Books

Review of The Rubber Band by Rex Stout

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The Rubber Band
A Nero Wolf Mystery (3)
By Rex Stout

Star Rating: 
Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Number of Pages: 454

Date Started: December 26, 2016
Date Finished: December 27, 2016

Synopsis: (From Amazon)the-rubber-band-red-box
What do a Wild West lynching and a respected English nobleman have in common? On the surface, absolutely nothing. But when a young woman hires his services, it becomes Nero Wolfe’s job to look deeper and find the connection. A forty-year-old pact, a five-thousand-mile search, and a million-dollar murder are all linked to an international scandal that could rebound on the great detective and his partner, Archie, with fatal abruptness.

Review:
Having recently binge watched all of A Nero Wolfe Mystery I have to say, it’s quite easy to picture the characters as the actors– and that’s the only good way to picture them, in my book.

There is very little that can be said without giving away a plot. All of the characters were well done. Mr. Wolfe does an excellent job of protecting his client, and offering help but not forcing it on others. I was pleasantly surprised that I figured out the mystery before Mr. Wolfe revealed it, though I didn’t know as fast as he did, and I hadn’t known for sure which individual it was before he revealed it. Quite well done! I can’t wait to read more!

rexAuthor Biography:
Rex Todhunter Stout (/staʊt/; December 1, 1886 – October 27, 1975) was an American writer noted for his detective fiction, particularly the 33 novels and about 40 novellas that featured the detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin between 1934 and 1975.

In 1959, Stout received the Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award. The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon XXXI, the world’s largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century.

In addition to writing fiction, Stout was a prominent public intellectual for decades. Stout was active in the early years of the American Civil Liberties Union and a founder of the Vanguard Press. He served as head of the Writers’ War Board during World War II, became a radio celebrity through his numerous broadcasts, and was later active in promoting world federalism. He was the long-time president of the Authors Guild, during which he sought to benefit authors by lobbying for reform of the domestic and international copyright laws,[specify] and served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America.
Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by CBS Radio and photographer uncredited [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Review of Twisted: The Girl Who Uncovered Rumpelstiltskin’s Name

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Star Rating: 
Genre: Young People/Young Adult

Number of Pages: 306

Date Started: December 19, 2016
Date Finished: December 22, 2016

Synopsis: (From Amazon)twisted
The mystery of Rosamund Hodge’s Crimson Bound meets the romance of the best Beauty and the Beast retellings.

An old tale tells the story of how a little man named Rumpelstiltskin spun straw into gold and tricked a desperate girl into trading away her baby. But that’s not exactly how it happened.

The real story began with a drunken father who kept throwing money away on alcohol and women, while his daughter, Aoife, ran the family farm on her own. When he gambled away everything they owned to the Duke, it was up to her to spin straw into gold to win it all back.

With her wits and the help of a magical guardian, she outsmarted the Duke and saved the day.

Well almost…

Her guardian suddenly turned on Aoife and sent her on a quest to find his name, the clues to which were hidden deep in the woods, a moldy dungeon, and a dead woman’s chamber.

Her feelings for one of the men who tricked her from the start threaten to complicate everything. Not the tale of a damsel in distress, this is the story of a tenacious, young woman who solved a mystery so great that not even the enchanted man who spun straw into gold could figure it out.

Not until Aoife came along.

Review:
Aoife is a relatable protagonist who wants to decide what she does with her future, instead of allowing herself to be roped into marriage with a disagreeable gentleman. She is intelligent and understands how to make the most out of what one has, but while she could easily survive elsewhere, her family ties hold her strongly in place. The story began to deviate from the original and I was so excited… just to be smacked back into the regular story.

Unfortunately, while Aoife is a great protagonist, the rest of the characters in the story don’t seem to have personality, and they don’t grow throughout the novel. While one might expect that a being such as Rumpelstiltskin likely doesn’t have many manners because he hasn’t spent a lot of time around people, it seemed that the duke was constantly acting like a petulant child. Luckily, the duke does begin to realize that changing his behaviour does get him the correct attention he craves.

All said, I quite enjoyed this book and when I began it I was almost late to ballet class because I couldn’t put it down. Good read, and one I feel that reluctant readers who enjoyed fairy tales might really like.

bonnieAuthor Biography: (From Amazon)
Bonnie grew up a shy, quiet girl who the teachers always seated next to the noisy boys because they knew she was too afraid to talk to anyone. She always had a lot she wanted to say but was too afraid to share it for fear she might die of embarrassment if people actually noticed her. Somewhere along the line, perhaps after she surprised her eighth grade class by standing up to a teacher who was belittling a fellow student, she realized that she had a voice and she didn’t burst into flames when her classmates stared at her in surprise.

