Sep 28 2022

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Book Review: The Dragon’s Lair by Elizabeth Haydon

Title: Dragon’s Lair

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme #3

Genre: Middle Grade

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

The Overview: Barely one day after fulfilling his second mission for King Vandemere as Royal Reporter of the land of Serendair, young Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme—known as Ven—is off on another adventure. To keep them safe from the wrath of the Thief Queen, whose rage at their escape from the Gated City knows no bounds, the king sends Ven and his friends on an important mission. Their journey takes them across a wondrous land filled with marvels—and danger. For the mission the king entrusts to Ven is a delicate one: to discover the cause of a dispute between two warring kingdoms—and the answer leads Ven straight into the lair of a very angry dragon…. -Goodreads

The Review:

This is a fun middle grade adventure, but I can’t help but wonder if the author could’ve taken things a bit further.

For example, the majority of the first half of the book dealt with the characters gearing up for an adventure, whereas I think the page count might have been better spent experiencing things on the adventure itself. It seemed like a lot of buildup for a relatively short payoff. I did like the discoveries made along the way and the new places we got to visit, but finished the book wishing we’d spent more time exploring.

That seems to be the resounding theme of the series for me so far – much less adventure (and fewer dragons) than I was hoping for. The concept of the series promises visiting lands far and wide, and while I feel the first book delivered, these second two paled a bit by comparison. The next one promises and underwater adventure, so I’ll definitely finish out the series to see if as a whole the juice is worth the squeeze.

The characters in this book were quite rude to one another, in a manner that felt a little forced and inconsistent. It bugged me, and I can’t tell if it was more the rudeness itself or the inconsistency, but either way this is the first time I’ve found anything critical to say about the characterizations in this series.

Overall, my favorite thing about it is still the concept – the author is presenting herself as an archeologist in this land who found remnants of Ven Polypheme’s journals and sketches from his adventures and is attempting to piece them back together and fill in the gaps. It’s quite clever, and I support the initiative if not always the specific execution.

Recommendations: Symphony of Ages fans might delight in tales from the same world of Serendair (I know I am). Whereas middle grade readers might appreciate the adventurous main character, fun drawings, and interesting races and creatures found within the pages. At this point in the series I’m glad I’m reading it but it’s not standing out as a favorite.

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by Niki Hawkes

Sep 27 2022

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Book Review: Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Title: Children of Time

Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Series: Children of Time #1

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 5/5 stars!!! <-Rare

The Overview: A race for survival among the stars… Humanity’s last survivors escaped earth’s ruins to find a new home. But when they find it, can their desperation overcome its dangers? WHO WILL INHERIT THIS NEW EARTH? The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age—a world terraformed and prepared for human life. But all is not right in this new Eden. In the long years since the planet was abandoned, the work of its architects has borne disastrous fruit. The planet is not waiting for them, pristine and unoccupied. New masters have turned it from a refuge into mankind’s worst nightmare. Now two civilizations are on a collision course, both testing the boundaries of what they will do to survive. As the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, who are the true heirs of this new Earth? -Goodreads

The Review:

Add Children of Time to my very short list of all-time favorites!!

So many things about it worked for me. First of all, I’m especially drawn to Scifi stories with a strong biological component (Julie Czerneda has been a long-time favorite in that regard), and not only was this one bursting with alien flora and fauna awesomeness, but it also had a strong anthropological angle. I read so many Scifi where the most creative they get with world-building is what type of tech is used on this group of ships vs that one, so it’s wonderful to get the same level of expansive creation I usually have to defer to fantasy novels to experience.

This is my first Tchaikovsky, and it definitely won’t be my last. He made so many brilliant writing decisions in this book that I was left in awe. He had really creative solutions to some story logistics that would’ve left me stumped. Like how to tell the story over multiple generations while maintaining your reader’s connection to the characters. Sometimes it’s as simple as giving them the same name – something I never would’ve thought of. He handled the time jumps for the humans with similar grace, establishing a trust with me very early on in his ability to deliver a satisfying story.

What’s more, I found out mid-read that the author majored in both Zoology and Psychology – both of which spark my interest so much I can hardly stand it. And both backgrounds clearly enhanced the story. I love it when authors take a background of deep knowledge and apply that to their writing.

The book had the perfect balance of world-building, character connection, pacing, momentum, and then he topped it all off with a brilliant finish. I’m sure I’ll be talking about this one for years to come.

Recommendations: one of my all-time favorites! If you like Scifi with a good dose of anthropological components and creature creations, this is an excellent pick. It’s imaginative, exciting, and incredibly well-composed – I can’t recommend it highly enough!

