Category: Reviews

Review: Ender’s Game

Published on by Rachelle

Ender

  • Author: Orson Scott Card
  • Genre: Science Fiction

I purchased this book.*

I don’t own or read a whole lot of Sci-Fi.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it.  It just takes a lot more to catch my interest with Sci-Fi than with Fantasy, and most of my Sci-Fi favorites are TV shows, such as Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.  I love Doctor Who so much that I’ve bought quite a few of the mass market books that I’ve come across in used bookstores, but they’re still sitting on my bookshelves, along with, up until about a week ago, Ender’s Game.  So, when I started listening to the audiobook version that I also own, while I waited for podiobook suggestions, it was only because the only other audiobook I own (Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White) wasn’t something I was in the mood for at the time.  I’m glad I finally got around to finding out just how good Ender’s Game is.

Had I read this book about a decade ago, I’m not sure if I would have taken away as much from it as I did reading it now.  After having served in the military, there were a lot of Ender’s thoughts and emotions that I could directly relate to, since I had many of the same ones throughout my career as a soldier, though the experiences that brought them about were vastly different, of course.  I’m not knocking the military, nor am I saying that you have to be a veteran in order to understand this book.  I’m only saying that my personal experiences brought this book to life a little bit more, and caused some of Ender’s experiences to hit a bit closer to home.  One part that didn’t have anything to do with my adult life, but struck a chord with me to the point that I had some flashbacks to my childhood, was the bullying Ender experiences.  I know first hand that sometimes you have to defend yourself with your fists.  Sometimes it’s the only thing you can do to insure your survival, and it’s sad that anyone has to learn that lesson at such a young age.

This book is likely to bring up emotions for anyone who has been bullied, forced into a fight, felt like everyone but themselves had control over what happened to them, had to grow up too soon, or has had any kind of military training.  There’s also the shock that all of the events in the story are happening to or are done by children, many of whom are barely teenagers.  With the way that Ender and the other kids think, that can be easy to forget at times, and so the reminders cause that initial shock to be repeated at various points throughout the book.  Last but not least, there’s the overall message of the book, but I won’t spoil that for you.  If you haven’t read this one already, I highly recommend giving it a try.

*While I do believe that the personal is political, I don’t believe in censoring my reading because of an author’s beliefs.  Everyone is entitled to his or her own beliefs, regardless of what they might be, and if I refused to read every book who’s author had beliefs I disagreed with, I’d be missing out on quite a lot of great reading.

Classics Club: Little Women

Published on by Rachelle

Little Women

  • Author: Louisa May Alcott

I purchased this book.

The first time I read Little Women, I was just a child.  Over the years, I forgot most of the story, but there were a few distinct scenes that have always stayed with me.  My favorite of the sisters is Jo, but Beth stole my heart.  I think she steals everyone’s heart.  I was surprised at how emotional I got, considering I already knew what was going to happen.  I suppose that with excellent writing, it doesn’t matter if you already know the story.  A great story will elicit a response no matter how many times you read it.

The only issue I took with the story was some of the motherly advice that emphasized striving towards a type of perfection that kept women stuck in the narrow roles handed down to them from a society that didn’t consider them to be equal human beings.  My forgiveness of that comes from an understanding of the times in which Louisa May Alcott was writing, and I think it’s a fair representation of American women living during that time.

One piece of advice that I didn’t have a problem with, though at first I was ready to rage, was to Mary concerning her marriage after she complained to her mother that John was spending all his time away from home as if he was no longer interested in spending time with her.  My initial thought was that it was going to be the type of advice that placed all of the fault on Mary and demanded she do everything on her own, or accused her of not being the perfect mother and wife by not being able to handle it all.  Instead, the advice was that she should stop putting every bit of her time and energy into the children and keeping herself shut up in the house trying to do everything and allow for some help so that she would have more time to give to her husband as well as to herself.  After I got to the end of that reasonable guidance, I thought it was something that any mother with two infants could appreciate, if they know of someone who is willing to help.  That’s not always the case, of course, especially today.

Overall, Little Women is a good story for girls and women of all ages, especially if it is read side by side with a book on women’s history.

Mini-Review: The Prince of Hazel and Oak

Published on by Rachelle

Prince

  • Author: John Lenahan
  • ISBN: 9780007425594
  • Publisher: The Friday Project
  • Genre: Fantasy

The information above is for the paperback and ebook edition.  I listened to the free “podiobook” version from podiobooks.com.  Since this is the 2nd book in the Shadowmagic series by John Lenahan, I’m keeping this review short, as I will do for any books after the 1st in a series.