Not long after that, she began spinning tales, some of which got her into trouble with her mom. Whether persuading her father to take her to the candy store as a little girl or convincing her parents to let her move from Los Angeles to Manhattan to pursue a career at eighteen as a ballet dancer with only $200 in her pocket, Bonnie has proven that she knows how to tell a compelling story.

Now she spends her time reading and making up stories for her two children at night. By day she is an English teacher who never puts the quiet girls next to the noisy boys and works hard to persuade her students that stories, whether they are the ones she teaches in class or the ones she tells to keep them from daydreaming, are better escapes than computers, phones, and social media.

Review of The Mirror’s Tale by P. W. Catanese

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The Mirror’s Tale
A Further Tales Adventure
By P. W. Catanese

Star Rating: 
Genre: Young People/Young Adult
Number of Pages: 288

Date Started: December 10, 2016
Date Finished: December 14, 2016

Synopsis: (From Amazon)mirrors_tale_front_cover
Everyone has heard the story — the dwarves, the talking mirror, the evil witch. But this tale doesn’t belong to Snow White anymore….

Bert and Will, the twin sons of the baron of Ambercrest, are best friends. They do everything together and can’t help it if trouble just seems to…find them. But the baron is fed up and has decided that separation will keep them out of mischief. One twin, he proclaims, will stay in Ambercrest for the summer, while the other will be sent to The Crags — a foreboding, rocky outpost on the edge of the kingdom.

It is there, hidden in a forbidden black chamber, that one of the boys discovers a bejeweled and mysterious mirror. What is the precious object? And why does it make him feel so…powerful? Soon the twins’ kinship is replaced by dark magic and deceit, and a kingdom hangs dangerously in the balance. What becomes of one who is ruled by the forces of evil? And can brotherly love conquer a consuming quest for power?

Review:
I love that there are elements of the classic fairy tale of Snow White in this book. I think that the story was perfectly entwined so that it didn’t deal so much with the fairy tale as it referenced it as most stories are– an event that most people don’t know the entire truth about. The depth of characterization was surprising and refreshing for the grade level, giving the villains realistic and understandable qualities and traits that readers might also face.

There are so many morals that one could take out of this book, including but not limited to: sometimes the life path you dream isn’t one that suits you, you can always improve your own behaviour if others find you act inappropriately (which is a far better plan than to act out and potentially hurt someone you care about), that not everything is as it seems.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
If you would like to read P. W. Catenese’s biography, check his Amazon page here.

Review of School’s Out – Forever by James Patterson

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School’s Out – Forever
A Maximum Ride Novel (Book 2)
By James Patterson

Star Rating: 
Genre: Young Adult, Young Adult Sci-Fi, Young Adult Fantasy
Number of Pages: 448

Date Started: November 7, 2016
Date Finished: November 8, 2016

Synopsis: (From Amazon)c7c07bc87f36b238f3d257ff5d1dee20
Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride and the other members of the “Flock”–Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel–are just like ordinary kids–only they have wings and can fly. It seems like a dream come true–except that they’re being hunted by half-human, half-wolf “Erasers” who can fly, too.

In Book 2 of the series, the Flock members are taken under the wing of an FBI agent and try to live “normal” lives by going to school, making friends–and continuing their relentless search for their parents. But the Erasers return, forcing the Flock to abandon their search and make their escape once again. The voice inside Max’s head keeps telling her that it’s up to her to save the world, but this is especially challenging to do when she is faced with her ultimate match: a newer and better version of herself, Maximum Ride II. Max’s heart-stopping quest to investigate the mind-blowing mystery of her ultimate destiny continues in the scariest, strangest, and funniest James Patterson novel yet.

Review:
This book does so well at showcasing what most adolescents want in life: freedom, fun, security.  Max is like most other teenagers, uncertain of herself, unsure what she is doing and how to get there, yet with the added fantasy elements of her amazing life.  This book also shows that adults often underestimate the abilities and desires of younger people, disregarding how capable they can be, and what they would be willing to do to get what they think they need to feel whole.

