**Notice** Due to transfering back from a godaddy hosted wordpress blog back to blogger, reviews published before june 2017 don`t all have a pretty layout with book cover and infos. Our apologies.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Stacking the Shelves [300]


Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!
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This is a very special Stacking the Shelves post. It's number 300!!!!! Wow!

Tomorrow is also a multiply special day. It's Easter Sunday. It's April Fools Day. And it's also the second day of Passover. That's a lot of holidays.

April 1 also marks the beginning of my Blogo-Birthday Celebration Week over at Reading Reality. April 4 is the OMG 7th anniversary for Reading Reality, and April 5 is my own personal birthday. I'll be celebrating all week, giving away books and gift cards every day. Come on down and get in on all the fun.

Of course I still have teasers for you from my own shelf-stack. It's always a good week when I get something new from Anna Hackett, and I'm really happy to have gotten the ARC of Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Her first fairy tale retelling, Uprooted, was absolutely awesome, so I'm really looking forward to this one.


Cyborg by Anna Hackett


Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Please link your STS post in the linky below:


Thursday, March 29, 2018

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Hardcover: 552 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release date: November 7, 2017

Series:  Renegades, #1

Source: Purchased

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Secret Identities.
Extraordinary Powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.
The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies―humans with extraordinary abilities―who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.
Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice―and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to the villains who have the power to end them both. 


I know there could come a day when I might not love what Marissa Meyer writes, but thank goodness I haven't reached it yet! Before I purchased this book, I did not know what to expect from the story except that it was about superheroes. This was different than any other superhero story I've read, and joins unique superhero YA tales such as Dangerous by Shannon Hale and The Young Elites by Marie Lu.

Here we have two opposing groups of superheroes trying to gain control of Gatlon City, the Renegades and the Anarchists. Nova, our heroine, is an Anarchist known as Nightmare, having been raised by the former Anarchist leader Ace Anarchy and his followers after her family was killed in gang warfare though the family was supposed to be under Renegade protection. Because she saw her family and especially her toddler sister murdered in front of her, she never sleeps and can put others to sleep at her touch. She's also very gifted with tech and weaponry, like an assassin. Adrian, our hero, is a Renegade known as Sketch who is the adopted son of Captain Chromium and the Dread Warden, the leaders of the Renegades. He can bring his drawings and artwork to life. Since Adrian is the leaders' son, he also is kept largely out of the field and has developed another secret identity, the Sentinel, to gain some independence. His real mother was the Renegade, Lady Indomitable, before she was murdered from a fall, ironic considering her power was flying. Adrian has long suspected the Anarchists of murdering his real mother, and when he encounters Nightmare attempting to assassinate his fathers, well, he takes it personally.

Adrian and his team are actually on the tail of Nightmare, and little does he know she's right under his nose. Nova has decided to attempt to infiltrate the Renegades to even out the balance of power, because many Renegades are abusing their own laws. Secretly, she also wants to know why the Renegades didn't protect her family, why they aren't protecting the people they should be. She joins Adrian's Renegade team as Insomnia.

It's a very intricate story where the heroes and villains are not black and white. They each have depths of good and bad and just happen to be on the perceived "hero" or "villain" side. They also discuss the normal people and the effect of all of these superpowers on them: does it help or is it ultimately hurting them? So while this book is super fast-paced and full of interesting details, it also is thought-provoking and asks new questions about the presence of superheroes and villains and their motives. Such as, what if superheroes were part of the government and part of the protection force, instead of regular people as policemen? Are the policemen going to think they can't work and aren't good enough?

Though we largely view the story from Nova and Adrian's points-of-view, the other characters are very well-drawn and lifelike, memorable. An example of a well-drawn character is this horrifying (especially as a mom!) description of the Puppeteer:

"Eight shimmering gold strings cascaded from his fingertips into the crowd, and though Nova couldn't see where they landed, she knew he would be seeking out children in the chaos below. Those who were touched by his strings would turn into puppets he could control. After all these years, she still wasn't sure if his power only worked on children, or if he just preferred them because a mindless, rabid four-year-old was so damned creepy. . . The street below was in chaos. The Puppeteer's gossamer strings littered the pavement, some still wrapped around children's throats and wrists, though many of his puppets had been discarded and crumpled against buildings or in the middle of the street. . . Winston had four children still enthralled, the strings like nooses around their necks as they threw marching band instruments through shop windows, ripped parade floats to pieces, and hurled street food at the Council members who were trying to stop them without actually hurting them. The Dread Warden, of course, had gone invisible, while Tsunami kept trying to trap the puppets in a frothy tidal wave -- except the spellbound children didn't seem to care that they might drown as the plunged into the wall of water."
One of the most intriguing characters is Max, Adrian's "half-brother" who is kept in a glass prison for everyone's safety. I expect he'll be more important in book two, but for now, there are still questions to be answered about Max, his abilities, and how he is connected with Ace Anarchy. I hope we'll get to see more from Adrian's Renegade teammates in the next, like more opportunities to get into their heads. This book has a lot of action and is actually great for middle grade and up. There's little romance and other situations though there is violence and some horror elements -- like the creepy amusement park? That reminded me of images I had seen. (For inspiration, here's some.)

