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Review of Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

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Synopsis:
Two sisters.One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself… And an intoxicating romance. 

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe — witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden. Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…

Review:
Despite the synopsis very much informing the reader of what was to happen, it still was quite a shock to discover after becoming so embroiled in the lives of the twin sisters Vittoria and Emilia. One of the interesting parts of this novel is that while it is written in third person it is very obviously in the limited view of Emilia; so while we may have thoughts and inklings as to what happened or didn’t, we are led to believe her line of reasoning must have some merit.

I quite loved how stories told and used as warnings were so clearly twisted from the truth. The way in which truth and story blended and not everything was known worked well throughout the novel to leave you wondering. The story, while clearly fantasy, was given great depth and life by the way it worked around the family restaurant and everyone’s specialties and help within. Emilia’s relationship with the monastery in town, and in particular Fratello Antonio gave way to the perfect bits and pieces of gothic horror/romance. I absolutely loved the characterization, the depth of the characters, and, I’ll admit, Wrath.

This book was something I eagerly devoured, and there was never a part that didn’t seem perfect. From learning about ways to cook in the restaurant, the type of perfume or drinks Vittoria liked to make, to the horrible cliffhanger of an ending, I was always left wanting more. I highly recommend this book for lovers of gothic romance/fantasy, enemies to lovers, witches and demons.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

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Synopsis:
Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status “darkeyes.” Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl.

The Assassin, Szeth, is active again, murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin’s master has much deeper motives.

Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and the civilization-ending Desolation that will follow. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but just arriving there proves more difficult than she could have imagined.

Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate gamble with the very supernatural forces they once fled. The possible consequences for Parshendi and humans alike, indeed, for Roshar itself, are as dangerous as they are incalculable.

Review:
I will start this review off by saying I finished this book in the last week of April but was too busy/preoccupied to write the review then, so this counts as the second book of April.

I absolutely loved that while there was so much plot going on, everyone also had their individual turmoil to go through and things to overcome. There were serious risks in this book, and one of the stakes had me absolutely furious and worried and upset and I had to read more, more, more! I loved how much Kaladin learned and grew in this particular book. I also like how Dalinar is shown as being more human than most think of the high princes. In many ways the high princes almost seem to be like the sins; unapproachable, uncondemnable. Sebarial becomes a favourite through his realness, saying things such as hating everyone equally, and making it clear he wants a cushy life.

This book has a multitude of good lessons throughout, but a resounding thought that will connect with everyone is the need or desire to have a purpose. It might seem that there are simple pleasures wrought from another’s work that you don’t find particularly glamourous, but a large part of life is finding something that makes you feel. As said in “A Hand with the Tower” “Expectation wasn’t just about what people expected of you. It was about what you expected of yourself.”

Szeth and Kaladin make an interesting dynamic and you are left wondering what exactly is going on. Whilst I know a large portion of this book is about Shallan, I find she is not one of my favourite characters, though she certainly does begin to come into herself throughout this novel. Seeing the voidbringers become makes one wonder if that is what ALL Parshendi desire, which will of course not be answered in this particular novel.

I quite enjoyed this book, but as always, it is hard to properly review a book of this caliber. As I am already deep within the realms of the next book, Oathbringer, I will merely end this by saying that most of the characters grow, and I look forward to seeing what else happens in the Stormlight Archive.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

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Synopsis:
Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.

One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.

Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.

Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar’s niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan’s motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.

The result of over ten years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making.

Speak again the ancient oaths:

Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before Destination.

and return to men the Shards they once bore.

The Knights Radiant must stand again.

Review:
Get ready, because this is a 1000 page book, and this review is likely to reflect that. Now that everyone has their popcorn, I’ll start by saying one of my favourite things about this book is that while it shifts character perspective, there was never a character that I disliked/dreaded getting to “their” part. All of the characters had depth and personality and while you might not feel the same for any two characters, it’s interesting how many have aligned ideals which often leaves you wishing they might meet each other.

This book deals with many layers of complexities. At war, people change, and people have to face that change head on and sometimes that means looking into yourself and trying to figure out your own purpose and what makes you tick. While the introspection might look different for everyone, it’s a layer of realness that resonates. Respect is a large part of this book; who has it, why they have it, if they should have it. Respect, once freely given in youth, is often needed to be earned by keeping one’s word to adults who are wary of the world- letting your actions speak for you.

