Berserker (Berserker #1), by Emmy Laybourne ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Historical Fiction, Montana, Norse Mythology, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 10th, 2017

288 Pages

Synopsis: Are Hanne’s powers a gift from the old Norse gods, or a curse?

Her brother Steig swears their powers are a gift from the old gods, but Hanne Hemstad knows that she is truly cursed. It’s not Steig’s fault that their father is dead, their mother has left, and their brother Knut has been accused of a crime he didn’t commit. 

No, the fault lies with Hanne and her inability to control her “gift”—she is a Berserker. When someone she loves is threatened, she flies into a killing state. The siblings must leave Norway for the American frontier or risk being brought to justice. 

Aided by a young cowboy who agrees to be their guide, Hanne and her siblings use their powers to survive the perilous trail, where blizzards, wild animals, and vicious bounty hunters await.

Will they be able to reach their uncle, the one man Hanne believes may be able to teach her how to control her drive to kill? With Berserker, Emmy Laybourne, the author of Monument 14, presents her vision of the American west studded with Viking glory.

At under 300 pages, Berserker is a fairly short book, but it’s impressive how much detail the author packs into it.

I did think the first few chapters were a little slow and somewhat confusing. There’s a lot of information given about Hanne, her family and the Nytte, which are “gifts” given to from Norse gods to select families. But, once Hanne and her brothers arrive in America and meet up with Owen, the action picks up considerably.

I loved Hanne who in the beginning is full of guilt and self-loathing. It was pure pleasure watching her accept her Nytte and develop into a more self-confident young woman. I also enjoyed the relationship between the three siblings, which is complicated yet believable and relatable. The romance between Hanne and Owen is a little quick to commence, but their relationship is very sweet, and as they’re literally fated to be together, I wasn’t annoyed. I loved the way Emmy Laybourne alternated their POVs before seamlessly merging them about a third of the way through. Her writing style is really quite lovely.

The plot itself which combines Norse mythology with an American western is creative and unique, and makes this standout from all other mythology based books. There’s some incredible fight scenes which further moves the action along. The only other thing I found myself wishing for was a glossary or guide for the pronunciations of some of the Norse names and words. I’m pretty sure I completely mangled some of them.

Overall, I think Berserker is a very promising beginning to this new trilogy and I’m looking forward to Ransacker which will hopefully be out next year. I highly recommend this for teens and adults who love Norse mythology and are looking for something completely different.

The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co. #1), by Jonathan Stroud ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Middle School Fiction, Mystery, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

401 Pages

Synopsis: A sinister Problem has occurred in London: all nature of ghosts, haunts, spirits, and specters are appearing throughout the city, and they aren’t exactly friendly. Only young people have the psychic ability required to see—and eradicate—these supernatural foes. Many different Psychic Detection Agencies have cropped up to handle the dangerous work, and they are in fierce competition for business. In The Screaming Staircase, the plucky and talented Lucy Carlyle teams up with Anthony Lockwood, the charismatic leader of Lockwood & Co., a small agency that runs independent of any adult supervision. After an assignment leads to both a grisly discovery and a disastrous end, Lucy, Anthony, and their sarcastic colleague, George, are forced to take part in the perilous investigation of Combe Carey Hall, one of the most haunted houses in England. Will Lockwood & Co. survive the Hall’s legendary Screaming Staircase and Red Room to see another day? 

I’ve had this series on my tbr for what seems like forever, but somehow just never seemed to find the time to start it. So, when the first book, The Screaming Staircase, popped up on NetGalley as a Read Now offer, I immediately jumped, and now I’m left asking why I waited so long.

I have to be honest and say that Lucy, who’s the narrator is a little on the dull side. Her personality is well developed, but she’s very reserved, especially when compared to the gallant Anthony and amusing George. I liked her, but she seemed to be missing a certain spark. The relationship between the three is at the heart of this book and I liked that they weren’t copycat characters of others from series like Harry Potter. They’re engaging and work well together, and I was fully invested in seeing what happened with them 

I loved the world-building which is set around an alternate current day London, which has an almost Victorian age feel. There’s a bit of an info-dump which does slow the pace somewhat, but it still makes for a suspenseful and at times, humorous read. 

Despite the couple of issues I had, overall I thought The Screaming Staircase was an enjoyable beginning to the Lockwood & Co. series and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books. I think middle-school age kids will gobble this creepy tale.

Little Free Library Update

Any Bibliophile Is Familiar With The Sensation Of Traveling Through Books, But Here’s An Amazing Story From Rachel Of One Of Her Books Making A Journey Of Its Own!

Records of the Ohanzee

There’s Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror on top of the stack!

Two years ago, I dropped off a copy of the first edition of my book, Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror, in the Little Free Library that stands beside the local bike trail. (See the original post from August 2015 here.) I wrote an inscription on the inside in the hopes of one day hearing from someone who happened to pick up the book. Weeks passed, then months and years, and I assumed that the book must have disappeared somewhere along it’s journey.

And then–just last week–something amazing happened. This appeared on Instagram…

You can imagine my surprise at seeing one of the few original copies of my book make an appearance after so many years. But this wasn’t simply one of the originals…

…it was the copy I left in the Little Free Library. And…

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