The Storyteller, Traci Chee

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Title: The Storyteller

Author: Traci Chee

Pages: 525 (Hardback, the eBook says there are more- yes, I bought both copies)

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure

Is this part of a series?  Yes, this is book three of Sea of Ink and Bones, also known as the Reader trilogy.  

Published:  November 13th, 2018

Summary:

(From Goodreads)  Sefia is determined to keep Archer out of the Guard’s clutches and their plans for war between the Five Kingdoms. The Book, the ancient, infinite codex of the past, present and future, tells of a prophecy that will plunge Kelanna in that bloody war, but it requires a boy–Archer–and Sefia will stop at nothing to ensure his safety. The Guard has already stolen her mother, her father, and her Aunt Nin. Sefia would sooner die than let them take anymore from her–especially the boy she loves.
But escaping the Guard and the Book’s prophecy is no easy task. After all, what is written always comes to pass. As Sefia and Archer watch Kelanna start to crumble to the Guard’s will, they will have to choose between their love and joining a war that just might tear them apart. Full of magic, suspense, and mystery, Traci Chee brings her Sea of Ink and Gold trilogy to a close in this spellbinding final installment.

My thoughts:

How did I not know this was out until a few weeks ago?!?  I adored The Reader for the gorgeous descriptions, the world building and the amazing characters.  I was practically a fangirl after The Speaker… and somehow I missed THIS.

Okay, moving on…. Sefia and Archer are back together and scheming to save themselves, their friends and stay the heck away from the Red War.  I love them because they are powerful forces of nature- legend and fury- but they’re still teens too.  They’re scared, indecisive, hurt, confused.  You never forget that this sorceress is also a sixteen year old girl who lost everyone in her family.  Or that this boy has been hurt, tortured, and done things he can’t forgive himself for.  Each character is beautifully multi-faceted and easy to love… even when I wasn’t supposed to.  I found the subplots with Lac and Hobbs (and Ed) really great, and of course I was glad to be back on The Current of Faith.  This isn’t just a story- it’s a world with traditions, rules, people…. Chee was able to flesh out Kelanna so well that you can see the volcanoes, the trees, the sunrise on the sea… all of it.  Honestly, I hate to see it go, to the point that I am considering starting the series over again.  Though, maybe not just yet.  There’s still a lot of stories I haven’t read.  I am considering a series overview post, though, with merchandise ideas (there sadly isn’t any yet, but if someone makes these things I am buying them).  I want to take some time to think on that one, so I may write it Thursday.

             The next time Chee wants to give us a story, though, you know I’m there.  For me, this book- like the rest of the series- is a five star book. 

           On the adult content scale, there’s a lot of violence.  I feel like there always was, but it just seemed like… more… in this one.  There’s some language, and then there’s some very light sexual content.  Nothing explicit.  I would agree with Amazon who placed it in the 12-17 age range (though is there really a maximum age here?  I think not!).  I give it a four. 

The book is out.  Have you read it?  What did you think?

Link to book:

Amazon

 

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New Release Tuesday!!!! 1-08-19

Hey guys!  Happy New Release Tuesday!  I have three awesome books to share that I got as ARC’s and one that I am drooling over.  Let’s get started!!!!

 The Light over London, Julia Kelly was an absolutely gorgeous historical fiction.  I have seen a lot of people likening it to The Nightingale, but I was getting some serious Laura Madeleine vibes here- which if anyone knows about my obsession with the author is high praise.  The duel story lines merged seamlessly, the story had a great flow, stunning descriptions and fantastic characters.  I adored this book and will be looking into the author for further books.

 

 

 

Even If I fall, Abigail Johnson  is a really beautiful YA book.  Two broken teens have lost their brothers- one to death and one to jail.  In a small town, neither one can live down the stigma, nor find someone that they can just… talk to… about it.  That is, until they find one another.  How is she supposed to open up to the boy when it was her brother that killed his?  How is he supposed to look at her and not see everything he lost?  And yet… they do.  Little by little they help each other heal, and learn to dream again.  Will their new found relationship last, though, when everyone finds out- and has an opinion?  

 

 

In Dog We Trust, Beth Kendrick  is a great slice of life type book.  You have the scrappy workaholic Jocelyn, trying to keep her head above water and her family’s laundry service afloat while Mom recovers from surgery.  One choice changes her world.  When she sees two dogs about to be run over, she darts out to save them both.  The pedigree pup’s owner is thrilled, and wants to hire her to take care of the dogs- walking, playing… that type of thing.  The driver is aghast…. and cute for a yuppie.  Suddenly Jocelyn has a boyfriend and yet another job.  Fast forward six months.  Prince charming is not so charming and oh-so-gone, as is the boss…. but the dogs remain, having inherited the bulk of the owner’s wealth, and the house.  Jocelyn is as surprised as anybody when she is named their caretaker but she will do anything- including how to care and train show dogs and buy mutt boyfriends- in order to make this work.  There’s just one issue- Liam.  The owner’s only son, though estranged, feels he has a case against the dogs and Jocelyn.  As the two battle over the inheritance, the fur really starts to fly.  What would happen, though, if the combatants ever gave way to their attraction?

