Fire Keeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Title: The Fire Keeper's Daughter

Author: Angeline Boulley

Genre: YA

Rating: 5 out of 5

Daunis Fontaine has never been able to fit in, in either her hometown or on the nearby Ojibwe reservation.  She puts her future of studying medicine on hold to help care of her ailing mother.  The only seemingly bright spot in her life is Jamie a new recruit on her brother's hockey team. Yet, as she falls for Jamie, things he says and does doesn't add up and she begins to suspect that he is hiding something.  When she witnesses a horrific murder, everything begins to make sense and she is thrown in the middle of a criminal investigation.  She agrees to go undercover, but soon discovers that the deceptions and betrayal keep piling up and comes to close to home.  Now she must learn what it means to be a strong Ojibwe woman and far she will go to protect her community and those she loves.

I had this book on my TBR for a little while, and then a woman in my book club mentioned how great it was so I moved it up on my list and read it right away.    The first half of the novel we get background information and character building, but as the book progresses the plot thickens and gets intense.  You will get completely swept up into the storyline, I know I did. The second half of the book becomes a real rollercoaster of emotion, tragedy, suspense, coming of age, and culture.  Whatever your reason for reading this book you will learn something new.

I love how steeped in Native American culture this novel was, I love learning about the traditions, religion, language, history, herbs, relationships and more.  And there is no better author to present this information than Angeline Boulley.  Boulley approaches touch topics in a professional, and mature manner.  There are so many topics that could be a trigger such as abuse, addiction, sexual assault, grief, and even politics, but Boulley includes these topics in a way that it doesn't trigger (at least it didn't for me).  She doesn't include them in a gratuitous way nor do they take away from the story.  If anything it makes the novel more intense, more emotional.

The cover drew me in and Boulley's words held me captive.  Probably the BEST book I've read this year.

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Review: Year of Yes By Shonda Rhimes

Title: Year of Yes
Author: Shonda Rhimes
Genre: Memoir
Source: Paperback
Rating: 3 out of 5 paws

Shonda Rhimes is the creator of hit shows like Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. In her memoir she discusses taking a year and saying Yes to anything that scares her and takes her outside of her comfort zone.  Throughout her book Shonda discusses the events that put her outside her comfort zone and how those moments helped her grow, and become a stronger woman.

I was super excited to read this book because I love Shonda's shows and from what I have read about her she is a strong powerful, and inspirational woman. I was excited to see what she learned about stepping outside your comfort zone because that is something I also do not do.  If it is something scary to me then I do not do it. That being said, I have to admit I feel a little let down with this book.  Don't get me wrong I love her writing style and at point I was laughing and I enjoyed the book for the most part, but it was not what I was expecting.

A good bit of what she talks about deals with her fame and as she continued to remind readers, how she's a big time Hollywood writer. Now I think it's amazing she found success, but what I wanted to learn along the way was how did she find that success?  What rejections did she have, what lead her to where she is, maybe that's a different book.  BUT what I was hoping for was what did she learn from giving a speech at Darmouth, not reading what the speech said.

The best sections where when she discussed her body image and saying yes to accepting who she is, but also saying yes to wanting to get healthy rather than fitting into a certain body image, and when she realized she didn't want to be married which ultimately ended a relationship.   Those points felt true and honest, that we got into a deep part of Shonda, but the rest of it felt more like a "look at me" type of story.  She talks about the importance of her family, but we don't get many story about her family and how they have helped her through the year of yes other than something her sister said which prompted the experiment.

I so wanted to like the book more than I did, and like I said it is not so much her writing style which is very fun and pleasant.  It was more of how she presented herself.  I wanted more depth to the book, much like what we see in her shows, but we don't get that.  Though it did prompt me to ponder doing a year of yes myself and see what happens.

Fifth to Die

Title: Fifth To Die

Author: J.D Barker

Genre: Mystery, thriller, suspense

Source: Paperback, Publisher

Rating: 5 out of 5 paws

The feds have taken over the 4MK case and Porter and his team are not happy about it, but they hand it over, except Porter can't.  When a young woman is found frozen in a lake new questions arise.  How did she end up in the late when it froze a month or 2 prior to her body being placed there?  Is it 4MK, has he changed his MO? The detectives begin working every angle to try to solve this case, and Porter continues to try and find Bishop.  When he is discovered he is taken off of both cases, but that doesn't stop him.  He follows a lead that takes him into the heart of Bishop's past.  Meanwhile, back in Chicago, girls are disappearing and being murdered it doesn't seem like Bishop's work, but there is something eerily similar.  The detectives race against the clock to find out who is kidnapping these girls.

I read Fourth Monkey Killer and absolutely loved it.  I instantly fell in love with JD Barker's writing, and he's a local author so bonus points.  I would say before you read Fifth to DIe, you need to read the first book.  They reference things that are mentioned in the first book that you need to know about to understand their significance to the story.  I was so excited to get an ARC version of the book to review and couldn't be happier. 

