A debut fantasy full of interesting symbolism that serves as a metaphor to our own real life consumption of natural resources.
This is a world d3 Stars
A debut fantasy full of interesting symbolism that serves as a metaphor to our own real life consumption of natural resources.
This is a world dependent on a rare substance called calor. For many generations it has spurred advancements in technology, machinery, health and wellness, supporting pretty much every infrastructure of society. However, mining this substance has resulted in severe scarcity resulting in strife and desperation.
This is also a world that is divided between the haves and have nots. Here, the country Gehanna has ruthlessly taken by force other provinces, acquiring their stores of calor under the guise of regulating allocation, but in reality, there's very little left to control. What remains is a lone city whose sky still sporadically “bleeds” the invaluable calor, who is under close guard and on the brink of insurrection. At its center are 3 critical players, drawn into a frantic search for a hidden cache that could be the answer to all their problems, each with a deeper desire for forgiveness, revenge, and redemption.
I won’t go into too much more detail so as to not spoil things. Just know that this is a dark story, complexly tragic with harsh unforgiving truths. Admittedly, I can appreciate the commentary about colonialism, dwindling resources, cutthroat politics, miserable survival, but also not surprisingly in these sorts of stories, the power of hope. I also readily admit that my ratings are often heavily weighed by the enjoyment factor, and there is very little joy here. That’s on me. Additionally, this is a slow, so terribly slow, reveal that builds to a painful catharsis for all involved. One must infer a lot in regards to the world building here, as well as the nuance of what transpired during the oft referenced past event that haunts our protagonists. Sometimes not fully knowing works for me, greatly spurring reading momentum, and sometimes it doesn’t.
Overall, this story has merit, and I think if one is looking for something different, seeking an unique perspective about the terrible price of overconsumption that can’t be rectified, then this is a great place to start. It definitely lends an insightful sobering view, but thankfully, leaves one with a promising outlook despite the grim circumstances.
Thank you to the author and Bindery Books via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review...more
Another adventure for 12 year old Florian and his bestie Margaret, two wonderfully smart kids who help solve various cases for the FBI as consu4 Stars
Another adventure for 12 year old Florian and his bestie Margaret, two wonderfully smart kids who help solve various cases for the FBI as consultants for the Special Projects Team. When their mentor Marcus is accused of treason, these two are determined to do what’s necessary to exonerate him.
I’ve said it before. The strength of this series is the friendship between Florian and Margaret. They’re loyal, smart, resourceful, and of course imperfect. However, they epitomize what resilience and support is, never wavering when it comes to the other. Tie that all to battling Russian spies, avoiding CIA and NSA interference, and enlisting the help of a foreign mafia boss, and you have a great conclusion to a trilogy that’s all about found family and not judging others by their looks or age.
Obviously, I enjoyed my time with Florian and company, as any association or semblance of a Sherlock-ian story greatly appeals, and I look forward to exploring more of Ponti’s works in the future!
Special shoutout to Laura for bringing this charming series to my attention!
Young designer has a one night stand with an older compelling stranger, a man she has no clue is a famo3 Stars
This held my interest with the premise.
Young designer has a one night stand with an older compelling stranger, a man she has no clue is a famous football coach. She flees the next morning before he wakes up and comes face to face with him several weeks later as he’s her bestie’s uncle who is walking said friend down the aisle.
If you like an age gap, secret relationship, sprinkled with professional sports and peppered with lots of spice, then this was an easy read. Hudson is a bossy demanding lover ready to settle down, and Piper is an independent woman who can’t deny the lusty connection despite some founded reservations.
Overall, good enough with no unnecessary aggravations....more
By now I should be used to Calmes’s craziness, but this really did push the limits through really no fault of its own as Calmes has created a c3 Stars
By now I should be used to Calmes’s craziness, but this really did push the limits through really no fault of its own as Calmes has created a complex universe that encompasses the majority of her books who are connected to each other in both big and small ways.
So, this felt like a huge info dump, one that I really had no clue or ability to fully understand despite having read 27 of her contemporary books as the 1st third of this book was setting things up with multiple characters that may or not be significant, I really don’t know. What l can tell you for certain is that there’s a connection to Mine, Acrobat, Marshals, AMoT and the long standing question about a murder was finally answered so there was that. Of course, don’t forget to read the first book in this series, A Day Makes as well.
For die hard fans who haven’t read this, I’m confident in saying this probably has a bazillion Easter eggs, and my poor brain was absolutely exhausted in not knowing every possible connection, but that’s on me. However, be reassured that this is still classic Calmes with stilted convos, brand name dropping, second chance romance that’s always and will be forever claimingly intense and wholeheartedly all in. Calmes wouldn’t have it any other way and regardless, I obviously keep coming back for more of the same.
