Master Artificer, by Justin T. Call

 

Master Artificer, by Justin T. Call

Silent Gods - book #2

Blackstone Publishing - May 18, 2021 

Fantasy
E-book

817 Pages

* I received this digital ARC courtesy of Blackstone Publishing, via NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

In Master Artificer we continue with the exciting and epic story that began with Master of Sorrows, the first book in the Silent Gods series. If you haven't read that book yet, what are you waiting for? You can learn more about that first book by reading my review HERE 

This second installment is a beast of a book - and I mean that in the very best way. It rings in at well over 800 pages, and each of those pages has something to offer the story. 

We pick up where we left off at the end of Master of Sorrows. Chaenbalu lies in ruins, as does much of the beliefs Annev held prior to those events. Annev, and his friends forge ahead, to the city of Luqura. Annev is seeking to learn more about his magic, how to control it, and a way to remove the prosthetic that has melded itself to his body. This story is anything but the classical clear-cut good versus evil. Annev discovers that choices are not always so black and white, and once one's options offer nothing but choices in the grey, it is easy to stumble onto a darker path before you know it. 

Call is a master in his own rights. The world building is on point, but the character building in this book is extraordinary.  Although Annev is considered the "main character" and it is his story that brings us to this book, from here we now see separate storylines emerge for several other characters whose rolls are not just "supporting actors", but are integral to the story. The result is a book that is rich, epic, and multi-faceted, as well as thoroughly captivating. 

If you are looking for a fantasy series that is light and bright and feel-good, this may not be the one for you; but if you are looking for an epic fantasy you can sink your teeth into, with dark threads and morally ambiguous characters, this series is sure to fit the bill. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer

The Glass Magician, by Caroline Stevermer

MacMillan-Tor/Forge - April 2020
Fantasy
E-book

Hrs:min /  Page count:
Awards and Honors if applic.
Thank source if applicable

* I received this digital ARC courtesy of MacMillan-Tor Forge, via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

A fun cross-genre book combining elements of YA, historical fantasy, and murder-mystery. 

Set in the New York of the early 1900's, society is divided into Solitaires - non-magical people, and Sylvestri - magical people. Thalia - a solitaire, is a successful stage magician with a popular show. Her partner is the man who cared for her and raised her after she was orphaned.

One night the act goes wrong, and she nearly dies - a sudden manifestation of magical ability is all that saved her. It turns out that she is not a solitaire after all, but a trader - a sylvestri. The arrival of these new abilities puts her in danger from Manticores - beasts who feast on uncontrolled magic and those who have it.  Around this same time that Thalia discovers her magic, her fiercest rival is killed while performing an act that the two rivals had been competing for.  The man who is her business partner and who raised her, is now accused of murder. Her only hope for survival is to learn how to control her new magical abilities before the manticores catch her; and her partner's only hope lies with Thalia, as only she can clear his name while he is jailed. 

Overall this is a good story. The characters are likable, and the mystery helped propel the reader through the story. But while Stevermer does a fairly good job of blending multiple genres into one tale, in doing so she seems to have missed shining too brightly in any single one of them. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: Master Of Sorrows, by Justin T. Call

Master Of Sorrows, by Justin T. Call

Blackstone Publishing - February 25, 2020
Series: Silent Gods - Book 1 
E-book
592 Pages

* I received this digital ARC courtesy of Blackstone Publishing, via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

As the first book in an exciting new Fantasy series, Master of Sorrows is my choice to fulfill item #15 - New Beginnings - Start a new (to you) series or trilogy on my 20 for 2020 Reading Challenge.  You can see the whole challenge HERE. 


Before we go any further can we talk about this cover?! It is gorgeous! Okay, now I'm ready to move on to the heart of it - the story!

A rich and epic tale for young and old, Master Of Sorrows is one of the most exciting new fantasy series I have had the pleasure of reading in some time. 

