Blog Tour Review: Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

Today is my stop on the Wicked Saints blog tour!

Title: Wicked Saints
Author: Emily A. Duncan
Genre: fantasy
Series: Something Dark and Holy #1
Pages: 385
Published: April 2 2019
Source: publishers for review
Rating: 4.5/5

A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.

A prince in danger must decide who to trust.

A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings.

Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.

In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy.

Without doubt, Wicked Saints marks the arrival of a new talent on the fantasy scene. With her debut and the launch of a series, Emily A. Duncan ably crafts a tactile and immersive world, full of monsters and magic, gods and girls. From atmosphere to characterization, Wicked Saints is a finely-tuned work of fantasy/horror. The author clearly illustrates a keen eye for detail and a dab hand at plotting; this novel proves a good harbinger of things to come for fans of intricate, morally grey stories.

The slowly revealed world and central conflict at the root of Nadya's story is loosely based on the Hundred Years' War and is also vaguely Slavic in nature and tone. Despite these real-world influences, Duncan's countries of Kalyazin and Tranavia come across with a unique sense of place and history; their ongoing and escalating conflict is rooted in recognizable territory and feels as senseless as any real war. There's a solidity to the world that Duncan has fashioned for her characters to live within and it anchors not only Nadya but Serefin and Malachiasz as well. The verisimilitude of each of these countries is slowly built, by Nadya's stories and experiences and by Serefin's journey across both in pursuit of her. It's a world worth exploring and bursting with potential.

The characters in Wicked Saints live up to the high expectations wrought by comparisons to Bardugo. Duncan's characters are complicated and conflicted -- they may not always be likeable but they are always interesting and hard to predict. Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz are more than they appear to be and are more connected than it might seem. Their slowly revealed relationships make for another layer to the interactions between them.  This author has shown herself to be quite adept at uncovering and exploring the hidden facets of people.Even the secondary characters feel three-dimensional and real, though I could have done with more time spent with Parji in particular.

Wicked Saints stands out. It's unapologetic and angry; Nadya's emotions bleed out from the page and so does Serefin's. It leaves a mark when you're finished because it's memorable and harsh. A dark fantasy filled with blood magic, power, and an endless struggle. The magic systems could stand to be fleshed out some more but signs indicate that more on the front will be present in the sequels. Emily A. Duncan knows to leave her audience hungry for more and this brutal, reckless read does exactly that.

Book Tour Review: Lady of a Thousand Treasures by Sandra Byrd

Title: Lady of a Thousand Treasures
Author: Sandra Byrd
Genre: historical fiction
Series: Victorian Ladies #1
Pages: 480
Published: October 9 2018
Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for review
Rating: 3.5/5

Miss Eleanor Sheffield is a talented evaluator of antiquities, trained to know the difference between a genuine artifact and a fraud. But with her father’s passing and her uncle’s decline into dementia, the family business is at risk. In the Victorian era, unmarried Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers alone.

The death of a longtime client, Baron Lydney, offers an unexpected complication when Eleanor is appointed the temporary trustee of the baron’s legendary collection. She must choose whether to donate the priceless treasures to a museum or allow them to pass to the baron’s only living son, Harry—the man who broke Eleanor’s heart.

Eleanor distrusts the baron’s motives and her own ability to be unbiased regarding Harry’s future. Harry claims to still love her and Eleanor yearns to believe him, but his mysterious comments and actions fuel her doubts. When she learns an Italian beauty accompanied him on his return to England, her lingering hope for a future with Harry dims.

With the threat of debtor’s prison closing in, Eleanor knows that donating the baron’s collection would win her favor among potential clients, saving Sheffield Brothers. But the more time she spends with Harry, the more her faith in him grows. Might Harry be worthy of his inheritance, and her heart, after all? As pressures mount and time runs out, Eleanor must decide whom she can trust—who in her life is false or true, brass or gold—and what is meant to be treasured.

With her keen eye for time, detail, and scenery and a talent for crafting realistic and likeable characters, reading a Sandra Byrd book has yet to disappoint me. Her historical novels are well-drawn forays into the past, using the lives of disparate people during interesting times. Her latest, Lady of a Thousand Treasures, is a slowly spooled-out historical mystery; one that also has a strong romantic plotline to complement the meticulously built series of questions that surround middle-class Miss Eleanor Sheffield and her work in antiquities.

Eleanor is a deceptively mild, self-effacing woman; outwardly demure but possessing a keen mind, self-confidence, and abundant personal drive. She's relatable without being anachronistic for the time within which she lives. Her need to protect her family is pivotal but it's also refreshing that she likes her job, she likes to work and use her brain to provide. Always, she takes time to consider, think, and decide before taking action-- a benefit to her profession but one that leads to romantic complications when her longtime love acts rashly. The circumstances that keep Harry and Eleanor apart can feel a bit contrived -- one real, substantial conversation could have cleared things up -- but the author makes their interactions shine. There's chemistry and an easy camaraderie between them. His charm and her carefulness work well together.

The story in Lady of a Thousand Treasures is an involved one, tying together antiquities theft, murder, the Italian Wars for unity, a vengeful father, debtors' prisons, and a thwarted engagement. There's a lot of plot fodder and for the most part, the story covers it all and then moves along well and quickly. Eleanor is sorely tested from a wide array of antagonistic forces but she's stalwart and resourceful from start to finish.