I could not put this book down and found myself staying up til 3 am trying to finish it. There is so much going on and the cliffhanger he leaves us on OMG! Seriously!!  I cannot wait to read book three and find out what happens next and how everything relates to one another.  Barker is an expert and making his reader want more. So okay we know about Bishop aka 4MK getting away and Porter basically having to deal with people thinking he let Bishop get away. He is told to leave the case to the feds but he can't something just doesn't add up for him about one of the girls. When more girls are taken things look eerily similar, but he is convinced these new killings are not Bishop. They couldn't be right? We get a first hand look at the obsession Porter has, he simply cannot let it go and knows there is more to Bishop than meets the eye.  He doesn't share anything he knows with anyone else...why?  Why can't he even tell Nash about what he thinks he found?  I think deep down he knows there is something more to Bishop, and to himself and is afraid to admit it.  We also see Bishop's own obsession with Porter which makes one wonder, why.  Why latch on to Porter, what is his significance to Bishop? There were so many things in this book that makes it completely unique down to the use of classic poetry as a clue from Bishop to Porter. I love all the tiny clues the reader is given then once we start putting things together it's fantastic. I liked the small religious elements makes me wonder if the killer is a religious fanatic, we get an idea of why he wants the girls to "see", but then how does he know they are lying (well we know how he knew Katie was lying).  I love the idea/feel that there is a connection somehow to everyone involved in the story, one way or another and most of those we don't find out yet. Can we say frustrating JD! But then again this makes me anxious and CRAVE the next book like I crave chocolate cake.  JD Barker takes his readers on a thrilling ride through multiple character views to give readers the full story instead of just bits and pieces. I like his use of the diary to help give a further backstory to Bishop, almost like flashbacks without really having to do a flashback. I am very interested to see where the story will continue to go.  Barker is a master story teller than drags his readers into the depths of his stories.  You will lose time, you will forget everything around you and wonder what will happen next.  You will be on the edge of your seat waiting.



 

 

Thinblade (Sovereign of the Seven Isles #1)

Title: Thinblade
Author: David Wells
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Kindle eBook
Rating: hmm 3.5 out of 5 paws


While out hunting Darius is shot and kill with a poison arrow.  While Alexander and his family mourn the lose of the heir they discover an ancient evil has came back into the world.  Alexander is now marked as the protector of the realm, and the one who could defeat this evil.  He travels to the mountain city of Glen Morillian and discovers before he can claim his throne he must find the Thinblade. Seven were forged to help protect royal bloodlines from evil forces. But the Thinblade was lost to years ago and no one knows where it is hidden.  Alexander begins his quest looking for the Thinblade and gaining alliances all the while fighting against the powers of a necromancer. 

I had this book on my kindle for quite a while from bookbub and it took me some time before I picked it out of the hundreds of books on there.  I almost forgot about it!  I like the idea of this novel: ancient evil has come back and young princling must learn to wield a special sword to defeat him among other things.  There is a lot that happens in this book from various battles to Alexander learning so much about himself.  It is a great beginning to a series.  I am looking forward to getting the other books and finding out what happens next. Lets start by talking about the cover.  Just look at it house gorgeous is it?  No wonder it caught my eye, I want to go there!!


Okay now to the story, it was evenly paced, some parts were slower than others but it seemed to keep an consistent pace throughout the novel.  There was a lot of telling rather than showing, but for me it seemed to work.  Everything was described in great detail, down to the food.  While this may become a little burdensome, it really drew me into the story.  It made me feel like I was there and could almost smell the feast that was happening.  There is some depth to the world that we don't get to see yet, but I am sure we will see in upcoming novels.  Some things we learn as characters learn them and I absolutely love it.  It makes feel like I am sitting beside Alexander listening to stories being told.  It is definitely a TELLING story, and I wonder if that will change once we have all the information we need and get into the heart of the epic tale.


The magic is a bit interesting in this in that mages aren't born with this innate talent (well some are) but develop it through trial and fasting.  The more talented you are the more specialized your magic is which is rather interesting.  I would have liked to have seen more of this throughout the story.  I also like the alchemy aspect of this with the potions and herb usage.  I like that Alexander appears to be rather powerful, but at this point he is too powerful for one who hasn't trained in his magic.


I would recommend it for those who like novels along the lines of Dragonlance.

Kiss Me First

Title: Kiss Me Fist
Author: Lottie Moggach
Genre: Philosophy, Maybe thriller
Source: Library Hardback
Rating:3 out of 5 paws

All Leila wants to do is fit in somewhere, everywhere she goes she feels outside the crowd.  That is until she finds a site called Red Pill where people discuss ethics and philosophical ideals.  Leila has found her place.  When founder Adrian asks Leila to do something outside the ordinary, she is put into a situation where ethics becomes a major question.  Her task is to pretend to be someone else, someone who has committed suicide, so that friends and family would not feel pain from their death.  Leila doesn't consider the consequences of her decision until it is too late.

So I picked up this book from the library because my boyfriend and I started watching the Netflix show Kiss Me First, that was based off this book.  I should have learned not to read books that shows are based off of, because sometimes I will be disappointed.  In this case I was.  The book is nothing close to what the show was about, the only similarities were the names, location and personalities.  Story-lines were completely different.  If they were similar I might have liked either one, the show or book better.  I liked neither.

I did enjoy the philosophical aspect of Red Pill and how Leila becomes tested in real life on the aspects of ethics and stealing a person's identity even though it isn't explained as such.  She doesn't think much on the proposition and comes across as rather impulsive rather than organized and meticulous as she is when she is Tess (with the exception of her interactions with Connor).  The whole book revolves around her being Tess, so readers don't really get much of Leila except when she is making decisions on Tess related things again like with Connor and trying to find out who he is.  I wanted a little more from Jonty, his character almost felt like an afterthought, something to throw in to give an element of risk, but we never see that element or much interaction between the two.