The tiny village of Chaenbalu is hidden to others, nestled amidst the forests.  In this village is a young man is dreaming of a future he was never meant to have. Born with only one arm, the baby - Annev, was was meant to be executed because he was seen as the child of an evil one armed deity. Instead, he was secretly returned to the village and raised by the local priest and taught forbidden magic. Thanks to a magical prosthetic, he attends the local academy with the other boys his age, and trains as a fighter and warrior. Nobody in the village, save for the priest who raised him, knows about his deformity. 

When the dark forces hunting him start to close in, the opposing forces of his upbringing, training and destiny collide, and he is forced to make difficult decisions the results of which have enormous impact. Everything he ever thought he knew about anybody - including himself, is called into question.

The book does not open with a bang, but it did keep my interest as it laid a foundation worthy of all that was yet to come - and there was so much more to come in this book alone, let alone the remaining books planned for the series. Once the foundation was laid for this story, the rising action kept me white knuckling my Kindle the rest of the way. 

The story contained all the classic elements of an epic fantasy - Good vs. Evil, moral dilemma, internal struggle, a battle against all odds, loyalty, rivalry, and self discovery, but somehow Call has breathed new life into the standard tropes and formulas. 

This book felt fresh, new, and exciting. The magic system was original and well structured. While magic is usually revered in books, in this story while it is not an unknown element, it is not well received by the people of the village, with most magic considered sinister. The world building is on point, giving the reader a carefully crafted and consistent framework with which to view the events of the story. The characters were well developed and ranged from those I loved, to those I loved to hate, and some that were harder to define fell in-between. I loved that Call chose to write the story not without a love interest for the main character, but without clouding the story with an overbearing romance plot. 

The year is young, yet I feel safe in saying that this book will make my list of favorite books of 2020. I am looking forward to the next book in the series - Master Artificer (first draft complete) due to release in the UK in February 2021 according to Call's website, and North American markets some time (hopefully soon) after that.  

Happy Reading,

Christine

Children of Virtue and Vengeance, by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Virtue and Vengeance, by Tomi Adeyemi

MacMillan Audio - 2019
Fantasy
Legacy of Orisha Series
Audiobook
Narrated by Bahni Turpin

13 Hours, 27 Minutes

This book is a part of a YA series and will satisfy prompt #13 in my 20 For 2020 Reading Challenge. You can see the whole challenge HERE.


The battle for Orisha continues. 

Unpopular opinion time. As much as was looking forward to this book, I ended up feeling somewhat disappointed by it. Don't get me wrong, the book was still enjoyable, but for me it just was not as well written as Children of Blood and Bone (you can read my review of that book HERE).

Magic has been restored to Orisha thanks to the efforts of Zelie and Amari. The magic that has been re-awakened in Orisha is not only in the diviners who had been oppressed by the Kosidan for so long, but also within the nobility whose ancestry included maji. Now both sides use magic against each other as they fight for control of the throne.

With magic on both sides of the battle now, the fight is somewhat more balanced - though the royal family does still have the military at their command. For me though, that may actually be part of the reason I did not enjoy it as much.  Gone is that against-all-odds feel that was so very powerful in Children of Blood and Bone. Sure, with the military power factored in, Zelie and her crew are still underdogs, but the the difference of power between the two sides did narrow considerably. 

Then there was the change in how I connected - or failed to connect with the characters in this book as compared to the first. I was fully invested in Zelie and Amari's stories and struggles in the first book, but found my interest in them waning during this one. Pride, stubbornness, and of course vengeance seem to take over each of these characters, overshadowing some of the better qualities that endeared them to me in the last book.

The final reason I felt a little disappointed with this book though, was that despite the fact that there was plenty of action, overall nothing has changed significantly in the story of Orisha due to the events in contained in this book and the plot does not seem to move forward significantly at all over the course of it. There is a surprising twist at the very end to segue into the third book in the series, but there is no apparent connection to anything that happened in the previous chapters to lend a cohesive feel to it. 

As of this writing, there has been no official announcement of a release date or title for the next book in the Legacy of Orisha series. 

