Clay Wolfe and crew are back with another round of hijinks, thanks to author Matt Cost. I have liked this series because of the shenanigans, the budding romance, the action sequences, the sexy scenes, and the fun, ridiculous narratives. Sometimes, it is fun just to get lost in a trope-y mystery, and Mouse Trap provides just that.
About Traveling Cloak (Jason)
Review: Servant Mage by Kate Elliott
Servant Mage is the latest book from veteran SFF , and another feather in the Tor/TorDotCom novella cap. The sibling imprints have become something of an expert in releasing novellas that cover broad strokes while focusing in on intimate moments at the same time. Servant Mage fits right into that mold.
Five Reads for 2022
It has become a bit of a tradition for me to post a list of five of the books I am looking forward to in the coming year (though, in this case, as I am a little late getting it written – it is actually books for this year). The list of phenomenal books being released in 2022 is endless, so choosing five is so hard. But, here it goes: Five Reads for 2022 (BE WARE: some synopsis may contain spoilers for previous books).
Traveling Cloak’s Favorite Indie Reads of 2021
With so many great Indie authors writing books, I wanted to give them their own post to highlight all the good work being done. I think I read more Indie books than ever last year, and here are my favorites.
Traveling Cloak’s Top 10 Reads of 2021
Hi, book friends! Welcome to my 2021 Top 10 List. This is always a difficult post for me to write, because I feel like I read so many great books, and I do not want to leave any out. But, life is about choices, so I have done my best.
According to Goodreads, I clocked 24 five-star reads in 2021, so I had to make some tough decisions. I decided to keep it to 10 so the post is not too long.Some of those books, though, are from the same series, so I have give those one line instead of having them take up 2 or 3 spots. Also, these are books I read in 2021, regardless of release date. Now, let’s get to the fun stuff: here are my Top 10 books I read in 2021!
Review: Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes
Dead Silence is author S.A. Barnes’ lates release (and the first under that name, though the author has a whole portfolio of titles – mostly YA – under the name Stacey Kade). I thought this was a really good read, and it is exactly as billed: it’s the Titanic in space but also murdery with a touch of reality TV.
Review: Light Years from Home by Mike Chen
Light Years from Home is Mike Chen’s latest novel, and, in my opinion, it fits right in with the rest of the author’s portfolio. It is a sci-fi story written in Chen’s signature smooth style, with a narrative that includes family drama and alien technology, and a message full of hope. I definitely enjoyed this read.
Review: Swashbucklers by Dan Hanks
Swashbucklers is the latest release by author Dan Hanks (also known for Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire). It is billed as a nostalgic 80’s video game action adventure story. If that is purely what you are looking for, I would say this book accomplishes that task.
Review: Far from the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson
Far from the Light of Heaven is the latest release for noted SciFi author Tade Thompson (also known for The Wormwood Trilogy and the Molly Southborne series, among many others). This book is about a space mission gone awry. It is very murdery and includes rogue AI plus aliens. I was not the biggest fan of how everything was put together, but read on: this may be the very kind of book you connect with.
Review: A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding #1) by Freya Marske
A Marvellous Light is the first installment in Freya Marske’s The Last Binding trilogy, and the author’s debut novel (though, it is not the author’s first published writing, as Marske has published short stories in the past). Honestly, I was not sure about this book at the start; but, by about a third of the way in the characters had grown on me and the intrigue of the plot began to set in. Not to mention the beauty of the prose. Needless to say, I really liked this book.
Review: Of Darkness and Light (The Bound and the Broken #2) by Ryan Cahill
Of Darkness and Light is the second install in Ryan Cahill’s The Bound and the Broken series, and it is a book in which the author dramatically expands in all aspects versus book 1. The storyline has much more suspense and conflict, the character set is expanded, the characters also grow significantly, the world building is grander, and the pace is improved, as well. Of Darkness and Light is truly epic.
Review: Of Blood and Fire (The Bound and the Broken #1) by Ryan Cahill
Of Blood and Fire is the first in The Bound and the Broken series and author Ryan Cahill’s first novel. I walked away impressed with Cahill’s storytelling ability, world building proficiency, skill in developing characters, and detailed descriptions. I liked this book a lot and see a lot of potential for the rest of the series.