There is also a slight religious element to the story in Lady of a Thousand Treasures. I rarely reach for anything in that realm of fiction but with Sandra Byrd, the more religious moments aren't heavy-handed and nor do they detract from the real plot being set up. They are incidental to what is happening; faith is part of Eleanor's life but the book isn't preachy. It can be bypassed or have  the reader's attention; it is not necessary. The real focus of the novel is Eleanor and her internal decisions -- first about the collection and then about how to save Sheffield Brothers.

First in a new series, Lady of a Thousand Treasures is an auspicious beginning.

 

Blog Tour Review: Star-Touched Stories by Roshani Chokshi

Title: Star-Touched Stories
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Genre: fantasy
Series: The Star-Touched Queen #2.5
Pages: 304
Published: August 7 2018
Source: ARC via publishers for review
Rating: 4/5

Three lush and adventurous stories in the Star-Touched world.

Death and Night

He was Lord of Death, cursed never to love. She was Night incarnate, destined to stay alone. After a chance meeting, they wonder if, perhaps, they could be meant for more. But danger crouches in their paths, and the choices they make will set them on a journey that will span lifetimes.

Poison and Gold

Now that her wish for a choice has come true, Aasha struggles to control her powers. But when an opportunity to help Queen Gauri and King Vikram's new reign presents itself, she is thrown into the path of the fearsome yet enchanting Spy Mistress. To help her friends, Aasha will have to battle her insecurities and perhaps, along the way, find love.

Rose and Sword

There is a tale whispered in the dark of the Empire of Bharat-Jain. A tale of a bride who loses her bridegroom on the eve of her wedding. But is it a tale or a truth? 

These three short stories, set in the same magical and dangerous world as the author's full-length novels The Star-Touched Queen and its successor A Court of Wishes, are another window into the fertile imagination of Roshani Chokshi. Each is replete with the vibrant imagery and vivid writing that readers have come to appreciate in Chokshi’s verbose style. The writing itself can approach purple prose at times, but without ever crossing over; this is a flowery book full of ornate writing and Chokshi has the talent to pull it off with aplomb.

Though all the additions to Star-Touched Stories are creative, well-written and plotted, it is the first,‘Death and Night’, that is the best, and the sole one rated at a full five stars. All three make for a solid selection but Chokshi's clever, and often darkly humorous or just plain silly, look at the courtship between the god of death and goddess of night is the standout. A familiar story, and a prequel for the first novel, played out in fresh hands and with fresh eyes, there's inventiveness from start to finish as Chokshi weaves her unlikely but impossible to resist love story. It doesn't follow the expected path or fall into overdone tropes; watching Amar and Maya is still genuinely fun and seeing them meet is satisfying.

The second, 'Poison and Gold', is another strong offering; one a bit shorter but focused on flawed and yet likeable characters, relatable despite their less-than-mundane situations and abilities. The writing itself remains a standout throughout the pages, but Aasha's struggle to control her gift, control her fate is vividly rendered and easily empathized. 'Rose and Sword' is a another good short story, but even with the talents of varied Roshani Chokshi, felt a bit shortchanged in comparison to the sweeping romance of the first and the heartfelt emotion of the second. It was too short, too rushed of an ending. The unexpected glimmers of humor, usually unexpected, were another highlight of the entire collection.

An anthology that further explores the world that Maya introduced us to and Gauri further expanded on her own adventures, Star-Touched Stories is a glimpse at smaller lives within a large world. Key figures are shown and feature into the plots, but even the newcomers and side characters make an impression. The author's vivid storytelling, which is often so descriptive it verges on tangible, is ably suited to short-form as well as full-length novels. It was fun to revisit such a fantastical and unique world, even for a short time.

Book Tour Review: Blood of a Thousand Stars by Rhoda Belleza

Title: Blood of a Thousand Stars
Author: Rhoda Belleza
Genre: science fiction
Series: Empress of a Thousand Skies #2
Pages: 344
Published: expected February 20 2018
Source: ARC from publishers for review
Rating: 4/5

Empress 

With a revolution brewing, Rhee is faced with a choice: make a deal with her enemy, Nero, or denounce him and risk losing her crown.


Fugitive 
Framed assassin Alyosha has one goal in mind: kill Nero. But to get his revenge, Aly may have to travel back to the very place he thought he’d left forever—home.

Princess 
Kara knows that a single piece of technology located on the uninhabitable planet Wraeta may be the key to remembering—and erasing—the princess she once was.

Madman 

Villainous media star Nero is out for blood, and he’ll go to any means necessary to control the galaxy.

Vicious politics and high-stakes action culminate in an epic showdown that will determine the fate of the universe.

The second book in Rhoda Belleza's politics and revenge-driven YA science fiction series, Blood of a Thousand Stars offers more of what made the first so much fun: fast-paced action, interesting characters of diverse backgrounds, clever plots, and general mayhem in space.  This time around the stakes are higher and the plots are thicker, the villain more devious -- the author pulls no punches with her sophomore offering. Galactic war threatens everyone and everything, and the Ta'an sisters and their allies have to scramble to find their place in everything and try to stop a tyrant.

