Sarah Micklem - Firethorn

Introducing a mesmerizing debut in the rich tradition of Marion Zimmer Bradley and the powerful narratives of Jacqueline Carey—a passionate tale of love and war in which the gods grant a common girl uncommon gifts… Before she was Firethorn, she was Luck, named for her red hair and favored by the goddess of Chance. A lowborn orphan, Luck is destined to a life of servitude. But when her mistress dies, Luck flees to the forest, where she discovers the sacred firethorn tree, whose berries bring her fevered dreams, a new name…and strange gifts. When she emerges from the woods, Firethorn is a new woman, with mysterious powers.
And soon, in the chaos of the UpsideDown Days, when the highborn and the low trade places, Firethorn couples with the warrior Sire Galan, whom she follows to camp with the king’s army. There she learns that in her new role as a sheath, a warrior’s bedservant, she is but one step above a whore. By day she uses her gifts as a healer to earn a place among the camp’s women, and by night she shares Sire Galan’s bed, her desire equal to his. But the passion they feel for each other has no place in a world ruled by caste and violence. When her lover makes an ill-considered wager that chances her heart, the consequences are disastrous—and Firethorn will learn how hard it can be to tell honor from dishonor, justice from vengeance.

Comment: I had this book in the pile since 2011. I probably got it because it was a fantasy that suggested some sort of magic in the protagonist's abilities and, of course, I imagined a romantic story as she follows the hero, which the blurb suggests...

Luck is a young woman who has been a servant to a lady and she has had a good life despite her status and the fact she is an orphan. When the lady dies, her house and servants are passed through to one nephew, someone who isn't as interested in keeping things as they have been. Luck runs away into the nearby forest where, after an year surviving, she ends up eating the berries of a sacred firethorn tree, which allows her to develop some skills.

She returns to the estate and she is eager to have a new life but most of the problems continue. In the aftermath of a traditional event, she decides to follow Sire Galen, a young man on his road to battle, and Luck, now self called Firethorn, goes too, as a healer and as his lover. This situation isn't well seen by others for women who do this are considered no better than a prostitute, but Firethorn is determined to show them all how different she is...

I really should have read the blurb more carefully when I decided to get this book. I also should have been more selective in picking it in the first place, apart from the single fact it was a fantasy and that it suggested elements I was interested in seeing developed. Sadly, I cannot say if this ends up being so, because I DNF'd around page 130, more or less, just as Firethorn is about to leave with Sire Galen.

The beginning wasn't too bad and the writing was captivating enough even though the chapters are very long and the prologue, with Luck pretty much alone in the forest, not having much action. I commiserated with this heroine, whose live changed at the whim of someone else and when she failed to be receptive to the advances of the new owner of the estate, I figured her road would be one of becoming stronger, independent and, perhaps, finding love in adverse circumstances.

By this point, I had convinced myself this would be a story about Luck/Firethorn learning how to do things and deal with her new skills, but also be more discerning and aware of what others might be like, and how much she would try to "be a good person". Yes, this expression might mean a lot to some, not enough for others, but it was my perception. Anyway, then I was also kind of misguided - I really misread that - regarding the words "in the chaos of the UpsideDown Days, when the highborn and the low trade places" ,which made me think something in this world would magically happen and Firethorn would become a noble... how ridiculous my lack of attention was, I didn't even read the rest carefully...

Suffice to say, the "UpsideDown days" are precisely that, days, as in time and not in eras, and it wasn't much of a big deal. Firethorn is still as lowborn as she used to after the celebration of this event and instead of being this wise, careful woman in a world that does punish women, she sleeps with this random guy and then thinks her best option of life - perhaps she wasn't too wrong, after all I have not read the end - was to follow him and develop her new skills where necessary, such as in a war. Well... perhaps this is being feminist and independent, as in making one's own rules, but I was disillusioned. I confess I expected more of the heroine and of how she would think/behave.

When she decides to join Sire Galen despite what it would entail, even if it was her own choice, the way everyone reacts to this decision of hers, and what it meant socially, the way women are considered cattle and or/propriety in the big scheme of things... well, I can dream her journey might take her into a gorgeous scenario but I'm not interested in actually reading about it since it seems it would also include a lot of chapters with bad tings happening to her or where she would be mistreated. 

I prefer to not get annoyed at this.

Therefore, despite the long time in the pile, this one is a DNF.

Grade: DNF

TBR Challenge: Kate Morton - The Distant Hours

Edie Burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a long lost letter arrives one Sunday afternoon with the return address of Milderhurst Castle, Kent, printed on its envelope, Edie begins to suspect that her mother’s emotional distance masks an old secret.
Evacuated from London as a 12-year-old girl, Edie’s mother is chosen by the mysterious Juniper Blythe and taken to live at Milderhurst Castle with the Blythe family: Juniper, her twin sisters, and their father, Raymond.
Fifty years later, as Edie chases the answers to her mother’s riddle. She, too, is drawn to Milderhurst Castle and the eccentric sisters Blythe. Old ladies now, the three still live together, the twins nursing Juniper, whose abandonment by her fiancé in 1941 plunged her into madness.
Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst Castle, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. For the truth of what happened in the distant hours has been waiting a long time for someone to find it....

Comment: For October, the TBR Challenge post has the theme "Spooky (Gothic)" but since I rarely read things I'd consider spooky - certainly not intentionally - I've decided to stick to the Gothic part of the suggestion. 

Looking through my TBR, I've failed to find something that would be immediately seen as such so I picked an author I wanted to try for some time but never had the impulse to do so. I've chosen a book by Kate Morton, then, at the library, for her work often has the label Gothic associated with her historical novels.