There isn’t anything different to say about The Prince of Hazel and Oak that I’ve already said about Shadowmagic.  I’m still a huge fan of John Lenahan and his books, and the “podiobook” format.  The third book in the Shadowmagic series, The Sons of Macha, isn’t available as a “podiobook”, and I haven’t seen it offered as an audiobook anywhere, either, so I was a little sad when The Prince of Hazel and Oak came to an end.  My next audiobook has some fierce competition.

If you’ve already taken my recommendation to listen to Shadowmagic, then listen to the “podiobook” version of this book as well.  You won’t be disappointed.  I’ve already got The Sons of Macha as an ebook, and I can’t wait to find the time to read it.

 

Review: Buan – The Perfect Mortals

Published on by Rachelle

Buan

  • Author: Reece Bridger
  • ISBN: 9781909482029
  • Publisher: Mythos Press
  • Genre: Fantasy

I recieved this book through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program.

This is the perfect “classic” Fantasy book.  The whole time I was reading, I was reminded of some of my favorite RPGs, and I frequently thought that the story could fit perfectly into a D&D or Pathfinder game.  If I were to be any character in the book, I would be Fantasia, who has the personality of a grown up Arya Stark.  Instead of a sword being her weapon of choice, though, she’s an archer, which happens to be my go to weapon in any RPG.

There is very little to criticize in this book.  The only time it got a bit dull was during the chapter when Madame Asra comes into the story, and the only time I had difficulty suspending disbelief was when the siblings’ guardian, Orion, just happens to know all about the Buan.  It seemed a little implausible, even by Fantasy standards, but I understand that Alexander, Aurelia, Fantasia, and Weylyn had to get the information about what they were becoming from somewhere, and having it come from the mouth of the one person they’re close to makes sense.  I just didn’t see Orion as being the type of character to have a large amount of little known ancient knowledge.

Beyond those two tiny things, I loved this book.  I don’t know if I’m going to add it to my all time favorites yet, since it is only the first book in a series, and I tend to only add a series to that list after I’ve finished it and love it as a whole.  What I do know is that as soon as I read the last page, I looked up the second book, Company of Heroes, and added it to my wish list on Goodreads.  I highly recommend reading this one if you’re just getting into Fantasy, or you love Fantasy (especially “classic” Fantasy), or you love RPGs (especially if you loved Baldur’s Gate, any of the Diablo games, D&D, or Pathfinder).

Review: Shadowmagic

Published on by Rachelle

Shadow

  • Author: John Lenahan
  • ISBN: 9781905548927
  • Publisher: Harper Collins

The above information is for the paperback and ebook edition.  I listened to the free “podiobook” version from podiobooks.com.

Though I’ve listened to audio books before, this was my first “podiobook”.  I’m now a huge fan of the format, John Lenahan, and his book, Shadowmagic.  My commute to and from school has never been more fun!  I deliberately held off on listening to it until I was in my car, unless I was finishing up the last couple minutes of a chapter, which was difficult at times.  I frequently had the urge to continue listening, but I told myself it was better to savor it, since it would be over all too soon.  I’m already listening to the second book, Prince of Hazel and Oak, and I have a feeling I’ll be just a little bit sad when it ends.  I’m sure there are other great books on podiobooks.com, but finding them will likely involve a bit of trial and error.  Thankfully, they’re free.

I can’t say for sure, but I think listening to the book, which is narrated by the author, rather than reading a print version, is what got me hooked.  I felt like I was being told a story, instead of just being read to, if that makes sense?  I think the difference is in the enthusiasm of the author as he narrates.  In an author’s note at the end of the book, he mentions that he wrote it for his son, and I’m sure that’s a factor in his performance.  If I had been reading the book, I might have felt that the story was a little silly, but then again, maybe not.  I really don’t know.  I just feel that this is a story that needs to be told rather than read.

With that being said, I have to recommend the “podiobook” version.  It’s free, so it gives you the chance to try it out without costing anything in case you’re not 100% sold on it yet.  If you love Fantasy, the childlike feeling of being told a story, or Irish Celtic mythology, you can’t go wrong with Shadowmagic.

 

Review: The Art of Asking

Published on by Rachelle

Art

 

  • Author: Amanda Palmer
  • ISBN: 9781455581085
  • Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
  • Genre: Non-Fiction/Self-Help

I purchased this book.