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by Niki Hawkes

Sep 26 2022

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Book Review: Semiosis by Sue Burke

Title: Semiosis

Author: Sue Burke

Series: Semiosis Duology #1

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 2/5 stars

The Overview: In this character driven novel of first contact by debut author Sue Burke, human survival hinges on an bizarre alliance. Only mutual communication can forge an alliance with the planet’s sentient species and prove that mammals are more than tools. Forced to land on a planet they aren’t prepared for, human colonists rely on their limited resources to survive. The planet provides a lush but inexplicable landscape–trees offer edible, addictive fruit one day and poison the next, while the ruins of an alien race are found entwined in the roots of a strange plant. Conflicts between generations arise as they struggle to understand one another and grapple with an unknowable alien intellect. -Goodreads

The Review:

I didn’t enjoy anything about this book.

Not the characters, not the story, not the trajectory, and most particularly not the execution. Nothing worked for me.

First of all, the basic title and premise give away a lot about what to expect in the story itself. The reader ventures in with a pretty good idea of what’s going on already, so right there the sense of discovery I crave in books was mitigated. What’s more, the reader may know, but the characters don’t, which was a classic case of dramatic irony – where the audience is aware of what’s going on, so they feel a couple of steps removed from the drama… and then the characters take forever to figure things out. Because of this I felt disconnected from the very beginning.

Then the disconnection compounded with each new POV. It’s one of those multi-generational novels where just about the time you get acclimated with a new character, there’s a time jump. I enjoyed the stories but didn’t feel particularly invested in any of them. I suppose from an anthropological standpoint it was interesting to see how society both devolved and adjusted over the course of time, but at the end of the day it was all a bit too simple to really keep my interest.

But I kept reading for the draw of the alien flora and fauna of the world.

Yet even that didn’t play out in a way I found satisfying at the end of the day. The best bits were in the first chapter or two where you really got to immerse in the wildness of this new place. But that interesting world building quickly got replaced by societal drama and an alien entity whom I thought more akin to an AI on a spaceship than an actual foreign creation…

The whole thing was disappointing. Nowhere near where I wanted it to be.

I decided I didn’t care enough about experiencing more in this series to continue with the second book, so I looked up spoilers to see how it ended. I’m such a completionist that those who know me will appreciate how extreme that was and take it as a testament on how much I didn’t care for the first book. It’s like all the ingredients were there with moments of good flavoring, but at the end of the day the author was making cake and I wanted pie (that’s a bad metaphor because I will always eagerly accept both cake and pie, but you get my drift).

Recommendations: this was not one of my favorites, but if you like the idea of a more biological & anthropological scifi (usually my favorite type), this may fit the bill. I was surprised to see how many of my fellow reviewers on GR absolutely loved this book, so I’m definitely in the minority here. Also look up trigger warnings before diving in.

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by Niki Hawkes

Sep 6 2022

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Book Review: The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood

Title: The Summer Dragon

Author: Todd Lockwood

Series: Evertide #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2/5 stars

The Overview: The debut novel from the acclaimed illustrator—a high fantasy adventure featuring dragons and deadly politics. Maia and her family raise dragons for the political war machine. As she comes of age, she anticipates a dragon of her own to add to the stable of breeding parents. Her peaceful life is shattered when the Summer Dragon—one of the rare and mythical High Dragons—makes an appearance in her quiet valley. Political factions vie for control of the implied message, threatening her aspirations, her aerie, her entire way of life. The bond between dragons and their riders is deep and life-long, and Maia’s desire for a dragon of her own to train, ride, fly, and love drives her to take a risk that puts her life at stake. She is swept into an adventure that pits her against the deathless Horrors, thralls of the enemy, and a faceless creature drawn from her fear. In her fight to preserve everything she knows and loves, she exposes a conspiracy, unearths an ancient civilization, and challenges her understanding of her world—and of herself. -Goodreads

The Review:

I wasn’t sure about the book at first. I started out on audio and had a hard time with the narrator (when she did adult male voices it came across like a kid making fun of her dad’s voice) so I switched to physical format and immediately things improved. It’s a switch I didn’t mind because the physical copy is gorgeous. Lockwood is an illustrator by profession and did all the work on this book himself. The images definitely added to the story, however all of them were placed a good dozen pages before the actual events, giving spoilers, which was annoying.

In any case, part 1 of this book was completely dragontastical. They played a huge role in the plot, most of the scenes involved them, and I loved how much the main character loved them. Although the plot was fairly simple and straight-forward, there were a lot of great action scenes and the villains introduced were compelling and unique. Had the book stopped after just part one, it would’ve been a solid 4-stars.

And then I got to part 2…

This section of the book just did not work for me. It went from dragon centric to this weird theological debate. Not my favorite topic for sure, but this one in particular lacked a lot of substance and depth. Add that to a bunch of retellings by the characters of what happened in Part 1, and I found my attention waning by the page. I pushed on for another 100 pages, hoping it would get good again, before finally getting fed up. From there I basically skimmed for major plot points through the end of the book. It’s not something I normally so, but I figured if something caught my interest again I’d jump back in fully. After getting the gyst of what the rest of the story had to offer, I’m glad I didn’t spend any more time on it.

