Category Archives: Book review

Robert Masello: The Romanov Cross

Book review, World of Books March 17, 2013 Comments: 7

So many times in my life I thought about how I wished I knew if I was going to like a book or not. Reading blurbs just doesn’t happen and often I finish a book and then I have this terrible problem of deciding what next might prove interesting.

I am ashamed to say that I have quite a lot of titles I received from NetGalley and I’m not really going through them in a timely fashion – I can’t decide from the blurbs which one might be very good. So I decided to randomly start reading them and see how it goes.

It proved to be a rather good idea as I quickly both discarded some and found an interesting one to read. 🙂 The Romanov Cross.

“Nearly one hundred years ago, a desperate young woman crawled ashore on a desolate arctic island, carrying a terrible secret and a mysterious, emerald-encrusted cross. A century later, acts of man, nature, and history converge on that same forbidding shore with a power sufficient to shatter civilization as we know it.”

What I liked about this book is that even though there are some “supernatural” parts to the story, the romanov crossrest seems realistic. People and their actions sound real which is usually something I find  lacking in novels taking place in the real world. And the fact that it deals with the possible outbreak of the Spanish flu only makes it even more interesting in my mind.

If you’re wondering where do the Romanovs feature in the Spanish flu outbreak, I am not going to tell you, and you will never guess either.

I find the whole idea of the novel very intriguing and I finished the book wanting to learn more about what happened in Russia and with the Romanovs, just so I could check whether the ideas I got from this book are based in fact or the author made it work for him.

It takes a while for the story to pick up pace, in the beginning you have no idea why are you reading two different stories but once they start coming together, you’re hooked.

And now I’ve said that the story seems realistic, I should add that the storytelling has some horror elements. 🙂 The horrifying part being they seem possible.

Also, at some point, before you realize there are some supernatural parts to the story, you start wondering how some things would be possible (a pack of wolves surviving on a rather small island for decades?) but once the story gets you to realize there are some unexplained spiritual things happening in this world, you just go with it.

Which brings me to the fact that after reading the book, I was left wondering about the religious/spiritual inclinations of the author. There is a mention of both in the novel, but in a positive way when it’s spiritual, and less positive when it’s religious in the modern-day sense (being a believer of a particular religion).

 

Steven Brust: Dragon & Issola

Book review, World of Books March 5, 2013 1 Comment

I realize I’m only writing about books lately but I promise I do have some perfume reviews coming up in the near future. 🙂

 

Now, I wonder why it took me so long to find my way back to the world of Vlad Taltos. Well, it’s not his world but as the story is told from his perspective, I’m calling it his.

The funny thing about this series is, you read one book but since they aren’t coming out chronologically brust dragontalking about Vlad’s life (we move back and forth some), you read one of the novels as a self-standing book wondering why? what was the point of this story? only to learn that two books down the road.

That was my experience so far. With these two, you do not get to learn what they mean in the grand scheme of things but you do get to ask the questions. 🙂 And they just pile up one on top of each other.

I shouldn’t admit to this, but it only got clear to me with Dragon that as each book represents one line of the Dragearan society, the story of that book depicts the characteristics of that line.  I’m pretty sure every reader of Vlad T. books had realized that long before now.

So, in Dragon we get a very convincing description of what war feels like in one’s mind. We also get to read about daily activities, but I found the stream of thought in fighting more interesting.

As for Issola, that line of Drageareans is known for their courtliness and surprise and we get to see Vlad actually displaying some of both. 🙂 We (the readers) get surprised as well I should add.

 

I’m already looking forward to reading on (I just have this little problem of not being able to find the next book – I know I have it, I just don’t know where it is).

It actually reminds me a bit of Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastards series. Or as I read the Taltos books first, it’s vice versa. Only without the swearing. 😉

Julie Kagawa: The Eternity Cure

Book review, World of Books February 28, 2013 1 Comment

This is the second book in the Blood of Eden series, I’m not sure how many will there be in the end, one more for sure. I was lucky to receive my copy through NetGalley as it’s not yet out.

So, where to start?
I was everything while reading this book – annoyed with Allie (and Ms Kagawa consequently), thrilled, upset, at the edge of my seat, crying, my heart broke for the characters, basically everything. 🙂

Which makes me think the book is rather great even though I had my doubts in the beginning when Allie rather openly displayed what I consider to be a completely wrong view people have of teenagers. But that’s just my opinion.

Here is the blurb:

“How do you face the end of eternity?  

In Allison Sekemoto’s world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood  

She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated eternity curefrom the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie’s birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever-and possibly end human and vampire existence. 