There were moments in the story where it got rather boring and hard to continue.  I liked the moments when the story went into present day with Leila attempting to find where Tess went.  It was almost like she was rediscovering herself through her determination to find Tess.  It was difficult to relate to any character, they didn't feel developed enough to feel a sort of connection most find with some characters. You don't really get to know them in the book, nor do you like any of them.  Everyone in the book has their own selfish agendas regardless who what their motives may be. 

I seen that Kiss Me First is marketed as a "thriller that tackles a life lived online."  I expected something we see in the show, where Leila plays an online game and lives through that or something like Sword Art Online.  The book does mention her playing World of Warcraft, but she doesn't become engrossed in it the way I was expecting it too. While we don't see her becoming engrossed in the internet as one may expect she still hides behind an avatar, the one of Tess.  She builds her own world of delusions around Connor and is then disturbed and upset that he doesn't reciprocate her feelings, but is repulsed by her actions (clearly he has every right but to Leila he is in the wrong).  Even after Adrian is exposed, she still believes he is the one in the wrong and she did nothing but help someone who wanted to die.  Which brings back the question of is assisted suicide even if the assistance is stealing one's identity ethical?

Overall I was not a fan of the book, I appreciate what it attempted to do and the questions it poses while doing it, but it all fell flat.  Nothing evoke emotion or a certain reaction while reading it. It is interesting, but not necessarily likable.

Never Let You Go

Title: Never Let You Go
Author: Chevy Stevens
Genre: Thriller, Suspense
Source: Hardback - Library
Rating: 4 out of 5


Lindsey had managed to escape the a life of abuse and horror her husband inflicted on her.  She spent months moving herself and her daughter from place to place trying to hide from, even though he was in jail.  When she finally has settled down, began a new relationship and new business, her ex-husband Andrew is released from jail.  Now he is living in her town and Lindsey believes he has found her to cause more torment and upend their new lives.  Her daughter believes Andrew has changed and tries for a relationship with him, but the more Sophie gets closer to him, thing escalate and the two run away again.  Can an abusive alcoholic change their ways?  Is the person causing her stress and playing mind games Andrew or someone else?  Someone closer to Lindsey than she thought?

I am a member of a book club on Facebook which is amazing because we share all kinds of new books and share our thoughts on similar books.  Chevy Stevens books kept coming up as a fantastic read, so when I seen her name in the library I grabbed the first book off the shelf which happened to be this one.  Once I started it, I couldn't put it down.  When I did put it down, I could not stop thinking about it.  I wanted to read every minute of the day just to find out what happened, even in the car while on a road trip.  You barely were able to talk to me when I had this book open it was that good.

It is an interesting book right from the beginning with Lindsey describing certain events from the past.  Then we get into the present which is 11 years or so later.  This gives the readers a background on the characters without having to do flashbacks or somehow have the main character relive their past.  I feel like it had a little bit of everything:  Thrill, suspense, a bit of romance and some mystery, and it was all blended so well together that one didn't overpower the other.  The romance was done so well that it didn't feel like it was just thrown into the story as a sort of fan-service as many novels feel like.  I loved how the reader is left guessing at who is leaving notes, cds, calling etc.  Stevens does a fantastic job at creating the anxiety and stress of being stalked and not knowing who is actually doing it.

The end of my gosh I will not spoil it but I was not expecting it.  I had my own theories about different things and how things were going to play out, but I was so wrong and I am happy about that.  I honestly wanted to cry out "NO" when I read that part, but I was at my boyfriend's parents and they were sleeping so that would have been a bad first impression. But if I was alone, you can imagine the words that would come out, the literary cats would have hidden.  I love that the story was told from both Lindsey and Sophie's point of views.  It really added to the creepy chilling factor especially when he begins to "run into Sophie."  You get two different viewpoints of the same situation, and yet get the same outcome.  Fantastically done.  Not many authors can take two view points and blend them together so well.

I am very much impressed with this author and plan on reading more of her novels.  I would compare this novel to B.A Paris' Behind Closed Doors,  or I guess it should be the other way around because I believe this came out first.  I would recommend this to anyone and everyone who enjoys a good thriller/suspense novel.  This needs to be on your summer read list, or yearly read list, or whatever reading list you have.  Pick it up and get dragged in, you won't regret it.

Check out other reviews of Never Let You Go

Crime By The Book

The Book Review Café
Debbish

The Girl In The Tower

Title: The Girl In The Tower
Author: Katherine Arden
Genre: Fantasy, Folklore
Source: Library hardback
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws


The Bear has been defeated, but because of it Vasya has been cast out of her village labeled a witch.  Instead of living life in a convent or allowing herself to be married to some man, Vasya decides to travel the world, see all that she can see.  She disguises herself as a boy and ventures out into the woods atop her grand horse. She encounters some bandits and after a narrow escape she stumbles upon a monastery which happens to be Sasha's monastery.  She earns the admiration of the Grand Prince, but must keep up the pretenses of being a boy.  She begins to notice things in Moscow that don't seem to add up and begins to realize the Grand Prince's kingdom is under threat, a threat that feasts and drinks wine with him.  But is it too late for her to stop things that are already in motion?

The Girl In The Tower is the sequel to The Bear and The Nightengale which may just be one of my favorite fantasy/folklore books so far this year. Just like The Bear and The Nightengale, this book revolves around the Russian folk lore of the frost-demon.  It is filled with elements of folk-lore, religion, politics, culture and fantastical elements. 