Empress of a Thousand Skies was undoubtedly Rhiannon's story, and Blood of a Thousand Stars belongs to Kara/Josselyn's struggle and evolution. While there are still three pivotal rotating POVs --  this time: Kara, Rhee, and Alyosha -- it is Kara that dominates the narrative. Hers is the POV that stood out the most because her choices are the most crucial to the plot of the novel. The other characters have become steadily more real and defined people over the course of both books, and they again play essential roles, but Kara remains the linchpin of the narrative. Rhiannon is a strong supporting main character; she still grows and learns about herself; Alyosha finds himself once again in unexpected but dire straits and complements Kara in more ways than one.

Belleza features a lot of action and assassination attempts and political maneuvering in her second novel. There are some high stakes and high adventures as each character fights -- for the throne, for their people, for themselves. At times the pacing of essential scenes can feel almost frenetic; with a lot happening and different narrators covering various events, it can be confusing to keep straight. There can be clarity issues when it comes to the fight scenes, especially, but it's an improvement from the same situation in book one. There also is a third-act plot reveal which feels like a bit of a retcon from key events that took place  in Empress of a Thousand Skies -- <spoiler>now Veyron is revealed as loyal and his ill-fated assassination attemped was timed perfectly so Dahlen would save Rhee? But then who would have saved Julian from Nero because Rhee was alive?....</spoiler>  -- but tied in neatly with how Julian was involved in this book's plot. I'm not sure it entirely works but I did appreciate how Julian complicated Rhiannon's narrative and made her reflect on her past choices and actions.

While there is still room and space in this galaxy to explore further stories, there is a definite feel of finality to at least this particular arc of Kara and Rhee's stories. There's bittersweet resolution that fits the harsh events that preceded it. Blood of a Thousand Stars was quickly-moving and and engaging; it may be on the lighter side of scifi but doesn't lack for imagination or for a death toll. The plotting could use a little more finesse, the universe feels a tad bit small (why are all these journeys over so fast? Space is huge!) but overall, a surprising and entertaining sequel and an improvement on its predecessor.

Blog Tour Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: general fiction
Series: N/A
Pages: 400
Published: June 13 2017
Source: ARC via publisher for review
Rating: 5/5

From Taylor Jenkins Reid comes an unforgettable and sweeping novel about one classic film actress’s relentless rise to the top—the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.

Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds through the decades—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Filled with emotional insight and written with Reid’s signature talent, this is a fascinating journey through the splendor of Old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it takes—to face the truth.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented author and also an ambitious one. For her fifth and newest book, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, the creative writer behind contemporary classics like Maybe in Another Life and One True Loves tries an all new style of storytelling and it works spectacularly. This book is unlike any of her previous works, but it may very well be her best novel yet. A sprawling, layered, intricate look at a very complicated and charismatic woman, Evelyn Hugo and its eponymous main character are both memorable and utterly unique.

With the charisma and beauty of an old Hollywood starlet but the cunning and shrewdness of a Fortune 500 CEO, Evelyn Hugo is the kind of character that refuses to yield the spotlight. She is the star even before she makes it in the movie business. Evelyn is perpetually the epicenter of the story; she is the thread the ties the main plot of her many husbands with that of the younger journalist Monique. Obviously partially inspired by the live and loves of Elizabeth Taylor, with perhaps just a splash of Marilyn's aesthetic, her life is compelling and utterly readable from the first chapter. Her voice and presence are strong and immediately distinct; this is a woman you remember. This is a woman that absolutely refuses to be forgotten or to forgo her ambitions. She may not be a "nice" person but she is driven, smart, and a survivor.

Unwinding and revealing the real person behind the calculated Evelyn persona is a task that takes care and time, both of which Reid provides. There's more to Evelyn's convoluted story than the tabloid fodder produced from her various loves and losses; Reid keenly understands the relationship between star and fans -- which Evelyn also understands and uses to her professional advantage, even if it costs her a personal loss. She is a multifaceted person; full of both virtues and vices. She comes across as a very real, very present person. Monique, her counterpart and foil, provides some modern balance and also facilitates the novel's plot framework. Her tell-all interviews with the reclusive actress directly propel the plot.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is an impressive change of pace for an established author. It's entertaining and original; it begs for a reread once the final page has been finished. For an author that continually finds new ways to explore love and emotion, this is her most creative novel yet. Highly recommended.

 

Blog Tour Review: Shattered Warrior by Sharon Shinn

Title: Shattered Warrior
Author: Sharon Shinn
Illustrator: Molly Knox Ostertag
Genre: post-apocalyptic
Series: Untitled #1
Pages: 256
Published: May 16 2017
Source: from publisher for review
Rating: 3.75/5

Bestselling fantasy author Sharon Shinn delivers a gripping science fiction adventure with a sweeping romance at its heart.

It is ten years after Colleen Cavanaugh's home world was invaded by the Derichets, a tyrannical alien race bent on exploiting the planet's mineral resources.

