Infinity Son (Infinity Cycle #1), by Adam Silvera ~ 2.0 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science Fiction, YA Fiction

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: January 14th, 2020

368 Pages 

Synopsis: Balancing epic and intensely personal stakes, bestselling author’s Adam Silvera’s Infinity Son is a gritty, fast-paced adventure about two brothers caught up in a magical war generations in the making.

Growing up in New York, brothers Emil and Brighton always idolized the Spell Walkers—a vigilante group sworn to rid the world of specters. While the Spell Walkers and other celestials are born with powers, specters take them, violently stealing the essence of endangered magical creatures.

Brighton wishes he had a power so he could join the fray. Emil just wants the fighting to stop. The cycle of violence had taken a toll, making it harder for anyone with a power to live openly and peacefully.

I can’t believe I’m giving Infinity Son, by Adam Silvera such a low rating. Silvera, the bestselling author of: More Happy Than Not; They Both Die At the End, History Is All You Left Me and What If It’s Us, which he co-wrote with fellow bestselling author Becky Albertalli. As far as diverse YA fiction goes, he’s a reliable author I’ve been able to count on for an entertaining read. When I heard that he was coming out with a fantasy I was so excited, but I was only a few chapters in when I started getting a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

First there’s the world building, or lack thereof. It’s really no different than Silvera’s contemporary fiction settings with a few fantasy/science fiction elements thrown in. The plot has a lot of potential, but in this first book everything is a bit meandering and confusing. My biggest disappointment though is reserved for the characters. They’re all either utterly forgettable or teeth-grindingly annoying. I didn’t connect with any of them and by the time the cliffhanger ending came I found myself thanking God I made it through the book.

It breaks my heart to say what a disappointment Infinity Son was for me. As always though, I recommend that you check out the other reviews on Goodreads. As for myself, I know from experience that even great authors have the occasional missteps. Although I don’t plan on continuing with this series/trilogy I do look forward to future books from this author.

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Only Mostly Devastated, by Sophie Gonzales ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Contemporary Fiction, Death, Fat-Shaming, Homophobia, Humor, LGBTQ, Romance, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 3rd, 2020

272 Pages

Synopsis: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets Clueless, inspired by Grease.

When Ollie meets his dream guy, Will, over summer break, he thinks he’s found his Happily Ever After. But once summer’s ended, Will stops texting him back, and Ollie finds himself one prince short of a fairytale ending. To complicate the fairytale further, a family emergency sees Ollie uprooted and enrolled at a new school—Will’s school—where Ollie finds that the sweet, affectionate and comfortably queer he knew from summer, isn’t the same one attending Collinswood High. This Will is a class clown, closeted—and to be honest, a bit of a jerk.

Ollie has no intention of pining after a guy who clearly isn’t ready for a relationship. But as Will starts ‘coincidentally’ popping up in every area of Ollie’s life, from music class, to the lunch table, Ollie finds his resolve weakening. 

The last time Ollie gave Will his heart, Will handed it back to him, trampled and battered. Ollie would have to be an idiot to trust him with it again.

Right?

Right.

Only Mostly Devastated is an adorable read that as advertised combines elements of Grease, Clueless and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Love Simon was the film adaptation.) When I first began this I was a little worried that it would be too derivative, especially of Grease, but I’m very happy that while similar to the Sandy, Danny, the Pink Ladies, Sophie Gonzales does a fantastic job having her characters stand out on their own. Ollie, who has been out since he was thirteen, and received acceptance from his family and friends, is understandably hurt and bewildered when Will, who hasn’t come out, is reluctant to acknowledge their relationship. Their actions, and feelings are both understandable and relatable. The other characters: Juliette, Lara, and Niamh who form this modern day incarnation of the Pink Ladies are much more diverse and complex than their predecessors. I especially loved Lara (Rizzo), who initially comes off as a callous you-know-what, but the more you find out about her, the more you can’t help but love her.  As much as I loved Ollie’s and Will’s rocky romance, the eventual friendship between Lara and Ollie also captured my heart.