Speaking of this, the world building is really good, though I am looking forward to what details are revealed in the next book. Seems like the next one will be more about Nova and Adrian standing in the gap between the war of Renegades vs. Anarchists, so we hope there will be maybe some more connection, even romance, there. I also took the time to pull out some fun quotes and things I enjoyed about the book below, including a heartbreaking shout out to libraries.

"Humanity loses faith in times like that. With no one to look up to, no one to believe in, we all became rats scrounging in the sewers. Maybe Ace really was a villain. Or maybe he was a visionary. Maybe there's not much of a difference."


"Heroism wasn't about what you could do, it was about what you did. It was about who you saved when they needed saving.


Introducing Gene Cronin, aka The Librarian: "It pains me to think that, even now, the Renegades refuse to trust me. I pay the Council's taxes. I follow the Council's rules. And on top of all that, I provide a great service to this community. . . Do you know there are only nine functioning public libraries currently open within Gatlon city limits? There used to be well over a hundred. And all nine of those are thanks to the selfless efforts of people like me, who have made it our lives' work to continue the free distribution and sharing of knowledge and wisdom. To make sure that the people have access to this... to books."
Ingrid, The Detonator, to The Librarian later after she blows the library up in an inferno: "You'll get over it. It's all those lost weapons that are the real tragedy."
Cronin: "The weapons might have supplied my livelihood, but those books...those were my life."

Fun aside: The lead singer of Imagine Dragons made a special appearance for Renegade tryouts -- "Dan Reynolds, aka...The Crane!" 

Look for book 2, Archenemies coming in November 2018.
Watch the book trailer!




Monday, March 26, 2018

Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: High Fantasy
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release date: February 6, 2018

Series:  The Numair Chronicles, #1

Source: For review

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Arram Draper is on the path to becoming one of the realm's most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness--and for attracting trouble. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the "leftover prince" with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram's heart, Arram realizes that one day--soon--he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie. 

I can't tell you how incredibly happy I am to have another Tortall book again! My 12yo self cannot contain her bliss. Tamora Pierce is my absolute favorite YA high fantasy author from my own childhood/teen years. (My favorite adult? Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series.) I can remember trips to the library where I would stalk her section to see if anything new had come out. (This was pre-internet/computers for me. I had no other way of knowing when things were published or in the works.)

I've been trying to remember all the details about Numair, but honestly, I came to this pretty fresh. It's been years since I re-read them, and I don't have the time (motherhood!) though I would've loved to. I own ALL of them!

Here, we meet Numair, a.k.a. Arram Draper, when he is a young tween and follow him as he grows into his young teen years.. He's basically the runt of his magic school due to his age, and even more so after he inadvertently floods a classroom during a lesson and is promoted to study with the advanced masters. He joins a small group of other gifted students who are younger than average, Varice Kingsford and Ozorne Tasikhe, one of the Emperor of Carthak's youngest sons. The trio form a fast bond since they're all rather unusual: Ozorne for his status and study of war magic, Varice for her beauty and likability and talent with cookery magic, and Arram for his depth of power relative to his youth.

At the very beginning of this novel, Arram accidentally falls into a parade of gladiators before their battle and is rescued by Musenda, one of the best gladiators. Arram has a great aversion to the blood sport, especially after he watches a fierce female warrior butchered during this first event. This theme continues throughout the book and relates to other themes of slavery and racism, as Ozorne has a blood feud with the tribe of people who murdered his father, who incidentally was leading the military against an insurrection.

Other undercurrents throughout the book deal with the gods and misuse of power, as in Arram's training, he learns to care for the river-life. Through this, he becomes favored by the crocodile god Enzi and looks after a divine sunbird called Preet that Enzi stole from Mithros. It's impossible not to love Preet and Enzi, as Pierce's non-human characters are always believable and fully realized. Though Arram has an extraordinary amount of power, his affinity leads him to life-preserving and life-respecting types of magic, -- so healing and wild magic, though the majority of the University doesn't respect wild magic as such; all of which contrasts greatly to Ozorne's instruction in war magic though Ozorne does also have a passion for animal care with Master Lindhall (recognize this name, readers of the Immortals series?). This opposition, I expect, will have a much bigger impact in the next novel, but for now, Arram's care leads him to cross paths with a serial murderer, one that might even be aiming to put Ozorne on the Emperor's throne. And since Ozorne's one of the only friends Arram has, he is determined to find out who is behind it all...