Vasya wants nothing more than to be her own person and not be confined to what society says she needs to be and how to act.  While she may feel like she is still wild young girl she once was, she grow immensely in this novel and forms ideal beyond that of simply not wanting to marry or go to a convent.  Readers see her enjoy being an advisor to the Grand Prince and finally being able to stand up for herself and be taken seriously.  Her voice is finally heard even if it is as a boy.  To her, that is a freeing experience.  Her shift into maturity happens so naturally that by the end of the novel you think to yourself, wow she grew tremendously in this novel, and you can't wait to see her in the next one.


Kathrine Arden's writing is beautifully lyrical and poetic.  It was easy to get lost in her world and forget everything in the real world, I almost forgot to go back to work after lunch.  Every character introduced plays an important part, there are no "small roles" in this novel and I love that.  I love that readers can feel connected to every character even Katya in the beginning.  While Vasya isn't out right romantically involved with anyone she feels a love towards Morozko.  I think he can win everyone's heart, he won mine!  I almost want a story focused on him.

Every time you take one path, you must live with the memory of the other: of a life left unchosen. Decide as seems best, one course or the other; each way will have its bitter with its sweet.

This is probably my favorite quote from the book.  It says so much within these two sentences that define the series and life in general.  After reading it I paused and thought about what those words meant for me, for my life and the path I have chosen.  From start to finish you find yourself melting into the words of Katherine Arden.  There is no better way to describe it.


I highly recommend this novel, and will keep my eye out for the third book and feel like I need to buy all versions of this book.  Check it out.

Wintersong

Title: Wintersong
Author: S. Jae-Jones
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Source: Library Hardback
Rating: 2.5 out of 5


Liesl grew up on the tales of the Goblin King, Lord of Mischief and Ruler of the Underworld. Since childhood he was also the muse to her music, the inspiration for her compositions. As she grows older and puts aside childish memories, the Goblin King and all her fantasies must be forgotten in favor of being the daughter she needs to be.  When her sister Kathe is taken by the goblins, Liesl challenges the king to a game, she wins he lets Kathe go.  He wins, he gets Liesl as his bride. But there is a catch, the life of a maiden must be given to the land in order for it survive according to the old laws. There is not rebirth, no death, nothing will grow and flourish. Liesl then offers herself in marriage to the Goblin King.  As time goes Liesl discovers her passion for music remains within the Goblin King and she realizes she loves him.  But the longer she remains in his bride, her life fades.  Will she pay the ultimate sacrifice so that the world above may live?  Will she choose love of her husband over love of her family?

I have seen this book around everywhere and had it on my list for a little while.  Then one of my best friends recommended it, so I grabbed it.  Once I started reading it I got the feel of many different folklore and fairy tales mixed into this story.  It is not a cutesy fairy tale, it has its darker moments which is reflective of Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti.  Goblin Market is basically a tale of goblins in a market trying to lure young women into their realm with fruits like peaches.  Once the girls eat the fruit nothing can satisfy their hunger until they are once again with the goblins.  Soon because they cannot get the fruit again, they die.  There is more to it, but that is the gist of it. 

First I will say my Goblin King will first and always be David Bowie as Jareth in Laberynth so every time he was in a scene, that is who I pictured.  I don't think this was Jae-Jones' intention, but that's what happens when a Laberynth fangirl reads a book with a goblin king right?   Granted a lot of things about this Goblin King did remind me of Jareth, down to the mismatched eyes (really?). I wanted his image to be different, but I couldn't shake Bowie from my mind.  I have read people thinking this book will be like the Laberynth, but it is not.  Do not go into this book with that expectation.  I enjoyed the mystery around the Goblin King and that there seemed to be more depth to him that what meets the eyes, to both the readers and Liesl. 

The writing for this novel is eerily beautiful and chills you to the bone at times.  The words Jae-Jones is beautifully chosen and create quotes that are endless. Liesl is a spitefire willing to do anything to save her sister, she fights and sacrifices, even giving herself up for marriage to the King so Kathe may live. The Goblin King is ever the trickster, changing thing up, saying one thing but meaning something else.  But then they marry and everything changes.  He becomes a submissive, almost weak being, and apparently a Christian.  Not that I dislike that, but it didn't fit with a character such as a goblin king who would honor the old laws rather than God's laws.  And Liesl becomes cruel and angry.  All she wants to do is "consummate" their marriage and is angered when he rejects her body stating he wanted her soul, her heart.  But she will have nothing of it, and borderline forces herself on him or tries to guilt him into it.  I am not a fan of that.

There was no romance building other than the two discussing music and playing music together.  We don't see them exploring caves together or them sharing the inner parts of themselves which granted that's what the king wanted but we don't actually see the actions to lead to that other than the sex scenes.  I did like the use of music throughout the book, and how he wanted the music within, the part of her she hid from everyone else.

I would continue to recommend this book.  It felt more meh to me than fantastic.  I will continue to read the series to see how things will play out.

The Forgotten Ones

Title: The Forgotten Ones
Author: Steena Holmes
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: Ebook from Netgally
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws


 ** I received a copy of this book from Netgally in exchange for an honest review**


Elle has grown  up with only her mother, a mother who keeps things hidden from her and seems to have emotional breakdowns at the drop of a hat.  Elle fears a part of her mother exists within her.  She tries to hold on to the memories and fairy tales her mother used to tell her to help chase away the bad dreams.  When Elle discovers she grandfather is alive and on his deathbed within the hospital where she works.  Against her mother's wishes she visits him and hears his stories.  But as he tells his story, there are more questions and secrets.  As frustration builds she tries to push her mother to remember a past she dreads.  As horrible as the past was, Elle continues to listen to his stories to discover the secrets that lie deep within her family, within her.