In this story we meet heroine Edie, an editor at a small publisher, who has a pretty stagnant life in 1992. She also doesn't have a very warm relationship with her mother but one day a letter arrives and her mother has a reaction she never imagined she would see such a stoic person have. She discovers the letter is related to her mother's youth experience as an evacuee during the war and she decides to investigate the castle where she stayed. It just happens it's also the home of famous author Raymond Blythe, and his three unmarried elderly daughters still live there. Following her curiosity, Edie visits the castle and she leaves with more questions than when she arrives, propelling to keep the contact. With time, what she discovers not only gives her a new perspective about her mother, but also about the castle's current inhabitants...

I had seen several friends of mine on GR giving positive grades to this author's work. I must also say the covers of her books, well, most of them, are gorgeous and that does appeal to the eye. Still, somehow I was never really motivated to try myself but this time I felt it was a good opportunity for I know most of the author's novels are historical with Gothic-like vibes, at least according to the labels in sites such as GR and retailers.

I had no big expectations before starting but once I did and the page turning was ongoing, I couldn't help thinking the writing was quite wordy, lost and lots of words and descriptions and paragraphs setting up the mood, details which I kept thinking weren't really that necessary... I kept going but there was a time I thought the book was a bit boring. This notion never left me and if there is one word I would use to describe the story is precisely that, boring.

The story is told from Edie's POV, which is fine for the most part, and we get to find out things at the same time she does. There are also several chapters in the past, between late 30s until early 40s, seen through the eyes of secondary characters, and this lets us know which events happened to lead to the situation Edie is learning about in 1992. The plot is dual timed but focused on what happened in the castle at the time Edie's mother was there as young girl, as well as what happened to other people who had lived there before. There is a lot of content about the Blythe sisters, still alive in her eighties in 1992 but who had very different takes on life in 1940.

I think the author clearly researched a lot about the area and the evacuation premise one not often seen in these types of historicals. Well, the ones I've read don't usually mention this. I liked how she devised the mystery Edie is investigating and the atmosphere surrounding the 30s and 40s is definitely moody, although Gothic is perhaps a description I would not think of right away. I also think there's a certain push to make things seem odd and lugubrious and to me this was not done in a convincing way. 

It's understood something terrible happened to the Blythe sisters, namely the youngest, whose fiancé never arrived for a meeting they had planned and she has mourned the loss since then. The other sisters have taken care of her, for her health deteriorated and her mind is not sane anymore, but all these elements are given to the reader by Edie's eyes, and then there are chapters in between main events where we see the sisters as young women and their interactions with others. I have to say I wasn't particularly interested in these segments, because the characters are, for the most part, too bland. I failed to find sympathy towards them besides the obvious.

When things get closer to the end the plot becomes a bit more interesting, as the secrets the Blythe family has start becoming known, but Edie isn't exactly the most fascinating of heroines and the writing kept on being wordy. I was reading but not really feeling an emotional connection, even when more heartfelt situations were being described. The solution/explanation for the big mysteries were also a little too convenient and I've struggled to see them in my head. I think the author could have done a better job bringing all the loose threads together.

When the story ends, there's also a very melodramatic scene we are told about which I think was over the top and slightly ridiculous. Thinking of this and the way some situations happen reminded me there were better ways for the plot to be secretive for longer or for it to be more engaging. This means the writing wasn't a great one for me and the execution should have been done bettor by the author. Nevertheless, let it be said, I've read a translation and having studied this in the university I could kind of see where some options might have come from... perhaps reading another book by the author in English might suite me better. I'll definitely try but probably not that soon.

Grade: 6/10

Dianne Duvall - The Renegade Akseli Cyborg

Too many years of hunting psychotic vampires night after night have left Rachel with a desperate need for change. So when the opportunity to travel across the galaxy aboard a Lasaran warship to a utopian planet arises, the powerful Immortal Guardian jumps at the chance. Rachel eagerly looks forward to making a fresh start… until an enemy attacks and she ends up alone in an escape pod so far from alliance-occupied space that no one can hear her communications. No one except a renegade cyborg who shouldn’t exist.
After a grueling, hard-fought rebellion, Wonick and his cyborg brethren settled on a distant planet, where they’ve finally carved out a peaceful existence. The Aldebarian Alliance believes every Akseli cyborg died long ago. And battle-weary cyborg leader Wonick is determined to prevent anyone from discovering otherwise, knowing such would spark the fiercest manhunt in the galaxy. Yet when he hears Rachel’s communications, temptation drives him to speak to her, sparking friendship and a longing for a very different future.
Rachel finds Wonick even more appealing when she meets him in person, and the friendship they’ve formed soon deepens into love as the cyborgs—no more immune to her fun-loving, laughter-inducing nature than Wonick—cautiously welcome her into the fold. But the warriors’ unbridled ability to collect intel uncovers a secret the enemy has guarded for decades, one that compels them to embark upon a mission fraught with danger.
If they succeed, they may end the enemy’s attempts to conquer the galaxy once and for all.
If they fail, it could cost Wonick and Rachel...

Comment: This is the most recent installment in the Aldebarian Alliance series by Dianne Duvall, a sci-fi spin off from the Immortal Guardians PNR series.

In this story Rachel is stuck inside one of the pods which was sent from the Kandovar right before the Gathendians got to it and she isn't certain on how to proceed since it seems there's no one and no planet around where she can find some way to communicate. She decides to send messages anyway, in the hopes someone might listen, and that finally happens.

The problem is that who listens is Wonnick, a cyborg who lives in a remote and unknown planet his brethren is eager to keep hidden, since they are all being persecuted by their home planet rules, the Akselis. At first Wonnick can't help Rachel, but realizing she might be in danger, eventually makes her location known to his friend Janwar... but when things become dire, will he be brave enough to help Rachel in a better way?

This story pretty much follows the events of the previous one and, I have to say, the development and situations are very similar to those of The Akseli, which isn't bad since I like the world and the characters already, but it does seem a little repetitive too. I wonder if the author couldn't have introduced other novelties apart from the cyborg content? Perhaps a different type of romantic relationship? This story feels incredibly similar to the first one in everything and a few other changes might have made it more vibrant too.

I say this but I did like the story... only if one has read the others, many situations are kind of predictable. Still, Rachel and Wonnick are a good couple and of course I liked how resourceful Rachel was in her complicated situation, as well as how she and Wonnick became closer just by talking. As for the rescue and how things were presented until she is at Wonnick's planet, everything was so repetitive that while enjoyable, it didn't provide special elements. I was, of course, more interested in the whole cyborg existence while they were starting to get along.

When Rachel reaches the planet where the cyborgs live, other things had been shared already and I figured this would need to force the plot to go a certain way before everyone is friends and starts to plot what to do next. Well, it's true there are a few scenes right after Rachel lands that are different and I thought this would provide interesting dynamics and perhaps even differences in how the characters would interact, hopefully a romance which would develop differently from the others... but no. The "conflict", if I can call it that considering how quickly it was solved, wasn't too much of an issue.

Therefore, after this, the plot settles in to the usual pattern readers are used to in these stories where the heroine is stranded but then helped/rescued (three books by now): she easily adapts, she is immediately liked by everyone, she is more than others would expect, she likes weapons and fights and is very clever and eager to find her friends and defeat the villains. I like these traits, of course, but the execution of the books doesn't offer much.. I wish perhaps the heroine would not be as confident or as able...perhaps the romance could be less easy/obvious... maybe the interactions with secondary characters could have other types of situations... I don't know, something to make the story feel different from the others.

Despite this, I liked reading because things are familiar, there are many references to past situations and characters and it's like comfort reading, I just know things will turn out to be alright. When the romance is a fact and things are settled, of course there's more to plan and Rachel thinks a good way to accelerate the help of so many people is to defeat the Gathendians in a way their military could not bounce back from. I've found this idea and how things come to be really far fetched. I mean, no one had thought about it before? Is it only due to Rachel's powers and presence that their plan is achievable?

I know that what I'm writing makes this story feel leas than desirable but it's really not this bad. I feel frustrated, that's all, because of the missed opportunities in what else this plot might include... still the whole cyborg idea was interesting and I did like the fact the rebels live together in a planet they want to keep hidden, not only for fear or being hunted and killed, but also to protect the planet, which would be damaged by the villains. Some scenes described really make this idea seem great and I could very easily imagined some of the planet's features.

All things considered, reading this was bittersweet to me. On one hand, the book has everything necessary to make it familiar and comforting and clearly part of this world, on the other is too predictable. Nevertheless, I'll certainly read the next, even if it's as predictable, when it's out.

Grade: 7/10

Cara Bastone - Just a Heartbeat Away

Newly widowed dad Sebastian Dorner was unraveling at the edges—until his son’s teacher, Via DeRosa, threw him a lifeline. Now, two years later, they reconnect at Matty’s new school, and an inconvenient but unmistakable jolt of attraction crackles between them. But why does the first person to spark with Sebastian in years have to be a millennial? Is twentysomething Via really too young for him or does fortysomething Sebastian just feel too damn old?
A former foster kid, Via’s finally forged the stable life she’s always dreamed of—new job, steady income, no drama. The last thing she needs are rumors about her and a single dad at school. But why does she keep being drawn into his capable, worn-flannel orbit? And why does being around Sebastian, Matty and even their dog, Crabby, seem to spark so much want?
They’re trying to ignore the tension threatening their friendship. But sometimes what’ll heal you is just a touch—and a heartbeat—away…

Comment: I once saw a positive review of this romance and now, four years later, I've finally started it and did enjoy it.

In this story we meet Sebastian Dorner and his son Matty right after the death of Cora, Sebastian's wife and Matty's mother. The mourning is still ongoing when Matty's teacher, Via, calls Sebastian and gently makes him see how he has been neglecting Matty. This is Sebastian's wake up call and he starts making changes. Some years later, the Dorners meet Via again, in Matty's new school, and something seems to start clicking between Via and Sebastian, but they both have reasons to doubt these feelings. As their friendship develops and secondary situations are being dealt with, could it be that Sebastian and Via actually have more in common than the age gap and the different backgrounds would suggest?

I probably became interested in this book because it would be a romance featuring a May/December relationship, and the man is a widow and the heroine has a connection with the hero's child... I mean, all elements that felt rather captivating and the truth is, I was captivated! I did like getting to know these characters and seeing the evolution of what was happening to them.

The writing was quite competent, I'd say, even though this is the first book I try by the author. The narrative just flew and I liked that this was third person narrative, alternatively focused on each protagonist. Besides, the relationship is a slow burn, with a gradual and believable pace in how they meet each other, start being around each other and fall in love. Nothing is rushed - in fact, there was a moment or two in which I felt the delay in their admittance of their feelings was becoming too obvious - and when things finally happen, it's quite pleasing.

The plot is not complicated, for this is mostly a story about character development. Basically, the characters keep meeting one another, interact and there is a lot of emotional development for both while they deal with their issues. At first, Sebastian seemed to be the most vulnerable but with Via's initial help, he was able to process what was happening and moved on so he could be there for his son. Via was always a character I felt wasn't as easy to read, mainly because she was a foster child after the death of her immigrant parents and this did affect her personality as well.