Narration of this audiobook was performed by the ever brilliant Bahni Turpin who has an amazing range, providing for a variety of easily identifiable characters and full spectrum of emotions for each. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: An Illusion Of Thieves, by Cate Glass

An Illusion of Thieves, by Cate Glass

MacMillan Audio - 2019
Fantasy
Chimera - Book 1
Audiobook
Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

9 Hours, 24 Minutes

A thrilling story that brings the magic of fantasy together with the edge of your seat tension of a heist style adventure-thriller.

In a land where magic is forbidden, and those who wield it (and often their family as well) put to death, Romy was born into poverty. Afraid that Romy would one day expose her magic she was sold off by her mother as a young girl and sent to the "Moon House" to be trained as courtesan to the local nobility and ruling elite. She became the favored companion to the Shadow Lord, and as such she lived a very comfortable life, with all the finer things, and not completely without love. 

When her brother Neri commits and act of reckless greed, and thieving that jeopardizes their entire family, Romy is called upon and attempts to use her influence with the Shadow Lord to save them. While their lives are spared, the consequences are nonetheless steep.  Her father takes the fall, and he and the rest of the family are evicted from the city, She is banished from the castle, but confined to the city and made responsible for her careless and impulsive brother Neri who is now on probation - and any wrong move on his part could cost them both their lives. 

Despite the Shadow Lord's attempts to create a peaceful and prosperous life for all in the city of Castanga, there are those who plot to steal the his power and incite a civil war. A small act of kindness on Romy's part as she is being evicted from the castle returns to haunt her as she is called upon when the plot is discovered, and she is put in an unfair and seemingly impossible situation. Failure would mean the death of not only Romy and Neri, but thousands of others in the resulting war and unrest. Romy must put her wisdom and education to the test, and she must put her trust in a motley little group of other skilled people from Beggars Circle trying to live discretely and without notice. 

This book a a fresh and welcome addition to the fantasy scene. One reason I found this book so exciting is that as a reader who has always tolerated the strong romantic sub plots prevalent in many fantasy stories but never particularly enjoyed them, I am thrilled to say that romance is not a significant part of this story. The second main reason is that the romance has been replaced with a taut and intricately orchestrated heist type adventure element.  The lead in to the climax was slow, but not boring, and once the real action started it had me eagerly listening and hanging on to every word. 

Narration was performed by Saskia Maarleveld who is a well respected audiobook narrator.  She has a wonderful voice with a very good character range, as well as providing a good emotional scope to those characters. Her tone and cadence is on par with what you would expect from such an experienced and well respected narrator.  She makes listening a pleasure and  makes it easy to get lost in the story. 

If you like magic, and you like a good heist adventure, you will probably enjoy An Illusion Of Thieves!

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The Reflections of Queen Snow White, by David Meredith

The Reflections of Queen Snow White, by David Meredith.

David Meredith (Indie) - 2019
Fantasy
Audiobook
Narrated by Robin Waters

6 Hours, 18 Minutes

* I received this audiobook review copy courtesy of *the author in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

"...and they lived happily ever after." So many of our childhood fairy tale books ended with those words; but does anyone ever really get to have a "happily ever after"?   What really happened to our beloved childhood characters after we closed their books?

In The Reflections of Queen Snow White, David Meredith writes a sequel of sorts, for the classic story of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. 

In Meredith's story we see Snow White, now a middle-aged queen and deeply depressed widow on the eve of her daughter Raven's marriage, too broken by grief to help plan the wedding. As she roams aimlessly through the castle, she stumbles upon her step-mother's mirror. Gazing into its depths, she is compelled to examine the truths of her past and how it has molded who she has become. Can she ever find happiness again now that her husband is gone?

I do enjoy a good fairy tale - all grown up and re-told, and this book was no exception. Couples do not often die peacefully and simultaneously in each-other's arms, and even the luckiest of us must deal with a certain amount of grief in this life. That is something that our childhood stories didn't always address or prepare us for,  

Meredith has re-created Snow White as well as her relationship with Charming with depth and dimension; even the mirror is not what we would believe on the basis of our childhood readings. This book was an imaginative and well thought return to the kingdom of long ago and far away. 