The characters really drove this book more than the action, in my opinion.  The issues of trust were very well laid, especially trusting yourself/your instincts versus people you’re uncertain of.  Everyone has a point in time when they aren’t sure they can trust others, or what they are doing.

Though the fantasy parts of this novel are random sprinkled about, the humanizing and deep characterization of our flock makes this book more than worth the read.

 

618wcp0vm9l-_ux250_Author Biography: (From Amazon)
James Patterson received the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community at the 2015 National Book Awards. His other awards include two Emmys, the Edgar Award, and the Children’s Choice Award for Author of the Year. He is a tireless champion of the power of books and reading, exemplified by his new children’s book imprint, JIMMY Patterson, whose mission is simple: “We want every kid who finishes a JIMMY Book to say: ‘PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER BOOK.'” He has donated more than one million books to students and soldiers and has over four hundred Teacher Education Scholarships at 24 colleges and universities. He has also donated millions to independent bookstores and school libraries. Patterson will be investing proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books in pro-reading initiatives.

Review of A Conspiracy of Alchemists by Liesel Schwarz

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A Conspiracy of Alchemists
The Chronicles of Light and Shadow Book 1
By Liesel Schwarz

Star Rating: 
Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk
Number of Pages: 432

Date Started: November 3, 2016
Date Finished: November 7, 2016

Synopsis: (From Amazon)15849472
LEAVE IT TO CHANCE. Eleanor “Elle” Chance, that is—the intrepid heroine of this edgy new series that transforms elements of urban fantasy, historical adventure, and paranormal romance into pure storytelling gold.

In a Golden Age where spark reactors power the airways, and creatures of Light and Shadow walk openly among us, a deadly game of Alchemists and Warlocks has begun.

When an unusual cargo drags airship-pilot Elle Chance into the affairs of the mysterious Mr. Marsh, she must confront her destiny and do everything in her power to stop the Alchemists from unleashing a magical apocalypse.

Review:
You’ll never believe how I happened upon this book.  I found this, in hardcover, for sale in the dollar store.  Not your usual dollar store find.  Looked interesting, so of course I’m going to purchase it!  I certainly got more than a dollar’s worth of entertainment from it.

From the beginning Elle was interesting, but she didn’t have a strong personality, and was far too wishy-washy for my personal tastes.  She was quick to anger, but far too easy to apease.  I wish that Elle’s thoughts and feelings were gathered organically instead of being very stark and sudden in most cases.

The source of power was interesting, and the bits of added in Roman/Greek mythology were quite intriguing, though I, like Elle, found how the power transferred slowly and the three stages were kind of odd.  I found Marsh a far deeper and empathetic character in most situations.  Although I wish there had been more time spent on rounding out Elle’s character, instead of making her seem like a hotheaded spoiled brat, Marsh’s characterization almost made up for it.

If not for the age of the characters, I would likely place this book within the young adult genre.  There were several times that I was uncertain why Schwarz decided to use higher language than the rest of the novel seemed to be written in, though it did not personally hurt my reading, it may hurt others.  All in all, I did enjoy this book, and intend to read the rest in the series

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
There is nothing about Liesel on Amazon, therefore, there will not be anything here, either.

Review of The Mapmaker’s Apprentice by C. J. Archer

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The Mapmaker’s Apprentice
Glass and Steele Book 2
By C. J. Archer

Star Rating: 
Genre: Historical Fantasy, Gaslamp Fantasy
Number of Pages: 312

Date Started: October 27, 2016
Date Finished: October 30, 2016

Synopsis: (From Amazon)themapmakersapprentice_ebook_final
When an apprentice from the Mapmakers’ Guild goes missing, Matt and India are employed to find him. Going undercover as a married couple, they discover that not everyone at the guild is what they seem, and the lad’s unearthly maps caused jealousy, suspicion and fear.

With one of the apprentice’s magic maps in their possession, India and Matt must use their wits and India’s fledgling, untried magic to find him. But the more they investigate, the more sinister plots they uncover, including a link between the Mapmakers’ and Watchmakers’ Guilds, and an ancient magical treasure buried beneath the streets of London.

As the net of suspicion widens and enemies draw closer, it’s not just the apprentice’s life that’s in danger, but Matt’s too. Someone will go to great lengths to prevent him discovering the name of the man who can fix the watch keeping him alive. Great lengths indeed.

Review:
I will start out by saying I did find some grammatical issues in this novel, though they did not detract in any way from the story being presented.

