A Terrible Fall of Angels (Zaniel Havelock #1), By Laurell K. Hamilton ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery, Religion, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, Urban Fantasy

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

Release Date: August 17th, 2021

560 Pages

Synopsis: Angels walk among us, but so do other unearthly beings in this brand new series by #1 New York Times Bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton.

Meet Detective Zaniel Havelock, a man with the special ability to communicate directly with angels. A former trained Angel speaker, he devoted his life to serving both the celestial beings and his fellow humans with his gift, but a terrible betrayal compelled him to leave that life behind. Now he’s a cop who is still working on the side of angels. But where there are angels, there are also demons. There’s no question that there’s evil at work when he’s called in to examine the murder scene of a college student—but is it just the evil that one human being can do to another, or is it something more? When demonic possession is a possibility, even angelic protection can only go so far. The race is on to stop a killer before he finds his next victim, as Zaniel is forced to confront his own very personal demons, and the past he never truly left behind.

The first in a new series from the author of the Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series. (Goodreads)

Way back in 1993 a friend recommended the first Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter book, Guilty Pleasures, and I was immediately hooked. That is until several books later when the series grew more and more into soft porn featuring way too many orgies, which turned me off completely. I haven’t been tempted to pick up a Laurell K. Hamilton book for years, but then I began hearing some rumors about this new series she was working on about angels, and even better, early reviews were overwhelmingly positive. So, I took a deep breath, contacted the publisher and requested an eARC, and I’m thrilled to say after reading A Terrible Fall of Angels that LKH is BACK!

My main critique concerns the massive amount of information and world building relayed here, especially in the first half of the book. Added into this heady mix is the introduction to a large cast of characters. Needless to say it slows things down a little as you acclimate yourself to a world with deities, angels, demons, and other magical and supernatural creatures. But it’s worth reading through everything, because in my opinion, this storyline and its disparate cast of characters are better than even the early Anita Blake books. Zaniel is a fabulous hero, who as a creation of Hamilton is of course a kick-ass gorgeous tough guy, but he’s got a sweet vulnerable side as well. While he’s dealing with angels and demons, etc… he’s also trying to save his marriage and reunite with his estranged wife Reggie and three-year-old son. Although some of Zaniel’s background is revealed, including a little of his childhood in the cultish College of Angels and what caused him to leave it, I’m looking forward to learning even more in subsequent novels. The same is true of all the characters. There are so many of them and while we get a brief introduction to each and their backgrounds (Zaniel’s lieutenant is a voodoo priest, another character is a wiccan priestess and so on), I’m craving more.

The main focus of this first book though is setting up this fantastical world and balancing that with an intriguing, exciting, and at times, somewhat gruesome mystery involving a demon serial killer. Despite some of the less action-filled parts of the book, I was completely enthralled and found myself increasingly reluctant to pull myself away when real life intruded. Despite it being well over 500 pages, I easily finished this in two days and was a tad disappointed when I came to the end. I am excitedly looking forward to the second book.

For readers who, like me, gave up on Hamilton due to the overwhelming sexcapades that eclipsed everything else in her books, I urge you to give her another chance and pick up A Terrible Fall of Angels. For anyone new to her storytelling, this is a wonderful and imaginative introduction to a world filled with wondrous beings, where it’s not always discernible exactly which side is the right one. I will be shocked if this doesn’t make it to the top of the bestseller lists.

 

The Empress ( The Diabolic #2), by S.J. Kincaid ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Politics, Religion, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Children for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 31st, 2017

320 Pages

Synopsis: It’s a new day in the Empire. Tyrus has ascended to the throne with Nemesis by his side and now they can find a new way forward—one where they don’t have to hide or scheme or kill. One where creatures like Nemesis will be given worth and recognition, where science and information can be shared with everyone, not just the elite.

But having power isn’t the same as keeping it, and change isn’t always welcome. The rolling class, the Grandiloquy, has held control over planets and systems for centuries—and they are plotting to stop this teenage Emperor and Nemesis, who is considered nothing more than a creature and certainly not worthy of being Empress. 

Nemesis will protect Tyrus at any cost. He is the love of her life, and they are partners in this new beginning. But she cannot protect him by being the killing machine she once was. She will have to prove the humanity that she’s found inside herself to the whole Empire—or she and Tyrus may lose more than just the throne. But if proving her humanity means that she and Tyrus must do inhuman things, is the fight worth the cost of winning it?