Narration for the story was provided by Robin Waters with a pleasant and clear tone, and she provided for an array of characters,  

The Reflections of Queen Snow White, by David Meredith was a bitter-sweet re-visit to childhood favorite. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: 'A brightness Long Ago, by Guy Gavriel Kay

A Brightness Long Ago, by Guy Gavriel Kay

Viking - 2019
Fiction - Historical, Fantasy
Print
448 Pages

Set in a land reminiscent of Italy centuries ago, a man - Danio Cerra, tells the stories of his past and the people and events the fates used to shape his life and the times. 

It starts when he is barely more than a boy, working at the court of  a count so sadistic, he is referred to as "the beast".  He sees Adria, a woman he knows to have ulterior motives enter the count's chambers. He knows she is there to kill. Adria makes a quick escape, but it is not the last either Danio or the reader see of of her. 

As the story continues, we also meet a young, but tremendously skilled healer, and two army commanders who are fierce adversaries. Each of these characters enters and exits through the story several times, and each of them are changing the world as they know it, and being changed by it. 

For me, the fantasy aspect of this story was a little more subtle than I would like. I fell in love with one of Kay's previous works - a trilogy called The Fionavar Tapestry, and it is to this day one of my favorite books/series of all time. A Brightness Long Ago was not like the the Fionavar Tapestry, woven thick with fantasy. This was a piece of historical fiction with subtle threads of the fantastical woven into it.   I am not a particularly great fan of Historical Fiction per se; but one cannot deny the quality of Kay's prose for this book. It is lyrical, and has great depth. It is a story examines what it is to be an individual forging one's way in the world, how the memories made one day shape our decisions the next, and in the end, mold us into who we are to become.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: Bruja Born, by Zoraida Cordova

Bruja Born, by Zoraida Cordova

Recorded Books - 2018
Fantasy, Paranormal, YA
Brooklyn Brujas - Book 2
Audiobook
Narrated by Maria Liatis
8 Hours, 19 Minutes

The Mortiz sisters return in the second book of the Brooklyn Bruja series. A series steeped in rich Latin American Folklore.  

If you want a reminder of the first book, you can read my review of Labyrinth Lost HERE.

In the months following the events that occurred in Los Lagos, Lulu struggles to recover. She just cannot seem to regain her emotional footing.

On the way to a school sporting event, there is a catastrophic accident involving the school's bus, carrying among the  many others, Lula and her boyfriend Maks. Almost everyone on that bus was killed or seriously injured in the accident. 

Lula, though badly injured, wakes in the hospital to find that Maks is in ICU and death seems imminent. Lula, unable to let Maks go, performs a canto to take him back from death's tentative grip . Again, like in the first book, the spell goes wrong. Shortly after performing the canto, she discovers that the bodies of the dead that were involved in the crash, have gone missing from the morgue.  Her spell has gone awry and she has created a group of zombie-like creatures known as casi muertos. 

I enjoyed to story, but  not overwhelmingly so. 

It seemed to follow the same formula as the first book - spoiled sister bruja ignores the rules and tries to have things her way, putting the entire family in jeopardy when their spell goes wrong. Not a bad formula at first, but as a sequel it seems a tiny bit redundant. Of course after the events of the first book, it seems a little more reckless of Lula and makes her less likable because of it.  The one aspect that I felt seemed a little "forced" in the firsts book, I am happy to say felt much more organic in this one.  

I really do enjoy the Latin American folklore woven into the series story. That richness of culture makes the series enjoyable

Narration was provided by Maria Liatis.  At first I was a little disappointed to find that this book was not narrated by Almarie Guerra as was the first - but then it became clear that this book was being told by Lula's point of view - not Alex's, so it made sense to have a different narrator. Liatis performed with a clear, pleasant voice, good tone and cadence, and was able to portray the emotions relevant  to the events of the story. 

