Book Review: The Iron Children by Rebecca Fraimow

Title: The Iron Children

Author: Rebecca Fraimow
Genre: Science Fiction - Fantasy 
Publisher: Rebellion Publishing Ltd - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: February 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781786189882
Read: January 28-29, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: Asher has been training her entire life to become a Sor-Commander. One day, she'll give her soul to the gilded, mechanical body of the Sor and become a commander to a battalion of Dedicates. These soldiers, encased in exoskeletons, with extra arms, and telepathic subordination to the Sor-Commanders, are the only thing that's kept the much larger Levastani army of conquest at bay for decades. 

But while on a training journey, Asher and her party are attacked, and her commander is incapacitated, leaving her alone to lead the unit across a bitterly cold, unstable mountain. Worse, one of the Dedicates is not what they seem: a spy for the enemy, with their own reasons to hate their mechanical body and the people who put them in it. 

To get off the mountain alive, Asher and her unit will need to decide how much they're willing to sacrifice -- and what for.

Review: The Iron Children is hard to categorize as a story. It's definitely a novella in length--less that 200 pages--and outstanding in the world building. It's part fantasy, part science fiction, part religious commentary, and all fascinating. 

I was blown away by Rebecca Fraimow's mastery of story craft. In the space of roughly half the length of most novels, Rebecca creates relatable characters, a complex world, high-stakes conflict, an established military hierarchy, and a complicated belief system. I've read (and enjoyed) novels with more pages and less substance that The Iron Children. Seriously, my hat's off to Fraimow.

Told in alternative points of view, the reader is given insight into the world via Asher, a Sor-Commander novice; Barghest, a Dedicate sergeant; and the unnamed spy among the troops. Asher and Barghest's points of view are written third person while the spy's is written as first person. This is a clever writing choice because it keeps the reader questioning the spy's identity and building suspense until the pivotal "big reveal." 

Overall, The Iron Children is an outstanding addition to both the science fiction and fantasy genres and is worth a read by anyone who enjoys blurring the lines between these genres.

Book Review: Witch King by Martha Wells

Title: Witch King

Author: Martha Wells
Genre: Fantasy - Epic Fantasy
Publisher: Tordotcom - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: May 31, 2023
ISBN: 9781250826794
Read: May 11-31, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well. 

But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence? 

Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions. 

He’s not going to like the answers.

Review: Witch King by Martha Wells is filled with complex magic, expansive world building, complicated characters, badass action, and one seriously snarky demon. I fell in love with Kai from the start. First, he wakes up to find that he's not only been murdered and entombed at the bottom of the sea--a move that limits his powers--but someone thinks they can ensnare him to use as a magical familiar. Talk about starting the day off on the wrong foot. Then things seem to go from bad to worse the more Kai and his ragtag band of compatriots try to solve the mystery of who killed him and why.

The world Wells has created is as complex as Tolkien's Middle Earth and filled with magic both complicated and subtle. While the magic isn't fully explained and can be a little confusing at times, it all makes sense within a world that features demons, witches, and humans working together against a common foe. The powers welded by the characters is defined and includes limitations, such as Kai's abilities being weakened by water. Some may find the lack of full disclosure of the mechanics behind the magic frustrating, but I didn't mind it because the action surrounding the use of the magic served as enough of an explanation. 

In addition to being powerful, Kai is snarky, and I'm totally here for it. Demons should be snarky, in my opinion. His relationship with Ziede is like that of siblings in that they care deeply for one another, are comfortable enough to call out the other's BS, tease one another, and kick anyone's ass who seeks to harm the other. Despite being a demon, the relationship with Ziede makes Kai seem more human in many ways, but then he "eats" an attacker and we're reminded that he's most definitely not human. He's a complex character and I'd love to see more of him in the feature. 