There’s a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago-and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time. 

Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make. “

Even if you read the first book, this doesn’t tell you that much. After my initial displeasure of Allie’s behaviour, I got immersed in the story and wanted to see what will happen. There were some unexpected turns which I didn’t see coming. (yaay, finally! I love that!)

And then we approached the end and I thought I knew what was going to happen, then I read on and thought, “Oh Ms Kagawa was brave with this ending”, only to have my initial opinion confirmed.
Besides, it’s the one I prefered to the brave one. But I can already see so the problems arising in the next book because of it.
And not to confuse you, I enjoyed the book a lot but it’s dark, gruesome and reminds me a bit of the Passage (you know, post-apocalyptic dark world inhabited by monsters with very little people left and declining).

Melissa Marr: Carnival of Souls

Book review, World of Books February 28, 2013 1 Comment

This was a recommendation on Feminine things blog one day when a discussion on YA books was on. I’m glad I read that post as I saw other books I should add to my ever-growing list of books TBR.

I somehow missed the fact that even though this is the first book in the series, no other books are out yet. I’m a bit unhappy because of that.

The book is a mix of YA, paranormal and romance all in one, so I was bound to love it.

“In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures—if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father—and every other witch there—fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it’s only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.”

As with all briefs, this one leaves many things unsaid. Like, the fact that women are treated as breeding partners in daimon marriages (not that that makes them partners actually), everyone has a secret to keep and pretty much power is dealt through these secrets, everyone is lying except Mallory it seems, carnivaland I sincerely hope as soon as she comes into knowledge (and her own powers), she’ll bring everyone down a peg or two (or a lot).

The problem is, the story is interesting and we are pulled in, only to have it end. Just as the story is heating up, there is the end and now you have to wait for book two.

Which I wouldn’t mind but by the time any book in a series comes out, I forget at least half of what went on in the previous book and I really don’t have either the time or the wish to re-read every series each time a book comes out.

OK, rant over. 🙂

I don’t blame Ms Marr for this  particular problem – all I can is, urge the writers I find interesting and want to read more from, to please write faster. 🙂

 

Shannon Delaney: Weather Witch

Book review, World of Books February 7, 2013 1 Comment

weather witchTurns out I didn’t have to wait long for another YA adult series to come along and get me hooked (reading one more book at the moment that is like that too).

I do wish though that the story progressed a bit further, as it is, it feels more like a novella than a novel.

But as it’s my new favourite genre, steampunk, also featuring witches, I’ll let it go.

I also decided it might be more informative if I were to post the descriptions with the books I read:

“In a vastly different and darker Philadelphia of 1844, steam power has been repressed, war threatens from deep, dark waters, and one young lady of high social standing  is expecting a surprise at her seventeenth birthday party–but certainly not the one she gets!

Jordan Astraea, who has lived out all of her life in Philadelphia’s most exclusive neighborhood, is preparing to celebrate her birthday with friends, family and all the extravagance they might muster. The young man who is most often her dashing companion, Rowen Burchette, has told her a surprise awaits her and her best friend, Catrina Hollindale, wouldn’t miss this night for all the world!

But storm clouds are gathering and threatening to do far more than dampen her party plans because someone in the Astraea household has committed the greatest of social sins by Harboring a Weather Witch.”

So, now that you know what the story is about, what is missing from this description is the terrible injustice slowly unfolding as you learn more about the society’s ranks and the way the witches are “made” and “employed”.

Living where I do, the fact that the politicians are just plain evil frustrates me to no end. You might call it self-centred, ruthless, egotistical, hypocritical, power-hungry, etc. but basically, they are evil. And most of the characters in the story go with the society that seems not to have any moral and ethical standards. Pretending slavery doesn’t exist? Although this time it’s the witches.

The thing I liked a lot is the fact that Rowen seems to go after Jordan as a friend. If there is a love story happening here, it’s going slowly and the basis for it is their friendship. But, being brave for the sake of friendship is in my mind the strongest kind of bravery.

Speaking of frustration, there are some very Kafkaesque elements to the story. As Kafka is forever labeled as the “frustrating” writer in my mind. His stories are the Twilight zone of literature for me.

There are many parts of the story that remind me of the world we live in. Not wanting to change the energy sources to the new, cheaper and less sordid kind? Familiar?

Basically, I enjoyed the story a lot and I’m looking forward to the next book, I only wish the story was a bit longer and not that we just got the glimpse of what to expect in the books to come.

Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl: Beautiful Creatures

Book review, World of Books February 3, 2013 1 Comment

beautiful creaturesAs I mentioned recently, lately the YA titles I read are those I learn about trough movie trailers. As I somehow managed to miss them beforehand.