I couldn't put this book down! I loved reading about the magic school and Arram's learning. It's really hard to call him Arram now and not Numair as we know him. It's also very different to find Arram/Numair as a kid who has low self-confidence, is vulnerable, and very shy versus his adult counterpart who is, well, not. Very interesting to be viewing the backwards character building. Still, it's endearing to get into Arram's head and watch the process of growing into his Numair persona. Plus, this is one of the few times in Pierce's books that we deal with explanations of puberty from a boy's perspective.

However, there are few things that could be problematic for readers and long-time fans in this novel. 1) This is a highly anticipated story and done in reverse order than many of her other stories. Also, Pierce hasn't really written many boy characters and so far, none in the realm of Tortall (except a Nawat short story, if I can remember correctly). This is her first real young guy character from Tortall, and he's beloved as an older character. So, does she get this character building right?

2) New readers and old readers have differing expectations. Old readers are looking for Pierce to cover how he grows up in Carthak and gets exiled for some crime, has a romance with Varice that ends badly-ish, and all of this drives him to Tortall with a reputation as one of the most powerful black robe mages. New readers are looking for more explanation and easier understanding as they don't have the Tortall tapestry of stories to rely upon.

Here, I thought Pierce did her expected character building, taking a very young preteen Arram and having him learn, mature a bit, and then by throwing a problem at him that he is a key part of solving. Sure, the problem seems to be much more in-depth than ones Keladry or Alanna faced at the same relative age (bandits? a case of magical possession?) but when considering Arram's "go-big or go-home" talent, it's plausible. The one thing other reviewers have pointed out is that this book goes fairly slow, both for new readers to stay patient with all the extra details, and the long-time fans to get antsy for answers to the details we do know about Numair -- none of which are answered in this book, which is frustrating. Therefore with only a second book expected, fans are worried that it will be a LOT to cram into the next book. We'll have to see, but I think she'll have to write a third though that does not seem to be the plan. I'm anxiously anticipating the next to find out what she does with all of these loose ends, though there's been no official pub date yet, but the second is tentatively set for 2019. What did you think of this prequel to Numair?
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.




Saturday, March 24, 2018

Stacking the Shelves [299]


Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!
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I did not get the same kind of giant stack that I did last week, but there are a few more books in the stack over at Reading Reality than are listed here.

Just two teasers this week, two books that I have been really looking forward to. And they are completely different from each other, so something for everyone.


Half Empty by Catherine Bybee
This is the second book in Bybee's First Wives Club series. I loved the first one, Fool Me Once, and I'm looking forward to seeing where she goes from here!


Trial on Mount Koya by Susan Spann
This is the sixth book in a series that goes by either Shinobi Mysteries or Hiro Hattori Mysteries, after its main character. Whatever it is called, this series is absolutely awesome historical mystery, set during the era of the Shoguns in 17th century Japan. If you like historical mystery and are looking for something a bit different, this one is marvelous, starting with Claws of the Cat.


Please link your STS post in the linky below:


Saturday, March 17, 2018

Stacking the Shelves [298]


Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!
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This week I got a ridiculously huge stack over at Reading Reality. But there were just so many books that I couldn't resist, including five from my "anticipated" shelf over at Edelweiss and one that just looked so crazy that I had to have it. I'll leave it to you to guess which is which.

 City of Ink by Elsa Hart

Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer

Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne

Leverage in Death by J.D. Robb

The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

A Study in Treason by Leonard Goldberg


Please link your STS post in the linky below:


Saturday, March 10, 2018

Stacking the Shelves [297]


Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!
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My full stack over at Reading Reality isn't much taller than this, but I did pick up a couple of ARCs that I have been anticipating for quite a while, and will probably read long before their publication date. When I have just a bit of time and really need a treat, these two are going to be first on my list!



Island of the Mad by Laurie R. King


Ocean Light by Nalini Singh


Please link your STS post in the linky below:


Thursday, March 08, 2018

Morning Star by Pierce Brown

Morning Star by Pierce Brown

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Science fiction, dystopia
Hardcover: 544 pages
Publisher: Del Rey
Release date: February 9th, 2016

Series:  Red Rising, #3

Source: Purchased

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society’s mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.

