Review: Prelude (Songs of the Lost Islands #0), by C.A. Oliver

 

Title: Prelude (Songs of the Islands #0)   

Author: C.A. Oliver

Format: ebook

Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads: "PRELUDE acts as a prequel to the Songs of the Lost Islands series. This story precedes that of An Act of Faith by focusing on events which occurred in the Valley, 1,700 years before.

The Valley hosts the shrine of all the Lost Islands’ faiths and the cities of four Elvin peoples. It is the prize of kingdoms and the battlefield of many clashes of civilizations. From the war of Giants and Deities to the making of the fabled swords of the Bladesmiths; from the fall of a meteorite to the coming of Lon the Wise, the Valley is the epic history of millennia of creeds and coexistence, curses and slaughter, the cause of an all-pervading obsession which haunts the minds.
How did this remote vale become the symbolic centre of the Lost Islands? How did the events of Year 1,000 LC irremediably influence the essence of Elvin mysticism?
PRELUDE is the story of the three days when the Valley became the Nargrond Valley and the unique place that exists twice in the minds of all Elves, in the material and ethereal worlds."

My Opinion: Full disclosure, I haven't read the Songs of the Islands series, but the description of the book sounded very interesting and I love high fantasy, so I figured I'd go with it. The story centers around Eneos, an elf who is a direct descendent of four bladesmiths. Being the only one in existence, he features prominently in a great war that is going down between the four cities of elves who live in the valley (different groups of elves who pull together to fight the good fight) and the dark elves, who want to take over the valley and enslave everybody.

I liked the premise, but the execution was a bit weighed down by information dumping. I felt like the first half of the book was just facts with no real story. There was just so much information to take in that it was hard not to get confused. Thankfully, the story picked up in the second half of the book, and I really started enjoying it. I think if the whole book had balanced facts and world building with action and plot, it would have been a much more interesting read. I think you might need to read the series before this prequel to understand it better.

I'm giving this book 3.5/5 stars because I think it has promise.

I received a copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: The Quokkas' Christmas Quest, by J. Macpherson

 

Title: The Quokkas' Christmas Quest

Author: J. Macpherson

Format: Audiobook

Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads: "When Santa and his reindeer bump into a whale, his presents are scattered on the beach at Rottnest Island. Clancy and Cobba, two local quokkas, help him collect all the presents. But when Santa continues on his way, the quokkas discover that several Christmas presents have been left behind. It's up to Clancy and Cobba to deliver the presents."

My Opinion: Audiobook ARC from NetGalley

Clancy and Cobba, two little quokkas, and the best of friends, run into Santa one Christmas Eve, and when Santa flies away on his sleigh to deliver all of his gifts to little boys and girls everywhere, some of them fall off, and it's up to Clancy and Cobba to figure out how to help Santa complete his mission. They end up having one heck of a night! 

This is such a cute little Christmas short story! The quokkas are adorable, and the story is a lot of fun. And kudos to the narrator! She did a wonderful job with the voices and injecting a lot of fun into her narration.

I'm giving this book 5/5 stars. I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it.

Review: Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches (Archibald Finch #1), by Michel Guyon

 

Title: Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches (Archibald Finch #1)

Author: Michel Guyon

Format: Audiobook

Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads:  "What happened 500 years ago was never supposed to resurface.

Exploring his Grandma’s scary manor, Archibald stumbles upon a dark family secret, linked to a time of great fears and superstitions. Key to that mystery: an ancient terrestrial globe, populated by the most fantastic creatures.
When he unlocks the storm inside by accident, the risk-averse boy gets whisked into the underworld of Lemurea, where a battle started in the Middle Ages has yet to be settled. Down here, it’s light versus darkness, magic versus fire, witches versus dragons. But not any kind of witches —an army of young girls, with the most magical weapons. And not any kind of dragons —Marodors, enigmatic monsters, part beast, part human, which will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about dragons.
While Archibald is thrust into an amazing adventure that will test his survival skills, on the flip side of the Earth, his sister Hailee faces her own challenges. Seeking to solve Archibald’s disappearance, she uncovers the grim plans of a dark priest.
Two breathtaking stories, running parallel with one another, but tightly intertwined. Two worlds, on a dangerous collision course..."

My Opinion:  Archibald and his family (mom, dad, and sister Hailee) move into a big, spooky mansion just before Christmas that they inherited from Archibald's grandmother. Archibald is searching the house one day, looking for his Christmas gifts (which, of course, his mother forbade him to do), when he came across an old globe. It wasn't an  ordinary globe, though, as there were countries on there that Archibald didn't recognize. It does have a keyhole, so Archibald goes on a search for the key, which he eventually finds. To his surprise, the globe starts spinning and emits a bright light, and sucks Archibald and his surrounding furniture into another world. Archibald has to learn the ways of this new world, and he has to search for a way home. Meanwhile, in present day England, Hailee  is also working on finding a way to bring Archibald home.

