August 2021 Book Club: Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones

  

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content:

 

Everyone - wizards, soldiers, farmers, elves, dragons, kings and queens alike - is fed up with Mr Chesney's Pilgrim Parties: groups of tourists from the world next door who descend en masse every year to take the Grand Tour. What they expect are all the trappings of a grand fantasy adventure, including the Evil Enchantress, Wizard Guides, the Dark Lord, Winged Minions, and all. And every year different people are chosen to play these parts. But now they've had enough: Mr Chesney may be backed by a very powerful demon, but the Oracles have spoken. Now it's up to the Wizard Derk and his son Blade, this year's Dark Lord and Wizard Guide, not to mention Blade's griffin brothers and sisters, to save the world from Mr Chesney's depredations.

 

This was our book club read for August 2021, but I just couldn't get into it. My main problems with it were, in the beginning I felt like I was just dropped into the middle of a story, and then there is way too much set up in this book and not enough actually happening. I've always wanted to try a Diana Wynne Jones book, so it makes me sad that I wasn't able to finish this. I guess it just wasn't for me. 

 

 

 

 

 

A Talent for War (Alex Benedict #1), Polaris (Alex Benedict #2), and Seeker (Alex Benedict #3) by Jack McDevitt

 
 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery, Space Opera
Content: Strong language

 

Everyone knew the legend of Christopher Sim. Fighter. Leader. An interstellar hero with a rare talent for war, Sim changed mankind's history forever when he forged a ragtag group of misfits into the weapon that broke the back of the alien Ashiyyur.

But now, Alex Benedict has found a startling bit of information, long buried in an ancient computer file. If it is true, then Christopher Sim was a fraud.

For his own sake, for the sake of history, Alex Benedict must follow the dark track of a legend, into the very heart of the alien galaxy - where he will confront a truth far stranger than any fiction imaginable.

 

I started buddy reading this series with a group of friends on Goodreads and in the beginning this first book was rather slow and not what I was expecting. I was expecting lots of action packed space adventure, but this one was a slow burn and it took getting used to. This is a mystery in a sci-fi setting and I really like that combination. I think the best description is that it's like reading Sherlock Holmes in space. Alex is, of course Sherlock, and Chase is Watson. This book is the only one written from Alex's point of view, with all the rest written from Chase's. Personally I think I like reading from Chase's point of view better, even if she's always playing catch up to Alex, which is what makes them feel patterned after Watson and Sherlock.

I highly recommend this series, and urge you to keep reading if it feels a bit slow in the beginning. By the time I reached around the 60% point in the book it began to pull me in more and by the end I was looking forward to continuing on to the next book.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery, Space Opera
Content: Strong language

Sixty years ago, the space yacht Polaris was found deserted, the fate of its pilot and passengers a mystery. Now, to mark the anniversary of the disappearance, there is to be an auction of what was left behind on the ship.

Using his insider knowledge, Alex Benedict, one of the preeminent antiquities dealers in the galaxy, secures some of the artifacts. But then an explosion destroys most of the collection, convincing Alex that drastic measures are being taken to hide what happened aboard the Polaris - which is why that's exactly what he has to find out, especially if it means risking his life.

 

This second book in the series was written 15 years after the first which leads me to believe the author had originally intended for A Talent for War to be a Standalone. Whatever the reason for the long stretch between books, I'm glad McDevitt decided to write more. I enjoyed this book more than the first one. There were a few instances where I thought they could have been a little smarter about things, especially since the same things happened already and maybe they should have seen that coming, but I still enjoyed the mystery solving sprinkled with a bit of adventure. Chase and Alex are likable characters and I like the rapport they have between them.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery, Space Opera
Content: Strong language

Thousands of years after an entire colony mysteriously disappears, antiquities dealer Alex Benedict comes into possession of a cup that seems to be from the Seeker, one of the colony's ships. Investigating the provenance of the cup, Alex and his assistant Chase follow a deadly trail to the Seeker-strangely adrift in a system barren of habitable worlds. But their discovery raises more questions than it answers, drawing Alex and Chase into the very heart of danger.

This was another great installment in the series, and I felt like Alex and Chase got a bit smarter when it came to their safety this time around, but still, just like in the two previous books, their lives are threatened a few times. Just not in the same ways. 

There were some little things added into this book that added to my overall enjoyment of it. They were mostly mundane things, like Chase watching TV and being able to virtually insert herself into a scene in place of one of the actors. Also the fact that talk show hosts obviously never change from being pushy and annoying, even thousands years into the future. 

Overall I think this is my favorite book in the series so far, and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

 

 

 

 

Lady's Ransom (The First Argentines #3) by Jeff Wheeler

 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult, Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Clean

 

Ransom Barton and his wife, Claire de Murrow, have arrived in Legault to reclaim the title that was Claire’s birthright. Claire intends to rebuild a war-ravaged palace to its former glory and to teach Ransom about the magical history of their new home. But when Ransom is summoned to return to King Benedict, his loyalty to Claire is tested. Fealty prevails, however questionable the king’s motives.