Finally, the time has come.

But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glorious to surrender.


"Rise so high, in mud you lie" is taken to new levels in this final volume of the trilogy.

Betrayed by his friend Roque and the twisted machinations of the Jackal, our hero Darrow au Andromedus is taken captive while many of his allies are left for dead. [Darrow was actually kept in an eight foot stone table for nine months with tech to keep him alive and subjected to private torture sessions by the Jackal. Doesn't this sound like the lowest of the low?] A broken Victra au Julii is captive with him. In a secret mission Darrow is rescued. And Darrow insists Victra be rescued too, as she was only broken because of her strong loyalty to him. Even at the end of the massacre where she's crawling with spinal gunshot wounds, she only cared about Darrow knowing she had no part in the betrayal. Upon his return, Darrow finds a much different Sons of Ares, fitting because he himself is much changed. Sevro leads the Sons, and since his father's death, he's hell-bent on retribution and machiavellian elimination of his enemies.

Since Darrow's absence, the highColor rebellion -- led by Mustang, the Telemanuses and the Arcos clan -- and the lowColor rebellion -- led by Sevro and the Sons of Ares -- has permanently splintered into two different factions. Darrow is largely believed to be dead, though, and in his new state, is unfit to lead. It's definitely a new dynamic, him coming to depend on Sevro as Sevro once depended on him. Darrow must once again prove his readiness to lead, and this comes with some honest confessions and reckonings. It's another way Darrow comes full circle with his Red self. In Red Rising, he was the lowest of the low, broken, and brought high. In Golden Son, he's not as high as he thinks he is, is taken down a peg or two, and must figure out how to grow up in his new environment of politicos or make them dance to his tune. Here, Darrow is once again dependent and helpless, thanks to the Jackal, and Sevro and his friends have to build him up again. But Darrow doesn't have the same will, the same confidence, the same recklessness. Instead, his betrayal and new perspective have made him a bit wiser. [Don't expect his overconfidence and subpar communication to stop being his Achilles heel, however!]

Once Darrow and Victra are following Sevro's lead, Darrow tries to toe the line, but when they encounter Mustang and the Telemanuses again and he sees the unforgiving choices Sevro makes, he realizes the only thing that ever held them together was him. Therefore, only he can bridge the gap. It nearly gets them all killed, but it breaks Darrow out of leadership paralysis and, with a little encouragement, Sevro out of his raging grief [think fiery raging grief--one that destroys everything even as it tries to protect rather than hotheaded and heartbreaking tears]. With Darrow and Sevro equals again, their quest against the Jackal brings them new allies and a deal with Mustang.

At the very end of the last novel, Darrow had shared the truth of his Red background to his lady love, and she fled. Now, she promises to show him her loyalty even while he must show her that he can choose not to burn everything down as he remakes Society. It's a fascinating deal, and we don't learn the real reasons why, the outcome of the deal, or the significance Mustang's absence for a year and a half, until the very end of this book. [Did you guess why?! I did upon first reading!] If you recall, she did something similar in her relationship with Cassius...

We also see more of the world in this novel as Darrow travels to Phobos [one of Mars' moons], the unknown Rim [Jupiter and its moons plus the rest of that side of the galaxy], and Luna again.

The most heartbreaking part here is the loss of Ragnar. I still can't get over it. [Rest in Valhalla, Ragnar.]  After this upsetting end, the destruction of the Obsidians' "gods" are much welcome humor, even if it doesn't ever make up for his death.

The ending is epic, but did you expect anything less? I miss those twists every time I read even though I know what's going to happen. Like the last novel, this one is hard to explain in a summary, and you're just carried away by the rapid plot events. Sometimes trilogies are bleh. This one? 5 stars all the way around. Every bloodydamn time.

Can't WAIT to see what the new Iron Gold has in store! (I'm a third of the way through at this posting!)



Monday, March 05, 2018

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Golden Son by Pierce Brown


Book Stats:  

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Science fiction, dystopia
Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Del Rey
Release date: January 6th, 2015

Series:  Red Rising, #2

Source: Purchased

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow’s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds—and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within.

A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love—but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution—and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people.

He must live for more.

(I know Steph has covered this novel before, but this review adds some elements she didn't cover, so I thought I'd share!)