Most of her family died in the war, and she now lives alone in the city. Aside from her acquaintances at the factory where she toils for the Derichets, Colleen makes a single friend in Jann, a member of the violent group of rebels known as the Chromatti. One day Colleen receives shocking news: her niece Lucy is alive and in need of her help. Together, Colleen, Jann, and Lucy create their own tenuous family.

But Colleen must decide if it's worth risking all of their survival to join a growing underground revolution against the Derichets.

It's strange to consider that just about a year ago I had never read a Sharon Shinn novel and now I seek out anything she's worked on. Graphic novels are somewhat of a new media for me, but Shinn's lively tale of aliens and rebellion paired with Molly Knox Ostertag's unique and sharp art for a quick, entertaining read.

This is the first such graphic novel from an established and prolific author. Though Shinn's experimenting with a new genre, staples and trademarks of her fantasy and romance past are evident in Shattered Warrior's pages. The classic flair for worldbuilding and imagination I expect from this author is evident, though simplified and condensed to fit. I do think her style is a bit hampered by the necessary brevity for dialogue and character development in this type of storytelling. There's just not enough time and/or pages to fully develop the side characters' various personalities or the Derichet antagonists into more than one-note villains. The novel itself is 256 pages and because of that, the plot can skip along easily from plot point to plot point for lack of time to develop it further.

Shattered Warrior is centered around the character of Colleen Cavenaugh, a former heiress who lost much more than her wealth and influence when society fell to alien invaders and war. The loss of her family, friends, and even country has left her a shadow of the person she was before. But her story is a study in character evolution; she is far from static. Colleen grows and changes, makes mistakes through her success and failures. She feels like a real person. And though she may start out shattered, piece by piece Colleen begins fix herself. First she finds her drive to life, then her anger and her bravery return to her. Shattered Warrior is about Colleen fighting for her found family and her world, but first she has to fight her own self-doubt and depression. Her battles over the course of the series' first graphic novel are mental and emotional as well as physical.

Despite the fact I wanted a little more meat to the plot-bone, Shattered Warrior is the first in a series sure to engage and entertain readers. Though the general storyline may not be the most original for scifi, it succeeds on the multiple other strengths present in its pages. Colleen shines the most as the main character, but others in the cast are sure to sink their claws in, emotionally speaking. Shattered Warrior is a quick, clever, enjoyable, and suitably dark look at an Earth invaded and controlled by an alien cat-like species. Molly Knox Ostertag's illustations are bright and interesting - her version of the future is uniquely her own and fun to look at. It's easy and fast to get caught up in the story being told by both Shinn and Ostertag in their first effort together.

Book Tour Review: The Shadow Sister by Lucinda Riley

Title: The Shadow Sister
Author: Lucinda Riley
Genre: historical, general fiction
Series: The Seven Sisters #3
Pages: 671
Published: April 18 2017
Source: publishers for review
Rating: 3/5

Travel through the lush English countryside and explore the magnificent estates of the British aristocracy in this next spellbinding love story in The Seven Sisters series by #1 internationally bestselling author Lucinda Riley.

Star D’Aplièse is at a crossroads in her life after the sudden death of her beloved father—the elusive billionaire, affectionately called Pa Salt by his six daughters, all adopted from across the four corners of the world. He has left each of them a clue to her true heritage, and Star nervously decides to follow hers, which leads her to an antiquarian bookshop in London, and the start of a whole new world.

A hundred years earlier, headstrong and independent Flora MacNichol vows she will never marry. She is happy and secure in her home in England’s picturesque Lake District—just a stone’s throw away from the residence of her childhood idol, Beatrix Potter—when machinations lead her to London, and the home of one of Edwardian society’s most notorious society hostesses, Alice Keppel. Flora is torn between passionate love and her duty to her family, but finds herself a pawn in a larger game. That is, until a meeting with a mysterious gentleman unveils the answers that Flora has been searching for her whole life...

As Star learns more of Flora’s incredible journey, she too goes on a voyage of discovery, finally stepping out of the shadow of her sister and opening herself up to the possibility of love.

The Shadow Sister is the third in the sweeping Seven Sisters series, “soaked in glamour and romance” (Daily Mail) and perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and the novels of Kate Morton.

The third book in the on-going series and the strongest offering yet by a veteran timeslip author, The Shadow Sister is a return to the varied and interconnected lives of the seven daughters of the enigmatic Pa Salt. Imagined as a more modern retelling of the Pleiades, each successive novel has centered on a successive adoptive sister of a large, multicultural family. Recommended for fans of century-spanning plots from authors like Kate Morton, Star D’Aplièse's current life is intertwined with that of Flora MacNichol, a woman who lived 100 years before and whose story is pivotal to the modern plotline.

Before with The Seven Sisters first eldest sister Maya and then Ally in The Storm Sister got to have their backstories told and now it is the turn of quiet, shy Star to take the center stage. The Shadow Sister is entirely her story, though others leave their mark on both her and the plot's progression. Leaving Atlantis to follow her path and find herself, Star finds a lot more than she could have expected, including the fictional inclusion of Beatrix Potter. Her story is long and winding; Lucinda Riley's style of storytelling lends itself to detail, description, and sometimes repetition. Star is an able main character; despite her flaws she's engaging and likeable. It's easy to invest in her, even if sometimes her decisions are frustrating. Flora is a good complement and foil for Star, but I found her plotline somewhat less compelling. I was interested to see how it would conclude and connect but it was Star that pulled attention.