The ambitious Benedict, who controls his late father’s dominion, must prove his might. The warriors of the East Kingdoms have disrupted the trade routes, weakening every kingdom in their path. Benedict’s plan is to fend off a coming war through strategic alliances. But it’s Ransom’s post to keep the king’s allies—as well as his poisonous enemies—in line, even as Benedict’s defense may be inviting further chaos.

As the king’s power grows and Ransom’s rise in the council is secured, a shadowy conspiracy threatens to destroy everything Ransom has worked to build. Now torn between allegiance to the woman he loves and duty to king and country, which will Ransom choose?

 

I was really looking forward to reading this book and I did enjoy it, but parts of it made me rather sad and unsure of things. I was really excited to see Ransom and Claire finally together. Unfortunately Ransom gets called away all too soon and Claire is left to deal with things in her kingdom alone. I liked Claire a lot in the other books, but there were times here that she felt a bit out of character, and it affected the way I felt about the book. She seemed a bit too whiny and unsupportive of the things Ransom had to do. Now that I've finished the whole book I do get what the author was trying to do here, and I won't spoil anything, but I still didn't care for her personality in this book. Poor Ransom never has it easy no matter what, and that's what makes the fact that he's still such an honorable man so admirable, although I do feel that Ransom is a bit too much of a Gary Stu at times.

One of the best things about this book is the fact that I didn't see a twist coming that the author threw in near the end. It almost made all the sad and unsure things worth it. 

Thanks to NetGalley and 47North for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 

 

 

 

The Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery, Space Opera
Content: Strong language

 

Smuggler Jordan McKell has partner Ixil, an alien whose two "ferrets" ride his shoulders and telepathically exchange simple messages. They take a job on the odd-shaped ship Icarus. But the ragtag crew was found at taverns, the secret cargo sealed tight, the employer missing, and a saboteur is aboard. After a beautiful crew member helps uncover the nature of their cargo for Earth, Jordan suspects they are in a vast conspiracy set to change human history. Unfortunately, he's right.

This book was highly recommended by a friend and it was also brought up twice as a possibility for book club. Needless to say, I added it to my to-read list, and I'm really happy that I finally got around to reading it. It was a good mystery set in space and I really like Zahn's writing style. I think he's best known for the Star Wars books he's written, and I could see some of that influence in this book. The opening scene in the bar reminded me a lot of the cantina, and the main character had some Han Solo type personality traits. I really liked his personality and sense of humor. 

 

“For a change, Lady Luck seemed to be smiling on me. Then again, maybe the fickle wench was just lulling me into a false sense of security while she reached for a rock.”

 

I wouldn't compare this overall to Star Wars though. I actually liked this book better than anything Star Wars, but that's just me. This is an interesting mash up of mystery, sci-fi, noir, and space opera, and there are plenty of twists and turns in this story to keep you intrigued. I didn't see them all coming, so that was a real plus.

I loved that this was a standalone, but also hated that it was. It was nice to read something and just get to the end of it without having to read a lot of sequels, but at the same time I wouldn't have minded a sequel to this one. I'm definitely open to reading more books by this author.

July 2021 Book Club: The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg. Also The Glass Magician, and The Master Magician.

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Content: Clean

 

Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic…forever.

Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined—animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.

An Excisioner—a practitioner of dark, flesh magic—invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man.

This was another one of those books I had sitting on my Kindle for a very long time. I got it for free from Amazon and then never read it because it had such mixed reviews. However, when it came up as one of the book choices for book club I decided to vote for it since I already had it, and I still found the idea of paper magic interesting. Obviously I wasn't the only person in book club who thought it was an interesting idea. 

I ended up being hooked on the story right from the beginning and breezed right on through it. I found it a delightfully charming read and appreciated that it was light and romantic. I know the romance didn't work for a lot of people, but I like reading romance so it didn't bother me at all, plus I was expecting it after reading the book description and quite a few reviews. I thoroughly enjoyed the paper magic and how it worked, even though I feel like there could have been more explanation of how certain things worked. The paper dog, fennel was adorable, and the other paper things that were created were a delight.

The choice of placing the main character in a certain person's heart partway through the book was an interesting one, and while it ruined the book for some people, it didn't ruin it for me. The main problem with this aspect of the book is that there is no explanation of how this could possibly work, and I was left wondering at times if she was literally there or just trapped there in her mind. The way the story reads it does seem like she was literally there, but there is no explanation as to how or why she can see the persons memories while there either. If I overthink this part of the book, which is a huge chunk of the story, I would probably end up liking the book less. The thing I did like about it was how it enabled the Ceony to get to know this person so very well so very quickly. She was able to see into his heart and know the kind of person he was. It was endearing even though the mechanics of it were confusing.