The Forgotten Ones  is one of the most compelling novels I have read so far this year.  It is one of those novels that will break your heart and suck you into the story and refuses to let go. I was interested in the story from the very beginning and I couldn't put it down, not even to go to work.  I wanted to know more find answers the same way Elle wanted answers.  The emotions this book evoked within me hasn't happened in a long time.  This was my first novel by Steena Holmes, and my first "women's fiction" novel and I have to wonder why I haven't read Holmes before.


The book goes between David and Elle's perspectives, and at the beginning of each chapter it tells you who is thinking/speaking so you know how's mind we are in each time.  This gives the reader the ability to get insight on both characters and their emotions and feelings.  While the past David talks about is haunting and chilling, it is beautifully written in a way that brings tears to your eyes.  He peels back the layers of family drama, but he reveals to Charlie it is only 1 aspect of the family's past he is revealing.  So I have to wonder...is there more?  What else could have happened in this family with Gertie's mental health and Anna Marie?


I don't know if you would say the story was fast paced, nor was it slow.  It progressed at a sensible rate, I just read it fast.  I devoured it as the suspense at finding out the deep family secret was killing me. I was getting frustrated that no one was giving Elle the answers she so desperately needed.  I thought I had one detail of the book figured out, but it appears I may have been wrong, I am not sure, I will have to go back to read the ending again to be sure.


I fell in love with this book, I find it difficult to put into words how wonderful this book was.  I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys women's literature, family secrets, and a good suspenseful tale.  I loved it.

Dead Girls

Title: Dead Girls
Author: Graeme Cameron
Genre: Mystery
Source: Netgalley ebook
Rating: 3 out of 5 paws


Two months have past since detective Alisha Green was left for dead by a serial killer.  Her mind no longer feels like it is her own.  While the killer thinks she is just another dead girl on his list, Ali is determined to show him that he did not destroy her.  But now she not only has to fight with the man who attempted to kill her, but she also has to fend off her failing memory. As new evidence arises, everything seems to be compromised now and Ali begins to question herself and her memory.  She must force herself to remember the horrors she went through in order to catch this killer.

 **As mentioned earlier, I received a copy of this book for an honest review from Netgalley and the Publishers**


Everything about this book promotes and screams chilling tale.  Gripping and suspenseful, the cover art is what originally drew me into the story and made me want to read it to see what will happen within this tale.  When I read the synopsis, I thought it would be a book right up my alley lately, but it seemed to fall a little flat for me.  I am not 100% sure why it seemed to fall flat for me but unfortunately it did.  I wasn't able to get into it as much as I had hoped I would.


The book starts out fast, right into the action.  Normally this is a good thing, but I didn't feel like I was able to get to know the character well enough before being thrown into the mix of things.  I like a little bit of complexity of my characters before we are thrown into the story without fully knowing her background.  It gives the feel of not having enough time to know everything or everyone that is related to the story.  This makes it harder to really get engrossed in the story, because sometimes readers will have to go back a few pages just to be able to understand what is happening.


After a while characters began to run together and I lost track of who was who, I struggled to understand what was happening in the story, and I felt so disconnected from the story.  I like a story that compels me to read more, one with depth to the characters.  I expected more from Ali, more depth as she struggled with her self and what was real or imagined.  It felt disorganized and choppy as it jumped from one scene to another without much of a smooth transition.


While it felt well written the novel just fell short of my expectations.  There is too much going on and too many characters in the story to keep my interest going beyond wanting to finish the book. While I may not have been a fan other mystery/thriller/suspense fans might enjoy this novel.

Chalk Man

Title: The Chalk Man
Author: C.J Tudor
Genre:Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
Source: Hardback: Library
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws


In 1986 as a young boy Eddie witnessed a tragic event.  Eddie and Mr. Halloran (the new teacher) helped a young girl who was struck when an amusement park ride broke from it's frame.  Through converstations, Mr. Halloran gives Eddie the idea of drawing chalk symbols as messages between his friends.  But then; the chalk men lead the group of friends to a body.


Fast forward 30 years and Eddie is now a teacher in his home town when an old friend pays him a visit.  One the same day a letter arrives in the mail containing one thing...a chalk man.  When his friend turns up dead in the river, memories of the past come back to Eddie.  Is the past beginning to repeat itself?  Will he ever be able to escape the Chalk Man?

The Chalk Man is another novel I have seen recommended everywhere I looked so I pick it up from the library (I am loving my library lately). It is a hauntingly fascinating tale that took me only 2 days to finish.  I went into it with an open mind, not knowing what to expect and I am happy that I picked it up.  While I expected something else, this was definitely worth the read. 

The tale opens with a tragically morbid scene of a fair ride coming off it's tracks and injuring a girl, but as usual life goes on, the kids enjoy their summer while other more serious things happen around them such as abortion clinic protests, sordid affairs, and dark rumors.  While the book focuses on Eddie and his friends it is about so much more.  Everyone seems to be hiding something even when the story jumps ahead 30 years to 2016.  While some may think the back and forth may be tedious or make the story difficult to read, it wasn't.  The parts in 1986 give detail into what is happening in 2016.  I almost wanted more from each time period, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.


The ending, you never see it coming.  You have suspicions throughout the book, and you think you know all the answers, but you don't even as the book ends there are still some questions left open which make for great book club discussions.  C.J. expertly inserts little hints throughout the chapters giving readers subtle clues as to what will happen next, but you have to really pay attention to what he is saying.  While you know things like abuse and sex are happening, Tudor doesn't out right describe it in gruesome, heated scenes.  He does it in a way that lets readers speculate at what is happening between the lines.