Via is a very practical heroine. She is also competent and being orphaned at 12 did shape her view of the world, and she has tried her best to find reliability and stability in her life. When the story begins she is dating Evan, who we learn has wealthy parents and this allows him to make choices Via would not, such as quitting a job without any real prospects for after. Of course, this means that as she is falling for Sebastian, the comparison becomes greater and we see, at the same time she does, how much more suitable Sebastian is, age gap included.

In fact, the age gap is probably a more concerning element for Sebastian. He is a great hero, considerate of others, helpful, willing to ask for help, pretty much perfect but he is worried the age gap would be too much and he fears he might not be a good partner, as he felt he wasn't to Cora. These feelings are mentioned from time to time, to the point that we get to see how important they really are, but that is part of you evolving and wishing to be better so the other person can respect you too. I did like Sebastian but I will confess I wish he could have had a more decisive manner in some situations.

The pace is mostly a good one, but I did get a little frustrated as things progress closer to the end, especially when it comes to the romance. Yes, they are attracted to one another and not only physically, they are friends, they had time and mutual experiences, common secondary characters who support them, and all this could have made for a more logical and quicker acceptance of what was between them, in particular from the moment Via becomes single. However, it seemed as if they were being too careful, which is not a bad thing of course, but in a romance novel becomes annoying sometimes.

Despite one or two things, I liked this story and I liked getting to spend time with the characters and see their groups of friends/connections be united. There are two more full length stories in the series and the next one will feature the best friends of this book's couple. At first sight they don't seem to be the best match, but I'm quite eager to see how the author will do it.

Grade: 8/10

Debora Geary - A Modern Witch

Can you live 28 years without discovering you're a witch? — Lauren is downtown Chicago's youngest elite realtor. She's also a witch. She must be - the fetching spell for Witches' Chat isn't supposed to make mistakes. So says the woman who coded the spell, at least. — The tall, dark, and handsome guy sent to assess her is a witch too (and no, that doesn't end the way you might think). What he finds in Lauren will change lives, mess with a perfectly good career, and require lots of ice cream therapy.

Comment: I had this book in the (ebook) pile since 2013 and I can't really say why I didn't read it before now. I suppose it didn't help how easily one is influenced by ratings and while this sometimes is unfair, sometimes there's a good reason for it..perhaps I was scared this would be another book which would disappoint. Still, in one of the challenges I'm doing with one of my groups, one topic was to pick something with a Halloween type characters, so I picked up this book, which would have witches.

In this story we meet a vast cast of characters, being the focus centered on Lauren, a realtor in Chicago who, accidentally - or not - finds herself following the online conversation between some witches. She thinks there had been a glitch and everyone says a friendly goodbye but Nell, one of the witches, sends her brother Jamie so he can check if Lauren was indeed an error in the site or if she has powers she isn't aware of. When Jamie does meet Lauren, he soon realizes that yes, she has some abilities, but it isn't until he is coaching her and the sudden appearance of her best friend makes him lose control of his own powers. From this moment on, there is no doubt Lauren is a witch, but will she want to be part of the community?

I'll start by saying I can definitely understand why this story didn't work out for many readers. There is simply no plot. This is a story about Lauren discovering herself and on the way she meets many friendly and happy people, the whole story is a love/friendship fest and there isn't really any serious obstacle nor conflict to add drama. This is a fantasy meant to entertain.

Normally, I'd agree with the critics about the lack of gravitas here and this should have been boring and a bit too silly - I have had this opinion regarding other similar stories - but somehow all the little details and silly content and unlikely characters made sense to me. It was fun and cute and I had a great time reading this story, it's one of those things that make one feel warm and happy and it was the perfect escapism.

Lauren is realtor who likes her job and she feels extra glad when she can match the clients to their perfect house. She sometimes has some "feelings" but never really gave that much thought but as soon as she is told about her possible witch abilities, she does remember some situations which could be linked to it. Still, Lauren is reluctant to accept she is this amazing witch others claim she could be, as long as she learns and practices.Things improve for her after she travels to California to meet Nell and the rest of Jamie's family. Her best friend Natalia goes as well because it seems pretty obvious she and Jamie might become a couple.

While in California, Lauren meets several people, including Nell's youngest child and they have an immediate connection. In fact, Lauren's witch skills seem to match those of the child and they become friends. This propels her to think of a life where she has friends, a newfound family and a support system to not only her role as a witch but also as someone who is part of a community. I did love this part of the story, this need Lauren had and never imagined, and how easy it was for her to find others who could be special to her. 

The biggest issue is that Lauren isn't certain how things could be and how much she could learn if she is in Chicago while all these amazing people are in California. Of course, along with Lauren's path, we also have some POVs of other characters and there are several situations which contribute to people's decisions and how they think about the future. I also liked this because while nothing is set in stone, nothing is magically done (meaning no magical influence happens) everyone just knows they are meant to be a close family.

This is truly a sweet, cozy type of story. There isn't much to it in terms of a challenging story line, but I was still eager to see what would happen next, and the author sprinkles these small or apparently unassuming little tidbits here and there about many things which make the story feel even more charming and somehow everything seemed to develop well enough. Are there questionable situations and fantasy-like odds in what happens? No doubt, but that doesn't make the story feel ridiculous or silly as I often find some books to be, and here things are just so positive, one feels glad to be part of everything.

There is also some romance and some situations that are clearly too fantastical but I was happy enough with the result. Perhaps this is one of a kind and the other books in the (long) series won't be as great, but I think I will try the next one at least.