I’ve had a nice run with a variety of escapist stories recently and overall, I call this a win!
Set in an adjacent realm to the human world, M3.5 Stars
I’ve had a nice run with a variety of escapist stories recently and overall, I call this a win!
Set in an adjacent realm to the human world, Mariah is one of those rare humans living in the magical town of Elderberry Falls. Here, she’s the proud owner of a quaint inn and suddenly finds herself neck deep in structural issues, a situation that is going to cost her a pretty penny, something that she has very little of. When successful orc Thorak suddenly arrives at her establishment for a business meeting with one of her lodgers, she doesn't know what to think as seeing her past high school bully brings up all sorts of awful memories. Though Mariah would love to never lay eyes upon Thorak again, she overhears him lie that he has a human finance his need for a human fiance to soothe his potential investor’s prejudices, and Mariah impulsively makes Thorak an offer he can’t refuse in order to save her beloved establishment.
As Mariah and Thorak get reacquainted, their “show” of affection soon morphs into exposing deeply repressed attraction and feelings. Thorak sincerely regrets his actions (that were misguided), and he’s determined to make amends and show that Mariah is the one for him, but will it be enough for her to truly trust in him to move forward in a real relationship?
Overall, I really liked the setting of Elderberry Falls, a place full of all kinds of monsters and magical beings. This had a very warm easy cozy feel to it, supplementing the enemies to lovers, fake relationship vibe with some nice hurt comfort, UST, and orc specific smexy. I don’t know what this says about me, but who doesn’t love a gentle giant no matter what creature he is? Ha!
Again, a feel good fantasy romance that took me out of real life for awhile and left me with a contented smile on my face....more
Truly original and truly steeped in speculative science.
Here, this is a future where small pockets of worlds exist, each with their own ecosyst4 Stars
Truly original and truly steeped in speculative science.
Here, this is a future where small pockets of worlds exist, each with their own ecosystem and time dilation (either super slow or super fast compared to current reality). They represent every hope and opportunity to make life on earth better, learning about old civilizations, discovering new flora and fauna, and in turn, seizing a chance on renewable resources.
Following scientist Raquel, who is part of the venerated Institute that spearheads exploring these wondrous worlds, she makes one small mistake, setting off a chain reaction where every good intention goes horribly wrong.
In this alternate reality, Peynado unfurls a grim outlook on corporate greed and voracious negligent consumerism that is an endless cycle of depletion and enslavement to the big machine that keeps things turning. As Raquel tries to right her wrongs in a world that is hostile and hopeless, how Peynado brings forth Raquel’s enlightenment and ultimately, how she tries to resolve her issues was actually quite ingenious.
Overall, this story wasn’t an easy or happy read. It is seriously mired with tech, AI, scientific advancements, and unfathomable repercussions of all these small alternate realities that are readily accessible and exploitable. However, Peynado surprised me through Raquel’s grief and guilt as she offers her protagonist a miniscule chance of healing redemption through her drive for an unobtainable utopia, forcing her to make a grand sacrifice.
Again, this is far from a tidy HEA, but it made me think hard, and I only hope that Raquel’s offering was enough to keep a part of the universe whole and untainted.
Thank you to the author and Tordotcom via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review...more
An intriguing start about a disgraced heiress who saves a convicted murderer and how they find in each other acceptance, peace, and possibly 3.5 Stars
An intriguing start about a disgraced heiress who saves a convicted murderer and how they find in each other acceptance, peace, and possibly redemption.
I really liked the theme of this where there’s always two sides to a story and of course, this applies the most to main characters Freya and Neneo.
Toss in an ex-fiance and other family members with possibly dubious intentions, and I look forward to the next installment to find out more!
Thank you to the author and Kodansha Comics via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review...more
Quite the short intro to Ma Reynolds, but this shows the hardships she’s gone through to get to where she is - and that’s still an unrepentan3.5 Stars
Quite the short intro to Ma Reynolds, but this shows the hardships she’s gone through to get to where she is - and that’s still an unrepentant opposer of the Alliance.
To avoid incarceration himself, Mal is forced to bring in his own mother for various crimes (mainly to return stolen credits), and I know you’ll not be surprised that she won't be making his job easy.
This clearly only serves to set up the next series in the comic book timeline, but if you want to know more about young Mal and his Ma, I recommend checking out the full novel Big Damn Hero...more
This was a more compelling read than its predecessor A Shadow in the Reaping. Here, the stakes are higher, the ta4 Stars
Total badassery going on here!
This was a more compelling read than its predecessor A Shadow in the Reaping. Here, the stakes are higher, the tasks are tougher, and there's just a teeny tiny wrench of perceived betrayal thrown in between Lu and Ashen as they try to stop the baddies in heaven and hell, as well as in between.