I love how each of the different groups of people have different abilities, skill sets, and cultures that revere certain things. It is quite interesting learning more about a soldier having a talent beyond merely fight technique, just as it was interesting to see what Jasnah was truly searching for. I quite enjoyed the shifts in perspective between all of the different characters of different races and backgrounds while attempting to figure out what means the most to each individual.

Between the codes and intelligent people within this story there are so many good suggestions/ideals/notations about life and living, but I will try to include a few.
“Worry just wastes time. It was hard advice to follow.” (Chapter 10)
“People are discord,” Syl said. (Chapter 17)
“You have to learn when to care… and when to let go…” (Chapter 20)

It is very difficult to sum up one’s thoughts on such a large book, but I will finish by saying that this book is full of all of the best parts of fantasy; there’s adventure, there are stakes, there’s deception, uncertainty, betrayal. I highly recommend this novel.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯



Review of Furtive Dawn by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
It’s been almost a year since the magical apocalypse closed off the city of Manchester from the rest of the world. The vampires, werewolves and humans within the city all now live together in relative harmony … but trouble is brewing on the horizon. Supplies are starting to run out and, despite their best efforts to grow crops and create a sustainable future, everyone knows that it will be an uphill battle. Still, the magic swirling in the city air is an incredible bonus. Charley, the most magical of them all, is determined to do whatever she can to help out her new community and with Monroe by her side, she’s confident that things will turn out alright. But when someone from beyond Manchester’s walls makes contact, what happens next will be anyone’s guess.

Review:
Finally, after a year, there is hope of getting help. It turns out that not everyone is as fearful of Manchester’s magic as those within might have been led to believe. I absolutely love how this book ended, who the known “saviour” is, and just… completely bittersweet. As always, great series by Helen Harper, though isn’t as high up in my heart as some of her previous ones like Firebrand. If you love paranormal fantasy, definitely check her out!!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

New Work Coming Out… April 1st

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Some of you may be thinking, Amanda, why the heck did you just put out 3 book reviews on the same day when you say you hate letting them build up like that? Well, I’ve been working on something quite different from the regular, and I have to let you in on a project that’s now available for presale, and will be released in paperback!

Have you ever had a character that was meant for one time use, but that people loved so much they became a full fledged important part of a storyline? Meet Genevieve, who came into the story with cotton candy blue hair, and is a full fledged, as she would put it, faerie princess. Genevieve entered the adventure (having been born during a Dungeons and Dragons game I was DMing) at 12, and while she doesn’t enjoy typical “princess” activities like embroidery because she doesn’t have the patience, she had it in her to keep a journal written entirely in haiku.

Join Genevieve in bouts of both hilarity and unexpected depths of wisdom by preordering her journal, Musings of a Self Proclaimed Faerie Princess.

Review of Brittle Midnight by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
Who ever thought that life after an apocalyptic event would be easy?

Charley is under pressure. The demands of her new community are piling on stress after stress and, even with her developing magical skills, she’s finding it hard to cope. Things aren’t any better for Monroe – his grief and guilt over what happened to his werewolf pack are overwhelming him. When dead bodies start to appear across the city, they’re going to have to work together to prevent more killings. But whether they’ll be able to survive together too is anyone’s guess.

Review:
Perhaps unexpected in a new city that’s still being set up by people who have never done so before there is mayhem. The mystery of who the killer (or killers) is definitely threw me for a loop because it wasn’t anything that you’d expect. There are a lot of racial tensions and need to smooth things out to care for all people. There are bits of knowledge peppered throughout the novel about why people may do things, such as having a lot of attention can be ego boosting if you’re treated as special, but perhaps it affects you negatively if you are treated as less than. There was a great bit about what people who continue trying to prep for the possibility of an apocalypse after going through one that I also thought was quite amusing.

Again, this book does have some editorial issues, but that doesn’t keep you from enjoying the novel. Harper’s novels usually do not have such things.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Shrill Dusk by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
Charley is a cleaner by day and a professional gambler by night. She might be haunted by her tragic past but she’s never thought of herself as anything or anyone special. Until, that is, things start to go terribly wrong all across the city of Manchester. Between plagues of rats, firestorms and the gleaming blue eyes of a sexy Scottish werewolf, she might just have landed herself in the middle of a magical apocalypse. She might also be the only person who has the ability to bring order to an utterly chaotic new world.