I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers and mysteries.  Tudor is truly a master storyteller and I for one cannot wait to read something else from this author.  I did expect it to be more "edge of the seat" thrilling, unable to sleep til I finished.  It was thrilling enough but not as much as it was made out to be by others.  But still a wonderfully written tale that will intrigue readers and hold them captivated until the very end.

The Children's Home

Title: The Children's Home
Author: Charles Lambert
Genre: Fantasy
Source Hardback
Rating: 1 out of 5 paws


Morgan lives in his estate home with only a care taker.  When children start to mysteriously appear on his doorstep, Morgan begins to wonder not only where they come from, but what purpose do they serve.  Every child that arrives, he takes in and slowly some strange things begin to happen and it seems as though the children randomly disappear and appear in thin air.  These children, the oldest David mainly, have an odd understanding of Morgan's past.  Together with a live in doctor, Dr. Crane.  The children begin to discover oddities within the attic and other rooms of the house.  Dr. Crane and Morgan begin to wonder what is really behind the motives of these children, and what is hidden within this estate.

I found this book on the shelf at my local library and decided to give it a try.  It sound interesting and being compared to Narnia and Golden Compass, I was more than intrigued.  But then I started reading the book and became more and more disappointed.  The more I tried to read it the more disappointed I got as it got harder to understand what exactly was going on in the book.  After finishing it, I still cannot tell you what happened or why something happened.  It was beyond confusing.  I tried to explain this book to my friend and was unable to even give him an idea of what the book was about.


The chapters had subtitles which told you what was going to happen in that chapter.  While I know other novels that have done this and it worked well, it did not work with this novel.  The chapters were rather short so a brief one line summary told you basically everything you needed to know about the chapter.  This also made me want to skip a chapter or two because it didn't seem like it would fit in with what the story was about or that it would add any depth to the story or even answer of the questions I had lingering.  I still have questions lingering.


I kept asking myself "wait, what?"  I was hoping for a dark fairy tale that was a cross between Narnia and Golden Compass as it was marketed on the book jacket but it had elements from neither story, nor would I even consider this a fairy-tale.  I would not recommend this book at all.  It felt like a wasted day.

Fearful Symmetry

Title: Fearful Symmetry
Author: Chris Pisano & Brian Koscienski
Genre: Science Fiction
Source: Paperback
Rating 4 out of 5 paws


Eighteen months ago Michael woke up with an incredible power, that he has no idea where it came from.  So he embarked on a journey to discover what happened and to see if there were others like him, there are.  Once Michael got his answers he decided to try and live life as normal as possible.  That is until a picture in a tabloid threatened to expose him and through a series of events Michael begins to think his wife may have gained some power as well.  Meanwhile; Thelma Carver wants to leave her snake of a husband, but his control over her and others is uncanny, and unbreakable.  While out running an errand for him, Thelma discovers a way to escape him.  She tries to get help from other people with special powers to eliminate Marvin, including Michael.  All he wants is a normal life, but now Michael is being drawn back into the fight and it might cause him his marriage.

It is no secret that Brian and Chris are my favorite writing duo, and they are two amazing friends of mine.  Fearful Symmetry is the sequel to their previous novel Shattered Visage Lies which I also loved.  The idea of having powers one day is an interesting one and I think this team pulls it off well.  Different chapters look at different characters until their paths begin to merge.  The way the two write is seamless you cannot tell when Brian leaves off and Chris begins which is definitely what you want from a writing team like this.  I love the diversity in super powers in the novel as well as the diversity away from powers we have already seen in other novels and comics.


In Fearful Symmetry we see some of the characters we met in Shattered Visage Lies as well as some new characters.  You are quickly brought back into the twisted world of those with powers and those without.  It easily becomes a ethical question on how should these powers be used or if they should be used.  There is a huge contrast between Michael who just wants to live a normal life with his wife Claire and Marvin who wants to rule over life and almost make people into his slaves.  It's a question of where does one cross the line into the realm of ethical ambiguity when it comes to having powers.


It is a well thought out plot and shows that the authors worked hard to provide their audience with a novel that will not disappoint.  They succeeded.  There are endless plot twists that will keep you guessing until the very end of the novel, and still leaves you wanting more from not only this series but this writing team.  They are the type of writers that no matter what book you pick up from them, you never know what you are going to get.  I love that about them.  I love the feel of the novel, that the characters are your everyday average Joe type of people who have to face the decision of what to do when they wake up with super powers. 


If you like science fiction or something that is a little bit outside the normal then this would be the book for you.  I suggest reading Shattered Visage Lies first as it explains a lot and sets the stage for what happens in Fearful Symmetry.  Get yourself a copy of both and read them back to back! 


What would you do if you woke up one day and discovered you had powers or were turned into a giant rabbit man?

Once Gone

Title: Once Gone
Author: Blake Pierce
Genre: Mystery, thriller, suspense
Source: Kindle Ebook
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws


Throughout the forests and other rural lands women are turning up murdered and posed in chilling poses.  FBI Agent Bill knows exactly who he needs/wants on the case, his former partner Riley Paige.  The question is is she ready to return to work after her own ordeal?  Riley is the best FBI Agent, she sees and thinks of things differently than the other agents.  She is determined to figure out the motive for these killings and find the latest victim before it is too late.  But is she confusing this monster with the one who haunts her dreams?  Can Riley look past her past and face the case in front of her or will her trauma cause her to fail the women and potentially lose her job?  It becomes a race against time as Riley fights the bureau and herself to discover who the killer is in time.