Lu has been through some terrible torturous shit recently, and she understandably blames Ashen. Regardless, her voice continues to ring true - biting, sarcastic, and at times, even more unhinged in this sequel but also, still totally relatable. I laughed consistently throughout this, in and amongst Lu’s trauma and the bloody carnage she leaves in her wake.
And what can I say about Ashen? He’s even more hot and smoldering, possessive and enigmatic, where actions speak louder than words (though his words will also slay you in the feels) as his main focus is solely on Lu and her happiness.
So come on over for a paranormal romance about a vampire/demon pairing, enemies to lovers story with some morbid gore, an increase in naughty spice, and plenty of loyal snarky side characters. I’m impressed with how skillfully Weaver easily brings a mix of heavy and light, angst and humor, tragic burdens conquered by fighting the good fight that can come with loss as well as bloody vindication. If only all my reads were this much fun with such a good emotional punch.
I’m reserving the last star, having high hopes that the finale will not disappoint!
Let me preface this first. I’m all for supporting debut authors and indie presses, and I admire Bindery Books’s interesting platform in doing s3 Stars
Let me preface this first. I’m all for supporting debut authors and indie presses, and I admire Bindery Books’s interesting platform in doing so. Inferno’s Heir is one of four in their first round of publishing, and I was intrigued by its premise.
This starts off with beleaguered princess Teia, whose rights are infringed upon by sadist half brother Jura, who will soon take the throne and control every aspect of her life. To subvert this, she approaches the common folk rebellion who has been mistreated over the years (made far worse with Jura’s influence) and agrees to steal a precious family jewel to prove her loyalty to their cause so she can betray them to win favor with her brother. Sounds like a wonderful premise for a plot and character driven story with the prospect of action adventure, high risk drama, and the promise of new friendships, budding romance, and a changed-for-the-better Teia, right? Right?
I will say for the most part this delivers on each of these points, but personally for me, the connection of dots was just a bit off. As a warning, Princess Teia is pretty cutthroat. It’s understandable since she has had no one in her corner for many years, and the hatred her brother directs towards her is immense. It’s no wonder Teia will do anything for her survival and that unfortunately, shows in the best and worst ways. Also, there’s little we see of the actual rebellion and their leader, focusing on three other characters instead, characters who are just as young, impetuous, and self indulgently idealistic as Teia and one questions, is this the best the rebellion has at their disposal? Granted, this is YA fiction, so I shouldn’t be surprised that the spotlight is on these underage people, but it just seemed too incongruent for my old brain.
What this has going for it is an interesting world full of conflict and antagonistic countries where I assume will be further expanded upon in the sequel. The elemental magic too was compelling, and one knows that will feature more heavily as well. Toss in two heists, an amazingly talented thief who’s for neither side, and a hint of chaste romance, and this will probably appeal very nicely to the overall masses who enjoy a YA magical dystopic fantasy.
However, I wanted more emotional stakes, more maturity, and more personal growth for Teia. Surely, this will be forthcoming in the next book as this technically ends on a cliffhanger. It remains to be seen if the sequel’s reception will pique my interest enough to check it out.
Thank you to the author and Bindery Books for a copy in exchange for an honest review...more
Admittedly, the words “alien” and “cowboy” are what piqued my interest and obviously, I was not d4 Stars
This was pure escapism, and I was all for it!
Admittedly, the words “alien” and “cowboy” are what piqued my interest and obviously, I was not disappointed.
Just like the blurb says, Cherry is sorta on the lam, and the only quick solution is to offer herself up as a mail order bride to a complete stranger who also happens to be a different species. When she arrives on the foreign ranching outpost, Cherry’s immediately intrigued by her quiet stoic husband-to-be, and she’s determined to make it work no matter what.
In turn, Silar doesn’t quite know what to think about the gorgeous chatty woman, nor does he have the first clue as to what to do with another person in his space as he’s only had himself to look after his whole life, The thought of someone living with him is both thrilling and terrifying, but Silar is adamant in what he feels and that’s doing whatever it takes to prevent Cherry from leaving after their one month trial period (even if it means keeping a potentially damaging secret under wraps).
I forgot how much I love the push pull of doubt, insecurity, and want as Cherry and Silar slowly get to know each other and have many humorous mishaps in overcoming their language and cultural differences. I quite enjoyed Cherry’s optimism and caring enthusiasm, and I equally basked in Silar’s tender yearning and capable protective possessiveness. Yum.