The relationships really endear me to this series.  There is so much more than what is being said when you read between the lines of interactions between everyone.  Learning more about the hereditary passing of magic was quite useful, and it’s been quite enjoyable learning more about the various types of magics as India does.

It’s refreshing that India seems to care so little about romance, though there is clearly something brewing.  She seems resigned to being a spinster, but she doesn’t allow herself to make poor choices, instead using that situation to her advantage, acting as a strong, independent woman. Romance is still possible for her, but she doesn’t intend on seeking it as a solution for what to do with her future, which I really adore.

I had not figured out the mystery by the time the plot wrapped up, though I had suspected partial involvement by the time it was revealed.  I believe the special collection mentioned in this novel will potentially play a pivotal role in one of the future books in this series, though I could be wrong.

I really enjoyed seeing India become even more independent and knowledgeable in this novel, and I would recommend this book highly.

C. J. Archer is such a great, wonderful person on top of being a great author.  She has a fan group on Facebook, CJ Archer’s Ministry of Fans, where people who like her books can talk about them, and Ms. Archer interacts with her fans frequently (which makes her even more endearing).  If you are like me and adore her books, join the group and chat with like minded individuals.

cj
Author Biography: (From Amazon)
C.J. Archer has loved history and books for as long as she can remember and feels fortunate that she found a way to combine the two. She has at various times worked as a librarian, IT support person and technical writer but in her heart has always been a fiction writer. While she has written historical romance in the past, she now writes exclusively in the historical fantasy genre (with a large dose of romance). She has several series which occur in the same Victorian-era “world”, one after the other. Each series can be read alone, but it’s more fun to start at the beginning with THE EMILY CHAMBERS SPIRIT MEDIUM TRILOGY. Follow that up with all 9 FREAK HOUSE books, then the MINISTRY OF CURIOSITIES series. GLASS AND STEELE, her newest series, is set in an entirely different alternate Victorian London.

Subscribe to C.J.’s newsletter to be notified when she releases a new book, as well as get access to exclusive content and subscriber-only giveaways. Join via her website: http://www.cjarcher.com

She loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through email cj@cjarcher.com or follow her on social media to get the latest updates on her books:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CJArcherAuthorPage
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cj_archer
Tumblr: http://freakhouseresidents.tumblr.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorcjarcher/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cjarcher/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4615377.C_J_Archer

Review of The Watchmaker’s Daughter by C. J. Archer

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The Watchmaker’s Daughter
Glass and Steele Book 1
By C. J. Archer

Star Rating: 
Genre: Fantasy
Number of Pages: 300

Date Started: October 23, 2016
Date Finished: October 27, 2016

Synopsis: (From Amazon)thewatchmakersdaughter_ebook_final_small1
India Steele is desperate. Her father is dead, her fiancé took her inheritance, and no one will employ her, despite years working for her watchmaker father. Indeed, the other London watchmakers seem frightened of her. Alone, poor, and at the end of her tether, India takes employment with the only person who’ll accept her – an enigmatic and mysterious man from America. A man who possesses a strange watch that rejuvenates him when he’s ill. Matthew Glass must find a particular watchmaker, but he won’t tell India why any old one won’t do. Nor will he tell her what he does back home, and how he can afford to stay in a house in one of London’s best streets. So when she reads about an American outlaw known as the Dark Rider arriving in England, she suspects Mr. Glass is the fugitive. When danger comes to their door, she’s certain of it. But if she notifies the authorities, she’ll find herself unemployed and homeless again – and she will have betrayed the man who saved her life. With a cast of quirky characters, an intriguing mystery, and a dash of romance, THE WATCHMAKER’S DAUGHTER is the start of a thrilling new historical fantasy series from the author of the bestselling Ministry of Curiosities, Freak House, and Emily Chambers Spirit Medium books.

Review:
I honestly wasn’t sure what I thought this book was going to be like, but it was far better than I had anticipated.  I absolutely adore the depth that Ms. Archer puts into her characters, their backstories, their desires.  While it is often plot that drives a story, the deep characterization is what makes the reader truly feel for this heroine, who is far more outspoken and forward than most women (especially those looking for a husband) would be in that time period, which makes her all the more intriguing.  I love the relationships between characters, and the so obvious tension that no one is willing to push pass to address.

I absolutely love how important clocks are, and I had almost thought we were going to end up with a steampunk vibe, but although there is a bit of connection it is not enough to consider this novel that genre.  While there might be something supernatural going on, the events are expertly entwined with coincidences and knowledge that the heroine would have that it isn’t obvious.