Grade: 9/10

Sloane Kennedy - Locked in Silence

Ten years after leaving his small Minnesota hometown in his rearview mirror for what Nolan Grainger was sure would be the last time, life has decided to throw the talented musician a curveball and send him back to the town he lived in but was never really home.
At twenty-eight, Nolan has traveled the world as a successful concert violinist with some of the best symphonies in the country. But success breeds envy, and when Nolan’s benefactor and lover decides Nolan has flown high enough, he cruelly clips Nolan’s wings. The betrayal and ensuing scandal leaves the violinist’s career in shambles and with barely enough money to start fresh somewhere beyond his vindictive ex’s powerful reach. But just as he’s ready to get his life back on track, Nolan gets the call he’s been dreading.
Pelican Bay’s golden boy, Dallas Kent, had the quintessential perfect life. Smart, gorgeous, and popular, the baseball phenom was well on his way to a life filled with fame and fortune. But more importantly, he had a one-way ticket out of Pelican Bay and far away from the family who used love as currency and whose high expectations were the law of the land. But a stormy night, sharp highway curve and one bad decision changed everything, leaving Dallas with nothing. Dallas’s silence was supposed to send Nolan scurrying, but what if Nolan ends up being the one person who finally hears him?
Will two men who’ve been fleeing from the past finally come home to Pelican Bay for good or will the silence drive them apart forever?

Comment: I got interested in this book because the blurb made it seem one of the characters would have some sort of disability and I often like to see how authors write romances when one of the characters might not be deemed "normal".

In this story we meet Nolan Grainger, who is back to his hometown in Minnesota to help take care of his father who had a stroke. His relationship with his parents wasn't very warm and his interest in music and "nerdier" subjects made him an outcast in school and he felt great when he finally went away. Now he's back, down on his luck after some sort of scandal, and to make it even more humiliating, in his POV, the only job he can find is with Dallas Kent, his former crush.

Dallas was with his parents when they had an accident, and his mother died. Dallas lost his voice and everyone blamed him for what happened but he decided to move on and is now part owner, part caretaker of an animal center. He has always liked Nolan but never had the courage to defend him but now is his chance to help and, perhaps, something more might happen between them.

The problem is that not everyone likes this situation and following some unfair accusations, they have to present an united front to defend what they believe...

It's true this was an interesting story to follow, if not really surprising. I liked the overall flow and the writing but I must say that once things started to reach the end, many sudden situations were introduced and the plot started to feel very busy and too many things were happening. I see that it's likely the set up for the next installments, or to set up some elements in those stories, but it still made this story feel cluttered.

The premise is very simple, Nolan returns to a place he isn't fond of to help his parents. Although they have never been caring or emotionally supportive, he feels he needs to help but he is coming back after leaving a scandal behind - which we only learn what was later on - and the financial difficulties force him to find a job. The only choice ends up being helping Dallas at the animal center he manages and this, of course, forces them to interact and finally admit their feelings.

I liked Nolan for the most part but it did seem as if there is a huge focus on his vulnerability, and I could certainly sympathize with some of the things he went through, but it still felt as if he was a bit too susceptible and I wanted him to be shown as becoming stronger or more confident. I suppose this does happen but not in a way I'd feel was very organic. His relationship with Dallas is also a bit too simple once they realize they like each other... I kind of wanted more tension or genuine development in their feelings so that the romance would feel solid.

Of course I say this because since we have the POV of both, in alternate chapters, we know Dallas is attracted to Nolan too and has always more or less been since they were teenagers. I can accept this notion, despite the surroundings of their past lives and the current situation but to be fair, apart from the obvious, I struggled to see the evolution of the romance as something inevitable. The author wrote things in such a way that this is where the story goes, but it would have made for a much better romance, in my opinion, if their relationship had been more about slowly learning they liked one another instead of just acknowledging past attraction.

The disability content is related to Dallas, for he lost his voice after the accident. This event provides more detail to the whole story than what we would think and it did offer good content to develop Dallas' character. I liked him as a protagonist more than Nolan, somehow his characterization appealed more to me than Nolan's, even though I'd identify more with Nolan, personality wise. Weird to think of and hard to explain!

I especially liked the idea of the animal center and the help they gave the animals. I also liked we have some scenes with Nolan doing the cleaning and how hard that was physically, it was a nice way to help me see what jobs the maintenance of the center required and how much importance the place had in the story. I suppose, too, with the blurbs of the next installments suggest, that the center will remain as the focus of action in the future too.

As I've said, the more dramatic situations happen closer to the end and while this did feel as too much too quickly, it did present interesting characters and possibilities and a few elements make me curious about what might happen with some of those characters, so I'll likely read the next one, at least.

Grade: 7/10

Jaime Rush - A Perfect Darkness

A sexy stranger awakens Amy Shane in the dead of night. Lucas Vanderwyck barely has time to whisper a few words before three men burst into her bedroom and drag him away. But what Lucas reveals shatters Amy's safe little world forever.
Lucas and Amy share a psychic gift—a gift that could put them in mortal danger. And as they share night after night of savage passion, as a shadowy government conspiracy tracks their every move, they will fight to save each other. But only with their powers of second sight can they escape the terror of a perfect darkness.

Comment: This is another PNR book which has been in the pile for years. If my notes are correct, since 2010...

In this story we meet Amy Shane, a young woman who works with computers and who happens to have the ability to see people's "glow". This means she can more or less understand when someone is being truthful or lying, when someone is actually angry or mean when facial features seem fine and so on. This means she prefers solitude and the lightness of not having to deal with others' issues. She has also been having some dreams with a stranger and that is why she is so incredibly surprised when, one night, that stranger, Lucas is his name, shows up at her house, apparently to help and protect her, but in the process of explaining they are both Offspring, he is kidnapped.