I had been wanting to read Amanda Palmer’s book, The Art of Asking, for awhile, but I couldn’t afford it, so when I found out about a deal at Audiobooks.com, I chose it as my freebie.  There were so many other books on my wishlist, but Amanda Palmer narrates the book herself, and there’s the “extra” of a few music tracks.  So, I figured, if there’s one book I’d likely enjoy as an audiobook, it would be this one.  I’m so glad I chose it, instead of something else.  This book is beyond amazing!

The entire book felt like a never-boring conversation between life-long friends.  I listened to it while commuting to and from school (an hour each way), but also at every point in my day when I had a couple minutes to spare.  That meant a book that, clocking in at 11 hours and 30 minutes, should have taken me 6 days to finish, only took 4 days instead.  However, If I had been reading the hardcover, instead of listening, I think it would have taken much longer.  There are just so many quotes that I would have had to stop and think about and then highlight and write notes in the margins, if not longer “notes” in my journal.  There would have been moments when I would need to stop reading so I could let out all the feels this book brought on, and I would have stopped too many times to count in order to dog ear pages.  I frequently thought that someone needs to come up with an app to “bookmark” passages in audiobooks, and there were several times when I came close to having to pull over so I could let the tears flow safely.  I don’t know how I managed to hold myself together long enough to get to school or home.

I loved The Art of Asking so much that I bought a physical copy.  The boyfriend later made it a gift, when I told him that this book was the best non-fiction book I’ve ever read that I HAD to buy it, regardless of the hardcover price tag.  His other reason might have been that I wouldn’t shut up about the book, Amanda Palmer, or Neil Gaiman, and maybe paying for the book would finally earn him a subject change.  I greatly look forward to rereading it, and I can’t recommend it enough.  I somewhat understand why it’s labeled as “Self-Help”, but I think it fits better into the auto-biography or memoir categories.  Really, it’s a one-on-one, sit down, with an endless cup of coffee or glass of wine, conversation with a best friend.  Unfortunately there’s no category for that in bookstores and libraries.

Review: The Gift of Charms

Published on by Rachelle

Gift

  • Author: Julia Suzuki
  • ISBN: 9781782199243
  • Publisher: Dino Books
  • Genre: Fantasy

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I wish I hadn’t wasted my time with this book.  It started out ok, but it devolved into a message that I don’t think any child should hear.  That message said that if you’re being bullied, you have to change.  If you’re a little heavier than the average kid, you have to get fit to be accepted, and if you do, not only will others be more approving, but you’ll be perfect and everything will go your way.  You’ll be a hero.  You’ll be successful.  All you have to do is get in shape.  It’s likely that the author meant her message to be one of exercise and fitness being confidence and self-esteem builders, but that’s not how it comes across.

The other problem I had was with the plot itself.  Events fell into place a little too easily, even for a children’s story.  It also lacks any real depth.  Many of the reviews I read for The Gift of Charms said this was an all-ages book.  That’s not true.  The only readers I could see enjoying this story without rolling their eyes at how easily Yoshiko succeeds at everything he does as soon as he’s gotten rid of his belly are children up to the 2nd, maybe 3rd, grade.

I don’t want to recommend this book to anyone, but if you’re still interested in giving or reading it to a child, take a couple hours (the book is really short) and read it yourself first, so that you’re fully aware of the kind of lesson that child will be learning.  There are much better books out there that deal with the subjects of bullying, diversity, and fitness.

 

Review: Nightfall Gardens

Published on by Rachelle

Nightfall

  • Author: Allen Houston
  • ISBN: 9780615804453
  • Publisher: Flycatcher Books
  • Genre: Fantasy/Cozy Horror

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

While Nightfall Gardens is a very different story, many of its elements reminded me of the Chimera books by Phil Gomm, which is why I classified it as Cozy Horror.  In addition to this, one of the characters, Deiva, instantly made me think of Miss Havisham from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.  On top of that, the Blackwood family curse begins with the Greek myth about Pandora, and Lily Blackwood, who is primarily affected by the curse, isn’t perfect.  Her character flaws become apparent right from the start, and she makes mistakes.  She makes the kind of mistakes that almost get her killed several times.  Suffice it to say, I enjoyed this book.

My one problem with it, however, is that it just ends.  There’s no cliffhanger or any other event to make a good stopping point for the 1st book in a series.  To make it worse, the story has only just begun.  It’s really more of an introduction than anything else, and there’s still so much that is left unknown.  In other words, there’s no real resolution to anything.  Had I read this first book when it was originally published, I would have had to wait to read the 2nd book.  Chances are, I wouldn’t have bothered, because, while the story is great, I’m not invested in it yet.  I’m not left worrying about what might happen.  A cliffhanger isn’t necessary to cause that feeling, but there needs to be some kind of ending that makes me want to pick the next book up.