The only reason why I’m not giving giving this a full 5 stars is because a few of the secondary characters needed some development but instead they came across as rather pointless. While there are some touching scenes with Ollie and his ailing aunt, and some humorous ones with his young cousins, I wish I had a better sense of his relationship with his parents. They’re obviously close and supportive, but we’re told this rather than shown this. At the end of the book I really knew nothing more about them and their relationship with their son than I did in the beginning. Overall though, Only Mostly Devastated is a wonderful novel that deals with serious issues like the death of a loved one, homophobia, and fat-shaming, in a thoughtful manner, and balances these with sweet humor. It’s a book I’d recommend to YAs and adults who are looking for a cute fun read that will make them smile.

Scream All Night, by Derek Milman ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Child Abuse, Contemporary Fiction, Dysfunctional Families, Humor, LGBTQ, Romance, YA Fiction

Thanks to Edelweiss and Balzer & Bray for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

400 Pages

Synopsis: A darkly hilarious contemporary realistic young adult novel about growing up and finding your place in the world, perfect for fans of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and Running With Scissors.

Dario Heyward knows one thing: He’s never going back to Moldavia Studios, the iconic castle that served as the set, studio, and home to the cast and crew of dozens of cult, classic B-horror movies. It’s been three years since Dario’s even seen the place, after getting legally emancipated from his father, the infamous director of Moldavia’s creature features.

But then Dario’s brother invites him home to a mysterious ceremony involving his father and a tribute to his first film—The Curse of the Mummy’s Tongue. Dario swears his homecoming will be a one-time visit. A way for him to get closure on his past—and reunite with Hayley, his first love and costar of Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun, a production fraught with real-life tragedy—and say goodbye for good. But the unthinkable happens—Dario gets sucked back into the twisted world of Moldavia and the horrors, real and imagined, he’s left there.

With only months to rescue the sinking studio and everyone who has built their lives there, Dario must confront the demons of his past—and the uncertainties of his future. But can he escape the place that’s haunted him his whole life?

“This is a house full of misfits, everyone unmoored from the world outside these gates. They don’t belong out there. They live in a constantly moving dreamworld of imagined horrors, spurts of gore, skulking monsters—creatures more aberrant than themselves. After all, it takes true misfits to make believable monsters.” 

Where do I start? Scream All Night is one of the most creative and original, yet totally bonkers books, I’ve come across in a long time. I read it last summer, yet I still remember it like it was yesterday. As the book opens, seventeen-year-old Dario (named after Italian giallo-horror director Dario Argento), finds himself reluctantly back in the bizarre world of Moldavia Studios after having legally emancipated himself from his parents. His mother is in a mental institution and his brilliant but abusive father has planned a live funeral for which attendance is mandatory. Dario has some extremely mixed feelings regarding his childhood and family, so once he returns to deal with some of these larger than life characters, he also has to deal with both the wonderful and the traumatic memories that he escaped from.

“That’s when I learned that with beauty comes a little bit of terror. That pretty much sums up my childhood here: something cool would happen, immediately followed by something traumatic. I could never come to terms with those knee-jerk jumps.”

What ensues is a darkly comedic coming-of-age story that will have you laughing out loud one moment and tearing up the next. It’s a zany mix combining the moving story of a young man facing his childhood demons, with the ludicrous, over-the-top antics of his family. The creepy setting of a castle where B horror movies are made just makes it all even more nuts.

“The spiders will always hatch out of the flowers. But now I like to think of the moments before, when they’re just flowers, blooming and they can be pinched closed so that all that prettiness lasts a little longer before the inevitable horror comes.

Scream All Night is a YA book that I highly recommend to adults who don’t normally read books for teens. It’s quirky and heart wrenching, and you’re bound to fall in love with Dario. Derek Milman’s flawless writing has made me a fan and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

 

 

 

 

 

The Dark Days Club Blog Tour ~ The Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen #2), By Alison Goodman

Tags

Adult Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery, Regency England, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense

This is part two of The Dark Days Book Tour, hosted by Penguin Young Readers. After reading the second book in this series — The Dark Days Pact — I’m once again figuratively hitting  myself over the head for waiting so long!