The various locations shown in the book are another highlight to reading The Shadow Sister -- the bookstore! London! Beatrix Potter's house! The settings for Flora before and for Star now can be both evocative and atmospheric. As I said, Riley is an author that tends to be rather descriptive -- which benefits that pivotal aspect of their stories. On the other hand, there's no denying that The Shadow Sister is a very verbose book. Almost 700 pages is a lot of story to cover and certain elements of the plot can feel overly-drawn out at times. The way the narrative alternates between the past and present is a favorite structure of mine and can be used to showcase new angles to the central story, but some of it feels unnecessary and repetitive here.

Despite the occasional spot of uneven pacing, narrative repetition, or an overly-anticipated plot reveal, The Shadow Sister is a engaging blend of two women's stories of life and love. The "silent sister" of the seven, in this Star finally finds her voice, and Lucinda Riley ends her third novel in a good position to launch the fourth.

Blog Tour Review: The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

Title: The Collapsing Empire
Author: John Scalzi
Genre: science fiction
Series: Untitled #1
Pages: 336
Published: expected March 21 2017
Source: ARC via publisher
Rating: 4/5

The first novel of a new space-opera sequence set in an all-new universe.

Our universe is ruled by physics and faster than light travel is not possible -- until the discovery of The Flow, an extra-dimensional field we can access at certain points in space-time that transport us to other worlds, around other stars.

Humanity flows away from Earth, into space, and in time forgets our home world and creates a new empire, the Interdependency, whose ethos requires that no one human outpost can survive without the others. It’s a hedge against interstellar war -- and a system of control for the rulers of the empire.

The Flow is eternal -- but it is not static. Just as a river changes course, The Flow changes as well, cutting off worlds from the rest of humanity. When it’s discovered that The Flow is moving, possibly cutting off all human worlds from faster than light travel forever, three individuals -- a scientist, a starship captain and the Empress of the Interdependency -- are in a race against time to discover what, if anything, can be salvaged from an interstellar empire on the brink of collapse.

Expansive in scope and stellar in its execution, John Scalzi's newest novel, the upcoming The Collapsing Empire, illustrates a version of humanity's diaspora future; one set in space, on various hostile planets, and in precarious far-flung systems, all ruled by a distant Emperox. Featuring an all new universe with its own detailed ruling systems, the concept of the time/space riverlike system called "The Flow", a cast of fresh and dynamic characters/antiheroes, brewing revolution, and oh yeah, also the dawn of the collapse of human civilization, there are a lot of moving parts in this shorter scifi novel. Scalzi is a veteran author and proved more than equal to the task of executing all the various elements into the solid world-building, taut plotting, and unique tech that make up his story.

From the mutinous start, The Collapsing Empire runs wild with its clever, apocalyptic premise. It and its central characters are broadly appealing though far-reaching; following a storyline more than creative and original enough to stand out in memory, it's hard not to be engaged and entertained even in the novel's quieter moments. The concept and use of The Flow to anchor the Interdependency is one of the strongest aspects of the novel. Utilizing and explaining it as a way to (believably) feature faster-than-light travel is a unique but understandable approach and also allows the author to showcase a universe of humans from disparate backgrounds and from various terrains. The author also uses this river-esque concept in important ways to affect the story and all the characters. It's the pivot on which the plot turns and Scalzi's astronomical invention is interesting, cool, and necessary all at the same time. 

If there was an area that didn't totally impress across the board, it was that the surrounding characters at times could feel hollow, or underdeveloped. There was an obvious and notable exception in the rarely-seen Vrenna, but by and large, the secondary cast is forgettable or interchangeable. The main characters of the novel (a scientist, an emperox and a starship captain) thankfully fared better and had more depth and personality. Kiva, especially, came to life and excelled at being anything she wanted. The Collapsing Empire featured two other people alongside Kiva as the other main characters: a scientist/Lord Marce and the newly-crowned Cardenia/Grayland II. Those two characters had plots that were more intertwined and political in nature, but though likeable and capable, they just didn't quite capture the charisma of their more... violently-inclined counterpart. 

All in all, this first new series offering more than makes for a good beginning. All the traditional hallmark Scalzi qualities are there: smart, inventive, actiontastic, peppered with wry/sardonic humor. The Collapsing Empire establishes the universe and the players; the board is set and ready for round two. The ending here is rather frustratingly open-ended, though it also leaves plenty of room for exploration and continuance of various plot lines in the forthcoming next book.

Blog Tour Review: The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George

Title: The Confessions of Young Nero
Author: Margaret George
Genre: historical fiction
Series: N/A
Pages: 528
Published: March 7 2016
Source: ARC via publishers
Rating: 3.5/5

Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesar s imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. In the Roman Empire no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman or child. 

As a boy, Nero s royal heritage becomes a threat to his very life, first when the mad emperor Caligula tries to drown him, then when his great aunt attempts to secure her own son s inheritance. Faced with shocking acts of treachery, young Nero is dealt a harsh lesson: it is better to be cruel than dead. 

