Strong language, Sexual assault, A rape done off page, An on page rape with some disgusting details


My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:
1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie.

Amber wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move. She can’t speak. She can’t open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it. Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, this brilliant psychological thriller asks: Is something really a lie if you believe it's the truth?

“We are all just ghosts of the people we hoped that we were and counterfeit replicas of the people we wanted to be.” 

At times I found this book confusing, but the twists and turns were good! This is one of those books where you really have to pay attention to what you're reading. I think if I had read the print version, instead of listening to the audio it might have been easier for me, but the audio was very well done. 

I don't typically read books with unreliable narrators, those can be hard for me to like because I naturally want to like and trust the main character. I knew when I added this to my reading list that it would be a gamble, so I'm glad I ended up mostly liking the way it was written. I will say one thing I didn't like about the writing was that there is too much whining and feeling sorry for oneself in this book, but then people like the character in this book do that.

This is the kind of book that makes you think for a while after you've finished it. It kept me guessing pretty much the whole time. There are still some things that I'm wondering about. If you like books with everything answered in the end, then this might not be for you, but if you like weird psychological suspense that leaves you wondering just a bit, then it might be right up your alley.

Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Content: Strong language, drug use, an attempted rape 


New York City, 1899. Tillie Pembroke’s sister lies dead, her body drained of blood and with two puncture wounds on her neck. Bram Stoker’s new novel, Dracula, has just been published, and Tillie’s imagination leaps to the impossible: the murderer is a vampire. But it can’t be—can it?

A ravenous reader and researcher, Tillie has something of an addiction to truth, and she won’t rest until she unravels the mystery of her sister’s death. Unfortunately, Tillie’s addicted to more than just truth; to ease the pain from a recent injury, she’s taking more and more laudanum…and some in her immediate circle are happy to keep her well supplied.

Tillie can’t bring herself to believe vampires exist. But with the hysteria surrounding her sister’s death, the continued vampiric slayings, and the opium swirling through her body, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for a girl who relies on facts and figures to know what’s real—or whether she can trust those closest to her.

I went into this knowing that this author's books are hit or miss with me. Miss more often, to be honest, but somehow the beautiful covers always draw me in. Plus the description for this one sounded so intriguing. The beginning of the book pulled me in pretty easily. Tillie seemed like an unusual, somewhat quirky girl, and I could get behind that. Unfortunately she ended up being very foolish and came off too young for her age. 

One of my problems with the book as a whole is it felt rather YA when it's supposed to be an adult novel. Then there is the whole issue of nothing much happening except for Tillie spiraling into opium addiction for most of the book. There are three murdered bodies discovered within that time as well, but it just felt like the book was more about addiction than anything else. 

The added in "vampire" intrigue was not a bad idea, but there wasn't enough of it, and it seemed like Tillie made one bad decision after another while purporting to investigate what happened to her sister. There weren't enough clues dropped for this to be a good mystery. Tillie mostly just stumbled onto things while being foolish, and that left me, as the reader wondering where it was going. After this one, I'm not sure if I'll read any more books by this author.

Books 2-5 of the Harbinger Series: Mirror Gate, Iron Garland, Prism Cloud, and Broken Veil

I really enjoyed reading this series. I'm not going to write reviews for each book because I read them one right after the other and the lines of where one stopped and the next began have become rather fuzzy in my mind. I also feel like I would just be repeating myself a lot. If you read my review of the first book in the series, Storm Glass, then you know I was fairly new to Jeff Wheeler's books, having only previously read The King's Poisoner. Little did I know at the time how much I would be pulled into both series, plus the Muirwood series, or how interconnected they all were. For the most part, it's been a fun ride, with some minor gripes on my part, especially concerning Muirwood. I still think after finishing this series that the author laid the religious aspects on too thick. It got slightly annoying to me in this series, but not nearly as bad as Muirwood.

There were some heartbreaking things that happened in this series, and also some really great things. Book 4, Prism Cloud was particularly heartbreaking and a bit of a downer compared to the other books. I knew things would somehow end up being set straight in this one, and I'm mostly happy with the way things ended. I was also pleasantly surprised that a couple of my favorite characters from Kingfountain appear in this book.

It's funny how initially I liked reading about Cettie more than Sera, but by the end of the series it had switched. I still liked Cettie as well, but I think with the path she went down for a while, her chapters got a little depressing compared to Sera's. I think the way the author handled the choices Cettie made was really well done. While I was disappointed in the way her story ended up going for a while, it also felt necessary, and gave some insight into the other side of things. I did feel like the bad guys were a little bit over the top a few times though, but that may have had a lot to do with the way the narrator was narrating those parts.

