Monthly Archives: October 2017

Down Among The Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children #2) by Seanan McGuire

When twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen years old, they were sent off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.

This is what happened to get them sent there.

Little Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter. Prim and proper, quiet and polite. So if her mother was a little strict, it was simply because raising a princess can take discipline.

Little Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter. Adventurous and daring, loud and rambunctious. So if her father was a little distant, it was simply because he had really wanted a son but was working with what he had.

When the girl’s were five, they learned that adults cannot be trusted. And when they were twelve, they found the impossible staircase.

Dear reader, I have often wondered if it is possible to enjoy the sequel to a novel more than one enjoyed the original? I now believe it is possible, because while I greatly enjoyed Every Heart a Doorway, I enjoyed Down Among The Sticks and Bones MORE.

Despite it being far too short, I was once again held enraptured by the world McGuire created for these two characters. The prose has a kind of sing song style to it, echoing fairy tales that were once told. And just like with older fairy tales, there is a darker side hidden among the light; yet here it is more blatant and sinister.

The characters of Jacqueline and Jillian are themselves unique. While they are identical twins – often times they are referred to as a “matching set” – each girl is also her own unique individual. It was interesting to see how each girl molded herself to fit the ideal that was set on them, and how they each sought to break the mold. Even after travelling down the mysterious stairway and entering the twisted world at the bottom, each girl is given a role to fill. And while the role seems to be more in line with her wants and needs, one cannot help but wonder if each girl is still playing a part.

Like fairy tales of old, Down Among the Sticks and Bones is not a lighthearted tale. It is a dark story and some of the more sensitive readers might take issue. It is a wonderful story and one that I wish were longer. I urge all my readers, young and old alike, to pick this one up. Personally, I will eagerly be awaiting the next book in the series.

 

D’Arc (War with No Name #2) by Robert Repino

The Colony has been defeated, it’s mad Queen lies dead. In an effort to defeat the humans, the Queen released a strange and unknown technology in to the world. It’s purpose: to uplift the surface animals – cats, dogs, wolves, bats, etc. – and turn them in to sentient beings. These creatures would then rise up and kill their human oppressors, making way for a new era. Things however did not go as planned. The War with No Name is over and the world left behind will never be the same.

After years of bloodshed, these animals must now learn to coexist with the humans who were once their sworn enemies. Each side must learn to trust the other even as outside forces threaten to crush the fragile peace.

Our intrepid hero, Mort(e), still survives and has reunited with his beloved Sheba. Left “pure” by the Queen, she has received the mysterious treatment and has become like the other animals. She and Mort(e) have created a quiet life far from the new civilizations; and while he is content, she begins to yearn for more. When a series of strange occurrences threaten the holy city of Hosanna, she is given her chance. And Mort(e) has little option but to follow, whether he wants to or not.

Back when I reviewed the first book, I said I hoped Repino would write a second tale with these characters and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this book at my library. Picking up shortly after where Mort(e) left off, D’Arc is the sequel that I was waiting for.

At first, everything starts normal enough – Mort(e) has been reunited with his beloved Sheba and the two of them are living what many would consider an idyllic life. However things begin to change them, especially when news of strange goings on in the city of Hosanna reach them. When Sheba decides to leave the cabin and travel to the city, Mort(e) is angry at first. The image of the life with Sheba he built in his mind has come crashing down around him.

As in the first book, Repino handles these different scenarios quite well. From the danger of the first battle with the mutant spiders to the heartbreak of Mort(e)’s and Sheba’s parting, it almost feels as if we are there with the characters. He further builds and expounds on the world created in the first book, introducing new characters as well as bringing back familiar faces.

The narrative switches several times during the novel; at times we are with Sheba (now known as D’Arc) in the city of Hosanna, and at other times we are with a strange group of sea creatures as they travel towards an unknown destination. While the sea creature plot line wasn’t as strong nor as interesting, it is a good setup for a potential book somewhere down the line.

Just like with the first book, I was held rapt with reading D’Arc. I shed several tears, especially towards the end.

If you have read and enjoyed Mort(e), then I highly recommend you pick up the sequel, D’Arc.

And just as I did when I finished the first book and wrote the review, I must go and hug my dog.

 

 

Alabaster by Caitlin R. Kiernan

An albino girl wanders the sun-scorched backroads of a south Georgia summer, following the bidding of an angel – or perhaps only voices in her head – searching out and slaying ancient monsters who have hidden themselves away in the lonely places of the world.

First introduced in Caitlin R. Kiernan’s second novel, Threshold, Dancy has gone on to be the unlikely heroine in several short stories and even a novella. Each story is a small piece of a larger fantasy narrative and in Alabaster they are finally gathered together in to a single volume.