But now I’ve read several of those, I can’t help but wonder if possibly I skipped them because at that moment they didn’t sound appealing? It’s quite possible too that I am just frustrated by the amount of book series appearing nowadays. Isn’t there anybody out there anymore who can write one book and finish the story inside of that one book?!

I should feel lucky with this series as all the books are already out as far as I could tell. I mean, there are 4 already so I’m guessing it’s done. I certainly hope it is. Not that at the moment I am planning to read on. I just don’t have the capacity to try to follow another book series.

Ok, rant over.

So, you might get the idea from my introduction that the book is not that interesting. 🙂 And I can’t really say that, as it held my attention almost to the end, when it became obvious we weren’t going to see the story end in this book (I wasn’t aware of there being more than one book at that time).

If you haven’t seen the trailer for the movie – the story is basically, in Lena’s family each child is claimed at their 16th birthday for Light or Dark without the child having any claim in their choice (sort of punishment for past magical misbehaviour). And Lena being rather powerful is scared that she might get chosen as Dark.

Of course, then she and Ethan fall in love and they try to reverse the spell or get around it somehow. The whole story is pretty much told from Ethan’s perspective. Which is something I found refreshing and possibly the excuse I could find for what seemed lack of proper characterization perspective (or depth) as guys aren’t usually good at that. I mean, explaining their (and other people’s too) emotions and their background.

One fact I enjoyed, which has nothing to do with the quality of the story actually, is that Lena is an Aquarius with her birthday being one day after mine. 🙂 I know, a silly thing to make you enjoy the story, but what can I say? I like those kinds of details. 🙂

I wonder now what the movie will be like? What I could tell from the trailer and now after reading the book, it seems it might be one of those movies where the story and the movie go of on different tangents.

In the end, even though I enjoyed reading the book (most of it, it felt the story sort of lost its edge in the end), I don’t feel compelled to read on.

Chris Ashbrook: The Darker Gold

Book review, World of Books January 27, 2013 1 Comment

darker goldSometimes I wonder if I am being unfair toward the books I read as I expect of them to be as wonderful as some other of my favourites.
But if all of them were my favourites, how would I decide which ones were top?

I really believe all the books I read should fall under ratings of three to five stars. If it’s less than three, chances are I am never going to finish it. If I finish it, it must be at least good enough to merit three stars.
And even though I read this one without reading something in between, I think that’s because nothing at the moment catches my fancy much.

I wonder if anyone else thinks about books “clicking”. What I mean is that sometimes, everything fits together and the book just clicks as good.
This one didn’t. The thing is, for me, nothing clicked. I kept reading, expecting for everything to fall together, but it didn’t. Nothing did actually.
Characters felt unfinished, story felt unfinished, dialogues were sometimes unbelievable (in trying to convince the other side especially), and the whole premise of the story was unsatisfyingly described. Much was left to the imagination of the reader, which I don’t really mind if everything else functions, but in this case, it feels like the editor didn’t do a good job of editing the book.
That said, I obviously didn’t find it bad enough to stop reading. There is actually much working in its favour, from Ludlum-like spy world, to the fantastic premise of some of James Rollins’ books, everything is in there to make it into a thrilling book. It just doesn’t seem seamlessly connected into a whole. Which is something I found really frustrating.
Possibly it’s just my expectations, but after reading some of Rollins’ early books, I know it’s fixable (he had the same problem with making a book seem a seamless whole).

That’s why I’ll give other works by Mr. Ashbrook a try (this is his first full-length novel), I’m sure he can only get better. 🙂

James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell: The Blood Gospel (The Order of the Sanguines series)

Book review, World of Books January 19, 2013 1 Comment

Seems I am not such a huge fan of Mr. Rollins as I realized this wasn’t a Sigma series book only after it downloaded to my Kindle and I opened it. 🙂 And I was wondering the whole time how come another author managed to cooperate with him on it. Now I know.

I enjoyed the book but I’m not so sure the ending couldn’t have been a bit better – I was a bit underwhelmed that I was going to have to wait for another book to see what happens next. Because in Sigma series, I get the feeling that the story of the particular book is sort of finished while here, even though there is a type of ending to it, I hated all the unfinished threads I wanted to know about which will possibly be handled in the next book. I’m guessing there will probably be more than one sequel so blood gospelnot all of my questions might get answered.

Generally speaking though, the idea is an interesting one and from the beginning I was already wondering what’s the deal with the priest that he is so obsessed with blood and seems to hate women. Both of those questions got answered. 🙂

I loved the description of the places where the story takes place – it really made me wish I could visit them myself (and as soon as possible).