Though Ministry of Curiosities is still my favourite of her series, this is my second so far.  India is a very strong female lead, someone that I found myself wanting to rally behind and see accomplish great things, and find happiness in life, even if she thinks she’s “spinster age”.  If you have the chance, I highly recommend this book.

cj
Author Biography: (From Amazon)
C.J. Archer has loved history and books for as long as she can remember and feels fortunate that she found a way to combine the two. She has at various times worked as a librarian, IT support person and technical writer but in her heart has always been a fiction writer. While she has written historical romance in the past, she now writes exclusively in the historical fantasy genre (with a large dose of romance). She has several series which occur in the same Victorian-era “world”, one after the other. Each series can be read alone, but it’s more fun to start at the beginning with THE EMILY CHAMBERS SPIRIT MEDIUM TRILOGY. Follow that up with all 9 FREAK HOUSE books, then the MINISTRY OF CURIOSITIES series. GLASS AND STEELE, her newest series, is set in an entirely different alternate Victorian London.

Subscribe to C.J.’s newsletter to be notified when she releases a new book, as well as get access to exclusive content and subscriber-only giveaways. Join via her website: http://www.cjarcher.com

She loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through email cj@cjarcher.com or follow her on social media to get the latest updates on her books:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CJArcherAuthorPage
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cj_archer
Tumblr: http://freakhouseresidents.tumblr.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorcjarcher/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cjarcher/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4615377.C_J_Archer

Review of The Charmer by C. J. Archer

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The Charmer
Assassins Guild Book 1
By C. J. Archer

Star Rating: 
Genre: Historical/Medieval Romance
Number of Pages: 286

Date Started: October 20, 2016
Date Finished: October 24, 2016

Synopsis: (From Amazon)cover-the-charmer
Handsome. Charming. Devastating. He was the last man she needed, but the only one she wanted.

Orlando Holt has never assassinated a woman before. The lovely, feisty Lady Lynden will be his first. She’s supposed to be a vicious murderess, but when Orlando begins to have doubts, he sets out to discover the identity of the person who hired him. What he learns will turn his world upside down, and propel him headlong into love with a woman who’s immune to his charms.

Twice widowed by the age of twenty-four, Lady Susanna Lynden has had enough of charming men. Her last husband knew all the right things to say to get her to the marriage bed…then made her life miserable. Money may be scarce and her house falling down around her, but the exotic fruit from her orange trees will keep poverty away. Except someone is thwarting her at every turn. Someone who may even want her dead.

Review:
I wasn’t certain what to expect out of Archer, having already become completely addicted to her Ministry of Curiosities book series, but this book surely didn’t disappoint.  While different in the lack of supernatural, this book had quite realistic deep characters that were easy to connect with.  Through learning about the characters and their relationships one might be able to guess the mystery, but for me, although I did have an inkling who it might be, I hadn’t figured out the why for certain.

Several amazon reviews state that this book dragged and there wasn’t enough action in it, but I can tell you that I didn’t want to put this book down, and it wasn’t until I was falling asleep trying to continue reading on the kindle that I did so.  The ending was perfect, and it was a quite wonderful read.

Oh, and guess what– this amazing one is for free on kindle!  I certainly recommend this book, and will be moving on to her latest series I have yet to start on.

cj
Author Biography: (From Amazon)
C.J. Archer has loved history and books for as long as she can remember and feels fortunate that she found a way to combine the two. She has at various times worked as a librarian, IT support person and technical writer but in her heart has always been a fiction writer. While she has written historical romance in the past, she now writes exclusively in the historical fantasy genre (with a large dose of romance). She has several series which occur in the same Victorian-era “world”, one after the other. Each series can be read alone, but it’s more fun to start at the beginning with THE EMILY CHAMBERS SPIRIT MEDIUM TRILOGY. Follow that up with all 9 FREAK HOUSE books, then the MINISTRY OF CURIOSITIES series. GLASS AND STEELE, her newest series, is set in an entirely different alternate Victorian London.