I admit, dear reader, I wasn’t quite sure what I was picking up when I picked Alabaster up off the shelf in my local library. In truth I had been looking for another book by the same author and ended up getting this one instead. From what I understood (or thought I understood), Dancy was a minor character in one of Kiernan’s novels and this collection of short stories expand upon her background.

Having not read Threshold, I don’t know if I’m correct or not. I do know, however, that these stories presume that the reader has at least a passing knowledge of Dancy. And having no prior knowledge of the character, I found myself a bit lost.

Kiernan is an excellent author, that much I do know from reading these short stories. She is able to spin a believable yarn; to give the reader information while still leaving something to the imagination. She does have the occasional penchant for run on sentences, but I have yet to read an author who doesn’t.

Readers who have read Threshold and are familiar with Dancy will likely enjoy this collection. It gives glimpses in to her character and takes the reader on brief adventures. I’m sure I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read the first book in the series, but all in all I found it a nice read.

 

The Devil’s Bible (Bohemian Gospel #2) by Dana Chamblee Carpenter

The Codex Gigas, also known as The Devil’s Bible, is an ancient book shrouded in mystery. Once considered one of the wonders of the world, the truth behind who wrote it and where has been lost to time. Yet there are those who continue to whisper about the strange book – about how it calls to the power-hungry and eventually drives them mad.

There is no one alive who knows the truth – no one except Mouse.

Going by the name Emma Nicholas, Mouse has been running from the truth behind the Devil’s Bible for centuries. Using a normal name and trying to live a normal life, Mouse only wants the one thing she can never have. Yet her life of a lie has caught up with her and when she finds herself facing exposure, Mouse has little choice to run.

Believing herself beyond help, a stranger’s kind act gives Mouse the first glimmer of hope she has felt in years. This flicker will need to be fanned to a full force flame however if Mouse wants to win this game of souls that began a very, very long time ago.

The Devil’s Bible is a real book, and like it is portrayed in this book with the same name, it is shrouded in mystery. No one truly knows the truth behind this book – who wrote it and where – though many theories abound. Chamblee-Carpenter offers one version, mixing reality and fantasy in this edge of your seat story.

I really enjoyed reading The Devil’s Bible. It wasn’t until I was adding this book to my Goodreads queue that I realized it is the second book in a series. Fortunately, one does not have to read the first book to enjoy the second. The first book seems to be solely about Mouse’s early life up to the point where she penned the Devil’s Bible. The second book is more modern day and touches briefly on Mouse’s past enough that the reader is able to follow along.

There are some who might compare The Devil’s Bible with The DaVinci Code with its combination of speculation and truth. And while there are some similarities, I enjoyed The Devil’s Bible more. While rich in religious imagery, it also doesn’t bash you over the head with it.

The one drawback I found was what was supposed to be the “final” battle between Mouse and her father. Looking back I can see why it was written that way as it left things open for a sequel. However, as I was in the process of reading the book, I felt let down. Like so many things, the ending makes sense in hindsight.

On the whole, I greatly enjoyed The Devil’s Bible. There are numerous people on Goodreads who say you should read the first book, The Bohemian Gospel, first; yet there are just as many who were like me and read the second book without reading the first and liking it just as much. Whichever way you decide to tackle this tome, I recommend it to all of my readers.

Zombie Island (Shakespeare Undead #2) by Lori Handeland

The course of true love never did run smooth…

Having defeated the zombie horde that had invaded London, vampire and playwright William Shakespeare is on to his next plot. Wishing to rid his true love, Katherine Dymond, of her overbearing husband, the two concoct a plan where she will fake her own death via a potion he acquires. Once she is “dead” all he need to is wait, break in to the crypt where she is to be entombed and the two can live happily ever after.

True love, however, has other plans for the two. Knowing his wife is being cuckolded by a lowly playwright, Katherine’s husband instead takes her body with him when he leaves for America. When their ship is wrecked and all hands believed lost, William immediately goes after them only to find himself wrecked on the same mysterious island.

It is an island that is on no known map and is ruled by a mad wizard. Zombies run rampant and there is more afoot than simply survival.

Zombie Island picks up almost immediately where Shakespeare Undead leaves off.  However, while Shakespeare Undead was a wholly original story with only brief mentions of Shakespeare’s plays, Zombie Island is the opposite. It is based heavily on the play The Tempest, even featuring quotes from the play at the beginning of each chapter.

There were numerous issues I had with Zombie Island, but I believe the most profound one came because of the dialogue. At times it felt clunky and awkward. Also, while the addition of actual Shakespearean quotes as dialogue was nice, because the characters didn’t speak like that constantly it only served to pull one out of the story.

I must admit, dear reader, that I didn’t enjoy Zombie Island as much as I enjoyed Shakespeare Undead. There seemed to be something missing and it just did not hold my attention as well as the first one. Sadly, I can’t recommend this one for every reader.