My thanks to Netgally and First to Read for allowing me advanced reader copies of these books in exchange for honest reviews. 

The Winter of the Witch  is one that I have been eagerly awaiting.  I fell in love with Arden’s other books in this trilogy and have been a huge supporter of Arden’s since The Bear and the Nightingale, Katherine Arden.  I can’t wait to see how this series ends!!!  I preordered it months ago, but am in the middle of another book so it may take a moment.  This is probably going to be my next read though.

 

 

 

            And now for the new release I am most excited (and jealous) about… congrats to my UK friends!  This book launches there today, but we won’t see it in America until April.  I did end up buying it on Book Depository and hope to get it soon…. but I don’t actually know how these things work.  We’ll see!!

 

(Summary from Book Depository):

Imagine you could erase your grief.
Imagine you could forget your pain.
Imagine you could hide a secret.

Forever.
Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a letter arrives summoning him to begin an apprenticeship. He will work for a Bookbinder, a vocation that arouses fear, superstition and prejudice – but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse.
He will learn to hand-craft beautiful volumes, and within each he will capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If there’s something you want to forget, he can help. If there’s something you need to erase, he can assist. Your past will be stored safely in a book and you will never remember your secret, however terrible.
In a vault under his mentor’s workshop, row upon row of books – and memories – are meticulously stored and recorded.
Then one day Emmett makes an astonishing discovery: one of them has his name on it.
            This book is already getting some much deserved love from other bloggers.  I think I first heard about it (and where to buy it) from My one thousand lives.  I immediately knew I had to have this.

So that’s me for the week.  What are you most excited about?  Have I missed any?

 

 

 

 

 

The Light over London, Julia Kelly

 

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Title: The Light Over London

Author: Julia Kelly

Pages: 304

Genre: historical fiction

Is this part of a series?  No

Publish Date: January 8th, 2019

Summary:

             Cara is in the middle of a massive life overhaul.  Dealing with a messy divorce and leaving a job she never cared for, she’s back home working with antiques and spending time with Gran.  The job is one she loves- the beauty and mystery, and the ability to make sure a well loved object gets new life with someone that will treasure it.  Between work and Gran she doesn’t have time for much else, but she’s okay with that.  

When going through a house with her employer Cara finds a tin filled with odd treasures.  A movie stub, a small compass, a locket, a picture and a journal.  It calls to her and, with the family’s permission, she sets out to learn more about the woman from the journal…

Louise isn’t exactly adventurous.  Smart and serious, she keeps the accounts and works in a shop in her little Cornish village.  It has been decided that she will wait there for the solicitor’s son, Gary, to come home from the war.  They will marry, and their mothers will be happy.  It isn’t exactly the type of life she wants, but she can see no way out.  One night changes all that.  Her cousin, Kate, drags her to a dance and there’s Paul.  Handsome, sophisticated and interested in her, this RAF pilot is everything she never knew to wish for.  A whirlwind, clandestine courtship ensues.  Paul gives her strength to look into the dreams she has locked away- travel, leaving home, being useful…. maybe someday going to California.  When he is shipped out Louise makes a command decision.  She and Kate will join the war effort.  When she becomes a gunner girl in the anti aircraft gun unit she is over the moon.  She’s using her brain and making a difference.  Paul is less pleased citing the dangers… but there seems to be more to his objections.  Could it be that they don’t know each other as well as she thought?…

The more Cara reads, the deeper she needs answers about Gran’s time in the war- a time she refuses to address.  With the help of her new neighbor, Liam, she moves to uncover the secrets not only for the mystery journalist but her own family.

My thoughts:

        Kelly’s book is being likened to The Lilac girls and The Nightingale, but I was getting vibes from one of my favorite historical fiction authors, Laura Madeleine.  The attention to detail used when merging the dual timelines, the character development and easy flow of the book was reminiscent of Where the Wild Cherries Grow.  All the wonderful things about historical fiction are here- the drama of the past, intrigue, description, amazing characters.  I could not put this book down!  The writing style was magnificent and the different timelines/plot lines merged seamlessly in a way that was believable.  So often an author will allow one plot line to take the lead, leaving the other to disappear, unneeded; but here you have two strong stories.  I loved that.  For me this is a five star book. 

             On the adult content scale, there’s violence, language and some light sexual content.  Nothing major and I would still hand this one over to my niece.  I give it a four. 