Subscribe to C.J.’s newsletter to be notified when she releases a new book, as well as get access to exclusive content and subscriber-only giveaways. Join via her website: http://www.cjarcher.com

She loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through email cj@cjarcher.com or follow her on social media to get the latest updates on her books:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CJArcherAuthorPage
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cj_archer
Tumblr: http://freakhouseresidents.tumblr.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorcjarcher/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cjarcher/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4615377.C_J_Archer

Review of Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

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The Angel Experiment
A Maximum Ride Novel (Book 1)
By James Patterson

Star Rating: 
Genre: Young Adult, Young Adult Sci-Fi, Young Adult Fantasy
Number of Pages: 464

Date Started: October 3, 2016
Date Finished: October 12, 2016

maximum_ride1Synopsis: (From Amazon)
In James Patterson’s blockbuster series, fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it’s like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the “flock”–Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel–are just like ordinary kids–only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time…like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the “School” where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare–this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf “Erasers” in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb–now her betrayed and greatest enemy–that her purpose is save the world–but can she?

Review:
You’re given an option as you open this book– do you want to know what has happened to Max, and become part of the knowledgeable few?  It might put you in danger… and that made me quite eager to read more.

I wasn’t sure I was going to like this series, but the characterization and development was perfect, and I was quickly swept up into the life and concerns of Max and the other mutant children.  The accuracy with which Patterson demonstrates both the abilities of 14 year olds and the desires and irritations of the 6 and up children was phenomenal.

As with all James Patterson novels I found the pacing perfect.

I was worried about how the supernatural-esque creatures would fit into this urban fantasy style book, but found that they blended seamlessly with the rest of the world, and that when they stuck out, the public reacted realistically and accordingly.

My grandfather, who does not like to read fantasy books at all (though he has read the majority of Harry Potter as I was growing up with them), had read this series when it first came out, and had assumed I read it as well.  Since he liked it and though it only a bit far fetched, I do believe this is a book that most if not all could get into, possibly as a gateway to the fantasy genre.

All in all, I quite enjoyed this novel and can’t wait to read the rest in the series.

618wcp0vm9l-_ux250_Author Biography: (From Amazon)
James Patterson received the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community at the 2015 National Book Awards. His other awards include two Emmys, the Edgar Award, and the Children’s Choice Award for Author of the Year. He is a tireless champion of the power of books and reading, exemplified by his new children’s book imprint, JIMMY Patterson, whose mission is simple: “We want every kid who finishes a JIMMY Book to say: ‘PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER BOOK.'” He has donated more than one million books to students and soldiers and has over four hundred Teacher Education Scholarships at 24 colleges and universities. He has also donated millions to independent bookstores and school libraries. Patterson will be investing proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books in pro-reading initiatives.

Review of The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher

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The Aeronaut’s Windlass
The Cinder Spires Book 1
By Jim Butcher

Star Rating: 
Genre: Fantasy
Number of Pages: 640

Date Started: August 2, 2016
Date Finished: August 19, 2016

Synopsis: (From Amazon)aeronauts
Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity. Within their halls, the ruling aristocratic houses develop scientific marvels, foster trade alliances, and maintain fleets of airships to keep the peace.

Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship Predator. Loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is damaged in combat, Grimm joins a team of Albion agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring his ship.

And as Grimm undertakes this task, he learns that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake…

Review:
This book was truly amazing.  This new series is what Jim Butcher was born to write.  While the synopsis might lead one to believe that Captain Grimm is the main character, there are a multitude of different people that make up the main force of protagonists, all very different.  Every character introduced has a great level of depth and backstory.  I really enjoy that this book series has multiple main characters that grow as the story progresses.  Given the amount of main characters, a reader is bound to resonate with one, while the majority are all likable (except, of course, the antagonist).

This is truly a coming of age story from the perspective of several different characters, though Grimm and his crew do play a large part in the overall plot.  While some characters are learning how to live in the adult world, others are learning how to deal with problems from their pasts, and all work in conjunction together, despite their apparent honorable or dishonorable ranking.

I will say that this book, while labeled “steampunk”, really doesn’t have any steampunk elements in it, unless you count the air ships (which the main one mentioned, it can be noted, does not run off steam).  That being said, I think this is a brilliant piece of fantasy in a wonderful imaginative new world, and I cannot wait to see what happens to everyone as they reach the end.

Author Information:
The Dresden Files are the first books that Jim Butcher managed to get published.  He is also the author of the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, Cinder spires.  He is a gamer, including tabletop, video games, as well as LARP.  He still lives in his hometown, Independence, Missouri.

For a detailed biography of Jim Butcher, and a way to purchase his books, see his Amazon page.