Golden Son starts with Darrow outside the small realm of the Institute and serving underneath the wing of his greatest enemy, ArchGovernor Nero au Augustus, and coincidentally alongside his former nemesis, the Jackal, or Adrius au Augustus. He's just finishing up his education at the Academy to learn to command starfleets. While Darrow might have been thrust amongst his peers in the Institute, he now must sway other Golds, non-Peerless Scarred, the politicos, and be a leader of them. His former band of followers has been split up and he's only left with Roque au Fabii and Tactus au Rath. Darrow's new ally is Victra au Julii, the older sister of Antonia au Severus-Julii, and of completely different caliber than her cutthroat sister. Darrow's bloodfeud with the Bellona has created problems for Nero, and when the Sovereign, unlawfully, supports the Bellona by secretly planning to murder the Augustans at a dinner party, Darrow spurs a civil war for Mars and in the Society. While he's been under Nero's (and Nero's politico Pliny's) thumb, he hasn't received any contact from the Sons of Ares. In the chaos of civil war, Darrow is given an opportunity to be different from other Golds, but he's also got to maintain his secret identity at large. Finally though, in this novel Darrow is able to open up to a few people about himself and the Sons of Ares. He's not yet ready to reveal himself fully because he worries of the people he'd lose, but in Sevro and new ally Ragnar, he finds true brothers to his wife's dream.

There are a lot of fabulous characters we're introduced to in this novel that I've loved:

1) Ragnar, the Stained Obsidian who is built like a giant and basically like the most elite warrior, is a slave and subject to the will of his masters. In Darrow, he finds an equal, a brother, as they are both searching for ways for their people to be free from slavery and lies. He is one of the few characters to ever see through Darrow past what he wants and instead what is good for him.

2) Orion, the Blue who pilots the Pax, is a brilliant pilot, bluntly honest, and unafraid to challenge even so intimidating a Gold as "the Reaper." I never feel as if I get enough of scenes with Orion. She doesn't have a big role, but she is a lasting character, and I'm so glad she's in Iron Gold.

3) Victra, the proud, fierce vixen amazon who has such a high sense of loyalty to Darrow, one that she seems to have from the beginning of the novel (and we never have this fully explained as to why). She's rather like a blade, all sharp edges, and it's hard not to love her for her inner character and her hatred of her vicious little sister.

4) Kavax and Daxo, the real Pax's father and brother, who are honorable and stalwart Golds to Mustang, and lend a bit of humor for their giant yet gentle ways (plus with Kavax's adoration of his pet fox, Sophocles).

The key relationship between Darrow and Mustang that was so prevalent in Red Rising is much changed. For some reason, she's been with Cassius au Bellona, and once witnessing the Sovereign's dishonesty, she turns from helping the Bellona to protecting her father and her house. This doesn't mean she's abandoned Darrow or the Bellona, but she's more impartial, and really only relies on House Telemanus. Mustang is, at times, a hard knot to unravel. I still love her, but I don't always know why she does what she does. She, possibly because we're in Darrow's narrow viewpoint, seems enigmatic and yet impossible for him to resist her magnetic pull.

Missing the fallout with Mustang, plus the relationship with Victra and Mustang's relationship to Roque etc. etc. show that the one omission from Red Rising to Golden Son is the gap in time and Darrow's lost experiences with other characters. We also don't really get to see how the Academy works, but maybe that's not as important. It's hard to notice the flaws since the book is super character driven, and if you're listening to the audiobook, you're probably hard pressed to put all the events of this book into a succinct summary. I certainly had trouble keeping it all straight! (If you listen to the audiobook, big bonus is hearing how to correctly pronounce the names!)

The final beauty of this novel is seeing some truths about Sevro and Fitchner (I have a deep abiding love for filthy, smart-mouthed Sevro. I don't understand it either.) and the sense of coming full circle as Darrow is able to visit his family on Mars. However, with this ending comes a shattering revelation that will leave you wondering how anything could possibly be hopeful in Morning Star. If you're a devotee of sci-fi, you don't want to miss out on this series if you haven't before. Epically brilliant.

Key quote in this novel? "Rise so high, in mud you lie."

Saturday, March 03, 2018

Stacking the Shelves [296]


Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!
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As I write this the FreddieMonster is investigating my desk to see if there's something interesting to play with. Or eat. Or if there's anything interesting on "kitty television" - there are windows and my desk provides the perfect viewing platform. As always, he looks adorable. And potentially destructive.

Later his tail, or possibly his entire kitty butt, will be between me and my iPad, because he is certain that paying attention to him is MUCH more important than reading.

But speaking of reading, I picked up some interesting books this week. The full stack is over at Reading Reality, but here are a couple of teasers...


Cooper's Creek by Lori Foster


The Night Masquerade (Binti #3) by Nnedi Okorafor


The Secret of the Irish Castle (Deverill Chronicles #3) by Santa Montefiore


Please link your STS post in the linky below: