Tag Archives: book

Jan 4 2022
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Tackling the TBR [77]: January 2022

It’s once again time for my favorite feature: Tackling the TBR! There’s nothing I love more than picking out which books to read next, and this slightly organized method of reading has really amped my enjoyment to the next level. Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.
&
Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.
2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.
3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Here’s what mine looks like:

January 2022 TBR Tackler Shelf:

I have so many books I’m eager to get to. If I’m not careful, I’ll send myself into another burnout. I was absolute shit in December at reading one book at a time – I double booked myself at the beginning of the month and started a bunch of titles at once, then proceeded to spend the remainder of the month digging myself out of that reading hole. One thing led to another and I let the highest priority book for the month expire at the library before I had a chance to finish it. Oye.

New year, new goals. Now that I have a fresh taste of what getting bogged down by too many titles at once feels like, I can approach January a little more thoughtfully. I have a buddy read for the Wayward Children books and another for the first Cradle novel and yet another for the next Vlad Taltos novel. And one obligation read in the form of “Far From the Light of Heaven” by Thompson for Audiofile magazine. And Doors of Sleep for my book club. It seems like a lot. I’m perhaps not being thoughtful enough. Beyond that, I will be continuing Age of Ash (my top priority) and Trouble with Peace (it will happen this month).

These are the carefully laid plans to continue series and be present for the commitments I’ve made. However, with the turn of the year and all of the inevitable goal setting that gets done, I slowly realized that most of my TBR this month are obligation reads to one degree or another. Most I actually want to read, mind you, but they’re perhaps not the most enticing books in my TBR…

So I’ve compiled two lists this month. The first one is a list of titles I feel like I should read. The following is a list of books that caught my eye that I’m feeling eager to start:

Books I have my eye on…

I’m trying to figure out why I’m not allowing myself to pick any of these up. When downsizing my incomplete series a few years ago, I got really mindful about adding too many new ones per month, and so always make a concerted effort to progress and finish more than I start. However, I think those habits I’ve nurtured are now working against me – I don’t feel free to pick up series on a whim unless they’re for a proposed buddy read. I might practice loosening up a bit this month by just diving into one of these books. It feels weird, lol. Ultimately, it will depend on if I finish Last Graduate and Trouble with Peace in time, because those are definitely not feeling like obligation reads. Everything else is expendable.

I’ll let you how it goes in next months post.

Have a great month in reading!

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 28 2021
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Book Review: Pariah by Anthony Ryan

Title: Pariah

Author: Anthony Ryan

Series: Covenant of Steel #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2/5 stars

The Overview: Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path – one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier’s life in the king’s army. Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance. But as dark forces, both human and arcane, gather to oppose Evadine’s rise, Alwyn faces a choice: can he be a warrior, or will he always be an outlaw? -Goodreads

The Review:

Pariah was my most-anticipated fantasy release of 2021. I was so excited… and I wished I’d liked it more.

A couple of things sort of sapped my enjoyment of this book. Things that may not bother others as much as they did me. For starters, the plot felt like it reset itself a couple of times throughout. Just as I was getting settled in with the characters and the situation, it would flip on its head and I’d have to start over again. Momentum in books is a huge component for me, and I didn’t feel as though this one carried any. It kept me feeling distant from the characters and apathetic about the plot. After all, what’s the point in getting attached to a story if we’re just going to flip directions again!

Even if the plot had maintained a trajectory and built on itself better, I still probably wouldn’t have liked the main character. I have come to realize that I crave characters who are catalysts of their own destiny. People who make things happen for themselves and who aren’t content to constantly drift back and forth on the whims of everyone around them. Now, granted, this is a story about an outcast, who understandably has a hell of a time getting anywhere with all of the obstacles in front of him. But to me, that prospect of a challenge can be even more exciting! I saw plenty of opportunities where the main character could’ve made things happen. Opportunities that wouldn’t have changed the story drastically, but would’ve upped my enjoyment considerably. Alas, that’s just not the character Ryan was shooting for, and it left me wanting.

To be fair, this next complaint is just a personal preference thing, and objectively I don’t hold it against the novel. But I cannot stand stories focused heavily on religious zealotry (a little is fine. Here it completely dominated the plot). Compound that with a passive character extremely susceptible to those ulterior machinations, and I found myself at the end of my patience very early on.