Release Date: Available Now

496 Pages

Synopsis: June 1812. Just weeks after her catastrophic coming-out ball, Lady Helen Wrexhall—now disowned by her uncle—is a full time member of the demon-hunting Dark Days Club. Her mentor, Lord Carlston, has arranged for Helen to spend the summer season in Brighton so that he can train her new Reclaimer powers. 

However, the long-term effects of Carlston’s Reclaimer work have taken hold, and his sanity is beginning to slip. At the same time, Carlston’s Dark Days Club colleague and nemesis will stop at nothing to bring Helen over to his side—and the Duke of Selburn is determined to marry her. The stakes are even higher for Helen as she struggles to become the warrior that everyone expects her to be.

My one complaint about The Dark Days Club, was that I thought it took a little too long to get to the meat of the story. I don’t know if it was just the mood I was in, but with The Dark Days Pact, I was immediately sucked in. I actually read a little over half the book in my first sitting! There’s a lot more action in this sequel, as Lady Helen learns exactly what’s expected of her new duties as a Reclaimer. Balancing her secret life and maintaining her outward persona as a young lady of the Ton in 1800s England is proving to be more and more difficult. Having to disguise herself as a man while working requires certain sacrifices, including cutting her hair. And worse, she’s forcibly drawn into the politics of the Dark Days Club itself, which puts her into the position of keeping secrets from her mentor, Lord Carlston.

While their relationship has had it’s erm, prickly moments, things are now even more strained between them. In addition to Lady Helen’s secret mission, Lord Carlston is struggling with an unknown illness, and it’s one that his chief nemesis in the Dark Days Club is more than willing to exploit. And then there are the feelings that Lady Helen harbors for the Duke of Selburn. You all know my feelings toward love triangles. They’re one of my biggest pet peeves because I’ve rarely seen them work in a positive manner in a story. However, this (sort of) love triangle not only didn’t make me want to hurl the book at the wall, it also makes rational sense within the context of the story. Just as Lady Helen is torn between her role as a defender of humanity against the deceivers, and that of a respectable young lady in England’s high society, she is also torn between the brooding Lord Carlston who respects her and expects much from her despite her sex, and the adoring attentions of the Duke who wants to put her up on a pedestal. It seems pretty obvious (fingers crossed) Lady Helen will wind up with Lord Carlston who admires and respects both her intellect and her other attributes, but I can understand why she’s somewhat drawn to Selburn with his connections to her old life, despite her frustration with his insistence on being her protector. I also have a developing theory regarding Selburn, and if I’m correct, it will abolish any lingering feelings that Lady Helen has for him.

In the previous book, Lady Helen already was showing strong, feminist characteristics, and in this book she continues on that journey, growing more confident and self-assured as the story progresses. Aiding her on that journey is her maid Darby, who is not only her aide in her paranormal duties, but steadfastly backs her up when it comes to what is expected of her. I absolutely love their relationship! The other characters’ backstories are developed more, especially those of Lord Carlston’s aides, Mr. Hammond and his twin sister Lady Margaret. As difficult as things are today for anyone who’s LGBTQ, back in the 1800s it was even worse and this is realistically and heartbreakingly depicted by the scorn and disgust Mr. Hammond is forced to endure, as well as the danger being a “Molly” could bring, as it was an executable offense.

And finally, the supernatural world building against the all too real life for the upper and lower classes in Regency England continues to be a wonderful combination. It boggles my mind how the author can portray this historical period with such accuracy, even including actual historical figures and incidents, while adding all these supernatural elements.

In my estimation, The Darks Days Pact has surprisingly surpassed its fantastic predecessor, and it’s left me extremely excited to dive into the conclusion, The Dark Days Deceit, which is being released November 20th, 2018. 