There was one aspect of the book I found a little jarring at first but quickly adapted to and that was the alternating time lines. The story begins in the present but jumps back in time around the third chapter. Even though the chapters set in the past are clearly marked as "the past," some reads may find the alternating time lines to be headache inducing since everything is told from Kai's point of view. However, once I got into the rhythm of Wells's writing style, I found the dual time lines to be a clever way to fill in backstory for Kai, Ziede, and other characters while maintaining forward plot movement. In order to understand the present events Kai is facing, the reader must know the history of this world. Rather than have endless conversations or huge info dumps in the middle of the story that bogs down the plot, alternating the chapters works well to provide the reader with that crucial background information.

Overall, Witch King is a fun read, and anyone who love epic fantasy will find it a worthy addition to their shelves.

Book Review: Blood Born by Shelley Wilson

Title: Blood Born

Author: Shelley Wilson
Genre: YA Horror - YA Vampires - YA Fantasy
Publisher: BHC Press - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: May 23, 2023
ISBN: 9781643973401
Read: May 5-8, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: Emma's brutal death at the hands of a vampire should have been the end, but a mysterious hooded stranger steps in, changing her life forever. 

As seventeen-year-old Emma struggles with her new vampire gifts and cravings, her grandmother isn't surprised at all. Hinting that she knew this day would always come, she leaves to get help, promising to explain everything when she gets back, but she never returns. 

Instead, the beautiful and enigmatic Cara, a fellow vampire, shows up at her door. Promising to help her locate her missing grandmother and uncover her ancestry, she brings Emma to the Haven, a sanctuary for half-blood vampires. 

Thrust into a war between the Immortal vampires and the half-blood rogues, Emma's simple life begins to unravel as blood and secrets entwine to reveal a dark history and an even darker destiny. She'll need to survive long enough to discover who she really is and which side she wants to be on.

Review: Vampires. I love them. From the folklore to their modern re-imagining at the hands of authors like Anne Rice, Jay Kristoff, Charlaine Harris, Jonathan Maberry, and so many more, I can't get enough of the Fanged Folk. (As long as they don't sparkle. Sorry, Twilight fans, but no...just no.)

Shelley Wilson has created a blend of the old and the new vampire tropes. Each vampire has their own set of abilities and powers with a few commonalities. Yes, they're stronger than humans but not supernaturally strong. Yes, they're faster than humans but not supernaturally faster. Yes, they require blood and have issues with sunlight. But the uniqueness of Wilson's vampires makes for interesting reading.

Blood Born is definitely aimed at a young adult audience, and the younger side of YA, truth be told. While it's fun to learn about the vampires and the differences between them, especially the Immortals and the Rogues, from Emma's point of view, we never really dive deeply into the relationships she's forming with the other vampires in Cara's group. I would have like to have spent a little more time exploring these budding relationships, and perhaps this will be something Wilson plans to cover in the continuation of the series. 

Overall, Blood Born is a promising start to a new series. How Emma and the others develop over time will be interesting to watch.

Book Review: The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill by Rowena Miller

Title: The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill

Author: Rowena Miller
Genre: Fantasy - Historical Fantasy - Folklore 
Publisher: Redhook - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 9780316378475
Read: March 14-19, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Trigger Warnings: Abuse (spousal), classism

Synopsis from Publisher: In the early 1900s, two sisters must navigate the magic and the dangers of the Fae in this enchanting and cozy historical fantasy about sisterhood and self-discovery. 

There is no magic on Prospect Hill—or anywhere else, for that matter. But just on the other side of the veil is the world of the Fae. Generations ago, the first farmers on Prospect Hill learned to bargain small trades to make their lives a little easier—a bit of glass to find something lost, a cup of milk for better layers in the chicken coop. 

Much of that old wisdom was lost as the riverboats gave way to the rail lines and the farmers took work at mills and factories. Alaine Fairborn’s family, however, was always superstitious, and she still hums the rhymes to find a lost shoe and to ensure dry weather on her sister’s wedding day. 