I have enjoyed the two books available so far in the series.  The third book in the series - Wayward witch is expected August 2020. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: Labyrinth Lost, by Zoraida Cordova

Labyrinth Lost, by Zoraida Cordova

Recorded Books - 2016
Fantasy, Paranormal, YA
Brooklyn Brujas - Book 1
Audiobook
Narrated by Almarie Guerra

9 Hours, 27 Minutes

Alex lives in Brooklyn with her mother and sisters. While Alex just wants to be a normal teenager, her life is anything but normal. 

Alex is a Bruja (a type of witch), coming from a long line of Brujas, and she is a powerful one at that. During a celebration attended by her family, both living and dead, there is to be a ceremony in which she is to perform the rites to  accept her powers in full, and to become the great Bruja she is destined to be. But Alex doesn't want to be a Bruja. 

During the ceremony, instead of performing the rites to accept the full power of her magical gifts, she performs a different spell in an attempt to banish her gifts. The spell does not work as Alex had expected, and instead of her magic, it is her family that is banished, vanishing into thin air right before her eyes.

In order to get her family back, she enlists the aid of Nova, a Brujo with strange dark markings and tattoos that she has only recently met, and cannot trust. They travel to the darkly magical realm of Los Lagos, where they embark on an epic and dangerous journey and must get past many darkly strange creatures and spirits in an attempt to find and free her mother and sisters.

The basic story line was intriguing and really caught my interest. I loved the Latin American mythology that is at the roots of this story. I enjoy exploring other cultures through books steeped in that culture's mythology.

I felt like the book could have used some additional minor polishing. Without dropping spoilers, I will say that there was an element of this story that felt forced for me. As if it were added to adhere to a certain formula, but  did not feel like it fit tightly into the story.  I would have like to have seen it snugged into the story a little better, or failing that, removed completely. I'm sure that is an unpopular opinion, but it is mine.  To be fair, there is another book in the series, and perhaps that part of the story will create the shape needed for that part to fit better for my tastes.

Narration was skillfully performed by Almarie Guerra. Guerra told the story in a clear and pleasant voice, her tone and cadence were good, and she performed with good range of emotion and character. She easily switched between a Brooklyn accent, and a Latin American Accent and back again.  She made the audiobook a pleasure to listen to. 

At the end of the day, I felt it was a good book, that was well performed and I plan to continue the story with the next in the series, Bruja Born.

Happy Reading,

Christine

The Storm Crow, by Kalyn Josephson

The Storm Crow, by Kalynn Josephson

Recorded Books 2019
Fantasy - YA
Audiobook 
Narrated by Robin Miles

10 Hours, 54 Minutes

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Storm Crow is a thrilling fantasy that is a perfect example of why fantasy targeted as Ya, is worth reading even if you are far from the YA demographic

Anthia is a princess in the kingdom of Rhodaire. As the kingdom prepares for the festival in honor of the magical crows integral to the daily life in Rhodaire, Anthia is looking forward to getting her own crow and training as a crow-rider. But on the day of the festival Rhodaire is attacked by the Illucian empire. The crows are wiped out, and Anthia's mother and her much loved mentor are also killed. The physical scars inflicted on Anthia that night are nothing compared to the pain and internal scars she suffers every day afterward.

Anthia is thrown into a devastating depression.  She is further struck when her older sister Caliza - now the queen, tells her that in order to placate the war-hungry Illucian queen, and stave off further attacks, she has been forced to agree to the marriage of Anthia to the Illucian queen's son, the crown prince. 

Before Anthia leaves for Illucia, she visits the burned out royal rookery that once housed the beloved magical crows, and finds an egg - still viable and thrumming with magic! With this, Anthia and Caliza find hope to re-take their kingdom and its future from the cruel Illucian queen. But to fight back they need time. To succeed they must pull off a dangerous plan, with Anthia in the heart of enemy territory. 

There is a lot to like about this book.  A powerful female lead despite the fact she is fighting depression,  rich, multi-faceted characters and interpersonal relationships, great world building and an evil queen you just love to hate...I mean this lady could sip tea with Cersei Lannister and hold her own. 

Narration was performed by Robin Miles, and I can not imagine anyone else doing a better job.  A great voice with the acting skills to portray the many characters and powerful emotions they go through. 