This leads Amy to seek answers and what she finds out reveals she is part of a secret group of people with special powers. While still debating on this new situation, the only thing she knows she has to do is to help save Lucas, but her life is certainly going to radically change...

I think this PNR follows a pretty similar style of many other stories in the genre, which were published in those years (early 2000s, more or less) and I admit I didn't have higher expectations than that. Still, I was quite taken with the story in the beginning, because having Amy being introduced as a quiet person who preferred to stay home instead of clubbing, let's say, made me like her right away. It was also interesting she had this guy she dreamed of but that she thought was only the product of her imagination and I foresaw a romance that could be amazing if they were to discover each other in "real life".

However, from that early moment the story starts to become developed, I started losing interest. It's not that the writing is bad, it's actually fluid and easy, but the secondary characters didn't really win me over and the plot was heavily centered on the main characters helping Lucas. The reader very slowly learns about the Offspring, which means some of the information feels as if it was being held on purpose and that made it seem some things were dragging a bit.

With time and experience, I can now say i'd have appreciated this story more if the world of the Offspring had been a more easily established one, or if this story had been about Amy finding out she is part of them without the whole "battling the enemy" at the same time. Depending on how something is presented, I feel I had no patience for the constant going forward and backward on knowing important information about what was going on and having the characters have successes and not from time to time. I understand this is the style of the time but it's no longer really appealing.

Thankfully, the author didn't add unlikely sex scenes in inconvenient moments but the intimacy between Amy and Lucas wasn't enough to convince me of their bond. It's all a bit superficial. I'd have liked this more if they had recognized each other but were still realistic enough to assume the other wasn't just there because... since they were into each other in dreams and in real life that was quickly continued, I felt there was no real emotional tension to overcome. It's nice they didn't pretend what they knew about the other but their romance didn't wow me either.

As the story progresses, we get to learn more the Offspring, people who have special talents/powers and how they came to exist. The explanation isn't much worse than so many other PNR worlds out there, but the fixation on the bad guys wanting to catch them to force them to use their powers and so on quickly bored me and I did skip a few of the pages where the POV was from a bad guy.

As I see, there are several more books about this world, featuring secondary characters and possibly some which were not introduced yet. I don't feel invested enough to keep up and, in part, the reason is because of how dull the world seems to be. I know that this is a matter of opinion (I might sound unfair) and the same style did work in other books I've read 10 or 15 years ago, but... we change but even with that aside, some stories just grab you more fiercely than others. This one has good bases and ideas but the development just didn't captivate.

Grade: 5/10

James O'Loghlin - Liars

'Speak your truth. Or at least the truth you want others to believe.'
Handywoman Barb Young has lived in the sleepy coastal town of Bullford Point for over fifty years - and frankly, in that time, not much has happened, unless you count that business where a bush turkey managed to board the ferry a couple of years ago.
When Joe Griffiths returns from Sydney after six years of drug addiction, jail and, eventually, rehab, Barb offers him a job, hoping to help him turn his life around. However, when another new resident of Bullford Point is murdered, Joe becomes the prime suspect.
Barb thinks the police have got it wrong, but the more she tries to find the truth and clear Joe's name, the more confusing things become. Is the murder connected to the developers circling the waterfront home Joe inherited from his parents? Or to the true crime podcast he has been making about the death of his ex-girlfriend, seven years previously? And what was the information the murdered woman had been trying to horse-trade with police?
As her off-the-books investigation continues, Barb discovers that drowsy Bullford Point is actually a town full of secrets - and that even though she's known everyone in the close-knit community for years ... everybody lies.

Comment: I had not heard anything about this author until I saw the amazing review - and grade - Azteclady wrote about it in her blog a few months ago. I was truly enticed by what I've read of her text and decided to try the book myself and, I will say, it was spot on, since I really liked it.

In this story, set in Australia, we follow Barb and Seb - a handy woman and a young police officer - as they go on investigating the death of Joe, a former addict who seemed to have gotten his life on track again. However, Barb just can't help noticing a few details which lead her to think Joe might not have overdosed as everyone believes, and seeking Seb's help will take them to other clues, especially since Seb and Joe and a few others had been part of a group and they even had a band once. One of their friends had been murdered and that was the end of the band, but now Joe had had the idea of doing a podcast where he would talk about the case, which is unsolved, and interviewing everyone might have been why he died. The problem is to prove this idea but Barb and Seb will use interesting methods to uncover the truth...

Reading this book was quite the experience. The author is new to me and I had nothing to compare his work with, and despite having read Azteclady's review, that I confess I skimmed a little to not be influenced, which means I was pretty much blind while starting and had no expectations except that it had to be a good story, if Azteclady had had such a good opinion of it. Now that I have read it, I did enjoy it, and I only regret I couldn't have more time to read uninterrupted.

The story follows a group of characters who live in a small town in Australia and the group of friends once had a band and it felt like they could have had a success but their lead singer Sally was murdered. The others disbanded but Joe, who was with her at the time, fell apart and started doing drugs. Their lives went on to different paths and now, years later, Joe is clean and doing some handyman jobs with Barb, an older woman who separated recently and who gave him a chance to prove himself. Barb sees that Joe is trying his best to remain clean and do something, and she can't believe he would go back to drugs but it seems that he does and he dies of an overdose.