I liked this quote particularly:

“The Church had many locks and many secrets to hide behind them…”

I believe that to be true in reality as well. One thing that is fascinating about this book is that at the same time it is both pro and contra Church. It is rather realistic in that regard.

In the end, I enjoyed it a lot even though I had many things I wished were done differently (not to say better). It is a typical Rollins action packed story with an interesting premise, albeit this time not believable. In the Sigma series I find the strange ideas around which the books are based seem rather possible. Not this time though.

Is it just me or do you also notice how many times in books things seem to happen conveniently for the characters? Never though when I’d like it to. 🙂

P.S. I just have to say I love it when historical persons make an appearance in a book of fiction because they fit into the story. 🙂 This time around it’s Rasputin and Elizabeth Bathory.

 

Pic taken from Goodreads James Rollins profile.

Kim Harrison: Once dead, twice shy

Book review, World of Books January 15, 2013 Leave a comment

This review has been half written for some time now and I decided to finish it, rather then let it linger forever half-written. (plus, it feels good finishing things).

“My name is Madison Avery, and I’m here to tell you that there’s more out there than you can see, hear, or touch. Because I’m there. Seeing it. Touching it. Living it.

Madison’s prom was killer—literally. Now, thanks to a mysterious amulet, she’s stuck on Earth: dead but not gone. She has no idea why the dark reaper who did her in was after her, but she’s not about to just sit around and let fate take its course. With a little skilled light-bending, the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys . . . maybe), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison’s ready to take once deadcontrol of her own destiny once and for all, before it takes control of her.

Well, if she believed in that stuff.”

I find the idea and the beginning were quite interesting – a YA novel with light and dark reapers, a missing body, amulets and trying to figure out who is doing what and why.

There were some typically teenage parts (that can be rather frustrating) being scared of talking to other people/teens, being so very smart that never listen so in the end they  turn out to be seemingly stupid for being able to make all the bad choices.

My favourite part was the character called Ron for short and who resembles a wizard (among things) – I thought is he redheaded as well? 😉 Of course that I instantly thought of Harry Potter, even before the wizard part came into action. 🙂 (HP is never far from my mind)

This is the first book in the Madison Avery series and I can’t say for sure that I’ll be reading on.  The characters just didn’t come alive for me and the story tries to connect the paranormal and normal life in a way that didn’t make it believable for me.

That said, one of the ways I decide whether a book was good is if I read it without starting to read something else – this one didn’t let me start another book (then again, it’s not very long either).

I can’t say I won’t be reading on, but having so many choices at the moment, I don’t think it will happen anytime soon.

Justin Cronin: The Passage

Book review, World of Books January 10, 2013 Comments: 8

Honestly, I don’t remember the last time I read such an engrossingly haunting and incredible book.
And before you go thinking it’s something lovely, it isn’t. Not even close.

It’s basically a horror story of what we as people can do to ourselves. Well, in my opinion not a true horror story, most post-apocalyptic stories feature some kind of deformed human predator which in this case are the virals (which is possibly why some people call it horror).
I’ve seen reviewers calling this a vampire story but I would never refer to it as that just on the account of virals who have some similarities with vampires but in my mind only barely. passage
The scariest part of the story for me was the fact that people keep tinkering with things they don’t really know anything about because they feel they can gain something out of it. And thinking that they have it under control. But that is only an illusion.

Which is pretty much what happens here and how world descends into apocalypse. It’s also very scary reading about the atrocities people can do to each other. And I’m not discussing virals now but people.

The beginning reminded me a lot of Terry Brooks Shannara world building – the World/Void books. Here we follow a slow decline of the world through all the bad choices we, as the people, make.
In the beginning I got very upset that I had to wait for understanding of different story lines. I mean, the different story lines make perfect sense in the way they build up to a full story but it takes a while for that to happen. Until then, you are hooked trying to figure out what will happen. And that lasts until the end (which is long time coming). 🙂

It also took me some time to figure out the story is not happening in present day but in close future.
The really scary part of this book is the fact that it’s possible. Probably not as imagined in this book but the virus tinkering is a quite real possibility.
Can I just add that the collective of the twelve reminds me a lot of the Borg? 🙂 Couldn’t help it, the association just appeared. I don’t want to spoil the book so I won’t be explaining this further, if you read it, you’ll know what I meant.

If you enjoy post-apocalyptic worlds, I would highly recommend this. While reading it, it might feel like you’re in the Twilight zone but it will be worth it.