While Nero idealizes the artistic and athletic principles of Greece, his very survival rests on his ability to navigate the sea of vipers that is Rome. The most lethal of all is his own mother, a cold-blooded woman whose singular goal is to control the empire. With cunning and poison, the obstacles fall one by one. But as Agrippina s machinations earn her son a title he is both tempted and terrified to assume, Nero s determination to escape her thrall will shape him into the man he was fated to become an Emperor who became legendary. 

With impeccable research and captivating prose, The Confessions of Young Nero is the story of a boy s ruthless ascension to the throne. Detailing his journey from innocent youth to infamous ruler, it is an epic tale of the lengths to which man will go in the ultimate quest for power and survival.

Some Emperors' names and deeds stand out in the centuries and histories since their time in power passed. There are the "good" Emperors like Augustus, Trajan, Justinian (etc.) that have lasted the test of time, and there were their counterparts: the criminal despots, the insane tyrants, the deluded would-be kings like Caligula, Domitian, and of course, Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, rechistened Nero, famous for playing his violin while Rome burned. With her newest novel The Confessions of Young Nero, veteran historical fiction author Margaret George launches a new duology; intended to closely recount the life of one of Rome's most contentious figures from his inauspicious beginning to his inglorious end. In just this first book, George demonstrates why her books are consistently bestsellers and makes old territory feel fresh and original. 

Margaret George books are rigorous, researched, and verbose. Her descriptive style lends toward creating a very visual narrative, (and the occasional infodump) but the main storyline can feel somewhat slow-moving at times, dragged down by setting up all the various pieces and players in the political landscape. The Confessions of Young Nero is a big book and takes time to delve into the plot -- spanning decades, there's a lot of ground and pertinent history to cover. Nero may have only lived thirty years (not all of which are even subject to this book's plot) but his years were full and make for plenty of plot fodder. Despite the large scope, this is a detailed, methodical, researched history of Nero's early childhood and the first ten years of his reign as Emperor. The book presents a recognizable but more humane version of the final ruler in the Julio-Claudian dynasty and how his life and rule might have looked.  

With such vast knowledge of the tangled political situation and of the history of Rome, Margaret George is able to render an alternate version of the one-note villain Nero is remembered to be. He's not an innocent by any means, but he was a product of his blood-soaked, power-hungry time. The author creates a plausible reasons and explanations for how and what shaped him in his pivotal years. Using that knowledge and clever plotting, The Confessions of Young Nero depicts several believable iterations of Nero at various stages in life, as politics and family begin to exert their power and influence. First Lucius is shown as a smart, troubled young artist-type, an off-beat product of his proud family, then developed into a quick political student able to take risks to secure his position, and finally showing him as Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the unqualified but cunning young Emperor at the close of the novel. It's a big evolution but it's handled smoothly and with reason over the hundreds of pages that make up the novel. 

The Confessions of Young Nero manages to put a fresh spin on an old, well-known story. Painting a more balanced view of Nero while firmly establishing the time and culture surrounding him, this first novel in Margaret George's planned series is a solid beginning.

Blog Tour Review: Bad Boy by Elliot Wake

Title: Bad Boy
Author: Elliot Wake
Genre: thriller
Series: N/A
Pages: 256
Published: December 6 2016
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 4/5

Vlog star Renard Grant has nothing to prove: he’s got a pretty face, chiseled body, and two million adoring video subscribers. Plus the scars on his chest and a prescription for testosterone. Because Ren is transgender: assigned female at birth, living now as male. He films his transition and shares it bravely with the world; his fans love his honesty and positivity.

But Ren has been living a double life.

Off-camera, he’s Cane, the muscle-bound enforcer for social justice vigilante group Black Iris. As Cane, he lets his dark side loose. Hurts those who prey on the disempowered. Indulges in the ugly side of masculinity. And his new partner, Tamsin Baylor, is a girl as rough and relentless as him. Together, they terrorize the trolls into silence.

But when a routine Black Iris job goes south, Ren is put in the crosshairs. Someone is out to ruin his life. He’s a bad boy, they say, guilty of what he punishes others for.

Just like every other guy: at heart, he’s a monster, too.

Now Ren’s got everything to prove. He has to clear his name, and show the world he’s a good man. But that requires facing demons he’s locked away for years. And it might mean discovering he’s not such a good guy after all.

Elliot Wake is a talented, unpredictable author tackling harsh contemporary stories. He is one who doesn't shy from taking his diverse, realistic characters to dark places in the course of unveiling a dark plot. Though I have not read every book he has so far published, the two I have had the pleasure to read (Black Iris before this) have been introspective and action-filled genrebenders; distinct and memorable reads that easily bridge topics like social justice, gender, patriarchy, toxic friendships, rape culture, and misogyny. The author's keen wit and intelligence shine through in Bad Boy's writing and in its plotting; this is a whirlwind of a read from start to ending.

Loosely connected to two other books by Wake published before it (Black Iris and Cam Girl), Bad Boy is really the story of Ren, a transgender Vlog activist cataloguing his transition. People central to the other novels make up the surrounding cast that Ren knows, works with, and loves in Bad Boy: Blythe and Laney and Armin play key roles, and Ellis too is a noticeable supporting character. Ren, as the narrator and main character is particularly what makes this novel so memorable and feel so real. Elliot Wake handles Ren's life and transition and all its changes and emotions with both innate knowledge, care, and sensitivity. Ren is allowed to be more than a label, more than just his gender or his surgeries or his sexual orientation; he's a whole person, made of happiness and anger and love and depression. He's a complex character; one allowed to grow and change and evolve.