On side note- Ceony does quite a bit of cooking in this book and one thing she makes is fennel cake. I decided to try making it for book club, especially since she also names the cute paper dog fennel. I was very skeptical of how it would turn out, since fennel isn't a favorite thing of mine. I found a recipe and ended up using a third less fennel than the recipe called for, and making a lemon curd to go on top and it wasn't too bad. It was definitely something different.

I ended up liking this book enough that I went on to read the second and third books in the trilogy as well. I'm adding them below.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Content: Clean

 

Three months after returning Magician Emery Thane’s heart to his body, Ceony Twill is well on her way to becoming a Folder. Unfortunately, not all of Ceony’s thoughts have been focused on paper magic. Though she was promised romance by a fortuity box, Ceony still hasn’t broken the teacher-student barrier with Emery, despite their growing closeness.

When a magician with a penchant for revenge believes that Ceony possesses a secret, he vows to discover it…even if it tears apart the very fabric of their magical world. After a series of attacks target Ceony and catch those she holds most dear in the crossfire, Ceony knows she must find the true limits of her powers…and keep her knowledge from falling into wayward hands.

 

This was a good follow up to The Paper Magician. I enjoyed it almost as much as the first book. Ceony is a bit reckless at times, but she is still inexperienced. I still enjoyed the same things I did about the last book, the paper magic, and also getting to learn about glass magic this time around.

 

 

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Content: Clean

Throughout her studies, Ceony Twill has harbored a secret, one she’s kept from even her mentor, Emery Thane. She’s discovered how to practice forms of magic other than her own—an ability long thought impossible.

While all seems set for Ceony to complete her apprenticeship and pass her upcoming final magician’s exam, life quickly becomes complicated. To avoid favoritism, Emery sends her to another paper magician for testing, a Folder who despises Emery and cares even less for his apprentice. To make matters worse, a murderous criminal from Ceony’s past escapes imprisonment. Now she must track the power-hungry convict across England before he can take his revenge. With her life and loved ones hanging in the balance, Ceony must face a criminal who wields the one magic that she does not, and it may prove more powerful than all her skills combined.

 

This was my least favorite book of the trilogy. There were things I liked a lot about it, but unfortunately by this point I felt like Ceony should have grown and matured a bit more. Her actions were still reckless, even after everything that happened in the first two books. It was like she never learned to use her head and think things through first, and she ended up jumping into situations she shouldn't have. This was acceptable in the first book and even a bit in the second because she was new to everything and young, but three years goes by between the second and last book so I feel like she should have learned from her past mistakes by then.

I did like that Ceony learns how to use the other types of magic, and learning about how they worked was also something I enjoyed about the book, though it did feel like the excisioners were too overpowered compared to the other types of magic. It didn't seem like the same kind of rules applied to them, but maybe that was because they were using a dark, forbidden magic. I don't know, but it was definitely unbalanced. I did like the way this ended, and although I'm not going to say how the villain dies, I will say that it had me giggling...and yes I know it probably doesn't sound right to giggle about a death, but the way it happened was so amusing to me.

 

 

 

Library Cats

 I just had to post this cute picture of two of our cats in the library. 

My Lady Mage (Warriors of the Mist #1) by Alexis Morgan

  

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Content: Some pretty detailed sex

A cursed destiny. A band of warriors. And one troubled kingdom.

It is whispered in Agathia that the legendary warriors of the mist-cursed by the gods-can be summoned only when a champion is needed and the cause is just. Gideon, their captain, knows this to be the one path that will lead his men to redemption-lest they face an eternity of damnation.

Years have passed since anyone has journeyed to the river's edge, but times are desperate. Oppressed by a cruel guardian whose dark magic threatens to destroy her people, the beautiful and courageous Merewen calls upon the bespelled warriors. In Gideon she finds more than a champion, and in his arms, more than protection. However, their enemies are fighting with a power darker than anything than they imagined, and should Gideon fail, she will lose everything she holds dear-including her heart.

 

I've had this book for many years and always put off reading it for something else. This was mainly due to the fact that it had such mixed reviews on Goodreads. I finally decided that I needed to just go ahead and read it. 

In the beginning I was pulled into the story very quickly and I liked the characters and the overall plot a lot. However this is a fantasy-romance, and those can be really hit or miss with me. If the book happens to swerve into the romance novel lane too much then it usually doesn't work out so well for me. What I mean by that is, there are fantasy-romances that are fantasy that is romantic. Amy Harmon's fantasy stories come to mind here. Then there are fantasy-romances that are fantasy stories written to support a romance. Some of which feel like they are constructed solely to prop up love making scenes. This one felt more like the latter, which is a shame because the fantasy elements of this story were very compelling and I loved the idea behind the river warriors. 

This could have been a really good fantasy series had the focus been more on that aspect of the book and less on romance novel stuff. Unfortunately instalove and too much description in the sex scenes kind of ruined this book for me, although I still enjoyed the fantasy elements enough to give it 3 stars. I've decided not to continue on with the series.