Review:
The first half of this book is very much the story we already know from Madrona in the last book of the Fractured Faery series (Skulk of Foxes) from the perspective of Charley. While Charley was blissfully unaware of all the magic that might have been around the city, she takes the new knowledge extremely well and does her best to keep sane and bring everyone together. As someone who didn’t want to be in a position of leadership, Charley does well to show that not wanting the job can often mean you’re one of the best people for it. As Charley says, in times of trouble, “We’re stronger together than we are apart. We can make something of this new world if we pull together.” (Page 262, Chapter 24)

Unfortunately this particular series of Harper’s does have quite a editing issues throughout, and while a bit annoying, it did not deter me from enjoying the series. I will note that this is not usually the case for Harper’s books.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Skulk of Foxes by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
One impending apocalypse. Several crazy faeries. A few troubling plagues of locusts and storms of fire … It’s just another day in Manchester for the Madhatter.

Madrona might still have amnesia and might yet prove to be a vicious murderess but that doesn’t mean she’s going to quit being a heroine just yet. However, while she might be prepared to go to any lengths to stop Rubus from triggering Armageddon, it’s equally possible that the world will end as a result of her actions too. Manchester is experiencing terrifying surges in magic which are causing all sorts of chaotic events to occur. With a dragon, several werewolves and a host of faeries by her side, there is still a thread of hope.

And green eyed, sexy arsed Morgan. There’s always him.

Review:
There were so many good bits of this book, and twists and turns that wouldn’t be expected from characters we’d grown to know and love. I loved the description of things fae can do in chapter 8, and all of the bits of wisdom sprinkled throughout the novel, such as personalities having the ability to change and that no one is ever the same all the time, as well as being selfish creatures who make mistakes and have to work on righting them and being better in the future. There was an excellent(ly frustrating) end to the novel, which made me wish we had just a chapter (or a few more) to learn exactly how Madrona and Morgan ended up. That being said, this series is an excellent set up for the City of Magic book series, which I have almost already devoured in whole.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Quiver of Cobras by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
One wondrous faery with stupendous magical skills and a superior mind (not to mention incredible modesty). One drop dead gorgeous, green eyed stud muffin and his evil Fey brother. And the end of the world. Maybe.

Madrona might still not remember anything about her past, and she might be more of an evil villain than a fabulous super hero, but that doesn’t mean she can’t also be a super spy. With Rubus desperately searching for the magical dragon sphere which can return the faeries back to their homeland – and cause the apocalypse in this land – she doesn’t have much choice.

Someone with wit, intelligence and strength has to step up and save the world … and if that person happens to look super sexy while doing it then that’s just an added bonus.

This is the second book in the urban fantasy series, The Fractured Faery, and ends with a nail-biting cliffhanger.

Review:
Oh. My. Gosh. Of COURSE I’m already reading book 3 because that cliffhanger is a doozy! This book is absolutely stunning, with Madrona coming into herself and learning both her personal style as well as continuing with her gigantic ego. There was definitely a part that I found very touching, albeit sad, but I quite loved the ending reveal and hadn’t figured it out exactly on my own, despite there being so many little nudges that we should have pieced it together (or that Morgan should have!) We have a bunch of awesome characters and it’s good to see Madrona trying to be her best good/bad self!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Box of Frogs by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
One corpse. Several bizarre looking attackers. Some very strange magical powers. And a severe bout of amnesia.

It’s one thing to wake up outside in the middle of the night with a decapitated man for company. It’s another to have no memory of how you got there – or who you are. She might not know her own name but she knows that several people are out to get her. It could be because she has strange magical powers seemingly at her fingertips and is some kind of fabulous hero. But then why does she appear to inspire fear in so many? And who on earth is the sexy, green-eyed barman who apparently despises her?

So many questions … and so few answers. At least one thing is for sure – the streets of Manchester have never met someone quite as mad as Madrona…

Review:
I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this book when I started it, but oh my gosh do I love Maddy! The entire book centers around Madrona not really knowing who she is and trying to find herself and who she can trust along the way. I had an idea from the start that our superhero may not be as benevolent as she thought herself, and I quite enjoyed the ride from start to finish, having to immediately start book 2. While this isn’t the same feel as the other Harper novels I’ve read and loved (Slouch Witch series, Firebrand) Madrona has such a kickass personality that you cannot help but need to know what happens next, becoming very quickly addicted to the story from the very first page.

It’s urban/modern fantasy, there’s fae, there’s A HUGE CLIFFHANGER, but the next book is out so go for it and read this book!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