Rant & Rave- The Darker the Skies by Bryan Prosek

Hi All! It's been a while since my last post. I've had a busy summer and cheer season, but I'm back with an upcoming release from an author that might sound familiar. I've previously covered Bryan Prosek's A Measure of Serenity, and releasing this month is his new book, The Darker the Skies. Since I've read so many books between my last post and this one, I'm going to skip the quick reviews this time and jump right into The Darker the Skies. The Darker the Skies is a high stakes science fiction story that takes place in the early 2200s. The book is a whirlwind of intergalactic travel, war, and politics. Earth is in the midst of a war with space pirates when a much more serious, and powerful, threat emerges. Jake Saunders is called on to save the Earth, once again, by facing this mighty threat. Little does he know, the threat is inextricably linked to those responsible for killing his father many years prior, and he may end up facing a far more personal nemesis. First let's rant: I had mixed feelings about the multiple point of view in this book. It took me a while to really get a grasp on each of the characters and identify who was a consistent narrator or main character. The many names had me doing a little searching as well. That being said, I really liked getting different information and viewpoints. My only true negative of the book was that some of the characters felt one dimensional. This is particularly true of the main antagonist, though there was a little bit of backstory for them. It felt like many of the narrators had similar personalities and motivators as well, which makes sense to an extent since they are nearly all military men and women, but I'd still like to see more variety and more characterization in general. And Let's rave: I think the love story took up an appropriate amount of the book. It was clear they love each other and were constantly on each others' minds, but the fact that Earth needed saving was firmly their first priority- AS IT SHOULD BE! Another positive of the story was the plot- it was dynamic, engaging, and high stakes. I feel like some books tend to throw in extra fight scenes and drama in order to engage readers (especially in htis genre), but The Darker the Skies was engaging in a more understated and subtle way. I absolutely loved the ending. I think it was both fitting and dramatic, and tied the story together nicely. It may have also hinted at a sequel, but no spoilers, so I can't say anything else. Also, the cover is absolutely beautiful. I would never buy a book just for the cover (*nervously glances at The Damned by Renee Ahdieh on my bookshelf*), but if you're into that- it's a starry sky in shades of black and blue. This was my 40th book this year, and I'm so glad it could be such an excellent read! Overall, it was a well written, fast paced, and epic novel that I'd place among my top science fiction reads for this year. I owe a huge thank you to Bryan Prosek and CamCat Publishing for sending me an advanced reader's copy. You can pick up your own copy when it releases on November 8th, 2022. As always, feel free to comment to discuss the book or my review! Until next time! Dana

Rant & Rave- Riddled Worlds by Phil Coleman

I'm back with the Rant & Rave for another ARC, Riddled Worlds by Phil Coleman. But first, I've got some thoughts on Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor! Hotel Magnifique was, indeed, magnifique! Another Owlcrate book, Hotel Magnifique's atmosphere is incomparable. The best way I can think to describe it is gothic carnival, but even that doesn't do justice to its fantastical nature. I wish the author had taken more time in the book having the main character explore the hotel, for no reason other than myself wanting to see more of it. The plot was immensely entertaining and the characters were interesting and well-developped. So on to Riddled Worlds! Riddled Worlds follows David, a young man tasked with saving the world since he is the only one who can see the holes ripping it apart. His mission to find the source of the holes leads him into a parallel world that is just starting to be taken over by the holes. David quickly learns that this world may be similar to his own, but he must rely on new friends to help him traverse this foreign land. Together, they fight to find the source of the holes and save this world, and hopefully David's as well. So let's rant... My biggest issue with this book was that the characters didn't seem interesting to me. While I liked the characters as they relate to the plot, backstory was scarce, and what little there was seemed very generic. I also wish the characters developed more throughout the book. I felt like the blurb was a bit misleading about there being sinister forces at work, causing the holes. I don't want to get into spoilers, but I wouldn't describe the forces at work as malicious or insidious. In fact, it feels almost natural to me. And let's rave... I think the biggest positive about this book is that it is insanely unique. I've never read anything quite like it, and the ending was certainly a surprise. I think Phil Coleman does an excellent job with sentimental dialogue. In each instance, it was both meaningful and impactful. Finally, I think there is an excellent split point-of-view, without taking the focus away from David as the main character. Overall, I think Phil Coleman's Riddled Worlds is a fun, original read. I'm happy to have a copy grace my shelf. It comes out on June 21st, 2022, so don't forget to grab your own copy! In other news- I've started an Instagram where I post photos of books I've read. I'm hoping to have a few more photos up in the next week or so. If you'd like to check it out, my Instagram username is danas_reading_glasses. As always, feel free to leave a comment! Dana