It may be somewhat on the short side of contemporary novels at less than three hundred pages, but Elliot Wake can pack a lot of story into those chapters. The events in Bad Boy build naturally if outlandishly, the plot thickening as Ren uncovers new threats and finds new allies in his drive for vengeance. Things in this story tend to happen quickly: emotions are charged, revenge is on the line, and betrayal is always possible. It's a hard story to predict -- the main plot may verge a tad too convoluted at times, but it's such a thrillride to see how the author concludes the in-flux storylines. I also loved how the author interwove several of Ren's vlog/dialogue within the regular narrative; it allows for another side of both Ren and the story to slowly emerge.

Bad Boy boasts a lot about it to love: the great, authentically diverse and original characters combined with a strong and dark plot can take a story far. However, Elliot Wake is also a beautiful writer. Unflinchingly honest and real in approach, his stories are not lighthearted but they are told in unique, vibrant, visual ways. Ren's story is not one so easily dissected; his feelings about society are nuanced and influenced by his unique POV on culture, which is why it's wonderful to see an own voices author creating this must-read genrebender. Bad Boy is dark and introspective and angry and righteous and compelling and unforgettable.

Book Tour Review: The Semper Sonnet by Seth Margolis

Title: The Semper Sonnets
Author: Seth Margolis
Genre: historical fiction, thriller
Series: N/A
Pages: 374
Published: April 2016
Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for review
Rating: 4/5

A long-lost manuscript, written for Elizabeth I, holds the key to unlocking the past—and to eliminating the future.

Lee Nicholson is ready to take the academic world by storm, having discovered a sonnet she believes was written by William Shakespeare. When she reads the poem on the air, the words put her life in peril and trigger a violent chase, with stakes that reach far beyond the cloistered walls of academia.

Buried in the language of the sonnet, in its allusions and wordplay, are secrets that have been hidden since Elizabethan times, secrets known only to the queen and her trusted doctor, but guessed at by men who seek the crown and others who seek the world. If the riddles are solved, it could explode what the world knows of the great Elizabeth I. And it could release a pandemic more deadly than the world has ever imagined.

Lee’s quest for the answers buried in the sonnet keeps her one step ahead of an international hunt—from the police who want her for murder, to a group of men who will stop at nothing to end her quest, to a madman who pursues the answers for destructive reasons of his own.

As this intelligent thriller moves back and forth between Tudor England and the present day, Lee begins to piece together the meaning behind Shakespeare’s words, carrying the story to its gasp-out-loud conclusion.

Dual timeline novels are always a creative, tricky, and fun approach, and Seth Margolis applies that creativity to Tudor mysteries and secrets and a modern race to uncover them. The two stories tie together rather neatly; The Semper Sonnet is a clever book and Margolis is an author that layers his narratives with plenty of hints, clues, and aha! moments. Lee's story is more action-packed than her Elizabeth physician counterpart Rufus Hatton, but each narrative is interesting and the book is entertaining.

This is an easy rec to make for fans of Dan Brown's famous Robert Langdon series, but Seth Margolis has a better grasp on the techniques of writing and his book is stronger for it. The Semper Sonnet is a thoroughly blended mix of the historical fiction and thriller staples, but there's little infodumping and the book takes pains to show more than it tells. Spanning international borderlines and several centuries, the truth behind Edward Filer is one that propels both Lee and the plot; in doing so, the author puts his own spin on one of the most popular historical conspiracy theories.

Tangling Shakespeare's legacy and a long-untold secret of his times, the plot of The Semper Sonnet is a detailed and involved affair. Developing its many angles takes up the lion's share of the narrative attention so Lee is a moderately well-defined main character, but not, I think, a particularly memorable one. She has personality, agency, and an arc but characterization is not the main strength of this novel. The Semper Sonnet made for an evenly-plotted and well-paced read; its plot was clever and creative take on a well-known historical "what if?"

Blog Tour Schedule

Thursday, December 1
Review at Jessica and Gracie’s Tree

Friday, December 2
Spotlight at The Never-Ending Book

Saturday, December 3
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Monday, December 5
Review at A Bookaholic Swede

Tuesday, December 6
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Spotlight at The Lit Bitch

Wednesday, December 7
Review at Kinx’s Book Nook
Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Thursday, December 8
Interview at Author Dianne Ascroft’s Blog
Spotlight at Susan Heim on Writing

Friday, December 9
Review at Trisha Jenn Reads

Monday, December 12
Review at 100 Pages a Day
Review at Queen of All She Reads

Wednesday, December 14
Review at JulzReads

Thursday, December 15
Guest Post at JulzReads

Friday, December 16
Spotlight at Books, Dreams, Life

Monday, December 19
Review at Beth’s Book Nook Blog

Wednesday, December 21
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation

Tuesday, December 27
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Wednesday, December 28
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Thursday, December 29
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Friday, December 30
Review at Broken Teepee

Review: A Song of War by Various

Title: A Song of War
Authors: Christian Cameron, Libbie Hawker, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, Stephanie Thornton, SJA Turney, Russell Whitefield
Genre: historical and mythic fiction, retellings
Series: N/A
Pages: 483
Published: October 18 2016
Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for review
Rating: 4.5/5

Troy: city of gold, gatekeeper of the east, haven of the god-born and the lucky, a city destined to last a thousand years. But the Fates have other plans—the Fates, and a woman named Helen. In the shadow of Troy's gates, all must be reborn in the greatest war of the ancient world: slaves and queens, heroes and cowards, seers and kings . . . and these are their stories.