One thing I really enjoyed about this series is the world building. The floating estates, the air ships, the gates to the other world...it had a bit of a steampunkish feeling to it. It's my second favorite series that Wheeler has written, right behind Kingfountain, which had a more medieval/Authurian feel to it. The Legends of Muirwood would be a distant third in my opinion. It felt rather bland compared to the other two, and then there were my other complaints that I won't rehash here.

Now that I've read these books and the other series as well I would recommend to anyone wanting to read Wheeler's books, to start with either The Legends of Muirwood or the first three Kingfountain books and switch over to Legends of Muirwood before reading the last three Kingfountain books. I'm saying that as a person who didn't like Legends of Muirwood very much, and I think if I had started there I wouldn't have continued to any of the other series. Anyway here is how I would recommend reading them:

Kingfountain books 1-3
Legends of Muirwood trilogy
Kingfountain books 4-6
Covenant of Muirwood trilogy
Harbinger series

Although I haven't read it yet, I'm placing Covenant of Muirwood in there ahead of Harbinger, because things in that trilogy take place before Harbinger, and there are people and events referenced in the Harbinger series that take place in that series. Had I known, I probably would have read it first.

One final note- I really love the cover art for this series.



Mirror Gate by Jeff Wheeler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Clean


Though relations between Princess Seraphin Fitzempress and her father have been strained, Sera’s royal position has remained unchallenged. Filled with self-doubt, she struggles to grasp the Mysteries—her greatest trial yet.

An education in the enigmatic magic is a necessary one, should Sera plan to rise in her station and invoke her powers during war. But the emperor’s death now leaves both Sera and her ambitious father eligible for the throne—a contest the prince regent intends to win. Even if it means an alliance with a rival empire.

Sera’s hope lies in Cettie, a waif raised in the world below, whose life has intertwined with Sera’s in the most unexpected ways. The Mysteries come easily to Cettie, and her studies have begun to yield new insight into her growing powers. But those same powers put Cettie in the path of those who would destroy her.

Now as the threat of war ignites and an insidious sickness spreads throughout the kingdom, Sera and Cettie will need to gather their courage and fight for each other’s lives… and for the future of their endangered world.
 


Iron Garland by Jeff Wheeler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Clean


For three years, Sera Fitzempress has been a pawn in a gilded prison—the floating manor of Pavenham Sky. Disgraced and exiled from society, she has been isolated from the downtrodden she’s determined to liberate. But although Sera may seem subservient on the outside, the stubborn princess has only become emboldened.

Now in charge of her family’s estate, Cettie Pratt has grown into an independent young woman, although she continues to be tested by the high society of the clouds. Advancing in the magic of the Mysteries, Cettie is also a useful tool of defense during turbulent times. However, as more of Cettie’s mysterious past comes to light, her greatest challenge may be a reckless stranger with a dark secret.

The fog of war is drawing in, and with it comes a startling new enemy who may unravel secrets that both women would prefer stay hidden. But their secrets may be the only way to stop the coming darkness…



Prism Cloud by Jeff Wheeler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Clean


Friendship is strained to its breaking point in Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler’s fourth Harbinger novel.

When the emperor is assassinated, Sera Fitzempress is the noble most eligible to inherit the empire. Her upcoming marriage to the prince would cement her position. And as a champion for peace, Sera is the only promise of hope for staving off war between the worlds of Kingfountain and Muirwood. But standing between her and her enemies is just one devastating secret.

Sera’s best friend, Cettie, a girl born of a lower class, has made a shattering discovery: her entire existence has been a lie. Now Cettie must give up the only life she’s known and fought for and leave behind the man she loves to stop Sera’s wedding. For this discovery could bring the whole of Kingfountain to ruin.

As Cettie struggles to determine her true loyalties and loves, her allies fall to wicked plots, and she becomes increasingly alone on her journey to a destiny she never wanted—one that could ignite an unstoppable war.
 

Broken Veil by Jeff Wheeler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Clean


Rescued from a world of poverty, Cettie Pratt has avoided a bleak destiny—until now. Deceived and manipulated, she has been groomed for the ultimate betrayal: to destroy her best friend and stop peace from uniting two war-torn worlds. Her path leads her to a mysterious underworld where appearances can be deceiving.

Sera Fitzempress knows the value she has to her enemies. As heir to the empire, she must keep her foes at bay and prevent them from unleashing a being of unspeakable evil upon the world while fighting a brutal war. But her enemies are more cunning than Sera expects, and the key to their plans is none other than her best friend.