~

About the Author:

Alison Goodman writes in a variety of genres, ranging from the genre-bending DARK DAYS CLUB titles to the EON/EONA fantasy duology, to the YA science fiction thriller SINGING THE DOGSTAR BLUES. She was a D.J. O’Hearn Memorial Fellow at Melbourne University, holds a Master of Arts degree and mentors emerging writers. A long-time lover of the Regency period, she has a treasure trove of material to be viewed at https://www.pinterest.com/alisongoodman/ She’s online at http://www.darkdaysclub.com and on Twitter at https://mobile.twitter.com/AlisonGoodman

The Dark Days Pact can be found at:

 

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dark-days-pact-alison-goodman/1123752847;jsessionid=9602CB07B357E29

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26061581-the-dark-days-pact

Tour Schedule:

WEEK ONE

September 10 – Eater of Books ~ https://eaterofbooks.blogspot.com – Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Read the Dark Days Club

September 11 – @darkfaerietales ~ https://www.instagram.com/darkfaerietales_/ – Creative Instagram Picture

September 12 – Darque Dreamer Reads ~ https://darquedreamerreads.wordpress.com – Review with gifs and Moodboard

September 13 – My Friends are Fiction – https://www.instagram.com/myfriendsarefiction – Creative Instagram Picture 

September 14 – By Hook Or By Book – https://cadburypom.wordpress.com – Review with gifs

WEEK TWO

October 8 – Eater of Books ~ https://eaterofbooks.blogspot.com – Moodboard 

October 9 – @darkfaerietales ~ https://www.instagram.com/darkfaerietales_/ – Creative Instagram Picture 

October 10 – Darque Dreamer Reads – https://darquedreamerreads.wordpress.com – Review with gifs and Moodboard 

October 11 – My Friends are Fiction – https://www.instagram.com/myfriendsarefiction – Review and Creative Instagram Picture 

October 12 – By Hook Or By Book – https://cadburypom.wordpress.com – Review with gifs

WEEK THREE

November 12 – Eater of Books ~ https://eaterofbooks.blogspot.com – Favorite Quotes

November 13 – @darkfaerietales ~ https://www.instagram.com/darkfaerietales_/ – Creative Instagram Picture 

November 14 – Dark Dreamer Reads ~ https://darkdreamerreads.wordpress.com – Review with gifs and Moodboard 

November 15 – My Friends are Fiction – https://www.instagram.com/myfriendsarefiction – Review and Creative Instagram Picture 

November 16 – By Hook Or By Book – https://cadburypom.wordpress.com – Review with gifs 

 

The Raging Ones (The Raging Ones #1), by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie ~ 3.0 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, LGBTQ, Romance, Science Fiction, YA Fiction

Thanks to  NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

352 Pages

Synopsis: In a freezing world, where everyone knows the day they will die, three teens break all the odds.

Franny Bluecastle, a tough city teen, dreams of dying in opulence, to see wealth she’s never known. Like the entire world, she believes it’s impossible to dodge a deathday.

Until the day she does. 

Court Icecastle knows wealth. He also knows pain. Spending five years in Vorkter Prison, a fortress of ice and suffering, he dreams of life beyond the people that haunt him and the world that imprisoned him.

Mykal Kickfall fights for those he loves. The rugged Hinterlander shares a frustrating yet unbreakable connection with Court—which only grows more lawless and chaotic as their senses and emotions connect with Franny.

With the threat of people learning they’ve dodged their deathdays, they must flee their planet to survive. But to do so, all three will have to hide their shared bond as they vie for a highly sought after spot in the newest mission to space. Against thousands of people far smarter, who’ll live longer, and never fear death the way that they do.

 I’ve read a few books centered around the deathday premise and I’m always interested in how an author is going to deal with the topic of people knowing when they’re going to die. I liked the way The Raging Ones inserted this into the story, but there were some other things that prevented this from being a perfect read for me.

The biggest issue I had was with the three main characters: Franny, Mykal, and Court. The chapters alternate between their povs, and I was frustrated, because I liked them, but their voices sounded much too similar. I also thought they could have been developed more, but the authors spend so much detailing on the world building, that there’s no time for anything else. That said, there’s no love triangle and I really enjoyed the relationship between the three and LOVED the bond shared by Mykal and Court.

Which brings me to my other issue. This first book is basically a huge info dump. On the one hand, I found it interesting, original, and creative. On the other, I felt like there was a ton of information being thrown at me, and between this and all the twists thrown in, it was too much at times. The ending is a huge cliffhanger which is fine, but there were a couple of things I wished had been answered that weren’t. For example, by the end of the book it was still a mystery to me how people’s deathdays are decided.