Rant & Rave- The Head, The Heart, and The Heir by Alice Hanov

Hi all! I'm back with a rant and rave for a book I read in early April (and its prequel novella), Alice Hanov's The Head, The Heart, and The Heir. Before we get to that, however, it's time for a quick recap of my thoughts on the other books I've read since my last post- Ballad & Dagger by Daniel Jose Older and Worldwalker by Jamie Dalton. Ballad & Dagger was an Owlcrate book, and also a novel in the Rick Riordan Presents collection. Riordan's influence is very evident in the book- so much so that it felt like the writing style was a little juevenile for a YA book. While the novel was culture-rich and included a lovable cast of characters, I couldn't get over how lackluster the plot was. I bought Worldwalker primarily because it is beautiful (and the author was offering mystery boxes and I'm a sucker for a good mystery box)- the cover is gorgeous shades of purple, and each chapter heading page has background art. I think the plot of the book flowed well and I liked the main character, Adalyn. However, I found the ending to be mediocre. The Head, The Heart, and The Heir follows Alex. Alex is a princess, but she has been forced to live most of her childhood in hiding after her grandfather murdered her mother. When her grandfather passes, she finally has the freedom to return to her kingdom and her father. As she, and her kingdom, will soon discover, she isn't the adorable princess that once roamed the castle. As her sorceress powers manifest, she discovers that her emotions make her a threat to anyone that gets too close. When she discover's the truth behind her mother's death, she's not sure she can handle being around the family and friends that lied to her. And after all the chaos she's caused since her return, between her manifesting powers and her lack of courtly grace, do they even want her in the castle? So let's rant... The author's voice and word choice weren't my favorite. While the book's content was reminiscent of Arthurian fantasy, the author's voice fell short of that mark. I wanted to get lost in the world of Torian, and sometimes I did, but I kept getting caught up in the semantics of the book. That being said, the often simplistic vocabulary made the book a fast, fun read. Alex almost feels overpowered for the world of Torian, in my opinion. She has magic, a kingdom, fighting and hunting skills, a loving father, incredibly loyal friends, two amazing men trying to woo her... The list goes on. The author does try to temper this in a few ways. For instance, Alex is not the greatest fighter, but she's still proficient. She desn't have full control over her magic, but she can still use it when she needs it. I understand that Alex doesn't have it easy, but she definitely seems to have it all. And let's rave... Before I say this- those of you that know me, I haven't been replaced by aliens. My favorite thing about this book was the romance. It constantly had me swooning! I loved that, while the book primarily followed Alex, periodically there was an "Aaron" chapter. Seeing their love blossom from both sides was a real treat. The love interest, Aaron, is the picture of honor, trustworthiness, and chivalry, without getting in Alex's way of defending herself. Each character in the book is well-developed and clearly thought out. While some characters start with a lot of these traits and backstories, others develop as the book (and I'm sure series) goes on. I'm excited to see where some of the characters go from here. I'm not going to do a complete review of the prequel novella, but I will say that I liked the full novel much more. The characters didn't feel as fully developed in the novella, and I found it hard to find motivation to read it. While the novel was plot-rich, the novella seemed to lack any real direction, similar to slice-of-life novels. So those are my thoughts on The Head, The Heart, and The Heir by Alice Hanov. I really enjoyed it as a fun, light read. It's digital release date is June 14th, and its physical release date is August 2nd, so make sure to grab a copy and let me know what you think in the comments! Dana

Rant & Rave- Silvana's Trial by Astrid V. J.

Hello All! I'm back with a rant & rave for Silvana's Trial by Astrid V. J. The book is short, and this post will be as well. I've been writing out blog posts for all the books I've read, but a couple authors have requested I hold off on posting until closer to their release date, so over the next month or so, you'll see quite a few posts completely out of order from the order I read them in. That being said, I did read one other book simultaneously with Silvana's Trial, so we'll start with that. Queens of Fennbirn by Kendare Blake contains two novellas in the Three Dark Crowns series. I really enjoyed one of the novellas, The Oracle Queen. This novella follows a queen referenced in the series, who supposedly went mad and became murderous. Of couse, in the novella, we learn that there's more to the story than history tells us. The other wasn't my favorite, but that might be because I had already read the entire series when I read it. While Queens of Fennbirn came out in the middle of the series, I'm glad I read it at the end. This way it feels like a dive back into a world I thought I was done with, without getting too invested in another whole story. On to Silvana's Trial. Silvana's Trial is a character driven romantasy novella, following crown princess Silvana as she is forced by convention into being a guide for the man who tortured and maimed her father. The man, Ned, is truly repentant, but the story shows Silvana's struggle with whether to forgive him or not. So let's rant: Silvana feels very juvenile for an eighteen year old woman. The book does explain that she grew up very sheltered, but it felt like Astrid A.J. picked some traits to be age appropriate or beyond her years and others to be juvenile based solely on advancing the plot. And let's rave: The novella does an excellent job fitting a fully developed romance plot into under 200 pages. I could see the development of the romance, the struggles faced, and the resolution, none of which felt rushed due to the length of the book. The emotions displayed in the book were realistically portrayed. The descriptions contained both a mental reaction and a physical reaction to each emotion, making the emotions easy to follow and even feel yourself as you read the book. So that's a brief overview of my thoughts on Silvana's Trial by Astrid V.J. and Queens of Fennbirn by Kendare Blake. Let me know if you agree in the comments. Up next will likely be The Head, The Heart and The Heir by Alice Hanov, but I know better than to make any promises at this point. As always, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments! Until next time! Dana

Rant & Rave- Variance by Zoe Abrams

Hi everyone! You've made your way to my Rant & Rave for Zoey Abrams' Variance. This book came out on May 2nd, 2022, and I was fortuante enough to receive an ARC copy of the book to review. But first, let's talk about Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a book that was released in January and has made a big splash on TikTok, so naturally I picked up a copy. One of my fears reading this book was that the eloquence of the book would be beyond me (and that gorgeously designed cover did not help). Despite the book's popularity, I was still pleasantly surprised- the book was certainly elegant, but in an approachable way. The prose was poetic, but easy to follow. The ending was satisfying and simultaneously left me craving more. I couldn't get enough of these characters! All of the main characters were well-developped, although I do wish we had seen more progression of traits throughout the book, as opposed to them either being there or not being there. This book was superb, and I can certainly see what all the hype was about! So on to Variance- this book is a futuristic fantasy romance with a splash of mystery. The main character, Mariana, is the best tracker in the city of Ithaca. Ithaca was one of four cities formed after war destroyed the United States. The city is split into four distict districts, and Mariana specializes in finding people the police has given up on, mostly from the slums. When a file about a growing list of missing girls piques her interest, she steps into a case more involved, and more dangerous, than she could have imagined. So let's rant: One thing that annoyed me in this book was that a lot of the gestures and body movements were unrealistic, in my opinion. To be fair, I'm not a particularly "touchy-feely" person, so perhaps these are things other people do, but they definitely seemed out of place for me. Another thing I found lacdking in this book were the spicy scenes. They were well written- its just that a lot of the "activities" weren't appealing to me personally. And let's rave: I absolutely love the representation in this book! Of course, there is poly representation amongst the main characters, but there are also side characters of all races and sexualities. I really like the length of the chapters in this book! I know that seems kind of weird to be excited about, but they were the perfect length to escape reality without completely leaving the world behind. I also like Mariana as a character. She is a strong female, but without the cold, emotionless exterior that define some female leads. She is good-hearted and approachable, but also smart and unassailable. Though I do wish she had some more development throughout the book, she is well written and amicable. So those are my thoughts on Variance by Zoe Abrams! Don't forget to check out the newly-released book on Amazon and Kindle. It is a fast read and reminds my of the TV shows Fringe and Continuum, which straddle the line between science fiction and crime drama. Up next will likely be Riddled Worlds by Phil Coleman, a science fiction/portal fantasy set to release in mid-June. As always, feel free to leave a comment, even if it's just to say hi! Dana

February/March 2022 Wrap-Up

Hi All! It's been a while since I posted, so it's time to catch everyone up! I don't have a Rant & Rave for you today. For the month of March, I decided not to take on any reviews and work on clearing some books on my physical TBR. (This failed spectacularly, as between the Owlcrate boxes and a couple of preorders, I only cleared off one space on my shelf. I also just pre-ordered a copy of Book of Night by Holly Black, which will soon occupy the lone spot that I had cleared out.) That being said, I wanted to give my brief reviews of the books I've read since my last post so my next blog post isn't insanely long. My next post was going to feature Alice Hanov's The Head, The Heart, and The Heir, but she has requested I hold off on posting until closer to the release date. I'm currently working on a beta with no end in sight, so it will probably be a while before my next Rant & Rave. So without furthur ado: The books I read in February were Oracle of the Sun by L. A Robinson (a beta that hasn't been released yet), The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige, and Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen. I absolutely loved Oracle of the Sun, despite it being in such an early stage of editing. The book is based on Ancient Egyptian mythology, which I've always had a soft spot for. It was dark, with an unparalleled air of mystery regarding the characters and their relationships with the gods. The characters are well-developped and likable, without the need for romantic drama, which was a big plus for me. I'm so excited that I got to play a part in the editing and publication of this book. Working with L. A. Robinson was a delight, and I wish her the best with her book release! No date has been set for the release yet, but when it is I will certainly share it on here for all of you. The Ravens was a fun, witchy book woven with themes of sisterhood and trust. The plot of this book was interesting, but it felt a little shallow to me. Not in the way you'd expect a sorority book to be shallow, but more in the sense that it had an "all is right with the world" feel to it that didn't sit well with me. Perhaps it's simply my pessimism, or my preference for dark fantasy and hopeless endings, but I wasn't a fan of this atmosphere. Despite this, it was a great light, positive, heartwarming read with a crazy twist. Skin of the Sea is an oceanic, West African-inspired fantasy with some dark themes. It was the delayed December Owlcrate book, and it definitely lives up to the expectations I have for Owlcrate books. I really appreciated all the research that went into ensuring this book didn't "step on the toes" of the mythology it's based on. The level of respect for the book's mythological roots is incredible- the author even included notes on the mythology she drew from and why she chose certain myths over others. Without giving anything away, I think that Simi, the main character, made the right choice at the end. (If you know, you know.) The one thing I found mediocre in this book was the romantic side plot. Attempts to build up the love interest and their relationship seemed unnatural to me. While I could see the relationship happening, it wasn't believably portrayed, in my opinion. The books I read in March were Malice by Heather Walter, Only a Monster by Vanessa Len, Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson, and The Eternal Machine by Aelina Isaacs. The ending of Malice was incredible! Even though I knew where the book was heading (it's a fairytale retelling), it was still so exhilarating to see Alyce break free from the mold she was ill fitted for and give in to her powers. The plot and world building were both excellent, but I did feel like the romance was lacking. This might be because Alyce and Aurora see each other so infrequently that it seemed like they skipped over the relationship building part of the story. Regardless, I thought the book was excellent and the ending was perfectly villainous. Only a Monster was the February Owlcrate, and it was exquisite! The book brings the excitement of a heist thriller and the lessons of historical fiction, into a modern(ish) fantasy. In a sentence that borders on breaking my no spoilers rule- the ending was sad, but perfect for the book. The pacing was excellent, and the characters were unique and lovable (or hateable, in some cases). I had mixed feelings about Gideon the Ninth. It was well-written (with plenty of witty banter), had excellent worldbuilding, and the ending was exactly what I was hoping for. However, it was really hard for me to push through the first half of this book. Other than the witty banter, it was practically all worldbuilding, which was extremely dense. I also found it difficult to connect to the characters. It kind of felt like Gideon was too nonchalant about everything- there wasn't enough emotional depth for the characters to ring true to me. I was also disappointed that the witty banter had slowed significantly by halfway through the book. A Forgery of Roses was another Owlcrate book. It had excellent pacing, relatable characters, and an interesting magic system based around art. My only real complaint was that I wish there was more history and worldbuilding to accompany the murder mystery plot. Finally, The Eternal Machine is a dark steampunk fantasy novel. The plot was well-crafted, the spicy sections were magnificent, and the ending was incredible. That being said, the characters were a little hit-or-miss for me. Many had interesting backstories. Some, like Novak, quickly became favorites, while others fell a little short in my opinion. I'm looking forward to reading the accompanying novellas as my physical books while I work on this beta. As a final comment- I've restructured my blog, and I'd really appreciate it if you could hit the follow button on the right-hand side. I can no longer send out automatic emails to new email addresses, so following me and giving me your email is the only way to get on my mailing list. I'm considering broadcasting some of my thoughts on TikTok as well. Let me know if this is something you guys would like to see in the future and I'll consider it more thouroughly. Finally, thank you to all my loyal readers! It means a lot that you keep coming back for more of my bookish opinions. As always, feel free to comment and start a discussion. I love chatting about books (or pretty much anything, to be honest)! Dana

Rant & Rave- The Witch of Fire and Shadows by Bri Mooney

Hello everyone! Over the past week I've managed to read three new books- What We Devour by Linsey Miller, The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman, and The Witch of Fire and Shadows by Bri Mooney. Today's main focus will be The Witch of Fire and Shadows, the first of the Burning Bloodlines Series, which I was very excited to read early. I'll also do a brief synopsis of my thoughts on What We Devour and The Ivory Key. Starting with What We Devour by Linsey Miller- I enjoyed this book. I'm not normally a mood reader, but I was looking for something dark and this really hit the spot. The lore in the book is excellent, and the puzzle is engaging. The one issue I had with this book was that, at some parts, it felt like you didn't know enough of the lore to make predictions until one of the characters thought of an idea and explained the lore behind it. This wouldn't have been such a big deal to me if the book hadn't been advertized as a puzzle to solve. Overall, I'd say that this book is excellent if you're in the mood for something dark, but isn't ideal if you're looking to solve a mystery. The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman was unexpectedly great. Owlcrate books are nearly always good, so I should have set my expectations accordingly, but I was expecting to draw a lot of parallels to Sisters of the Snake. I didn't particularly enjoy Sisters of the Snake. In fact, it was probably my least favorite Owlcrate book so far. My point being, I set my expectations too low. I underestimated how much I would enjoy the archaeology and puzzle side of the book. The politics did seem a little shallow. I don't think it really effected my enjoyment of the book, but if you are someone that enjoys the politics of fantasy kingdoms, it might bother you. I will definitely be reading the next part of the duology when it comes out. So on to our main feature, The Witch of Fire and Shadows by Bri Mooney. This book follows the next elder of a well-known coven, Maeve. She has an affinity for the fire element, though she can control all of the elements on her best days. Until the council of the supernatural deems her ready to be an elder, though, she maintains a fairly normal life. In the novel, witches have exposed themselves to mortals and been, for the most part, accepted by society. Other supernaturals, like vampires and fae, remain mostly hidden. At the beginning of the book, Maueve is fairly happy with her life, although a string of missing witches forces her to have a bodyguard, Aspen, with her at all times. Her boyfriend, Thane, has been pretty jealous of the time she spends with Aspen. However, as the book progresses, she realizes this is the least of her problems. Throughout the book she is attacked, falls in with the wrong crowd, and makes deals she couldn't hope to fulfill. Despite her great power, she finds herself in the middle of a supernatural fight she doesn't even want to be a part of. A quote directly from the description: "TWOFAS is a tale of elemental magic, supernatural courts, and unfolding secrets." So let's rant: My biggest issue with this book is that the pacing felt off. The book was short (under 200 pages). A lot happened in those 200 pages, but it seemed like the majority of the time was spent doing day-to-day interactions. Then, all of a sudden, it would be action-packed for 10 pages, then back to day-to-day. The action-packed sections were heavy in physical action, Maeve's confusion, and learning new things about the courts, while the day-to-day didn't live up to the action sections and seemed boring in comparison. In my opinion, the distribution of new information should occur more during the day-to-day interactions to spice them up, or the day-to-day sections should be cut down considerably. My second issue with the book was that the personalities for each character were exposed primarily from dialogue. This makes sense for characters Maeve is just meeting, because the book is in first person (although even their actions seem to influence Mauve's opinion less than their words do). However, some of the characters are people she's known for years or spent tons of time with. These people could be described using memories or day-to-day encounters where they react instead of just giving a verbal response. And let's rave: I think the most well-done parts of the book were the sections where the main character is mentally compromised (from poison, alcohol, suggestion, stress, etc.). They were described well in the sense that we could see and feel what Maeve was seeing and feeling, but Mooney didn't over explain things. Some authors tend to overexplain during these scenes, and that takes away from the confusion and fear that the main character is suffering from. I want to feel confused and a little fearful with the main character during these scenes, but when I know exactly what is going on and why, the confusion is lost and it becomes more difficult to connect with the character. Another strong part of the book was that there was a good balance between sections of metaphor or intangible feelings and sections of observation. By this, I am referring to the difference between seeing someone watching you and sensing someone watching you, for example. One is concrete and exact using your senses, while the other is more energetic or metaphorical in nature. Mooney does an excellent job of describing each experience from the more pertinent of the two perspectives, as opposed to doing both or using the "wrong" one. Plus, once she chooses a style, she doesnt change it up until a natural switching point. Finally, I'm not sure how much research into witchcraft was conducted, but the book seemed to be at least mildly influenced by real witchcraft practices. Of course, in a fantasy book some liberties are going to be taken, but I don't think it ever crossed a line or became offensive to witches, the coven structure, or witchcraft practices. Overall, I really enjoyed The Witch of Fire and Shadow. I think it is a good example of contemporary fantasy, and the start to an interesting story centered on supernatural courts (which I can't wait to learn more about in the next book). I owe a special thank you to Bri Mooney for sending me the book early so I could share my thoughts with all of you. It will be released February 1st, 2022, for anyone interested in reading it themselves. As always, thanks for reading, feel free to let me know what you think of the book or my analysis in the comments, and reach out if you want to receive email notifications for this blog! Until next time! Dana