After these events happen and are explained and even given a context, shared through emails, text messages and other means, the real story begins. Barb and Seb join forces to investigate Joe's death because while it was labeled an overdose, Barb doesn't believe this and convinces Seb, a small town police officer who we are lead to think would not be detective material, to investigate because if he didn't overdose, then someone killed him. At the same time, other situations seem to suggest a higher plan might be in motion because another young woman who knew Joe had been found dead and Joe was even considered a suspect. Could it be that there is a connection between these two deaths?

I really liked the investigation method and the several red herrings thrown our way, which are very well done to distract, but if there is one critique I could say about the investigation is that, while this is a cute and almost cozy whodunit, I can't help but feeling a little wary of how successful Barb's investigation really was, since she does manage to be in contact with people she shouldn't, in a believable way, in order to get information. I know the purpose might have been to add some coziness and even humor perhaps, to this story, but I kept thinking about the obstacles...which if she had also been a police officer, wouldn't be unlikely she could overcome them.

The story is quite detailed and we have different POVs throughout, in different chapters, of what characters are doing or thinking. Most of the story is told from Barb's perspective and this method allows us to know what is going on, although there are some things which are told in such a way we cannot distinguish if it's pertinent to the case or if it's something meant to be a distraction. I've found this method to be quite good in general, but once or twice it felt the author had no way of doing it right, because or the information given would be done in a weird/unnatural way, or what was being said was so obviously secretive that it could only mean it was something we could not know right away.

Somewhere in the middle I think some things started dragging. I got this feeling because in the need to justify some decisions or for some situations to make sense later on, the author really added a lot of information and, sometimes, maybe that wouldn't be necessary. Still, most elements were interesting to follow and the need to understand why this connected to that made it worth it. It was also quite clever to add some personal situations, not related to the investigation, regarding the main characters, because it made me interested in them and in wondering what would be next for them after the book is finished.

When the killer is identified and the hows of the deaths, I was a little surprised because while it made sense, after all that character had not had the most attention - that should have been a clue! - it was also a simpler choice. Of course part of the mystery is that we didn't have much evidence the killer could be that person, but while I was a bit surprised, I wasn't wowed by the author's decision.

The end is predictable, but does explain a few lose ends and I was glad to see some positive scenes. Barb is a fascinating character and investigator and if the author could find a way for a small place like Bullford Point to be the center of crime, she would be the perfect person to solve things. The writing is mostly addictive, in the sense it made me curious about the characters and what they would say next, and I'd read more whodunits by this author for certain.

Grade: 8/10

Anna Lee Huber - An Artless Demise

November 1831. After fleeing London in infamy more than two years prior, Lady Kiera Darby’s return to the city is anything but mundane, though not for the reasons she expected. A gang of body snatchers is arrested on suspicion of imitating the notorious misdeeds of Edinburgh criminals, Burke and Hare—killing people from the streets and selling their bodies to medical schools. Then Kiera’s past—a past she thought she’d finally made peace with—rises up to haunt her.
All of London is horrified by the evidence that “burkers” are, indeed, at work in their city. The terrified populace hovers on a knife’s edge, ready to take their enmity out on any likely suspect. And when Kiera receives a letter of blackmail, threatening to divulge details about her late anatomist husband’s involvement with the body snatchers and wrongfully implicate her, she begins to apprehend just how precarious her situation is. Not only for herself, but also her new husband and investigative partner, Sebastian Gage, and their unborn child.
Meanwhile, the young scion of a noble family has been found murdered a block from his home, and the man’s family wants Kiera and Gage to investigate. Is it a failed attempt by the London burkers, having left the body behind, or the crime of someone much closer to home? Someone who stalks the privileged, using the uproar over the burkers to cover his own dark deeds?

Comment: This is the seventh installment in the Lady Darby series, which I have been buddy reading with a friend for the past months... we will keep on going one moth at a time until we're updated in it.

This time, Kiera and Sebastian are back in London and dealing with the not very loud, but existing, gossip conversations about Kiera's past and their marriage, when a new situation brings it all back yo everyone's minds. Someone seems to be digging up bodies again and the link to Kiera's previous husband, and her role in the whole things, once again in the papers. However, a distraction happens in the death of a member of the nobility. At first it seems the case is linked to the criminals digging up bodies, but it's soon proved it couldn't be. As Sebastian and Kiera investigate, another person is attacked. Is there any connection between the cases or only a coincidence? What will this mean for Kiera's peace of mind now that she and Sebastian are expecting their first child?

One more series which reads to me almost as a comfort reading. I like the protagonists and I'm invested in what they go through and even if some details aren't as exciting to read about, the dynamics and interactions often make up for it. Series like these, with some investigation and development of the personal lives of the characters seems to be a type of story I really feel immersed in, and with some romantic elements to top it off, even better.

This time, the plot focused on two main situations: the crimes being committed against specific members of the nobility and what should link these people, and the investigation of the men who might be killing people to "sell" the body to the doctors and anatomists. This clearly is linked to Kiera's past, since her first husband had been precisely such an anatomist and he used Kiera's skills as an artist to better depict anatomy and he intended to publish scientific books, which he could not illustrate himself.

There is a time it seems the idea is to push the notion the two investigations should be the same, but it isn't the case. Both provide interesting elements, but the one regarding the bodies used for science actually leads into something very interesting: Kiera isn't welcomed by some people, who believe she was an accomplice of her late husband, and there was a lot of negative publicity at the time of his death and when papers proving his misdeeds came to be known. Due to this, Kiera was protected by her close family, and when she and Sebastian fell in love, Sebastian's father was against their marriage. Now, because of what is found in this story, lord Gage can now see Kiera differently and I feel confident this will mean their relationship will be a lot more amicable than before..