Despite my issues with The Raging Ones, I do think this series has loads of potential and I will definitely be picking up the sequel next year.

 

 

Father Figure, by James Cudney ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Child Abuse, Contemporary Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery, Rape, Romance, Suspense

Thanks to Shannon over at Reads & Reels for including me in this Blog Tour.

Release Date: April 2, 2018

Published By Creativia

415 Pages

Synopsis: Between the fast-paced New York City, a rural Mississippi town, and a charming Pennsylvania college campus filled with secrets, two young girls learn the consequences of growing up too quickly. Struggling to survive in a claustrophobic, unforgiving world, they embark on a journey to overcome all the pain, disappointment, and horror of their experiences.

Amalia Graeme, abused by her mother for most of her life, longs to escape her desolate hometown, connect with others, and fall in love. Contemplating an impending loss of innocence and conflicting feelings between her boyfriend and the dangerous attraction she’s developed for an older man, Amalia suffers devastating, life-altering tragedies. No matter where she turns, someone or something always steals her hope of finding happiness, protection, and love.

Brianna Porter, a sassy yet angst-ridden teenager raised in New York City, yearns to determine her life’s true purpose, conquer her fear of abandonment, and interpret an intimidating desire for her best friend Shanelle. All the confusion stems from desperately needing to find the father whom her mother refuses to reveal, but the unexpected discovery of a journal leads Brianna to a shocking revelation about her missing parent. Unfortunately, by casting the net to find him, she’s unleashed a tragic history that was meant to stay buried and might now completely change everyone’s futures.

Told in alternating chapters set two decades apart, each girl’s plight unfolds revealing the parallels between their lives and the subsequent collision that is bound to happen. In an emotional story filled with mystery, romance, and suspense, fate intervenes forcing someone to make a dreadful decision that will leave permanent scars.

Excerpt:

The red blouse is something important to Amalia, but she loses it when her mother takes another swing to knock down her daughter. This shows how awful Janet can be. Red becomes a theme in the book and aligns with the color of the cabin on the cover.

~ James J. Cudney

Amalia grabbed her bag and keys shuffling everything together to leave with her mother. In her rush, she dropped the bag to the floor. The red blouse spilled from its only protection unaware of the trouble its presence would generate. It was the only article of clothing Amalia owned that made her feel special, nor did it try to hide her body from the rest of the world.

“What is that doing here? I told you to get rid of that yesterday morning.” The room grew a few degrees cooler as Janet’s icy expression penetrated the waning of Amalia’s facade. 

“I…I just…forgot it was…in my bag when I brought it here today,” stammered Amalia.

“Give it here.”

“No, Momma. I’m bringing it home.”

“Someday you’ll understand girl.” Janet refocused her triumphant gaze from Amalia to her husband. “Have you got a pair of scissors in this store, Peter?”

Amalia closed her eyes and pictured what could have been if she’d met Bryan at the lake. She chastised herself for foolishly letting down her guard imagining the possibility of something positive happening in Brant. It was merely another one of nightmares masquerading as a silly little girl’s daydream. Fighting back was a lost cause, and so was her blouse. Amalia grabbed the scissors from the rusty mason jar and walked with unparalleled defeat toward her mother.

“Stay right there, child. I’m not gonna be the one to destroy it. Give those scissors to your father.”

Peter’s deep-set eyes grew wide with disbelief despite remaining glued to a pile of dirt in the corner. “Janet, let her keep the shirt, please. She’s not going to wear it anywhere.”

“Cut it up now, Peter. The girl needs to learn another lesson. Apparently, so do you.” Janet banged her fist against the nearest wall rattling the pipes. “Make it quick. Greg will be ready for dinner in three hours.”

As the harassment in Janet’s voice punched holes in his body, Peter’s courage went limp with burden. His shaky fingers, normally quite firm and adept from building his model trains and boats, slid into the scissors. Amalia turned away at the nagging graze of one blade against the other, grateful when the fabric muffled the awful scrape of her last hopes being dashed away for the summer. “I love you Daddy,” she mouthed to his despondent eyes and walked behind her mother to the car praying for silence on the ride home.