A young princess and an embittered prince join forces to prevent a fatal elopement.

A tormented seeress challenges the gods themselves to save her city from the impending disaster.

A tragedy-haunted king battles private demons and envious rivals as the siege grinds on.

A captured slave girl seizes the reins of her future as two mighty heroes meet in an epic duel.

A grizzled archer and a desperate Amazon risk their lives to avenge their dead.

A trickster conceives the greatest trick of all.

A goddess' son battles to save the spirit of Troy even as the walls are breached in fire and blood.

Seven authors bring to life the epic tale of the Trojan War: its heroes, its villains, its survivors, its dead. Who will lie forgotten in the embers, and who will rise to shape the bloody dawn of a new age?

Through a wide array of voices and perspectives and several hundred pages, these talented seven authors string together a cohesive and passionate overview of some of the most famous events of the ages. Carefully using some of the most familiar but ignored faces from inside the legendary city of Troy while also giving voice to a few of its relentless enemies, A Song of War deftly re-imagines and reinvents a new iteration of the oft-told story of Helen from the beginning to its end, while still staying true to the heart of the tale. 

Kate Quinn and Stephanie Thornton are two authors who excel at characterization and motivation for both known and new historical personalities, even when they are working with less than 70 pages to do so. The book begins with their contributions (The Apple is first and is followed by The Prophecy) and the POVs of Hellenus, Andromache and Cassandra are given new, believable life under their hands. The strong execution carried throughout A Song of War is laid down in its foundation here. These first two offerings are female-dominated stories, which means they choose to feature narration from characters largely ignored by Homer. Thanks to the skillful maneuvering of Quinn and Thornton, this beginning offers up a plausible and interesting new version of the inception to the famous story.

The middle contributions of this anthology-novel are similarly well-handled and fresh in both nature and choice of narration. Featuring a blend of skirmishes both bloody and political in scope across each Song, these additions are from both new and familiar authors. Russell Whitefield's contribution is a complex narrative that gives a distinct voice and creates some surprising empathy for a war-weary Agamemnon in The Sacrifice. This strong but careful approach to plotting  is continued in the pivotal battle between the hope of Troy, Prince Hector, and the savior of the Achaeans, Achilles, in Christian Cameron's subsequent The Duel. Libbie Hawker's addition of The Bow is a natural continuation of the previous momentum with the tale of Penthesilea and Achilles' end, and is one that manages to evoke new emotions from even the most familiar of scenes. 

A Song of War was never a story that was going to end happily, though not all the names featured were destined to die in Troy's fall. The ending may have been foretold and the body count is high, and yet the two remaining authors keep the emotion invested and the book's energy moving. Vicky Alvear Shecter's The Horse is of course centered on Achaean hero Odysseus, and sets the stage rather neatly for SJA Turney to complete the cycle with The Fall. These two tales are closely intertwined and happen so close together; reading Odysseus' unparalleled success against Diomedes is to see the glory of Troy begin to end. I also have to note that ending the anthology with Aeneas' escape is a clever and appropriate move for the two legends it connects. 

Starting with Pompeii in A Day of Fire and then followed by Boudicca's Rebellion in A Year of Ravens to the fall of Troy here with A Song of War, these historical anthologies have yet to disappoint me. By choosing to showcase opposing sides of a conflict or by characterizing a villain into more than one-note antagonist, they have routinely created believable and new versions of history and legend. Each book is an exercise in providing new interpretations of motivations for actions of famous figures to fit combined storylines and it has continuously succeeded. 

Blog Tour Schedule

Saturday, October 15
Review at Just One More Chapter
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Sunday, October 16
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Monday, October 17
Review at Leeanna.me

Tuesday, October 18
Review at A Book Drunkard

Wednesday, October 19
Excerpt at A Literary Vacation

Thursday, October 20
Review at Peeking Between the Pages

Friday, October 21
Review & Excerpt at The Silver Dagger Scriptorium

Saturday, October 22
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Monday, October 24
Review at Unabridged Chick

Tuesday, October 25
Interview at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, October 26
Review at The Maiden’s Court

Friday, October 28
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Monday, October 31
Review & Excerpt at Book Lovers Paradise

Tuesday, November 1
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, November 2
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Thursday, November 3
Review at Jorie Loves a Story

Monday, November 7
Review at A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, November 8
Interview at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, November 9
Review at Historical Readings & Reviews

Friday, November 11

 Review at Broken Teepee
Spotlight at The Book Tree

Saturday, November 12

 Excerpt at The Reading Queen
Review at The True Book Addict