After finishing The Diabolic last year which was supposed to be a standalone, I was one of the fans who clamored for a second book. And S.J. Kincaid listened and has made this a trilogy! So, YAY! However, as Shakespeare wrote, “the course of true love never did run smooth”, and is that ever the case here for our young lovers, Nemesis and Tyrus. By the time I reached the end of the book I think I went through half a box of Kleenex!

Before I forget, I need to mention, The Empress is not a book you can jump into without having read the previous book. There’s a lot of world-building and complicated politics and technology, so you’ll be completely lost if you try this without being caught up first.

Without giving away any spoilers, in the first book we were introduced to Nemesis, part of a genetically engineered human hybrid race, that thanks to their enhanced DNA, are incredibly strong. Each of them are bonded for life to one person with their sole purpose being to protect them. While fulfilling her duties protecting her charge, who also wound up becoming her friend, Nemesis uncovered a dangerous plot reaching the highest levels at the royal court, and by the end of the book had teamed up with Tyrus, a member of the royal family, previously thought to be mad.

This story picks up basically at the same point where things left off. Nemesis and Tyrus, now in love, want nothing more than to rule and protect their people. Unfortunately, an enemy who holds a deep grudge against Nemesis, as well as harboring political ambitions himself, betrays them and rips the two young lovers apart. There are still many scenes of them together, and despite the flaws each one has, they’re a couple you can’t help but desperately want a happy ending for. Tyrus brings out the more human aspects of Nemesis, and she curbs his more impulsive decisions. They work so well together, which makes what happens to them even more heartbreaking. 

There is even more world-building in this sequel and you get a lot more insight into the politics and religion that is part of this society. Because of this there were a few sections that were a little slower paced, but for the most part I didn’t find this to be a huge problem. The ending is an enormous cliffhanger which seriously has me wondering if and how there will be a happy ending in the final book.

The Empress is an emotional rollercoaster ride that evoked strong emotions in me because of all the heartbreak and betrayal. As horrible as that may sound, it’s proof of how connected I was to the characters. If you haven’t read either of these yet, just be warned that S. J. Kincaid isn’t a sunshine, rainbows, and puppies kind of author. You may want the plot to go in one direction, but be prepared to be disappointed and to have your heart ripped out and stomped on….multiple times! I HIGHLY recommend The Diabolic and The Empress to older teens and adults who love gripping science fiction mixed with sinister political plots, nefarious characters, and heartbreaking romance. I’m both eagerly anticipating and dreading the final book which is due out next year.

The Wonder ~ By Emma Donoghue – 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Fasting Girls, Historical Fiction, Ireland, Religion

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 20th, 2016

304 Pages

Synopsis: Tourists flock to the cabin of eleven-year-old Anna O’Donnell, who believes herself to be living off manna from heaven, and a journalist is sent to cover the sensation. Lib Wright, a veteran of Florence Nightingale’s Crimean campaign, is hired to keep watch over the girl. 

Written with all the propulsive tension that made Room a huge bestseller, The Wonder works beautifully on many levels–a tale of two strangers who transform each other’s lives, a powerful psychological thriller, and a story of love pitted against evil.

Evocative, breathtaking, disturbing, compelling, thought-provoking (I’m going to stop with the superlatives here, since you can probably guess how I feel about this book), The Wonder is another example of why Emma Donoghue is considered to be such an amazing writer. Anna is representative of the so-called “fasting girls” which was a phenomena that took place mainly  during the Victorian era, although it seems as though there are over 50 documented cases between the 16th and 20th centuries. Many young girls from Europe to the U.S. claimed they were able to survive without sustenance for long periods of time due to divine intervention. Most modern day medical professionals however see this as an early version of anorexia nervosa. I had never heard of this, so right away I was completely riveted. When Lib first arrives, young Anne hasn’t had any nourishment for four months, yet she seems perfectly healthy. Lib’s role is basically to observe and report, without interfering. The frustration she feels is understandable and resonates off the page. Anna seems to be a sweet innocent child who is accepting of believers and non-believers alike which makes you want to know what is really happening even more. What truly makes this story shine though, are the beautiful details the author uses to flesh out her story. From the very first page I was completely immersed in the beautiful setting of Ireland, the people, and its superstitions. Every aspect is brought to life in Donoghue’s talented hands, and I actually felt as though I was there on the O’Donnell’s small farm as the events unfolded. There’s also the intriguing mystery of whether it’s truly possible that Anna is surviving on just air and water, or is she receiving food secretly. Religion is a major theme of this story, but it’s portrayed in neither a positive or negative way. Rather, it serves as the backdrop to the overall story. What really made The Wonder a success for me is that it made me want to research its subject matter more. This is the third book I’ve read of Donoghue’s after Frog Music and Room and she’s turned into one of my go-to authors when I’m in the mood for an emotional, disturbing and compelling story. I believe fans of Emma Donoghue’s will find The Wonder as further proof of her remarkable storytelling skills, and if you’re new to her writing, this is an excellent book to start with. 

