Novella: Initiate (Guild of Tokens #1) by Jon Auerbach

Book Title: Initiate (Guild of Tokens #1)
Author: Jon Auerbach
Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: E-book review copy provided by the author

Amazon UK, Goodreads

Plot Summary: The Quests are real, the rewards are real, and the dangers are unimaginable.When Jen Jacobs stumbles upon the Quest Board during a late-night programming binge, everything changes.
The rules of the Board are simple:
Complete a Quest, get a token.
The harder the Quest, the more tokens you earn.
Get enough tokens, and you level up.
Except the Quest Board isn't in a video game. It's real.
Jen's first Quest is simple enough, but when she receives her first wooden token, the sense of achievement is unexpectedly addictive and she vows to grind her way to the top of this real-world game, no matter what the cost.
As Jen crisscrosses New York City fetching more random items, slaying dragons (well, sewer rats), and meeting a host of Questers, she soon discovers a hidden underworld dating back to the city's very inception.
And when a simple task delivers Jen into the arms of a ruthless Quester with a terrifying agenda, the game becomes one not only of levels, but of life-and-death.

Thank you, Jon Auerbach, for providing me with a review copy of this book. Also a big thank you goes to Esme over at the Weatherwaxreport for setting up TBRindr.

What did I think?

3.5 Stars.

This series shows a lot of promise.

It's a quick read, and I quite enjoy the idea of reading a series of novellas in this world. It feels a bit like watching a TV show, and this one has an interesting premise.

I am an avid gamer. Completing quests in the real world sounds appealing, though I wouldn't want to slay sewer rats, so maybe this game isn't for me.

Unfortunately, this first book suffers from some issues. It's a very simple plot, and Auerbach doesn't offer a lot of world building, and so far his characters feel rather flat. I'm imagining this will change as the series grows. I'm hoping especially Jen will get to develop in the next instalment.

The story is straightforward with simple, uncomplicated prose, but emotionally I did not connect with the world quite yet.

I think these books could turn into an excellent series if Auerbach takes care to develop his world and characters and with time will add layers to the story, sort of like Jim Butcher did in the Dresden Files.

Recommended to urban fantasy fans.
The next instalment will be out in September.

You can find Jon Auerbach's website here and join his newsletter here, to get updated whenever he releases a new book.

Sunday Post (32) - Rain, Grey, Miserable

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

If you participate (and you totally should because the community is amazing) don't forget to link up and if you leave me a comment, I will definitely check out your blog.

The Rules can be found here. And this week's post can be found here.

Just as summer started, it feels like it's almost over again. In the south of England, it's grey, there's rain, and of course this is our Bank Holiday weekend and we've got Monday off...fabulous, because I get to spend it curled up with a book on the sofa.

Last week was our anniversary, and we celebrated by going climbing, then for sushi and on Friday we biked into London along the canal and had a wonderful day in the sun. As you can tell, my girlfriend is an outdoor person. If it would have been up to me: books and coffee.

This is some of the sushi we had. It was amazing, and I think it's one of my favourite foods.

My own writing

I published a little, silly piece on Friday that was written inspired by a prompt. The prompt was: robot dinosaurs. Read it here. Let me know what you think.

Lately on my blog

Review: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. Amazing and wonderful debut. Fantasy. Starts out as YA but quickly turns into a pretty horrific read. It's a great read, but please check out the trigger warnings.

Review: Paternus: Rise of Gods by Dyrk Ashton. Dyrk Ashton is an indie author and this book left an impression during Mark Lawrence's SPFBO in 2016. It came third. It's fantasy, filled with mythology and packed with action.

Review: The Fire Eye Refugee by Samuel Gately. A quick fantasy read by an indie author. At its heart a mystery and tackles important themes like a refugee crisis.

Review: Manna City by Geoffrey Pierce. Another quick read. Science Fiction this time. A post-apocalyptic story with interesting characters.

Review: Existence Augmented by Channing Whitaker. This one is a novella. It's science fiction and has a bit of a Black Mirror feel to it.

Review: Stillwaters by Yvonne Anderson. I quite enjoyed this coming of age tale written in the style of a memoir. It's fantasy, not set on our world and offers an intriguing voice.

Review: Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp. This one was from Netgalley and sadly a disappointment.

  

Bright Ruin is the third book in the Dark Gifts trilogy by Vic James and a fantastic conclusion to this YA fantasy.

The Tropic of Eternity by Tom Toner is the fantastic third book in the Amaranthine Spectrum. It's a space opera, but it's so much more. This one is for people who enjoy world building and don't mind uncovering a world bits by bits.

And finally, Sorcerous Rivalry by Kayleigh Nicol. I'm not a fan of romance but this m/m fantasy was a delight to read.

  

Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell is a SPFBO contestant this year, and a fantastic fantasy read. One of my favourite reads this year so far.

Palom by L.L. McNeil; the first book, Moroda, is also a contestant in this year's SPFBO and Palom is the second book in her World of Linaria series. Dragons, air-ships and sky pirates and an uplifting fantasy in these times filled with grimdark.

I hope everyone has as great week. Have our dog waiting for my girlfriend to come home, sitting patiently on the stairs in front of our door as a pick me up.

Fiction Friday (2) - Creaky

Note: This is a silly piece written for practice.

Creaky

by Olivia Hofer

Jay heard the creature before she spotted it.

It creaked in the corner under a desk, hidden behind two boxes. She pushed one to the side with her foot. It was heavy, filled to the brim with parts of a disassembled Tyrannosaurus.

Jay sighed. She'd been told that all AI had been turned off prior to the arrival of the clean-up crew, and that all they were required to do was find the dinosaurs, take them apart, stuff them into boxes and prepare them for removal.

Another creak, followed by a small squeak. "Turned off, my ass," she muttered. She definitely wasn't paid enough for this. Jay approached the corner, pushed the other box to the side and knelt.

Under the table sat a small raptor, its front leg bent at a weird angle, its head cocked sideways. It observed Jay with small, beady eyes, its tail curled around its hind legs.

She hesitated, waited for it to pounce and use its teeth, but it kept dangling its front leg, a miserable expression on its face.

"You were supposed to have been turned off," said Jay softly. She patted the raptor's head, and it showed her pointy teeth in return. "Woha, just trying to help." It cowered and pushed its bottom lip forward as if pouting. A guttural sound emerged from its mouth.

"I'm sorry little guy, but the park is being shut down."

The raptor lifted its leg once more, moved it back and forth as if to draw her attention to the broken joint. "Let me see," she said. She pulled on the small foot and clicked the joint back into place. "One moment." She retrieved a small bottle of WD-40 from her toolbox. She oiled the parts, bent the leg a few times and smiled. "There you go. All good."

The raptor jumped, inspected its leg and nipped her arm with enthusiasm. Its feathered neck glistened in the dim overhead light.

"Ouch. Look, it's not my fault the park is being shut down. Besides, you're not the only one experiencing a dreadful week."

The raptor whined softly, sat on its hind legs and pressed its head against her shoulder. A soft feather tickled her elbow. "My boyfriend ghosted me. Didn't even have the decency to break up with me, and now I'm talking to a robot dinosaur while working minimum wage. At least, you had a good run. I've seen you in the papers. You were a hit. Everybody loved you."

Jay thought the raptor attempted to smile, but that couldn't be. It wasn't made to smile. "It's not your fault people weren't visiting. Turns out no one is interested in perfectly safe creatures pretending to be dangerous when everyone knows they can be turned off by flicking a switch."

The raptor made a noise that sounded like a gasp and ducked.

"You didn't know you could be turned off just like that?"

It shook its head.

"See, I didn't know I could be ghosted just like that. One day he was living with me, and I cooked for him, the next day his stuff is gone, and he changed his number."

She absentmindedly stroked the raptor's head. The skin felt smooth under her touch. It purred. "You like that, don't you?"

It opened its mouth wide, exposing a row of impressive white teeth and a pointy tongue.

"I guess, I got some space at home with Brad gone."

Jay thought she saw a flicker in the raptor's eyes. "And you don't eat much, do you? Or at all, considering you're made of plastic or something."

It clucked much like a chicken and Jay laughed. "I will call you Creaky. Because of your gammy leg." She clapped. "We'll have so much fun."

Behind her, the door opened and slammed into the wall. "There's a time for breaks, but it ain't now."

Jay turned to face her boss. Spotting the raptor, he frowned and approached. “They told me all machinery had been turned off.” He grabbed it by its neck and ripped the head off. The cabling ripped with a sickening crunch, and Jay winced.

He gestured towards the boxes. "Once you're done, go and help Remy over at the museum. I'll load the truck." He wrinkled his nose. "I can't wait to leave. This place gives me the creeps."

He yanked on the raptor's legs before throwing the parts into an empty box.

Jay watched as he trudged out of the room, then turned and looked at the raptor's cabling dangling from its neck.

"Farewell, Creaky," she mumbled and proceeded to disassemble a Stegosaurus.

Paternus: Rise of Gods by Dyrk Ashton

Book Title: Paternus: Rise of Gods
Author: Dyrk Ashton
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: I own a Kindle copy

Goodreads, Amazon UK

Plot: Even myths have legends. And not all legends are myth.
When a local hospital is attacked by strange and frightening men, Fiona Patterson and Zeke Prisco save a catatonic old man named Peter--and find themselves running for their lives with creatures beyond imagination hounding their every step.
With nowhere else to turn, they seek out Fi’s enigmatic Uncle Edgar. But the more their questions are answered, the more they discover that nothing is what it seems--not Peter, not Edgar, perhaps not even themselves.
The gods and monsters, heroes and villains of lore--they’re real. And now they’ve come out of hiding to hunt their own. In order to survive, Fi and Zeke must join up with powerful allies against an ancient evil that’s been known by many names and feared by all. The final battle of the world’s oldest war has begun.

What did I think?

3.5 Stars.

Paternus is an exciting story, with a very fast-paced plot and accessible prose.

It just did not quite work for me. I'm interested in the sequel, and definitely will keep an eye on future releases of Dyrk Ashton, though.

Let's get the negative out of the way first. This reads a bit like it should actually be a movie. The narration hops from character to character, changing the point of view frequently, sometimes mid-paragraph. I found that a bit jarring. This is best enjoyed with popcorn, sitting in a cinema. As a book it just did not quite work. At least for me.

Others love this one, so if the premise sounds intriguing, give it a try.

Onto the positive.

Of course, what I described above, makes this novel unique. I highly enjoyed Ahston's fight scenes, and thought his narrative style was captivating.

Ashton's idea and world building are amazing. The visuals are captivating, and I think we can expect many great stories from Ashton's imaginative mind. The world building is intricate, filled with bits of world religions and various mythologies. I can't imagine the number of hours the author must have put into research.

When I say it's filled with world religions and myths, I mean, there's everything: from Chinese mythology to the Norse gods. There's Baphomet, and Ao Guant, there's Minotaur and Tengu. Just to name a few.

If mythology is at all what you're interested in, pick it up. Paternus is filled with it like no other book I've ever read.

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Book Title: The Poppy War
Author: R. F. Kuang
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: Netgalley

Goodreads, Amazon UK

Plot: When Rin aced the Keju, the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies, it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard, the most elite military school in Nikan, was even more surprising.
But surprises aren’t always good.
Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an The Nikara Empire is currently at peace, but the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away.

What did I think?

4.75 Stars.

I got The Poppy War from Netgalley a while back, but I've loved it so much I since decided to buy it for my girlfriend as an audiobook.

I couldn't put this down. This was one of those, 'I will stay up until the early morning hours if necessary' books.

Just look at the cover. It's gorgeous. The themes in this book, however, less gorgeous. Let me begin this review with a warning. I don't often do trigger warnings, but the beginning of this book may as well be YA, so I feel the need to point out: this story is dark, awful, dreadful, terrifying, horrific, etc. There are war themes, self-harm, children dying, genocide, abuse, animal cruelty, torture and off-screen rape.

The Poppy War is told in three parts. The first part starts out fairly fluffy with Rin passing an exam (against all odds, of course) to join a prestigious military academy where she must study hard or lose her place. We've seen that part many times, usually in YA, and it follows more or less the expected tropes. However, Kuang writes in a very pleasing way, and the pacing swiftly pulls you along and before you know it you start reading the third part.

Until that third part, I enjoyed myself, a lot. But I didn't get what all the fuss is about. The third part is what turns this debut from a great read into an amazing read.

Why not five stars? Because ultimately, a lot of the book is fairly predictable, and I did not enjoy the ending. It's not a bad ending but the protagonist develops in ways that made me want to close the book to stop it from happening (that's how it works isn't it? you close the book and just like that, you stop the events!) and it left me unsettled.

The world is inspired by Chinese history, and the world building is fascinating and different. (I must admit I don't know much about Chinese history.) Rin is a great protagonist, well developed and fleshed out. Some of the side characters felt a bit generic at times, but it didn't distract from the story. Simply because everything flowed at such a quick pace, and it just worked.

I recommend this to fans of fantasy who like grimdark worlds, and I think especially Mark Lawrence fans who love his Red Sister / Book of the Ancestor trilogy will enjoy this one.

TTT (30) - Blogs I Visit Regularly

Top Ten Tuesdays is hosted over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Read up on the rules here and join in on the Top Ten Tuesday fun.

Follow the link to know more about the meme and join up, it's a great way to find out more about the book blogging community.

This week the theme is favourite bookish websites, and this week's post by That Artsy Reader girl can be found here.

I've been blogging for a while, and mostly I jot down my reviews and mostly I read fantasy. For me it's a hobby, and sometimes I think I should take blogging more seriously and have a schedule and scheduled posts and be all organised. But...I'm not. I'm a bit chaotic in how I approach blogging. However, I've met a ton of great people over on Twitter and through blog-hopping, and I'm very grateful for all the connections I've made.

I'd like to list a few of these people, because they've been supportive and I enjoy reading their posts.

Greg over @ Greg's Book Haven reviews a lot of interesting books and I always enjoy his discussion posts, and every Sunday he posts inspiring graphics that I, very often, pin to one of my Pinterest boards for future writing inspiration. Greg also talks movies and TV, and I've not been disappointed by any of his recommendations thus far.

Esme blogs @ The Weatherwax Report and she mostly reads indie published fantasy authors and as a lover of fantasy her blog is a wealth of information. She put together a tool called TBRindr where reviewers who like fantasy can find indie authors who are looking for reviewers.

Danielle over @ Books, Vertigo & Tea writes thoughtful reviews and often makes me smile.

Elle blogs over @ Keep on Reading and there's anime, YA and fantasy among other books, and I make a point of visiting her blog at least once a week. She's instrumental in making my anime to-be-watched list grow.

Kristen reads a lot and she reads a lot of fantasy and sci-fi, and I always enjoy her reviews.

Di over @ Book Reviews by Di has been there from the start, supporting me, checking up on me and always with kind words of encouragement. Well written reviews, lots of YA to make my tbr pile grow. She's got an artistic eye and her photos are always beautiful.

Amy blogs over @ A Magical World of Words. Amy writes and often shares bits from her work in progress and her inspiring Pinterest boards. She also offers a lot of discussion posts which are very thoughtful. In particular, I enjoyed the ones tackling romanticised abuse.

Uma over @ Books, Bags, Burgers has been someone I've connected with from the start and has always taken her time to comment on my blog. She reads and reviews a lot of YA and her posts are always making me smile (and also fill my tbr pile with more books.)

Daniela has also been someone I've met at the very start. Daniel always has encouraging blog posts, inspiring posts and spends a lot of time talking about her writing. She's a positive and warm person and I enjoy her blog a lot.

Tanya blogs over @ Girls Plus Books and I've enjoyed her comments and posts for a long time now. Lots of romance and always very thoughtful reviews that make me want to dive into romance more.

Verushka is someone whose presence I highly value on Twitter, always tweeting interesting articles. Her blog is filled with great reviews and various, diverse genres.

Suzanne is over @ the Bookish Libra and reads many genres. I enjoy the thoughtful reviews and she's a very kind and supportive person.

Lindsey blogs over @Lindsey Reads. She reads lots of different genres, but often reads fantasy, which is my favourite genre, so, of course, I'm a regular visitor.

Obviously, everyone knows Net Galley, Goodreads and Book Riot.

Then for sci-fi and fantasy specifically, I've got Tor, SF Book Reviews, SFF World, Fantasy Book Reviews.

I worry, that I've forgotten many of you, and there are so many of you, and I love reading your comments and visiting your blogs, and I do hope, I won't spend the rest of the day jumping every five minutes, muttering, 'Oh! No!" as I remember bloggers I should have included.

Anyone who wants to find me on Twitter where I try and find a balance between some politics and social issues, lots of books, and pictures of my dogs, I can be found here @Vinjii

The Fire Eye Refugee by Samuel Gately

Book Title: The Fire Eye Refugee
Author: Samuel Gately
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: E-book review copy provided by the author

Amazon UK, Goodreads

Plot Summary: A spy must face her past or die in exile.
As lanterns stream up towards the Fire Eye, a woman weaves through the crowd, eyes down. Kay is a fetch, a finder of lost children, and she’s been saddled with a case she couldn’t refuse. A child is missing among the refugees beyond the walls. Before she is found, Kay will face her past as an exile, the loyalties which divide her by heart and blood, and an enemy who would have his spy back on her leash or content himself to watch her hang. A killer has returned to the city, war looms, and, above it all, the Fire Eye hangs open, watching.

Thank you, Samuel Gately, for providing me with a review copy of this book. Also a big thank you goes to Esme over at the Weatherwaxreport for setting up TBRindr.

What did I think?

3.5 Stars.

This book has a fantastic cover. It's also entered into Mark Lawrence's fourth SPFBO contest, and I'd like to thank the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kay finds lost children. She's a character with a dangerous past threatening to catch up with her. Gately developed her well, and she's smart, independent. She's got mixed blood and finds herself in the middle of racial tensions between the Gol and the Farrows. In fact, Gately deals with some very dark issues in this book, and racial and social tensions are high in the city of Celest.

I highly enjoyed reading about Celest. It's a great setting, and Gately describes it well. I would have wished for a bit more world building and background to the current conflict.

Gately's prose is accessible and straightforward, and the novel is well edited. It's a fairly short read, fast paced and the plot is entertaining. At its heart it's a mystery, and reminded me a bit of the Sherlock Holmes novels.

Overall, it's a solid book with an exciting premise and everything necessary to make a great fantasy novel. Sadly, I had trouble connecting with any of the events or characters. Somehow, I did not manage to build an emotional rapport, and towards the end I realised, that I didn't actually care all that much whether the protagonist succeeds or fails.

I recommend this one to fantasy fans looking for a quick read that deals with a refugee crisis, and the problems resulting from a clash of different cultures.

TTT (29) - Genres I Like to See Mashed Together

Top Ten Tuesdays is hosted over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Read up on the rules here and join in on the Top Ten Tuesday fun.

Follow the link to know more about the meme and join up, it's a great way to find out more about the book blogging community.

This week the theme is books that you'd mash together, and this week's post by That Artsy Reader girl can be found here.

I'm not so much for mashing books together, as I'm in favour of mashing genres.

For example if someone would write about Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy in space? I'd be all over that. In fact, all of my favourite books should get a space retelling.

The Count of Monte Cristo in space, thankfully has been done. Here's my review of Song of Edmon by Adam Burch.

If you like anime I highly, highly recommend you watch Gankutsuou. The Count is some sort of space vampire in that adaptation. It's loosely based on the novel and most of the story is told from the point of view of Albert Morcerf. Amazing soundtrack!

I love when fantasy and science fiction are being mashed together and create something entirely new in a fantastic way. Tom Toner's Amaranthine Spectrum is such a book.

  

So, who is up for writing me Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre in space? I'd pre-order it today.

Manna City by Geoffrey Pierce

Title: Manna City

Author: Geoffrey Pierce
Genre: Science Fiction
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: Digital copy provided by the author 

Amazon UK, Goodreads 

Plot Summary: Nista is nine months pregnant, starving, and living in a cave. Her husband, Dane, thinks she's gone crazy. And the first time she heard the voice of her unborn child, she thought she'd gone crazy, too. But the child has told her too many things, shown her too many things that have come to pass. She knows…someone is coming to usher them away from their isolated purgatory. Someone is coming to lead them through the unforgiving desert - teeming with lawless killers and savage beasts - to the last bastion of civilization, a mythical land of plenty called Manna City.

I received a digital version from the author (thank you) in exchange for an honest review.

What did I think?

I almost never read the synopsis, even when authors ask me for a review I only briefly glance at it, because I like to enjoy a book knowing nothing about it. Occasionally, I'm very pleasantly surprised. Occasionally, it goes wrong.

I was pleased with this read.

We follow three characters: Nista, Dane, and Halvist. Nista is pregnant, married to Dane and together they're trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. The day they meet Halvist things change...

Manna City itself is a mythical place. A place where things are good, and where water and food aren't scarce. But is it real?

I love post-apocalyptic novels. I enjoy the grim tone, the desperate characters, and the odds stacked against their success. Pierce does a good job at describing the world he created. His style is easy to read, and his visuals are vivid and clear. I read the book almost in one sitting; it's pretty short, but also pretty tense with good pacing.

The characters are well fleshed out, but I couldn't connect the three. In fact, I disliked all of them, and maybe that's realistic, because I doubt someone fighting to survive every single day against all odds is going to remain what we'd call a "nice person." Sadly, barely caring whether these people lived or died, made me feel somewhat detached from the book.

I recommend Manna City to people looking for a short post-apocalyptic read with a supernatural touch.