At its core, this is a quasi sci-fi western, opposites attract, marriage of convenience, with a huge amount of hurt comfort, laughs, a virgin MMC, and a sexy buildup leading to some nice spice with an alien twist! For me, this was a great find, and I enjoyed it so much I read it in one go!...more
I’m relieved that Constantine has taken his head out of his ass and is finally letting his guard down and giving Devon what he wants and need3.5 Stars
I’m relieved that Constantine has taken his head out of his ass and is finally letting his guard down and giving Devon what he wants and needs most - support and love.
This ends on a mild cliffhanger making me impatient and hopeful for a more thought out redemption arc for big bad Constantine so that everyone can live happily ever after....more
The final Bergman book was the proverbial icing on the cake!
Looking back, Viggo has been the more interesting brother. Saddled with ADHD, 5 Rare Stars
The final Bergman book was the proverbial icing on the cake!
Looking back, Viggo has been the more interesting brother. Saddled with ADHD, he’s outwardly the prankster, the guy who’s annoying in his meddling ways, the sibling who’s unable to stick with one thing for very long, but when he finally fulfills his dream of opening a romance themed bookstore, one sees Viggo for who he is - devoted, caring, the first to help anyone who needs it, and one who hides behind his exuberant facade, not wanting to show his loneliness and desire to truly be understood and seen.
I absolutely adored the fact that Viggo is an unapologetic romance reader, and it shows in everything he does and believes in, loving the shoutout to the many tropes and issues we have about this genre that often consumes our waking hours. Viggo is more than self aware of his situation and where he is in life. All around him, his family has found their soulmates and are living their best lives and though he’s ecstatic for them, he feels a hollow painful emptiness that he’s the last man standing.
Of course, Viggo has certain expectations of how his true love will manifest, referencing the many love stories he’s read over the years, but life at the moment has other plans for him, and that’s Talulah Clarke - cynical and reserved, a person who doesn’t believe in anything sentimental and is certain that a happy-ever-after absolutely does not apply to her nor does it exist in real life. Despite Viggo’s immense attraction to Talulah, he knows this carefully contained woman doesn’t jive with what he thinks he wants.
Liese consistently succeeds at the push/pull of her characters, the intense lust, and the issues they each personally face that make them unique. This was a fabulous grumpy sunshine, close proximity, opposites attract with snarky banter, palpable UST, and top notch spice (probably the smexiet of the series, just so you know). Whether it was planned or not, I’m really glad that Liese chose Viggo to be the last Bergman to get their happy ending. His wanting and needing that epic love for himself was sublimely the penultimate send off to this highly enjoyable series. Viggo didn’t lower his expectations but evolved them, and growth and change makes the world go round amiright? And on the other hand, Talulah’s transformation due to being loved properly by Viggo was equally pitch perfect - to be vulnerable, to let go and trust, to finally be at the receiving end of something so wonderful, you only had to open yourself up to it just a tiny teeny bit.
Overall, this is my very long winded way of saying that this series has created a devoted fan. I appreciate Liese’s insights into the unknown and frequently, the uncomfortable, things that are hard to look at, let alone endure, and gives them a stage to shine where many times, it’s hidden in shame or fear. We are all human, with faults, foibles, and quirky quirks, and we all deserve the very best. Liese gives these imaginary, but oh so real, characters the jumping point to embrace their differences while being loved for them as well, and I highly encourage you to go forth and experience this series for yourself!
Though I haven’t seen every iteration of Star Trek out there, I’m still hard core Next Generation and more recently, Picard, Discovery, and S3.5 Stars
Though I haven’t seen every iteration of Star Trek out there, I’m still hard core Next Generation and more recently, Picard, Discovery, and Strange New Worlds.
Admittedly, I’m not as entrenched with these characters as there’s only 20 episodes to fall back on, but I love seeing the earlier renditions of Spock and Uhura, and Captain Pike is fast becoming a favorite character as his actions and beliefs truly deserve the loyalty he has from his crew.
I’m not going to go into all the details of the plot because it is quite extensively convoluted. What I will say is that I liked how this played on everyone’s strengths (though I wish we had way more La’an), how it made reference to Discovery’s angsty painful story arc, and I especially loved seeing Hemmer again.
Obviously, I enjoyed this “episode” for the Enterprise crew, hoping that subsequent books will bring more of an emotional oomph as seen in “A Quality of Mercy” or “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” or of course, the crazy scary cliffhanger that was “Hegemony”.
Overall, be reassured that this is typical Star Trek, morally conflicted, galaxy-in-peril high stakes with plenty of hard core science tossed with some good ole action that I’m confident most fans will enjoy!...more
Even Derek turned temporarily into a girl doesn’t mitigate the connection these two have. Completely absurd but entertainingly disturbing and f3 Stars
Even Derek turned temporarily into a girl doesn’t mitigate the connection these two have. Completely absurd but entertainingly disturbing and funny all at once....more
* A Reader Obsessed *
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