I was lucky enough to receive and eARC of this book from Netgalley and Gallery books in exchange for an honest review.  My thanks. 

The book comes out Tuesday!  Who’s ready?

Link to book:

Amazon

 

Even If I fall, Abigail Johnson

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Title: Even If I Fall

Author: Abigail Johnson

Pages: 352 

Genre: YA

Is this book part of a series?  No

Publish Date: January 8th, 2019

Summary:

          One night- one action- can shatter everything.  No one knows that better than Brooke.  A boy is dead, and her brother is locked away having pled guilty.  Why?  What happened? Jason and Cal were best friends!  Part of her feels that there’s something missing- she can’t let it go.  What could have happened to come to that point?  The rest of her family is broken- her father hides in his workshop, her sister never talks and doesn’t leave the house, her mother runs from the issue- literally….. and Brooke?  She has to be the one to keep everything together.  Not just going with Mom to visit Jason, but accepting the disdain of the town that used to accept her, the hatred shown her at work… the stares.  She used to live for ice skating, wanting nothing more to make a career of it, but that was before.  How can she leave now?  The worst part?  She can’t even talk to anyone about these things- her family is too vulnerable and her only friend has no idea any of this ever even happened.  

Then she runs into Cal’s brother Heath- and he might get it.  He lost his brother, the town sees him and his family differently.  It’s wrong, the two should hate each other- her brother killed his!  And yet… through their pain, a friendship blossoms- maybe something more if they are strong enough to grab hold.   But when Brooke learns something about that night- something important- will her loyalty to her family keep her quiet, or will she help the broken boy she has grown to care for?

My thoughts:

           I felt like this book was really well done.  Brooke’s an interesting character, with her pain, loyalty and anger.  I loved watching her, even as I hated some of the things she did.  I hated some of the things she did to her best friend Maggie, though I could see her line of thought.  I felt for her and her family.  These characters are well developed and interesting, the subject of the book done with care and finesse.  So often books like this either feel too heavy. or so light as to be farcical.  This one, to me, was just right.  You need a bit of warmth, a bit of levity, but you can’t detract from the story.  You need to feel for the characters- and I did.  For me, this is a four star book. 

On the adult content scale, there’s language and violence.  It’s not over the top and actually very well done.  While I disagree with Amazon who has marked this for ages 12+, it’s definitely geared toward teens.  Fifteen definitely, younger at parents discretion.  I give it a three.

I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Harlequin Teen/ Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.  My thanks! 

The book comes out 1-8-19, who’s ready?

Link to book:

Amazon

Target: Alex Cross, James Patterson

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Title: Target: Alex Cross

Author: James Patterson

Pages: 432

Genre: Mystery, thriller

Is this part of a series?  Yes, book #26 of the Alex Cross series.

Published: November 19th, 2018

Summary:

(From Goodreads)

TARGET: HEAD OF STATE

A leader has fallen, and the procession route from Capitol Hill to the White House is lined with hundreds of thousands of mourners. None feel the loss of a President more keenly than Alex Cross, who has devoted his life to the public good. 

TARGET: UNITED STATES CABINET

A sniper’s bullet strikes a target in the heart of DC. Alex Cross’s wife, Bree Stone, newly elevated chief of DC detectives, faces an ultimatum: solve the case, or lose the position for which she’s worked her entire career. The Secret Service and the FBI deploy as well in the race to find the shooter. Alex is tasked by the new President to take a personal role with the FBI, leading an investigation unprecedented in scale and scope. 

TARGET: ALEX CROSS 

Alex has a horrible premonition: is the sniper’s strike only the beginning of a larger attack on the nation? It isn’t long before his fears explode into life, and the nation plunges into a full-blown Constitutional crisis. His ingenuity, his training, and his capacity for battle are tested beyond limits in the most far-reaching and urgently consequential case of his life. As the rule of law is shattered by chaos, and Alex fights to isolate a suspect, Alex’s loyalty may be the biggest danger of all.

My thoughts:

Let’s be real for a second.  What keeps us coming back to this detective’s world?  I have been following this series for most of my adult life by now!  Personally, I love this character and his family- it’s like revisiting an old friend.  I adore the fact that I get to watch them grow and change.  Also, I love the insight Patterson gives us into the opposing side- the villains.  Every time I open a book from this series I am enthralled, led into a high-stakes game.  

In this one, I got to see more of the kids, which I love; but also more of Bree- and in a stronger role.  I loved that.  The book was well done and fast paced, the characters were perfectly developed…. honestly, this one was amazing.  I wait for these books every year.  Five stars! 

On the adult content scale there’s a large amount of violence, some fairly explicit sexual content, and language.  I have to give this one an eight.  Definitely geared toward adults! 