I’m not participating in many blog tours nowadays because of my health issues, but I just had to take part in this one for our fellow blogger, Jay Cudney’s sophomore novel, Father Figure. I absolutely loved his first book, Watching Glass Shatter so I’ve been eagerly anticipating this and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. I was completely captivated from the very first page and finished this in two sittings because I couldn’t tear myself away.

Father Figure is both a character-driven and plot-driven story that’s emotional and powerful and will have you reaching for the tissue box more than once. As usual I’m not going to reveal any spoilers, but suffice it to say Jay has created in Amalia and Brianna two characters who you won’t be able to stop yourself from becoming deeply invested in. In the beginning I did emphasize with Amalia more because of some shared childhood experiences. I also loved how she persevered despite the horrible things she was subjected to. She became a strong, self-reliant woman and I greatly admired her. Brianna is quite different in terms of personality and to be honest, in the beginning, I thought she was a spoiled brat. However, I grew to appreciate her struggles regarding the secrets being kept from her as well as her questions about her sexuality and relationship with her loyal and sassy childhood friend, Shanelle (who is my third favorite character). I have to say that Jay not only captured the voice of sweet, innocent Amalia perfectly, but he also hit all the nuances of being a teenage girl with Brianna. I was really quite impressed. The secondary characters are equally well-rounded and all of them play large roles in the development of Amalia and Brianna. It amazed me how detailed Jay was able to make each of them without slowing down the pace of the story. 

Speaking of which…the plot has many layers made up of heartbreak and loss, mystery and suspense, and even some humor to balance the darker moments. There are some difficult issues including: child abuse, death, rape, and sexual identity. Some of these could be triggers for some readers, so I wanted to include that warning. Nothing is overly graphic and Jay includes each subject with sensitivity and as an integral part of the journey each of the main characters go on.

Father Figure is a wonderful read that I can’t recommend highly enough. Expect to get angry, cry and laugh while reading this and be prepared to gasp at the many twists and turns the story takes. I’d recommend this as a perfect choice for book groups not only for the amazing story, but also for the social issues it brings up. I’d also recommend this as a stellar pick for moms to read with their adult daughters. No matter what kind of reader you are, I promise that if choose to pick this up you won’t be disappointed. This is a story you’ll be thinking about hours, days, and weeks after you’ve finished it.

About the Author:

James is my given name, most call me Jay. I grew up on Long Island and currently live in New York City, but I’ve traveled all across the US (and various parts of the world). After college, I spent 15 years working in technology and business operations in the sports, entertainment, and media industries. Although I enjoyed my job, I left in 2016 to focus on my passion: telling stories and connecting people through words. My debut novel is Watching Glass Shatter, a contemporary fiction family drama with elements of mystery, suspense, humor and romance. To see samples or receive news from my current and upcoming books, please subscribe with your email address at my website: https://jamesjcudney.com

What do I do outside of writing: I’m an avid genealogist (discovered 2K family members going back about 250 years) and cook (I find it so hard to follow a recipe). I love to read; between Goodreads and my blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com I have over 500 book reviews which will give you a full flavor for my voice and style. On my blog, I started the 365 Daily Challenge, where I post a word each day that has some meaning to me, then converse with everyone about life. There is humor, tears, love, friendship, advice and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun of myself all the time. 

A bit of humor: Everything doubles as something else when you live in NYC. For me, it’s the dining room, my favorite space in the apartment, where more than just my cooking is on display! As I look out the windows onto the 12th floor terrace, various parts of nature (trees, bushes, flowers, bugs & animals) inspire me to write.

***

Purchase Link:

https://amazon.com/James-J.-Cudney/e/B076B6PB3M/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39678792-father-figure?ac=1&from_search=true

~ GIVEAWAY ~

One (1) randomly chosen winner will receive a print copy of Father Figure (Available in North America only)

 

For those of you who cannot enter the giveaway because you’re outside of North America, Father Figure will be available later this month on Amazon for only $0.99!