This was one of those novels that sat on my kindle for a while now and I haven't gotten the chance to read it until now.  I am happy I picked it on a whim the other day.  It is a chilling tale from the beginning to the end.  There are elements about the way the bodies are posed that give it a unique chill.  You will find yourself trying to figure out what dolls have to do with the murders and why the killer poses the women as dolls.  I found myself unable to put the novel down even when someone was speaking to me.  This is one of those stories that drags you into the depths of the tale and holds you captive until the very end.  Once Gone is a book that will have you dreaming about the story once you close the book....if you can close the book.


I absolutely love the character of Riley, she is flawfully strong.  What I mean is she is a powerful character with a ton of strengths, but also completely flawed and doesn't fully think before she acts.  I found myself yelling at her for doing something stupid only to remind myself that I would probably have done something equally stupid.  I love how Pierce shows her struggling with things in her personal life as much as her professional life and what happens when she muddles the two.  I love how her brokenness is portrayed and you can feel the emotions coming of the page, the fear, frustration, anger she feels throughout the book is palpable.  It is bone chilling at how well Pierce is able to draw out emotions from the readers.  It is something that will stick with you once you finish the book, nagging at you until you pick up the next book in the series.  I know I am dying to pick up Once Taken.



It is somewhat predictable, but also unpredictable at the same time.  You can almost predict what Riley is going to do based on her actions throughout the novel, which is not a bad thing because that means the reader completely grows to understand Riley.  But then you can't predict how things will turn out or what direction Pierce is taking things.  I love it.  I couldn't be more excited about randomly picking a book from my Kindle library.  I am honestly surprised not more people are talking about how amazing this book and author is.

I wonder to myself why it took me so long to really dig into this book because it is fantastic.  I am recommending it to anyone who is looking for a good compelling mystery novel.  I know I will never look at a doll the same again.  Blake Pierce really set the stage for this series and I am excited to see what is in store for Riley and readers.

Dead Fish

Title: Dead Fish
Author: Ruth Carrington
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Source; Ebook via Netgalley
Rating: 2 out of 5 paws




Upon arriving home, Geoffrey Quinn is immediately arrested on the murder of his wife and children  His wife was found burned in the boiler, the children remain missing.  Alison Hope is a young defender assigned to the case, she is skeptical about his innocence as the evidence is compelling.  As she continues to investigate the crime, she discovers a darker world within the wealthy in the community.  Time is running out fast and Alison must unravel the mystery before it is too late and Quinn is convicted of a crime he didn't commit.

I had such high hopes for this novel, and sadly was disappointed.  Not only does the story come off as cliché, it isn't compelling enough to keep me engaged.  I found it difficult to finish the novel and almost didn't on several occasions.  There are some interesting ideas throughout the novel, but they were not portrayed in a good manner.


The flow of the story was rather choppy, it would be fast paced and exciting one minute then sluggish and slow the next.  I struggled to stay interested in the characters as they seem too ordinary, there was nothing that made me relate to them or feel any emotion towards them.  I think if Carrington went back through and added more depth to the characters this would be a different story.  It honestly does start off well, but then slowly drops off and declines.  There was a lot of different vices used throughout such as alcohol, drugs, sex etc, I understand that was the point, but it came to feel like it was a bit too much, too difficult to keep track and interested.  There were WAAY to many red herrings, and I began to wonder when we were going to get to the point of the tale.


Overall it was an interesting idea, granted one done before but I had hoped Carrington would do it differently, add a unique twist to it that made me go "WOW" unfortunately that did not happen.  While I think there are people who would enjoy this novel and would recommend other readers to give it a shot and see it fairs with them.  It just was not my cup of tea.




** I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review**

The Misanthrope

Title: The Misanthrope
Author: S.M Boyce
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Kindle Ebook
Rating: 4 out of 5


This is the story of how Stone became, well...Stone.  Prior to being the first vagabond, prior to training Kara he was a servant boy named Terric.  As a young boy he was intent on learning more and reading as many books as he could steal from his master, but when he is caught and tries to run away he is captured by someone else who stabs him with something and then drowns him.  Upon his death Terric meets, Death himself who gives him a option to return to life but as a being known as an Isen.  But with the catch that he is under the control of Niccoli his new master.  Terric gains the name Stone and spends his lifetime trying to figure out how to survive without making new Isens or how to make them without painfully killing them, and how he can escape Niccoli.  Will Stone be able to learn how to defy Niccoli and finally be free from a life of servitude?

I have been waiting for a story about Stone.  I love his character, I craved more of his backstory, while this one was interesting to read, it didn't capture me as much as S.M. Boyce's other novels.  It was a lot of backstory and I understand we may have more from Stone's story and I am eagerly waiting to see what else is in store him and how he figures out how to escape Niccoli's commands.  He is a character that doesn't just blindly follow his master, he questions things and tries to do things differently than his master.  I like the character of Stone because of that, because he doesn't blindly follow Niccoli and does whatever he says for the sake of obedience.  While he is still a slave of sorts he is still his own man with his own mind and desires.


S.M Boyce has created this world of Ourea filled with unknown magic and creatures that completely unique to her vision.  She creates empathy for her characters in a way that remains with the readers throughout the story.  I love that all her characters remain true to themselves even some of the minor characters remain who they are and you have a slight insight to who they were prior to becoming Isen.  This book shows readers the importance of these characters while in Grimoire Saga we see them as "evil", Boyce shows that not all of them are, and readers gain a sense of sympathy for them through this story.  I am eager to read what is next in this series and can't wait to begin Deidra's story!