Neither woman knows what to believe. Neither one knows if she can trust the other. Both Cettie and Sera have made decisions that have irrevocably changed them. But the decisions they have yet to make will determine the fate of their world…

 

 

 

The Girl On Legare Street by Karen White

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery
Content: Strong language



Melanie has grown accustomed to renovating old houses, but she never imagined she'd have to renovate her own life to include her estranged mother. Ginnette Prioleau Middleton left Charleston thirty-five years ago. She's returned wanting to protect the daughter she's never really known after receiving an ominous premonition.

Melanie never wanted to see her mother again, but with some prodding from her partner, Jack Trenholm, she agrees-and begins to rebuild their relationship. Together Melanie and Ginnette buy back their old home. With their combined psychic abilities they expect to unearth some ghosts. But what they find is a vengeful dark spirit whose strength has been growing for decades. It will take unearthing long buried secrets to beat this demon and save what's left of Melanie's family...

I really wanted to like this series, badly, but unfortunately I just can't stand the main character Melanie. She is supposed to be 40, but she acts like she's in her 20s sometimes and in her 60s other times. Plus she is way too uptight, and sometimes downright mean to Jack. She improves a bit, but it was just too little too late for me. Honestly, just about every one of the characters in this book annoyed me in some way.

I still like the ghost aspect of the book, and it was a little bit creepier than the first book, although still not creepy enough for me. I also thought the mystery was better in this one, but it's too overshadowed by the annoying characters. I hate to say it, but this series is going on the abandoned pile.

August 2020 Book Club: Frankenstein

Halloween came early to our house. We read Frankenstein with our book club in August, and of course the possibilities for themed refreshments were practically endless.

These are ours:

 

Dr. Frankenstein's Lab

 

 

The cake decorated by my daughter.

 And these are from our friends. They came up with some brilliant ideas. They always amaze me:

 

Mini Frankensteins, pieced together from different foods. 

 

Bread shaped into bones.

 

And now for my review:

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Horror, Fantasy
Content: Pretty clean, even the killings aren't described much. 


Obsessed with the secret of creation, Swiss scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein cobbles together a body he’s determined to bring to life. And one fateful night, he does. When the creature opens his eyes, the doctor is repulsed: his vision of perfection is, in fact, a hideous monster. Dr. Frankenstein abandons his creation, but the monster won’t be ignored, setting in motion a chain of violence and terror that shadows Victor to his death.

 

This picture looks a lot closer to the way Frankenstein's monster is described in the book.

To quote my friend Alejandro's review.

"The original premise is astonishing, the following impact in popular culture is priceless and certainly the story "behind-of-the-scenes" of the creation of the novel is fascinating.

However, The actual writing of the book is tedious, the narration style is odd and the rhythm of the story is too slow."

He pretty much said everything I was thinking.

In the beginning this was incredibly slow, and the way it started with the letters that didn't seem to be relevant to anything, was frustrating. There is a lot of repetition in the book and I just wanted Mary Shelley to get to the point already. That being said I can appreciate the overall message of the book and it's contribution to literature.

The reason I was able to give it 3 stars instead of 2 is because I very much appreciated the fact that it made me think about responsibility, unconditional love, and consequences. Victor Frankenstein created a monster, not just because of the way he cobbled it together and played god, but because he couldn't love it and show affection and kindness to it. Just as Victor Frankenstein had a responsibility to his creation, I have a responsibility to my children and those around me. Sometimes all it takes is love to show someone they are worth something, and to keep a monster at bay. I don't regret reading it.


“I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.”

Sleuthing for a Living by Jennifer L. Hart

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mysery
Content: Off page sex, some innuendo


As a young single parent, Mackenzie Elizabeth Taylor has struggled to provide for her teenage daughter. She finally catches a break when she inherits half of an apartment building in Boston from her uncle Al...along with his P.I. business. So what if she doesn’t know the first thing about investigation or if their hot-but-crabby downstairs tenant is a police detective who’s looking for any excuse to handcuff her? Her daughter, Mac the computer whiz, has her back. And these two girls don’t know the meaning of the word quit—not even when their first case takes an unexpected turn.

This was a lot of fun, but it was so much like Gilmore Girls; e. g., mom and daughter with same name, their relationship dynamic, what they eat, strained relationship with grandma, that it couldn't have been an accident. That being said, it didn't bother me too much. This was one of the better cozy mysteries I've read, but I haven't read too many of them yet. I especially liked the little snippets at the beginning of each chapter from The Working Man's Guide to Sleuthing for a Living. Perfect for when you want something light.