ENTER

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0e7c6a8f37/

***

Where Else to Find Jay:

Creativia – http://www.creativia.org/author-james-cudney.html

Twitter – https://mobile.twitter.com/jamescudney4

Facebook – https://m.facebook.com/JamesJCudneyIVAuthor/

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/jamescudney4/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jamescudney4/

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescudney4

***

Blog Tour Organized By

https://rrbooktours.com

 

The Goddesses by Swan Huntley ~ 1.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Alcoholism, Dysfunctional Families, Hawaii, LGBTQ

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

320 Pages

Synopsis: When Nancy and her family arrive in Kona, Hawaii, they are desperate for a fresh start. Nancy’s husband has cheated on her; they sleep in separate bedrooms and their twin sons have been acting out, setting off illegal fireworks. But Hawaii is a paradise: they plant an orange tree in the yard; they share a bed once again and Nancy resolves to make a happy life for herself. She starts taking a yoga class and there she meets Ana, the charismatic teacher. Ana has short, black hair, a warm smile, and a hard-won wisdom that resonates with Nancy. They are soon spending all of their time together, sharing dinners, relaxing in Ana’s hot tub, driving around Kona in the cute little car Ana helps Nancy buy. As Nancy grows closer and closer to Ana, skipping family dinners and leaving the twins to their own devices, she knows that she will do anything Ana asks of her.

Given the rating above, it probably will come as no great surprise that The Goddesses just was not my cup of tea. When I first saw the publisher’s blurb saying it was a cross between The Descendants and Single White Female, I was so excited. But it wound up not being anything like I expected.

I know I tend to go on and on about being able to connect to characters, but honestly, this is one of the first things I look for in a story. Here, I disliked everyone, with the exception of Nancy’s seventeen-year-old twin sons, Jed and Cam. While they were troublemakers, this was in response to their parents self-absorption and neglect. Most of the time I found them sweet and funny, and kept thinking that Nancy and Chuck didn’t deserve to have them as children. Actually, disliked might be too strong a word for my feelings toward everyone else. They were all just so boring, with little to no personality. Nancy and her adulterous husband Chuck, are cardboard cutouts of a married couple. Nancy especially drove me crazy with her judgmental attitude and neglect of her sons. She completely ignores her own shortcomings which made it absolutely impossible for me to emphasize with her. The only thing I can give them kudos for was the way they handled their son Cam’s coming out to them. And Ana, who I was expecting all sorts of exciting villainy from, was equally banal. When the book finally got around to revealing her motivations, it was completely predictable and left me thinking “That’s it? I stuck with this book for this?!”

As for the plot, instead of being an exciting thriller, it was more like wading through quicksand. I kept reading. I kept waiting. But nothing happened. Okay, there’s a little twist near the end, but it’s nothing inspiring, and even worse, there’s no real climax, and there’s no realistic resolution.

The only reason why I’m giving The Goddesses 1 1/2 stars is because I did love Jed and Cam, and I liked the setting of Kona, Hawaii, but even the beautiful setting was spoiled for me due to the utter lack of diversity. As always, I recommend that you check out other reviews before making up your mind if you want to try this. As for me, I don’t think I’ll be trying anything else by Swan Huntley.

Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor #1) ~ By Mark Lawrence – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Epic Fantasy, LGBTQ

Thanks to NetGalley and Ace for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 4th, 2017

432 Pages

Synopsis: I was born for killing–the gods made me to ruin.

At the Convent of Sweet Mercy young girls are raised to be killers. In a few the old bloods show, gifting talents rarely seen since the tribes beached their ships on Abeth. Sweet Mercy hones its novices’ skills to deadly effect: it takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist.

But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don’t truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls as a bloodstained child of eight, falsely accused of murder: guilty of worse.

Stolen from the shadow of the noose, Nona is sought by powerful enemies, and for good reason. Despite the security and isolation of the convent her secret and violent past will find her out. Beneath a dying sun that shines upon a crumbling empire, Nona Grey must come to terms with her demons and learn to become a deadly assassin if she is to survive…

It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For sister Thorn of the Sweet Mercy Covenant, Lano Tacsis brought two hundred men.