But I stuck with it, even though it was almost a DNF at only 50 pages to go. I finally realized I wasn’t interested in seeing what happened to the characters, I disliked the subject matter, and I was most likely going to pass on picking up the second book. It was hard to keep going. But I love this author for so many things that I made myself see it through to the end. There was some great stuff there for those who’ll like the book more than me, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

This is very weird. I’ve been boasting Draconius Memoria as my all-time favorite fantasy series ever. Like, compared to literally every other series I’ve read, DM comes out on top. #1. The very best. The one I won’t shut up about.

So not enjoying Pariah makes me feel like I’m going to get kicked out of the Anthony Ryan fan club. I hope not. I still wildly appreciate this author, and I will continue to be excited about new books he has coming out… just maybe not Pariah’s sequel, Martyr, due out next year.

Recommendations: okay, so I didn’t love this one, but I still think it a book others will really dig. If you liked Ryan’s slow-burn character-driven novel like Blood Song and don’t have the same reading quirks I do about character roles, plot structures, and religious zealotry, then you’ll probably enjoy this a lot more than I did. Also, don’t read what the book is about before diving in. The overview does what I hate most and gives major spoilers for things well into the book.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 17 2021
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DNF Q&A: King of Ashes by Raymond E. Feist

Title: King of Ashes

Author: Raymond E. Feist

Series: Firemane #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: DNF

The Overview: For centuries, the five greatest kingdoms of North and South Tembria, twin continents on the world of Garn, have coexisted in peace. But the balance of power is destroyed when four of the kingdoms violate an ancient covenant and betray the fifth: Ithrace, the Kingdom of Flames, ruled by Steveren Langene, known as “the Firemane” for his brilliant red hair. As war engulfs the world, Ithrace is destroyed and the Greater Realms of Tembria are thrust into a dangerous struggle for supremacy.
As a Free Lord, Baron Daylon Dumarch owes allegiance to no king. When an abandoned infant is found hidden in Daylon’s pavilion, he realizes that the child must be the missing heir of the slain Steveren. The boy is valuable—and vulnerable. A cunning and patient man, Daylon decides to keep the baby’s existence secret, and sends him to be raised on the Island of Coaltachin, home of the so-called Kingdom of Night, where the powerful and lethal Nocusara, the “Hidden Warriors,” legendary assassins and spies, are trained… (It goes on forever…) -Goodreads

The Review:

When trying to make a decision on whether or not to read something, it can often be much more helpful to look at the low star ratings than the high ones. To that end I’m going to be including more DNF reviews in my lineup. I have a Q&A format here that I adapted from Nikki at http://www.therewerebooksinvolved.com (with permission…although it might be moot because she’s not blogging anymore), and I think it’s a great way to discuss the book constructively. Here goes:

Did you really give King of Ashes a chance?

Admittedly, I didn’t give it as much as I could have. I did make it to about 30% before tossing it aside, while acknowledging that this is one of those rare cases where it could actually have gotten better. It didn’t, according to what I gleaned from my book club meeting, but I was so fed up, it was a risk I was willing to take.

Have you enjoyed other books in the same genre?

Yes. I’m considering this a more modern fantasy even though it’s written by a classic author, and most of my favorite works come from this genre.

The Shadow of What was Lost by James Islington
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Dragon’s Path by Daniel Abraham
Daughter of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts

It’s perfect in line with what I’d like to read.

Did you have certain expectations before starting it?

Surprisingly, I went in with low expectations even though I’ve loved a few early works from this author (he’s a family favorite). But his later Riftwar books proved very unsatisfying, so I was wary of starting this one. Truth be told, had it not been a book club selection, I’m not sure I would’ve have ever made time to pick it up.

What ultimately made you stop reading?

Omg. The execution of the story. The basic idea behind the book was actually super interesting. Something I would’ve wanted to read in any other context. The prologue even had me giddy with anticipation, thinking, “this is going to be good.”