The Fireman ~ By Joe Hill – 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction, Horror, Plagues, Relationships, Religion

Thank you Edelweiss and William Morrow for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 17th, 2016

Synopsis: No one knows exactly when it bagan or where it originated. A terrifying new plague is spreading like wildfire across the country, striking cities one by one: Boston, Detroit, Seattle. The doctors call it Draco Incendia Trychophyton. To everyone else it’s Dragonscale, a highly contagious, deadly spore that marks its hosts with beautiful black and gold marks across their bodies–before causing them to burst into flames. Millions are infected; blazes erupt everywhere. There is no antidote. No one is safe.

Harper Grayson, a compassionate, dedicated nurse as pragmatic as Mary Poppins, treated hundreds of infected patients before her hospital burned to the ground. Now she’s discovered the telltale gold-flecked marks on her skin. When the outbreak first began, she and her husband, Jakob, had made a pact: they would take matters into their own hands if they became infected. To Jakob’s dismay, Harper wants to live–at least until the fetus she is carrying comes to term. At the hospital, she witnessed infected mothers give birth to healthy babies and believes hers will be fine too…if she can live long enough to deliver the child.

Convinced his do-gooding wife has made him sick, Jakob becomes unhinged, and eventually abandons her as their placid New England community collapses in terror. The chaos gives rise to ruthless Cremation Squads–armed, self-appointed posses roaming the streets and woods to exterminate those who they believe carry the spore. But Harper isn’t as alone as she fears: a mysterious and compelling stranger she briefly met at the hospital, a man in a dirty yellow fire fighter’s jacket, carrying a hooked iron bar, straddles the abyss between insanity and death. Known as The Fireman, he strolls the ruins of New Hampshire, a madman afflicted with Dragonscale who has learned to control the fire within himself, using it as a shield to protect the hunted…and as a weapon to avenge the wronged.

In the desperate season to come, as the world burns out of control, Harper must learn The Fireman’s secrets before her life–and that of her unborn child–goes up in smoke.

I’ve been practically foaming at the mouth since I heard about The Fireman last year. Being the Stephen King fan that I am, it’s little wonder that I’d also become a devotee of his son who has definitely inherited his dad’s writing prowess. When I requested this from Edelweiss I honestly didn’t think I had a chance of getting my hands on a e-Arc. If I had children I think I would have given up my first born for a coveted approval. I was even eyeing my neighbor’s oldest kid as a possible offering. Thankfully I was approved and it never came to that.

After I calmed down and stopped screaming I immediately stopped reading my other three books and focused solely on this. I actually finished it over a week ago, but it’s taken me this long to write a coherent review. When I first read the synopsis I was picturing something like this in regards to John Rookwood, aka The Fireman:

He’s actually much more like Constantine, right down to the British accent.

And like Constantine, John is a complicated man. He’s not perfect by any means, but he’s one of the most interesting characters I’ve read about in quite awhile.

And then there’s Harper. I’m going to be honest and say her Mary Poppins obsession may get on some readers nerves, but I thought it added even more charm to an already likable character. Harper is a woman who has a strong moral compass. She doesn’t wear religion on her sleeve like some others in the book do, but she’s courageous, loyal, compassionate and does her best to protect others when she can. The relationship that develops between her and John does so slowly over the course of the novel. While it plays a part in what’s going on, the main focus of the story is the Dragonscale disease and how people react to it. Joe Hill, as in his previous books, does a masterful job of taking ordinary people and climbing into their heads to expose the dark layers that lie within. While you have heroes like Harper, John, and their friends, and villains like Jakob and his twisted buddies on the Cremation Squad, there’s also perfectly ordinary people that any one of us can relate to. Some choose the right path, no matter how difficult it might be, but others struggle, and still more find the darkness within them taking over and truly making them monsters. It goes without saying that the world building is incredible, and the story never drags which is pretty incredible for an almost 800 page book. I finished it in three days which is a testimony to how captivating the story is. At its heart The Fireman is an epic tale of love and redemption amidst unimaginable horror and in my opinion is Joe Hill’s best novel yet. While we’re not quite through half of 2016, the last few months have already been filled with fantastic books, but this is definitely going to the top of my list of favorite books for this year. So, do I recommend this? HELL YEAH!