When Delphine confides her new husband is not the man she thought he was, Alaine will stop at nothing to help her sister escape him. Small bargains buy them time, but a major one is needed. Yet, the price for true freedom may be more than they’re willing to pay.

Review: I'm on the fence with this book. On one hand I love Fae bargains and how they can go so very wrong. The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill feature such a bargain, which pleases my dark little heart. However, it take fooooorrreeevveeerrr to get to it so on the second hand, I wanted to slam the book against the wall far more times than I care to count and scream, "Get to the freakin' point already!" My antagonistic view of the first half of the book wasn't helped by the disconnect I felt as a reader to the two sisters, Alaine and Delphine.

The sisters don't exactly see eye-to-eye on several issues, but that's to be expected. I have two sisters and if the three of us ever agree on anything, then chances are Hell has frozen over. I do like the naturalness of that sibling relationship, especially once it become obvious that Delphine is in over her head, both with her abusive husband and with the Fae. 

The writing is beautiful, I must admit. It has a lovely lyrical quality that's hard to capture and reminds me of so many fairy tales I read as a child--and still love to read, if I'm honest--and yet, the slow pace of the beginning almost made this a DNF for me. But once the plot truly clicked into place--namely the major bargain demanded of the sisters--the pace picked up and I blew through the pages. Getting to that point, though, was more of a chore than it should have been.

Overall, Rowena Miller has crafted an interesting blend of fantasy, feminism, and Fae bargains. If you enjoy a slow build fantasy book with a fast payout at the end, then you'll be happy with The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill. 

Book Review: What Walks These Halls by Amy Clarkin

Title: What Walks These Halls

Author: Amy Clarkin
Genre: Young Adult Horror - YA Dark Fantasy 
Publisher: The O'Brien Press - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: April 10, 2023 (Kindle edition); June 10, 2023 (Paperback edition)
ISBN: 9781788493734 (Kindle edition); 9781788493734 (Paperback edition)
Read: April 2-3, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: A prickling sensation grew on the back of her neck, spreading up her scalp. It was the feeling of being watched. She whirled to face the doorway but it was empty. 

Raven O’Sullivan doesn’t remember what happened in Hyacinth House five years ago. When her father died during a paranormal investigation there, everyone said it was an accident, but she’s pretty certain it’s her fault. 

Her brother, Archer, wasn’t there that night. When asked to investigate the supposed ghost of Hyacinth House, he can’t resist saying yes. Even if his sister wants nothing to do with it. 

Éabha McLoughlin has grown up seeing and hearing things no one else does. Now that she’s starting college, she finally has the freedom to find out why. The daring Archer and his eclectic team seem like a good place to start. 

But everyone has their secrets, and they all lead back to Hyacinth House …

Review: I love ghost stories, haunted houses, and paranormal investigations so I was excited to come across What Walks These Halls by Amy Clarkin. With it being in the young adult genre I wasn't expecting the same level of thrills and chills as would be in an adult market novel. However, I was surprised by the level of creepiness Clarkin attains while still keeping the writing suitable for younger readers.

The cast of characters is varied, and there's a touch of romance peppered throughout the story that seems a little forced or out of place. The standard teenage/young adult angst is in full swing among the characters. I did appreciate the inclusiveness of the author by representing LGBTQIA+ people among the romance. However, that doesn't make up for the seemingly forced nature of said romances. It's as though the romance angle was an afterthought rather than an organic byproduct of the story itself.

As for the characters, I struggled with them from time to time. Sometimes they read a well-defined and other times they seemed underdeveloped. This inconsistency made it hard to fully connect with the characters, but as for the plot of the story, I was all-in. The plot was intriguing and the pacing was good because it kept my interest. I wanted to know what happened next, and that's the hallmark of a good plot.

Overall, What Walks These Halls is a good book and definitely a positive step for a debut author. I'm curious to see what comes next from Amy Clarkin.

Gone by Ruby Speechley

Title: Gone

Author: Ruby Speechley
Genre: Suspense - Thriller - Mystery 
Publisher: Boldwood Books - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
ISBN: 9781837513765
Read: February 16-18, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: Last night my son, Shay, sneaked out of the house and didn’t come home. He promised not to go to the illegal party in the woods. But someone’s been attacked and Shay has gone missing. The police want to know if he saw what happened. I’m worried he could be involved.

After all the trouble he’s been in lately, mixing with the wrong crowd, coming home beaten up and scared, I thought we’d put it all behind us. Trouble is, Shay resents me moving my new boyfriend into the family home. I found all sorts on his laptop, including a half-written email warning me not to trust David. What does he know that I don’t? 

I’m beginning to fear for his safety. What is David hiding from me? Who have I let into our lives? 

I don’t know who I can trust. Will I ever see my son alive again?

Review: As suspense thrillers go, Gone by Ruby Speechley is really good, but I have read better. There were some thing that seemed out of place or not fitting the to story Speechley is telling. First, the cover. Swing sets always make me thing of young children, but the kids in this story are teens so the swings on the cover are the first thing that seem out of place, even though it does make for a striking cover that draws your attention.

The second issue I had is with the third person point of view. Normally, this works very well in suspense books, but for some reason it doesn't seem to fit this story. I tried reading some of the story in first person, from Rachel's (the mother) point of view, and I honestly liked it a lot better. If Speechley had chosen to write from Rachel's POV in first person, the suspense, the motherly panic of wondering where her child is, and the suspicion of those around her would've all be heightened and given more insight into Rachel's character, which I had a hard time connecting to Rachel.

But, overall, these are minor issues. The plot is very well constructed and the characters are well-rounded. The story's pacing is good and the ending is worth the read. Speechley does a great job of laying out clues, building suspense and suspicion, but I wish I'd had more of an "edge of my seat" reaction to reading the book. 

Book Review: Big Bad Me by Aislinn O'Loughlin

Title: Big Bad Me

Author: Aislinn O'Loughlin
Genre: Young Adult - YA Urban Fantasy - YA Fantasy
Publisher: Little Island Books - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781915071040
Read: April 2-4, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Trigger Warnings: Animal harm (brief), blood drinking, self-harm, drugs/being drugged without knowledge, and mild gore.

Synopsis from Publisher: Canadian teenager Evie Wilder just found out she’s a werewolf. Now her mom’s gone missing, she and her sister Kate have to go into hiding, and there’s not a single helpful vampire slayer to be found. 

With the help of Kevin, the dorky-hot manager of the guesthouse where she and Kate lie low, Evie starts to harness her wolfish side. But Kevin seems to know a suspicious amount about vampires… 

Meanwhile, animal attacks are increasing, local teens are going missing, and Evie is about to find herself at the centre of a supernatural showdown.

Review: I loved this book! As a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, I was often reminded of the beloved series, and yet Aislinn O'Loughlin's writing comes across as fresh and immediate.

Told from the dual perspective of sisters Evie and Kate, Big Bad Me is a fun romp filled with werewolves, vampires, slayers, snark, and humor. Evie is just learning that the slightly odd life she thought she had is actually much, much weirder because she's a werewolf and her mom and sister have been trying to keep that fact from her. Now their mom is missing and it's up to Kate--who's a Buffy-esque hunter--and Evie to find her. Throw in a hot guy who knows far more than he should, Kate's crush on the girl next door, general teenaged mayhem, and it's a party!

O'Loughlin's world definitely pays homage to Buffy, Scooby-Doo, Stranger Things, and others in the young adult urban fantasy genre, but also stands on its own as a new voice within that genre. The characters are multi-dimensional and the world is familiar and yet new in its approach. Some of the pop culture references may not hold up over time, but that shouldn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the book. Overall, Big Bad Me is worth the read simply for the pleasure of having read a great book.