While targeted to and suitable for a YA audience, The Storm Crow is a story that can be enjoyed by all who love a good fantasy. 

Book two The Crow Rider, is expected summer 2020.  Looking forward to it!

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The World That We Knew, by Alice Hoffman

The World That We Knew, by Alice Hoffman

Simon & Schuster - 2019
Fantasy - Historical
E-book
384 Pages

* I received this digital ARC courtesy of Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

First off, you should know that "war stories" are NOT my thing. I really hemmed and hawed about whether I wanted to read this book. While the time and place of the story would normally have me giving it a hard pass, something about it spoke to me and was quite insistent that I do read it.  So when I gave it 5 stars, that is saying a lot. I am so glad that I read this book.

The story begins during the rise of the Nazi forces to power. As they gain power and momentum and their agenda becomes better known to the people, widow Hanni Kohn knows she cannot leave, but she also knows that to save her twelve year old daughter Lea, she must send her away. To ensure her safety, she plans to ask a Rabi to create a golem - a magical creature resembling a person but made with earth and clay, to travel with Lea and protect her. In the end, it is the rabi's daughter Ettie that creates the magical creature in order to use Hanni's payment to provide for her own and her sister's escape, for she too knows that to stay is almost certain death. Their creation - named Ava, is mother's love personified. 

Lea and her golem protector Ava, head off to France, as does Ettie and her sister. Over time, Lea falls in love and faces a moral and heart rending dilemma, Ava dances with a heron and discovers that she is more than what she was made to be - that she loves deeply though was never intended to, and Ettie becomes a fighter for the resistance. Their paths twist and cross each other as their greater story unfolds, all the while, the angel of death is near. 

Despite the horrors of the war, there is definitely a beauty to the story. Hoffman's prose, as always, is stunning. The story is filled with loss, love, sacrifice, determination and survival. The magic strongly based in folklore, the history real, and the characters both believable and likable. The story is heart rending but at the same time heart warming The contrast of immeasurable love against the evil and horrors of the war is powerful and moving. 

The World That We Knew is a stunning story that i won't soon forget.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The Ten Thousand Doors Of January, by Alix E. Harrow

The Ten Thousand Doors of January, by Alix E. Harrow

Redhook Books - September 10,     2019

Fantasy
e-book
385 Pages

* I received this digital ARC courtesy of Redhook Books, via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Ten Thousand Doors Of January is a fresh and brilliantly captivating portal fantasy

Can we talk about the cover? Gorgeous!! If the value of a book was in the beauty of its cover, we could put our five stars on it and call it a day.  But there is a story contained behind this beautiful art, and it is just as stunning. 

In the early 1900's, January Scaller lives with her rich foster-father Mr. Locke - her real father often nothing more than a fleeting presence before disappearing again, travelling the globe and finding treasures for Locke's collection.  Though she lives a life of luxury and privilege, at best she feels more like a person "in-between" at worst she feels more like a part of Locke's curated collection of odd and unique items. 

When she was seven she found a Door. As an adventurous young girl with a great imagination she writes a story, and explores what is on the other side of the Door. But in the early 1900's adventurous is not what a proper young lady should aspire to. Her adventures after that come from the pages of books. 

As an avid reader, January is often lost in the books she reads.  One day a very special book comes into her possession. There is something different about this book that carries layers of scents beyond the usual smell of books. It smelled of cinnamon and coal smoke, of many other things. It smelled of adventure! Soon she is losing herself in the pages, she reads of distant places, of love, of danger, of the power of words, and so much more.  In reading it she finds her own story somehow bound in those pages too, and she knows she must seek the real adventure herself.

I was absolutely captivated by this charming story. The plot was a fresh spin on portal fantasy, and January was an enchanting character - bold and brave and adventurous. The story was written with such beautiful prose, I could hardly believe that this was a debut novel for Harrow. Harrow has a love for the written word that shines through her writing.

This enchanting fantasy had me staying up late eagerly turning pages until the last. It was pure pleasure to read. 

Happy Reading,

Christine