I’d seen a few wary reviews for the book indicating it felt YA, and I can’t say I totally disagree. Especially if you caught the audiobook version. I think the simple plot was the reason for this. Granted, it was slightly more sophisticated that that, but overall when recommending this book I’d probably have more success handing it to a YA crowd than a SFF one. It was a bit darker and more violent than most YA, so in a way it would be a great transition novel between the genres. Note: it didn’t have any of the typical YA tropes, so my assessment is more from an overall presentation and “feel” standpoint.

Recommendations: if you love dragons and are in the mood for a pretty straightforward fantasy novel, this might fit the bill. Because I liked the illustrations and didn’t care for the narration, I’d suggest going the print route with this one.

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by Niki Hawkes

Aug 29 2022

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Book Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Title: House in the Cerulean Sea

Author: T.J. Klune

Series: N/A

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret. Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days. But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn. An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours. -Goodreads

The Review:

I went in skeptical… then came out a believer.

Truth be told it took about 50% into the book before I was totally hooked. Up to that point I was still enjoying the story, but didn’t feel the “magic” of it that so many claim to have experienced. It took time, but I got there.

The book was very nostalgic – evoking the same feelings I felt venturing into Harry Potter for the first time. It resonated with the beginnings of those books where Harry was still with the Dursley’s – the discovery that we’ve been living mundane muggle lives amidst wonderful magics in this world… that most people don’t acknowledge or talk about because it’s just not proper. The sense of discovery I felt seeing the magic come alive alongside this totally ordinary “muggle” of a main character was delightful.

Part of the reason it took a while for me to get on board was the pacing. Klune really took his time grounding the reader with the main character, building a slow momentum of development that eventually paid off brilliantly. It was honestly more slowly paced than I usually have patience to handle, but in hindsight the book ended up having a satisfyingly balance and I wouldn’t change a thing.

I am the last person to pick up on social commentary in books, but still noticed here a through-message of hope. Hope for those forced on the fringes of society because they are different than the masses. In here those differences were celebrated and I felt like the book did a good job giving the ostracized a voice. It was a subtle message – integrated organically through the characters – but one that shone for me, and I think if you’re going through anything hard, this book will put you in a much better mood.

Recommendations: despite a slow start, this book evolved into one of the most delightful things I’ve ever read. If you want a fun fantasy that will leave you in a better state of mind, this will do the trick. :)

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by Niki Hawkes

Aug 24 2022

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Book Review: Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs

Title: Soul Taken

Author: Patricia Briggs

Series: Mercy Thompson #13

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: The vampire Wulfe is missing. Since he’s deadly, possibly insane, and his current idea of “fun” is stalking me, some may see it as no great loss. But, warned that his disappearance might bring down the carefully constructed alliances that keep our pack safe, my mate and I must find Wulfe—and hope he’s still alive. As alive as a vampire can be, anyway. But Wulfe isn’t the only one who has disappeared. And now there are bodies, too. Has the Harvester returned to the Tri-Cities, reaping souls with his cursed sickle? Or is he just a character from a B horror movie and our enemy is someone else? The farther I follow Wulfe’s trail, the more twisted—and darker—the path becomes. I need to figure out what’s going on before the next body on the ground is mine. -Goodreads

The Review:

Briggs delivers yet another solid installment in the Mercy/A&O series.

It started out a bit slow, but I love spending time with these characters so much that they could be doing anything and I’d probably want to read about it. Werewolf pack dynamics continue to be one of my favorite elements to this series, and the beginning of the book focused on some changes brewing within it. Even though it took a while to get to the meat of the overall mystery, the time spent developing character was a huge highlight of the book for me. Briggs has this amazing ability to keep many characters enigmas while still providing satisfying discoveries for her readers. She withholds just enough to keep you wanting more without making it frustrating. Every reveal has an impact! It’s a testament to how rich this world is becoming.

This is a perfect mystery novel for the fall – complete with pumpkin patches and scythe-wielding villains. I loved the atmosphere and the lore. And even found the mystery page-turning. Overall, the book mostly worked to deepen character for me, as opposed to a few others which focused more on advancing the arc of the series. It was a delightful mystery full of action and humor and I can’t wait to read whatever she comes out with next!

Recommendations: Moon Called, the first book in this series, is one of the most accessible urban fantasies on the market and a great place to start in the genre. Beyond that, if you’re at this point in the series already, you definitely don’t need my encouragement to keep going! :)

I’d like to thank Berkley Publishing Group, Patricia Briggs, and Netgalley for the chance to read an early copy of Soul Taken!

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