I really enjoyed this story, as did my 15 year old son when he listened to it. I think the narrator did a good job with the pacing and the dialogue, which makes all the difference when listening to an audiobook. The characters were well defined and explained, and I liked the changes I saw in both Archibald and Hailee as the story progressed. 

The pacing of the story itself was also done well, and the world building was extensive. Something else I appreciated was that the author didn't talk down to the reader like in some MG books I've read. That makes it much easier to enjoy.

All in all, I give this book 5/5 stars. 

I received a copy of this audiobook free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Review: Furia, by Yamile Saied Mendez

 

Title: Furia

Author: Yamile Saied Mendez

Format: Audiobook

Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads: "In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life.

At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father.

On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.

But the path ahead isn’t easy. Her parents don’t know about her passion. They wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol—and she needs their permission to go any farther. And the boy she once loved is back in town. Since he left, Diego has become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Camila doesn’t have time to be distracted by her feelings for him. Things aren’t the same as when he left: she has her own passions and ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, Camila is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her."

My Opinion: First, I have to say that I thought the narrator did an excellent job with this book. She was very easy to understand, she did a great job with the voices of the different characters, and she let the story lead. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and I can't tell you how frustrating it is when I'm listening to a good story but the narrator's voice just doesn't flow between the character changes, and this tends to yank me out of the story.

As to the story itself, Camila is a typical teenage girl in most ways, but she is driven by her love of soccer, and through soccer, her need to succeed at winning an athletic scholarship, hopefully to a university in North America. That is her ultimate dream, but there are a few things standing in her way; specifically, the fact that her parents don't know that she is even interested in soccer, let alone playing on a team that has qualified for the South American tournament. Her brother is supposed to be the star in her family, as he is the male, and that's just how it is. And then there's Diego, her old boyfriend who is now an international soccer star himself, and who has unexpectedly come back into her life.  

This isn't just a story about a girl's love of soccer, though. It's a story about domestic violence, gender inequality, racism, and the need to escape from an untenable situation, no matter the cost. Camila's father is overbearing and runs his house with an iron fist. Her mother, brother, and she herself live an existence where they are constantly walking on eggshells so as not to upset him. Having lived in a situation just like this, I can relate to her feelings of anger, shame, and determination to escape.

I thought all of the characters were well written and very well fleshed out. There was definitely character growth and development throughout, and I was pleased with the direction all of the characters took. The storyline flowed very well, also, and I was always looking forward to seeing what would happen next.

In summary, I thought this was a very well written book, and I enjoyed it very much. Kudos to the narrator, as well. I enthusiastically recommend it to lovers of YA fiction with a very moving and weighty subject matter.

I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my impartial review.

5/5 stars.

Review: The Loop, by Jeremy Robert Johnson

 

Title: The Loop

Author: Jeremy Robert Johnson

Format: ebook

Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads: "Stranger Things meets World War Z in this heart-racing conspiracy thriller as a lonely young woman teams up with a group of fellow outcasts to survive the night in a town overcome by a science experiment gone wrong.

Turner Falls is a small tourist town nestled in the hills of western Oregon, the kind of town you escape to for a vacation. When an inexplicable outbreak rapidly develops, this idyllic town becomes the epicenter of an epidemic of violence as the teenaged children of several executives from the local biotech firm become ill and aggressively murderous. Suddenly the town is on edge, and Lucy and her friends must do everything it takes just to fight through the night."

My Opinion: This story takes place over the course of one night, but I have to say, there is so much action packed into that single night you don't need any more time! Lucy goes out to a party with a couple of friends, more to keep busy and get out of the house than because she's excited about it, and all hell breaks loose. It turns out, the tissue from an alien species has been replicated and implanted into a group of kids in town and has had an unexpected side effect, to say the least. It's supposed to control them but instead turns them into little killing machines with a hive mind. The worst part, which is saying a lot due to the sheer number of awful things that happen on that fateful night, is that the kids need to kill to keep them calm, even while they are salivating over the violence they are inflicting! Crazy, I know! 

The book started out at a nice, normal pace, introducing the characters and giving their back stories, and then before you know it, it throws you headlong into the action, and doesn't take its foot off the brake for the rest of the book. Definitely a page turner, with an explosive conclusion.

As mentioned above, the pacing of the plot is very quick, making it near impossible to put the book down as you don't want to miss a thing. The characters are very well written and grow and develop throughout the book, especially our Lucy. I'm still amazed that all this happened in just one night! (Broken record, I know, but still ....)