If you’re already a fan of Joe Hills, The Fireman will make you an even more passionate member of his fandom. If you’re new to his writing and like horror and apocalyptic thrillers I beg you to pick this up. I guarantee you won’t be sorry!

R. I. P. Omar Sharif (1932 – 2015)

Tags

Great Quotes, Omar Sharif, Religion

“When one sees what happens in the world between the religions, the different religions – killing each other and murdering each other, it’s disgusting and as far as I am concerned it’s ridiculous. So I thought I might be useful. I believe in God and I believe in religion, but believe religions should belong to you. The extraordinary thing is that the Jews believe that only the Jews can go to paradise, the Christians believe that only a Christian can go to paradise and the Muslims believe that only the Muslims can go to paradise. Now why should God, in his great justice, make somebody born that cannot go to paradise – it is absurd. Please forgive me, I don’t mean to say it’s absurd, people make it absurd.”

~ Omar Sharif ~

Revival ~ By Stephen King -4.5 Stars

Tags

Horror Fiction, Life After Death, Musicians, Religion, Science, Substance Abuse

 “In one way, at least, our lives are like movies. The main cast consists of your family and friends. The supporting cast is made up of neighbors, co-workers, teachers, and daily acquaintances. There are also bit players: the supermarket checkout girl with the pretty smile, the friendly bartender at the local watering hole, the guys you work out with at the gym three days a week. And there are the thousands of extras — those people who flow through every life like water through a sieve, seen once and never again. The teenager browsing graphic novels at the bookstore, the one you had to slip past (murmuring ‘Excuse me’) in order to get to the magazines. The woman in the next lane at a stoplight, taking a moment to freshen her lipstick. The vendor who sold you a bag of peanuts at a baseball game. But sometimes a person who fits none of these categories comes into your life. This is the joker who pops out of the deck at odd intervals over the years, often during a moment of crisis. In the movies this sort of character is known as the fifth business.”

Thus begins Stephen King’s latest novel. For Jamie Morton, his fifth business, or nemesis as it were, is the Reverend Charles Daniel Jacobs. He first meets the charismatic preacher when he is six years old and the two form an instant bond. Over the next three years the Reverend, his wife, and young son become fixtures in the small community of Harlow, Maine. Then one fateful day the unimaginable occurs. An unspeakable tragedy that will not only cause Reverend Jacobs to lose his faith, but also will send him and Jamie on a collision course which concludes with a horrific act beyond imagination. Some doors are better left unopened.

I finished Revival last night around 7:00 pm and was left so stunned I couldn’t put a string of coherent words together in order to review it. First, let me warn you not to finish this within a couple of hours of when you’re going to bed. You will either not be able to sleep, or you’ll have some truly nasty nightmares. That said, the majority of this book does not really fall under the genre of horror. Indeed, it’s pure Americana, from 1950s small town Maine, to the carnival circuit in the Midwest, to finally landing back in present day Maine where the true horror takes place in the last thirty something pages. The way Jamie’s and Jacobs’ lives develop over five decades, for better or for worse, is vintage King, which is why I loved this book so much. Both men are shaped by the tragedies in their lives and not for the better. Jacobs sets out on an obsessive and destructive path which winds up effecting so many lives, while Jamie is only set on destroying his own, yet once the two meet again when Jamie is an adult the outcome is a foregone conclusion. Jamie is a wonderful, albeit flawed hero whose life is defined by his experiences. You cannot help but sympathize with him even when he’s making the worst decisions. I also wondered if King put a little of himself in Jamie with his addictions and love of classic rock. Reverend Jacobs who begins as a sympathetic character ultimately lets his experiences shape him into a true monster. As this story unfolds you also are introduced to the main cast and the supporting cast who are almost as fascinating as Jamie and Jacobs. Without either the events that play out would never come to fruition. The actual “horror” at the end of the book is a decided homage to two classic writers of that genre, and it’s brilliantly done. When King is at his best, his stories are tapestries where all of the threads are interwoven, finally coming together in one spectacular picture, and this is what he has created with Revival. I’ve tried not to put any real spoilers in this review because if you’re going to read this book I honestly think you should do so with no preconceived notions. Hopefully I’ve succeeded in giving you a tantalizing peek instead.