So far I have read I think 4 of Boyce's novels and she has  yet to disappoint.  Each novel seems to surpass the last, and I expect that to continue with this series.  I  highly recommend anything by SM Boyce and look forward to seeing more of her amazing writing in the future.  Pick yourself up a copy and see her magical writing for yourself.  You won't be able to stop from getting another one.

Book of Killowen

Title: Book of Killowen
Author: Erin Hart
Genre: Mystery
Source: Library Book: Hardback
Rating: 4 out of 5


When a ancient body is found in the trunk of a car buried in bog located in Killowen Ireland, archeologists Nora Gavin and Cormac Maguire are asked to assist with the scene.  It is then that a second modern body is found and the mystery grows deeper.  The case takes the detectives and archeologist to an artists "Retreat" not far in search of answers, but everyone seems to be hiding something.  The further the archeologists dig the further into an ancient mystery they go.  Could the recent murder have something to do with the legendary Book of Killowen?  The other man found in the bog, could he have been a scribe or a monk of old?  Nora and Cormac embark on a journey into the past in order to solve the mystery of the present.  As they do so they begin to put their lives in more danger.



Medieval manuscripts, a bog in Ireland's beautiful countryside and a possible murder, what more could a girl possibly ask for?  I randomly picked this book up at the library because the cover caught my eye, and then when I read the synopsis, I felt the need to read more.  I am glad I found it or else I would not have discovered this author.  Erin's writing enthralled me from the beginning with the discovery of the bog man in the trunk of a car, then finding out he was centuries old! It was a great start to the novel.  I love how she incorporated history, art, philosophy, and a little bit of religion into the story.  She masterfully weaved her tale together that made it more than interesting.  I would say I would prefer her writing and stories over that of Dan Brown.

This is the fourth book in a series and I didn't feel like I was missing anything or felt lost when reading about the characters.  There are some things about Nora that may have been explained and happened in previous novels, but they don't affect the effect of the story.  If anything I want to go back and read the older novels as well.  I loved her character and how eager she was to learn and find out new things and how excited she got when she learned something new.  It felt like I was a part of her character because I love this sort of thing, well not murder but the archeology.  Honestly this book re-sparked my interest in archeology.  It is evident that Erin Hart did research and knew what she was talking about especially with wax tablets, ancient philosophers, the region her story takes place.  So much so, that it made me want to research Killowen and see if there really was a monastery there and add it to my list of places to visit.

The book is unpredictable, when things begin to get revealed you are astonished because the people involved are people you wouldn't have suspected.  Hart does a wonderful job at keeping things a secret and revealing just a small bit at a time.  She leaves her readers spellbound by the story, setting, characters, everything about her book leaves readers craving for more.  I looked into her and it seems there has been anything written since Book of Killowen, but I know I will go back and search for the other books in this series.  I need more of Nora Gavin!  I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a good story.

Seven Stones

Title: Seven Stones

Author: James Rozoff

Genre: Fantasy

Source: Kindle Ebook

Rating: 3 out of 5

Doug is a young magician who is determined to become greater than the great Houdini.  When an older magician named Ashavan offers to share his secrets in exchange for Doug's help, he jumps at the opportunity.  Little does Doug know that each item he must hind has deep dark secrets to them.  Now things have grown bigger than either Doug or Ashavan can handle, but it is too late to turn back.  Doug must finish what he started and race against time to find all seven stones.  Will Doug succeed in finding all the stones? Or will he give up and abandon his search?

There are a lot of things happening in this novel it's a book about treasure hunting adventure, a metaphysical journey, magic, historical fiction, mystery, but oddly enough it works well for the story.  One aspect of the tale does not overshadow the other. It starts off very compelling with an older magician dangling new and exciting tricks in front of a younger magician.  In order to get what he craves, the younger enters a world of séances, real magic, even death and zombies.  What zombies? Really?  It's not what you think, the way Rozoff presents these creatures of lore is very interesting and unique rather than the traditional zombie we see in other stories.

There are small hints of inconsistency throughout the novel, such as the main character Doug sometimes being referred to as Dave.  It took a moment or two to realize these were not two separate people.  The story is interesting enough of being a treasure hunt for seven mystical stones, but it tries to be so much more and includes a lot of different politics and things which ends up making the story slow moving.  Once Doug leaves Mississippi (or is it Louisiana), the story slows down dramatically, and it's hard to get back into the story after this.  I liked the idea of the seven stones being related to Pangaea, but it was hard to follow the idea that Rozoff was going with it and the stones because the explanation is broken up throughout the story.


Overall it was a decently written story, that had it's interesting moments.  It wasn't the thrill ride I was hoping it would be when I started reading it, but it was interesting enough to finish.  It was difficult to continue to feel connected to the story.  The multiple things happening throughout the novel made for a large feel of disconnection for the reader.  It takes too long to get to the good parts, we are pulled in with Doug finding three of the stones and dealing with their effects quickly, but then there are chapter after chapter of nothingness, which honestly felt like a let down. 


Will I read this book again?  Probably not.  Will I recommend it? eh I'm on the fence because I always feel like there is an audience for a book even if it wasn't my cup of tea.  I will recommend it for those who like books with mystical or philosophical aspects too them, or with a hint of history interspersed.  It just happens that I felt like the characters wondered around like lost puppies after a while.