In regards to the nobility members being killed, which was the most complex investigation, the reasons why were more complicated than it seemed at first, but part of me can't help but feel disappointed there hadn't been a better way to use a different culprit. Crimes being committed for good reasons are always worse to think of, because while the idea of doing something wrong to cause a good situation/deed is generically captivating, there are also reasons why it's not legal to do what one wants in any way, and I actually fell bad for the "villain" here...

Our protagonists are going on with their lives in a very predictable way, and the fact Kiera is expecting adds interesting layers to their days and investigations. Something else I like seeing is the interaction with certain secondary characters, mainly their private servants, maid Bree and valet Anderley, who also get to be develop as characters, from story to story. I also like the interactions with family members and how those scenes let us see how the protagonists also change, as time and life happens. This situation with the body snatchers helps to put Kiera in a different light, especially towards the end, and I'm eager to see if it has any weight in future installments.

As it has happened, the crimes are solved, positive things happen to validate why certain things happen this or that way and, as in previous books, the last sentences mention situations which are going to be part of the next book's plot. I'm quite eager to see where things will be at then, especially for Kiera's pregnancy and the attitude of others towards her after what is shared in this book. 

Grade: 8/10

Martha Wells - Rogue Protocol

Sci-fi's favorite antisocial AI is back on a mission. The case against the too-big-to-fail GrayCris Corporation is floundering, and more importantly, authorities are beginning to ask more questions about where Dr. Mensah's SecUnit is.
And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.
Martha Wells' Rogue Protocol is the third in the Murderbot Diaries series, starring a humanlike android who keeps getting sucked back into adventure after adventure, though it just wants to be left alone, away from humanity and small talk.

Comment: This is the third installment in the Murderbot series. So far, I can say it was the one I liked best...

In this story, Murderbot is considering his next moves in his attempt to expose the company he broke free from, especially since the humans he reluctantly came to care about might be punished somehow. Murderbot still felt like humans are too much hassle and wanted to accomplish this far from them, but once more he sees himself in the need to help yet another group of them, even more so because he needs to travel from place to place without being discovered. This time, there's also another bot, Miki, one who was programmed to be friendly, to help him.. or to annoy him too, but Murderbot can't help but feel, and what he feels compels him to help... 

I did enjoy this novella more than the others, for two reasons: Murderbot seemed more "human" this time around and I probably could read this without interruptions, which helps in making it seem the flow of the story is better achieved.

Basically, Murderbot is annoyed he still needs to do something to help humans when all he wants is to be left in peace. But these annoying feelings prove Murderbot is more alike humans than what he imagined, and I can only suppose the goal of these novels is for him to accept he has those emotions ingrained in his programming and that his AI status does allow him to care, more than he wanted.

In terms of plot, there isn't much I can say, in the background there's this notion Murderbot wants to help the human team he helped in the first story and I think the next novella might be about his return. While debating this and planning what he will need to do, he comes across one more complicated situation and, of course, he helps even though he claims he didn't want to rescue more humans, who might want to thank him. He does seem to collect human "friends", which is clearly ironic. This time, he also has another bot to help, and the dynamics were interesting, since this bot seemed to have been programmed to be friendly and more human-like.

The way the story went on, this new bot and how Murderbot reacts to Miki presents an interesting change in how the bots might interact. It was all very technical, but underlain is the notion these AI can be more than just machines with a purpose. Thankfully, there are plenty of those - machines without feelings I mean - to counterbalance the protagonists. What happens in this story also allows Murderbot to reflect on other things, namely the notion of sacrifice and respect. I'm quite curious to see what Murderbot will be doing in the next story, with all these new considerations in mind...

Grade: 8/10

Mini-Comments

I've recently read two books by Portuguese authors, which I brought from the library. 

One of them is an author I had read before and that I had good expectations about this new book, and the other is by a new author, whose "voice" seems to be well received.

O Nome Que a Cidade Esqueceu by João Tordo could be literally translated into "the name the city has forgotten" and is a story the author wrote after reading a piece on a newspaper from New York. The story is based on a man who lived alone and died without anyone knowing and in this book, the author picks up that idea and developed it by introducing a young woman who arrived in New York as a refugee from Georgia in the early 1990s. This young girl, away from everything familiar, has to start over and she ends up "working" for this man, by reading him the phone book aloud.

I really liked the story and the vibe. The author is known to add social commentary here and there and I think this time, a lot of what is said and a lot of what is shown through the characters somehow touched me and I was more than captivated by the story. Not everything is perfect, in fact some passages were a little irrelevant to me, if I think about the big picture, but overall, reading this was a pleasure, despite the subdued themes. Plus, there's a little bit of hope in the female character, for she finds love and something to look for in life, despite the tragedies she saw. There are also some emotional passages and situations which made me care more for what was happening. If I had time, this is a book I'd re-read.

Grade: 9/10

Leme by Madalena Sá Fernandes could be translated into "rudder", meaning something used to steer. In this story's context it could be seen as something that influences the narrator to take on a direction. This is the first book I try by the author - it's also her debut - and is a short story about the memories she had regarding her stepfather. The story is more a set of small scenes/situations grouped into chapters, and not a traditionally narrated tale. 

Perhaps, due to this graphic choice, I struggled to really get into this sort of memoir. It's true that the text is beautifully written, truly competent and with perfect syntax, hits all the correct elements but it also sounds incredibly automated and I failed to connect wit what the author wanted. Apparently, the stepfather was a bully and was violent towards the author's mother, so this is a depiction of how abusive he was and how this shaped the author. I can see how many readers loved this writing and apparent mundane way of presenting such a terrible scenario, but at the end I confess I felt if I had not read it, I would not have missed much...

Grade: 5/10