The book is out- go get it!

Link to book:

Amazon

Broken Heart Attack, James J. Cudney

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Title: Broken Heart Attack

Author: James J. Cudney ( Jay from This is My Truth Now)\

Pages: 272

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Is this part of a series?  Yes, book two of the Braxton Campus Mysteries.

Published:  November 25th, 2018

Summary:

Braxton Hall is gearing up for the drama of the year- and I don’t just mean their production of King Lear!  Kellen is still getting used to being back home and working under a woman that obviously hates him and his family.  Emma has finally come down to be with him and he loves having his little girl, but she was delivered with a lot of unanswerable questions.  There are things in his past that could affect the future- and not all of them are willing to stay put in the past.  Then there’s Nana D- it isn’t enough that the outspoken senior is running for mayor, she also wants Kellen involved in the life of one of her friends Gwen.  The two are sure that there’s something fishy going on- Gwen’s family is trying to kill her!  Before he even has time to process this news, she’s dead and Nana D wants him on the case- regardless of the fact that he reminds everyone he isn’t a detective.  Could someone have seriously harmed an old woman, and why?  Suspects- and motives- abound, but can Kellen solve the mystery before his past catches up to him or the sheriff strangles him?

My thoughts:

           I could have sworn I did this review a week ago- sorry guys!  I read this a bit ago and loved it.  It has the great dialogue and character development I loved from the first one, and we are slowly watching each character grow.  Kellen is an interesting character, and I love watching him with Nana D and Emma.  The plot of this one was interesting and the book had a nice flow to it.  It’s one of those quick, fun reads that make me love this genre.  You know the ones- you find yourself turning page after page long after you should be asleep simply because you aren’t ready to let go.  Even with the weighty topics here (there has, after all, been a murder), there’s a good dose of sass and sarcasm I love.  I can easily see this as being a series that I will be reaching for often- I am already praying there’s a book three in the making, and you can bet I will be pre-ordering it.  For me this is a five star book- I highly recommend it. 

On the adult content side, there’s some language and violence but it’s fairly tame.  I think that’s one of the things I loved about this one- like Ellery Adam’s books, Cudney doesn’t rely on sexual drama or shock value to sell books.  There’s romantic interest, but it’s not hyped up or thrown all over the place (this is an issue I often have with Janet Evanovich’s books and why I am still on the fence about the new Stephanie Plum book).  I would give this one a two. 

The book is out!  Have you read it?

Link to book:

Amazon

 

The Whispered Word, Ellery Adams

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Title: The Whispered Word

Author: Ellery Adams

Pages: 244

Genre:  Cozy mystery

Is this book part of a series?  Yes, book #2 of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society.

Published:  November 27th, 2018

Summary:

          The town of Miracle Springs is still reeling from previous drama (book #1) and an economic slump.  When two newcomers drift in with a business that sells your stuff on the internet for you, it seems like a godsend.  Can the owners of Virtual Genie be trusted, though? 

Then there’s the matter of the young woman Nora found in her bookstore.  Abilene showed up one day dressed in a too-big house dress, flip-flops and a hospital ID band.  She can cook, create gorgeous displays and appraise jewelry and watches- what she can’t do is work more than the most basic technology or tell the girls where she came from.  They all have pasts, and they want to help this woman without asking too many questions.  She’s quickly accepted into Nora’s bookstore and Hester’s bakery, along with Virtual Genie, and is even able to rent out a studio apartment.  When the groups’ help, there’s every hope that her days on the run from her past are over.

But the death of a townswoman put that all aside.  Can they really trust the newcomers that come in just as one of their own dies?  When Amanda Fry’s son breezes into town to claim his mother’s book collection, there’s some drama and he, too ends up dead.  Can Nora and the girls figure out who the killer is and protect the town that has become their own?

My Thoughts:

              I loved this book!  The Secret, Book and Scone Society left me with an enormous author-crush.  I devoured as many of Adam’s books as I could get my hands on while waiting for this release.  In deed, every year I allow myself 10 must-have-or-I’ll-die books.  This one was on that list.  I love the characters: Nora, June, Estella and Hester.  They are so very different but their common thread- painful pasts- have brought them together.  These aren’t victims, they are strong resilient women that have seen things and are learning to deal with life, and to trust people, again.  Add Nora’s love of books and the quotes throughout the story and I am hooked.  I loved that I got to see the women grow here, and learned more about Hester.  I also really liked the time spent on other characters in the community and our new additions.  I felt like the character Abilene was done well.  The plot was really good and the writing had a nice even flow.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Five stars all the way! 

On the adult content scale, there’s some language, light sexual content and violence.  I would give it a four.    I would still give it to my niece, but she’s sixteen now.

The book is out- have you read it?

Link to book:

Amazon