And with that beginning I knew I was going to be in for one heck of a ride! Red Sister is the first book I’ve read by Mark Lawrence, which has left me questioning “Why?” The main character, Nona immediately grabbed my heart right from the beginning as she’s waiting to be executed for murder. Once she’s rescued and brought to the convent, she begins training to be a holy and deadly warrior. The nunnery is somewhat similar to those seen in other fantasy series such as The Kingkiller Chronicles, and even Harry Potter. It also was slightly reminiscent of Nevernight, by Jay Kristoff. There’s that connecting theme to all of them that have the main character possibly being a “chosen one” being sent off to some form of boarding school with tough teachers, and bullies, yet also features close friendships being formed. In this book though, this theme takes on a far more darker and sinister tone. The style of writing is evocative and almost lyrical, which further sets it apart from other fantasies. Everything in Red Sister, from the world-building, the magic system, and even the characters themselves, takes the reader on a journey quite unlike any other. I was a little confused in the beginning as far as the way Lawrence’s world actually works, but I wonder now if this was done purposefully. As I kept reading, it seemed as though I was learning alongside Nona. The ending completely blew me away and it’s left me anxiously waiting for the next book. I do need to bring up the absolute brutality in this book, particularly as it relates to children. This complex world that the author has created is unapologetically bloody and violent. The first chapter has  the line:

No child truly believes they’re going to be hanged.

I knew right then there were going to be some stomach-churning moments and I was right. So just beware, particularly if you cringe at violence being directed toward young ones. Otherwise I cannot recommend this highly enough to fans of fantasy. I guarantee that from the very first page you won’t be able to tear yourself away until the end which will leave you gasping!

Letters to Zell ~ Camille Griep – 3.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Fairytale Retellings, LGBTQ

 I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and Amazon Publishing/47North in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 1, 2015

Synopsis ~ Have you ever wondered what happened after the perfect endings in some of the most beloved fairytales? For Zell (Rapunzel), CeCi (Cinderella), Bianca (Snow White), And Rory (Sleeping Beauty), it’s not all hearts and flowers. Each of them is struggling with a personal crisis which are all detailed through letters. Will they be able to find their “happily-ever-afters”?

At times hilarious, and at times sad this intriguing novel opens, with a crisis in Grimmland, which ultimately starts a chain reaction. Zell has moved to Oz to run a unicorn sanctuary with her husband without a word of warning to her three closest friends and book group members. While they’re initially angry, Zell’s actions cause each of her friends to re-evaluate their lives, and what they’re looking for in their own happy endings.

Under pressure to produce a royal heir, CeCi wishes only to become a world class chef.

Bianca is not only being forced to marry a man who she likes, but doesn’t love, but also to decide the method of her step-mother’s death which will take place at her wedding.

Rory is desperately trying to keep her marriage intact, despite her husband’s roving eye.

I think my favorite character is the foul-mouthed Bianca, who is torn between her duty to Grimmland and her love for Rachel, a mortal in the outside world. Bianca has a funny cynical view of the world which had me laughing out loud. She initially comes across as being somewhat bitchy, yet her letters reveal a softer side. 

CeCi is also an endearing character. She puts up with her obnoxious step-mother living in palace mainly for the sake of her two blind step-sisters who she cares for. She and Edmund (Prince Charming), adore each other yet she keeps secret her desire for a culinary career because she doesn’t think he’ll understand. 

Rory, for me is the weakest character. She out of all the characters comes across as a stereotypical goody-two-shoes Disney princess. Trapped in a loveless marriage, she eventually takes a selfish way out in complete disregard of the hurtful consequences. While I emphasize with her pain, there are so many different actions she could have taken.

Letters to Zell is slow to start but picks up the pace about fifty pages in. I think this because the back and forth nature of the letters take a little getting used to. While the worldbuilding is good, I wish a little more history was included in regards to the fairytale realms. The story unfolding through letters is clever but doesn’t always have an authentic ring to them. They mainly serve to push the story forward. What’s important to me though is that the underlying theme of pursuing your dreams and not allowing yourself to be trapped by societal conventions and other’s expectations is successfully conveyed in an imaginative and entertaining manner.

Despite it’s flaws I did enjoy this and I think if you’re a fan of fairytale retellings and authors like Gregory Maguire you should give this a try.