James Kennedy has crafted a premise and a novel that starts in one place, and ends up somewhere completely and utterly different. It only takes 300 pages but it works perfectly and at no point does it feel rushed, or like anything is missing. We follow our narrator in across almost his entire life. Intertwined with the present day parts are bits and pieces from his past. It ranges from Physics camp with his new best friend, days out with his ex-girlfriend and affairs while he travels. Every moment is important, every moment somehow leads into that ending. You get something entirely different to what the blurb promises, but in the best possible way.
Reviews
Review: Dare to Know by James Kennedy
Review: The City We Became (Great Cities #1) by N. K. Jemisin
Well, this review has been a long time coming. Very rarely do I find myself so conflicted by a book, but N. K. Jemisin’s latest, The City We Became, left my emotions mixed and two months later I finally feel I can deconstruct the reasons why. With this book, I had no idea what to expect, but I knew it wouldn’t be an easy read. Despite my suspicions being confirmed, I came out the other side both captivated and frustrated.
Review: Light Chaser by Peter F. Hamilton and Gareth Powell
For context, and giving no spoilers, the story centers on a Light Chaser, or Amahle, a sort of interplanetary goddess whose responsibility is to travel through a universe packed with planets and gather/provide collars to its habitants to collect memories for a higher power. But this is the setup. Where the story quickly gets interesting is in its enigmatic character that keeps popping up who quickly challenges Amahle’s status quo and therefore sets a series of events that will change everything.
Review: Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
o in conclusion, not one for me. But if you’ve never read horror or just starting out, and love short stories with a strong-internal-dialogue-prose driven narrative, then Nothing But Blackened Teeth might just be a great novella for you.
Review: The Liar of Red Valley by Walter Goodwater
The Liar of Red Valley is listed as an “occult fiction” book and “magical realism”. I guess that makes sense, because it probably falls short of horror, even though there is a lot of creepiness. I really enjoyed it, and I have no problem saying it is an early entry into spooky season.
Review: Artifact Space (Arcana Imperii #1) by Miles Cameron
The protagonist, Marca Nbaro, practically hits the ground running right from the get go and along with her, the reader is propelled into a plot full of character interactions you live for, a long list of mysteries waiting to be solved, and a brand new fascinating world whose main undercurrent is hope, learning to trust others, and the beauties of trading cultures.
Review: The Wolf of Oren-Yaro (The Chronicles of the Bitch Queen #1) by K.S. Villoso
Review: Pieces of Eight (The Guardian of Empire City #2) by Peter Hartog
The Guardian of Empire City series is shaping up to be an amazing trilogy (or longer) series, much like the Dresden files by Jim Butcher. And the comparison doesn’t stop there. Every book so far is a big mystery to solve and contains urban fantasy (with also) sci-fi elements. So in conclusion, if you’re a rousing fan of big murder riddles set in worlds filled with shiny toys, magic dust and grim creatures of the night, Peter Hartog’s Pieces of Eight should be high on your TBR and is a near perfect sequel to Bloodlines.
Review: Devil’s Night by Curtis M. Lawson
Review: The Wisdom of Crowds (The Age of Madness #3) by Joe Abercrombie
e Age of Madness trilogy. The Wisdom of Crowds started off at such a heightened state of terror that it caused my neck to prickle with anxiety from the beginning. This novel takes off at breakneck speed and does not let up. It might be one of the most brutal Abercrombie books that I’ve read. Honestly, this whole trilogy took off into a level of brutality that is a completely new flavor than the previous novels. That’s saying something— Abercrombie is well known for his unbridled savagery in his writing. It was chaotic, messy, heartbreaking, and a hell of a ride