The first thing that threw me off was how the writing was very much at an arm’s distance from the story. Take a conversation between two characters as an example: instead of immersing you in the scene with back and forth dialogue, Feist would take you one step back and describe the conversation happening. Using each point brought up to launch into a couple page description of whatever info needing to be dumped at that point before closing the conversation with one or two lines. I noticed this also with setting. He went off on a ten page diatribe about this market setting instead of having his characters interact with it and dropping in details that way. I’ve no idea if this is a habit he had in his early works because it has been some time since I read them, but now I’m afraid to reread because I know I’m going to notice it now and it will irritate me. I highly doubt it was this passive, though.

The thing that ultimately made me put it down was the book’s very odd fixation on sex. I think it’s important to clarify that I don’t care one way or another if there’s sexual content in fantasy novels. Some authors can even use it to enhance character and provide comic relief (Abercrombie). But the very least I ask is that reading it doesn’t feel like I’m reading the sexual fantasies of a 16 year old, and that those fantasies are completely dominating the story. It was so bad. The characters were constantly thinking about and talking about sex, and when they weren’t, the narration picked it up describing why sex wasn’t allowed in the school or why so and so slept with so and so and it wasn’t until I got to the training brothel (because when you have a guild of spies, that’s the only thing women are good for, right?) I finally threw it down in frustration. This is not what I signed up for. And if you’re going to include sexual content in your books ad nausium, at least make it good sex! Holy shit.

Is there anything you liked about the King of Ashes?

The prologue. And the idea behind the story. He lost me completely on the execution.

Would you read anything else by the author?

I’ve read literally everything he has published (20+ novels) minus one co-written trilogy and a random stand-alone. I think the buck stops here though. I may read that outstanding trilogy eventually, but I’m in no hurry.

So you DNFed the book. Would you still recommend it?

No. Normally my constructive analysis allows me to figure out who might be a more appropriate audience for a given title. Or at the very least, I concede that it might be just me who didn’t like it. In this case, I know it bothered me more than most, but I still wouldn’t hand it to anyone and would actively discourage someone from reading it. It was that bad.

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 13 2021

Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium

Title: Delirium

Author: Lauren Oliver

Series: Delirium #1

Genre: YA Dystopian

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Portland, Maine, Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. She watched love destroy her mother and isn’t about to make the same mistake. But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena meets enigmatic Alex, a boy from the “Wilds” who lives under the government’s radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love? -Goodreads

The Review:

The book takes place in a reality where love is considered a disease. Making you do things that don’t make sense and go against your better judgment. There are even physical signs – shortening of breath, increased heart rate; it can be dangerous. Don’t worry, though, because luckily, there’s a cure.

When I first picked up Delirium I was certain it would sound like every other YA on the market. No surprise: it does. Here’s the funny thing, though… I really liked it. There’s something incredibly absorbing about the author’s writing. A relaxed quality that makes you feel like you should be in a cozy chair with some tea while reading. I also found this true with her novel, Panic, which is even further away from my preferred reading genre, but I loved it also. Something about her storytelling just works for me.

I’ve heard a lot of people bash Delirium because, even though it’s a dystopian, it lacked the same edge people expect from comparable novels like Divergent and Hunger Games. It’s definitely more of a romance-heavy title (for obvious reasons, given the concept), which didn’t bother me too much in this first book. In fact, I’ve read it twice. The second time was in preparation to continue the series, but I never quite made it around to reading more… again. I think I’m worried it will go the route of most YA trilogies and give me an entire middle book of useless angst and very little plot progression. I also think, aside from a few side enigma characters I’d like to know more about, I probably have a pretty good idea where the story is going to end up, and am not sure I want to commit the time to get there. It’s weird lol. Maybe eventually I’ll finally pick up the rest of the trilogy, but for now I’m content to consider it an open-ended stand alone that I enjoyed immensely.

Recommendations: if you like the more fanciful, romance-driven YA dystopians, this is one of the better ones. There’s a whole sub-genre that I call “girls in pretty dresses in a slightly dystopic world” that I can’t seem to get enough of. This book has the same feel as those.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 9 2021
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Book Review: The Best Thing You Can Steal by Simon R. Green

Title: The Best Thing You Can Steal

Author: Simon R. Green

Series: Gideon Sable #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 1.5/5 stars