In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and enthusiastically recommend it to anyone looking for a quirky, unique horror story, that moves at a fast pace without sacrificing character development. 

5/5 stars.

I received a copy of this book free of charge through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Snow & Caramel: A Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian Thriller, by Jay Kerk

 

Title: Snow & Caramel: A Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian Thriller

Author: Jay Kerk

Format: ebook

Source: NetGalley

From NetGalley: "We stood against the big humans: the oppressors, the opponents, the enemies, the hated.

These were all names I had learned for them, and yet were they the right names? Experience screamed yes, logic screamed no, and I grappled with morality as I grappled with slavery, unable to tell what made a man and what made a monster. Where did we fit, we oppressed? 

Snow – white ice made in freezing clouds atop the world. I am Snow, and the world we live in has no place for snow, no place for me or my kind, save in labor and death. The radiation of the sun burns up the land and the bigger humans that stalk this Earth have claimed it for their own. They care nothing for us smaller folk. 

Caramel – soft, silky, sweet. Little Caramel, the sweetest of sisters. I would not allow the world to burn her as it burned her namesake. I would keep her safe and golden if it cost me everything. She was the only beauty left in life. 

In our reality, with force and a few coins, you had power of life and death over a creature of equal awareness and thought. How had it world come to this? How could any of us, especially those so small as we were, create cracks in which to sow the seeds of change? I did not know the answers, but when I stared across parched land, I knew that the cracks must be found, the seeds sown, or the world could never heal."

My Opinion: This story touched me on a visceral level because it dealt with oppression and discrimination, slavery and cruelty, but also hope and love, compassion and strength. It is set in a dystopian future where the "big humans" are able to buy and sell the smaller race of "humanoids." It throws the cruelty of the owners right in your face as they have complete control over this sweet brother and sister, and it shows how this cruelty is taught to the next generation. But it also shows the strength that Snow, as the older brother taking care of his young sister, has, and how he, in turn, is passing that on to her. 

I thought the writing was superb. I was drawn in immediately and became invested in the story from the get go. The characters were well written and the plot moved along at a very good pace. My only complaint is that the story was too brief, being a novella. I would love to read more.

I highly recommend this story to all lovers of dystopian, horror stories that deal with uncomfortable subject matter in a way that is extremely well written and moving. I look forward to reading other works by this talented author.

5/5 stars.

I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Hag-Seed (Hogarth Shakespeare), by Margaret Atwood

Title: Hag-Seed (Hogarth Shakespeare)

Author: Margaret Atwood

Format: ebook

Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads: "When Felix is deposed as artistic director of the Makeshiweg Theatre Festival by his devious assistant and longtime enemy, his production of The Tempest is canceled and he is heartbroken. Reduced to a life of exile in rural southern Ontario—accompanied only by his fantasy daughter, Miranda, who died twelve years ago—Felix devises a plan for retribution.

Eventually he takes a job teaching Literacy Through Theatre to the prisoners at the nearby Burgess Correctional Institution, and is making a modest success of it when an auspicious star places his enemies within his reach. With the help of their own interpretations, digital effects, and the talents of a professional actress and choreographer, the Burgess Correctional Players prepare to video their Tempest. Not surprisingly, they view Caliban as the character with whom they have the most in common. However, Felix has another twist in mind, and his enemies are about to find themselves taking part in an interactive and illusion-ridden version of The Tempest that will change their lives forever. But how will Felix deal with his invisible Miranda’s decision to take a part in the play?"

My Opinion: This is a contemporary retelling of "The Tempest" and I have to say, it made the original Tempest much easier for me to understand. There was a lot of nuance that I missed when reading the original, which was, admittedly, quite a while ago. 

Felix has been removed from his position as artistic director of the Makeshweg Theatre Festival after being stabbed in the back by his assistant, and decides to in essence remove himself from the world. It is not only the pain of this particular betrayal that causes this self exile - Felix ix also mourning the death of his daughter, Miranda, who died when she was still a toddler. Felix spends quite a bit of his time alone, plotting revenge against those who wronged him, and is finally able to enact said revenge in a very unique way. 

I loved the way Ms. Atwood wove a story of revenge and vindication into a play within a play. Felix takes a job at a prison teaching Literacy through Theatre to the prisoners by having them put on Shakespeare's plays, with their own twists thrown in. When he hears that the very men who betrayed him years ago will be visitors at the prison to see his latest endeavor, he decides that The Tempest would be just the play to allow him to exact his revenge. 

I thought the flow was very smooth throughout the story. The characters were very well developed and fleshed out. The plot was interesting and the pace was quick.

I thoroughly enjoyed Hag-Seed and always love reading anything by Margaret Atwood. I'm giving this book 5/5 stars and enthusiastically recommend it. 

I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.