Luckily for me, and any of you who haven’t yet read the book, the 2nd and 3rd books are available.  We don’t have to wait.  Like a 2nd episode of a never before watched TV show on Netflix, I’ll likely read at least the 2nd book, not because it demands to be read, but because it’s available, and why not?  It has the potential to be even better than the 1st, since the story can get under way now that the introductions have been made.  I recommend giving Nightfall Gardens a chance.  It’s not a long book, and so, if you decide it’s not worth continuing, you’ve only lost a couple hours of time.  I don’t think you’ll feel that way, though.  If it weren’t for the ending, I would give the book 5 stars.

 

Review: The Burning Land

Published on by Rachelle

Burning

 

  • Author: Victoria Strauss
  • ISBN: 9781497697560
  • Publisher: Open Road Media
  • Genre: Fantasy

I was invited by the publisher to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Open Road Media.  With only one exception (which I gave three stars), the books I’ve read have been four or five star reads.  The Burning Land is one of them.

When I read the synopsis and then began reading the book itself, I was reminded of the kinds of stories that N.K. Jemisin is known for.  That made me a little skeptical as to whether or not I would enjoy the book, since the two N.K. Jemisin books I’ve read were a bit boring to me.  I don’t know how Victoria Strauss did it, but, with the exception of a couple slow points, her writing, story craft, and world building kept me engaged throughout the book.  Also, towards the beginning of the book there were some details that led me to make a few predictions for how the story would turn out.  However, every single one of them was wrong.  Perhaps my research paper addled brain missed some signs and foreshadowing, but I can’t even remember the last time a book wasn’t at least a little predictable.  Despite the unpredictability, the plot still made perfect sense.  There was never anything that was confusing or made me turn back a page to reread and see if I missed something.

I recommend this book to everyone who loves Fantasy, especially if you happen to be a fan of N.K. Jemisin, or if you enjoyed her stories but found the telling to be lackluster.  Though it didn’t bother me, I feel obligated to mention that The Burning Land does contain a rape scene.  It’s towards the end of the book and, though it’s necessary to the story and not too graphic, may be an issue for some readers.  In that case, I would still give the book a chance, since there’s enough “warning” before the scene, and it only takes up about a paragraph, so it’s easily skippable.  Normally, I’d recommend otherwise, but this book is truly great and shouldn’t be missed.

Review: Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran

Published on by Rachelle

Rosy

 

  • Author: Marion Grace Woolley
  • ISBN: 9780957627161
  • Publisher: Ghostwoods Books
  • Genre: General Fiction

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran is listed as a Fantasy book, in addition to the general category of Adult Literature/Fiction, but it’s not Fantasy.  I suppose the publisher is choosing to market it as Fantasy because it doesn’t really fit into any other genre.  It’s not Historical Fiction, despite the fact that it takes place during the 19th century, and it’s not YA, even though the main character is 10 to 13 years old.  It does have some fantastical elements, and even a little bit of Magical Realism; however, just because the story is set in an “exotic” locale (read: not in the western world), and there happens to be a circus, and a character that is supposed to be Erik from The Phantom of the Opera, that doesn’t mean it’s Fantasy.

Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed in this book since I was expecting Fantasy.  I’m not taking away stars for that, though, since that’s not the fault of the author.  I doubt she had very little, if any, say in what genre(s) the publisher chose to list the book as being.  However, I hated the story, and the characters.  Afsar and Vachon are psychopaths, but not “Dexter” psychopaths.  No, they not only have no qualms about killing innocent people, they do it with a sick sort of pleasure, and that’s what this book is mostly about: who and how they murder.  At first, I felt sorry for Afsar.  I even pitied her.  The first couple of chapters show her as being a young girl who has been raised to hate, forced to be wiser than her years, yet is still clearly naive about how the world works.  My feelings changed as she became more and more cruel, petty, hateful, and jealous.  I waited, and continued reading, in the hope that something would happen for her to change, or she would do something that would be redeeming, even if only a little bit.  Unfortunately, she remains the same despicable person all the way to the end.

If you enjoy stories about psychopaths who discover each other’s love for toying with their human prey before brutally murdering them, then this book is the perfect one for you.  Otherwise, you might be better off reading a different book.  As much as I thought a story about Erik before he became the Phantom would be great, it just isn’t so.