The Overview: Welcome to London, but not as you know it. A place where magics and horror run free, wonders and miracles are everyday things, and the dark streets are full of very shadowy people . . .
Gideon Sable is a thief and a con man. He specializes in stealing the kind of things that can’t normally be stolen. Like a ghost’s clothes, or a photo from a country that never existed. He even stole his current identity. Who was he originally? Now, that would be telling. One thing’s for sure though, he’s not the bad guy. The people he steals from always have it coming. Gideon’s planning a heist, to steal the only thing that matters from the worst man in the world. To get past his security, he’s going to need a crew who can do the impossible . . . but luckily, he has the right people in mind. The Damned, the Ghost, the Wild Card . . . and his ex-girlfriend, Annie Anybody. A woman who can be anyone, with the power to make technology fall in love with her. If things go well, they’ll all get what they want. And if they’re lucky, they might not even die trying . . . -Goodreads

The Review:

As you can tell by my knee-jerk review above, I needed some time and space from this book to assess it in a more mature manner.

Obviously I didn’t enjoy The Best Thing You Can Steal, but I didn’t spend the entire book not liking it. I was actually quite on board at the beginning when the main character was taking a ton of time to assemble his team of thieves. I thought the setup a bit long-winded (instead of hinting at backstories and keeping some details as surprises for later, everyone’s history was laid out and explained extensively), but was willing to ride it out because the book was promising the heist of a century! I love seeing the legwork for stuff like that.

“And we set of with speed for the bright lights of London. A car full of weird with a ghost on top.” <-I loved this quote, and felt really excited to embark with them at the time.

But then the moment arrived. When we finally get to go along with the characters as the do the big things. And I was so, so let down. For me, the main appeal of the novel was the promise of a good heist, and a good heist it was not. First off, the whys behind the heist weren’t convincing as reasons to put everyone at risk. But people do weird things all the time, so that’s a point I overlooked. Secondly, it’s not much fun when there are no challenges and everyone is perfectly prepared for all of the obstacles they’ll face. It’s ideal, of course, but it lacks a certain drama to engage the reader.

And to that point I have a side rant. The team of characters Gideon was assembling for the heist was fun, but one of the members was a woman who had a special ability: computers respond to her and will do anything to please her. How convenient.

It just felt so contrived. Especially since I can’t recall anyone else referencing or having special abilities in the story. So by all accounts, she’s the only one around with “powers” and omgsh how wonderful it is that they happen to be exactly what a thief would need to get past a security system without having to spend any time figuring out how to bypass them organically. All of the other supernatural elements and characters fit, but seeing as this character was already a master of disguise, adding the technology powers in felt like an afterthought. It almost would’ve been better to set up the world without technologies for whatever fabricated reason made sense, and go from there. Rant over.

Finally, the actual thing they found when the heist was complete… was so stupid. I don’t know how else to say it. It made me feel like I’d wasted all the time spend reading the book just to end up where we did. Like, I was promised one thing and delivered something completely different. It actually made me mad, which I’m laughing at now because I don’t usually get that worked up over books. Something about this one must’ve hit a nerve.

Overall, the journey was a bit slow, but the characters were fun and I appreciated the lighthearted heist story I was getting. But taking time to read the endless pages of buildup only to have a very unsatisfying payoff left me feeling resentful. Like I said before, at least it was evoking, if nothing else.

Recommendations: if you’re picking this up because you want a light urban fantasy with some cheeky supernatural characters, this is a good pick. If, like me, you wanted to experience an amazing heist because the Gentleman Bastards series still doesn’t have a release date for the fourth book and you’re getting desperate for that type of story… this one will not make you feel better.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 7 2021
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Tackling the TBR [76]: December 2021

tackling the TBR

It’s once again time for my favorite feature: Tackling the TBR! There’s nothing I love more than picking out which books to read next, and this slightly organized method of reading has really amped my enjoyment to the next level. Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.
&
Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.
2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.
3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Here’s what mine looks like:

December 2021 TBR Tackler Shelf:

I read 8/13 books on my TBR last month +3 more – holy cow! Now, granted, several of them were novella length, but still, it’s indicative of how much more I’m enjoying reading lately. My lineup is sufficiently stocked for December, and I actually think I’ll make it through a fair number of them. They are all high priority!! I carried over Leviathan Falls because, as it turns out, it didn’t come out until the end of November… peesh. I can’t wait to read and talk about all of these titles. :D

Booktube Tackling the TBR video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ry6WHI2GYA&t=5s

Have a great month in reading!

by Niki Hawkes