Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book from Libro.fm and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

A broken world.
An overwhelming evil.
A team of warriors ready to strike back.

Talin is a Striker, a member of an elite fighting force that stands as the last defense for the only free nation in the world: Mara.

A refugee, Talin knows firsthand the horrors of the Federation, a world-dominating war machine responsible for destroying nation after nation with its terrifying army of mutant beasts known only as Ghosts.

But when a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front to Mara's capital, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. Is he a spy from the Federation? What secrets is he hiding?

Only one thing is clear: Talin is ready to fight to the death alongside her fellow Strikers for the only homeland she has left . . . with or without the boy who might just be the weapon to save—or destroy—them all.

Loyalty is life.

#1 New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu is back with an adrenaline-laced novel about the lengths one warrior will go to fight for freedom and those she loves.

Review:

I think I've read nearly all of Marie Lu's books.  They are filled with adventure, strong characters, and dystopian angst.  While Skyhunter, her newest novel, has many similar elements, it has a fresh story.  What is missing, which I am actually happy about, is a sweeping romance.  Given that the fictional country of Mara is under siege, I appreciate that the characters are focused more on staying alive than falling in love.  That's not to say there aren't hints of love in the future.  But the book is more focused on the tragedies of war.  Add to this a wonderful narrator, and you have an entertaining good time.

What I Liked:

Narrator:

Natalie Naudus does a wonderful job with all the voices in this book, particularly Talin (the main character) and Constantine (the bad guy).  I especially like her voice for Contantine. It is so creepy!!!  But she is also wonderful at showing the disdain the Maran citizens show Talin.  The racism Talin faces throughout the book is subtle and palatable.

World-Building:

The world of Skyhunter is a world at war.  Talin and her mother are refugees.  As the Federation invades their homeland, they flee to Mara, only to face an ongoing siege.  There, they face discrimination, poverty, and the threat of even more violence.  There is a huge disconnect between wealthy Marans and refugees.  The wealthy live barricaded behind a huge wall, secure from the threats of the Federation, while refugees live in the crowded outer city.  Refugees also face food shortages, crime, with no possibility of  having the opportunity of using their natural gifts.  By keeping the refugees down, Mara is not utilizing everything they could to resist the Federation.

Characters:

Talin is a wonderfully powerful , brave character.  Just as Japanese-American who were held in internment camps, volunteered to defend The United States in WWII, Talin volunteers to train as a Striker to defend Mara from the Federation.  This shows such character and integrity to put her mistreatment aside to risk her life for a country who treats her so poorly.

Talin is also disciplined.  She trains constantly to become a better soldier.  Her friendships strangthen her fighting skills, as she works as a team member on the battlefield.  While she is attracted to a certain character, she knows this is no time for romance.

Red is a former Federation soldier who is about to be executed.  Talin sees that there is something more to him than meets the eye.  He is no ordinary soldier, and intervenes just before he is about to be killed.  He is, in fact, a Skyhunter, who has been genetically engineered to be a killing machine.  The Federation may have changed him physically, but he actively doesn't wish to kill others.  It takes him a while to trust Talin.  But as they are paired up to fight at the warfront, Red can see what a good person Talin is, despite being an effective killer.

I think this is what Red and Talin have most in common.  They are both conflicted about killing, even in war.  They know, all too well, the pain of losing a loved one.  They know what they are doing will cause incalculable suffering for the families of those they cut down.

Story:

This is a story of war.  A story of why people volunteer to fight.  It's not to get a free pass to kill others.  It's about defending your family, your values, your way of life.  This book in no way glorifies war.  What it does is helps the reader understand why people will sacrifice their lives in order to protect others.  This is definitely a book that is relevant to our times.

Rating: 

Release Date:  September 29, 2020

Author:  Marie Lu

Genre:  YA Dystopian

Audio Publisher: MacMillan Audio

Narrator:  Natalie Naudus

Audio Length:  11 Hours, 58 Minutes

Print Publisher:  Roaring Brook Press

Print Length:  384 Pages

Source:  Libro.fm

Format:  Audiobook

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Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book from Penguin Random House Audio in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Lesson One of the Scholomance

Learning has never been this deadly

A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets. There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere. El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students. 

An Apology:

When I read A Deadly Education, by Naomi Novik, I listened to it as an audiobook.  Which is one of the reasons that some very disturbing aspects of the book went straight over my head.  The other reason has to do with my not being tuned in enough to catch these racial stereotypes in the first place.  That has to do with my own privilege.  The controversy has to do with the author describing some hair as dreadlocks, and saying that these are frowned upon at the school because they get magical lice that can grow into monsters.  There are other racial stereotypes that the author used, as well, particularly that El, the main character who is South-East Asian, never washes.

When I am being honest about it, I think I would have been more attuned to this if the stereotypes had to do with Hispanics, as I am Mexican-American.  I get really riled up when I see/hear stereotypes about Hispanics being lazy, dirty, or illegals.  When I hear these sentiments, it gets my blood boiling.  I need to do better to be just as outraged when these things happen to other groups.  And for that I am truly sorry.

For her part, the author, Naomi Novik, has apologized for these issues.  She has promised to remove these passages from future printings of the book (will she change the audiobook, as well?).  But I am surprised that no one at Penguin Random House Audio or the print publisher, Del Rey Books, noticed these issues in the first place.  She said that she did use a sensitivity reader, but perhaps she needs to look at her own perceptions of South-East Asians and ask herself why she used these descriptions in the first place.  Perhaps the author needs an "Education" more than her characters.

Given these problems, I am revising this review.  While this was an entertaining novel on the surface, we don't need yet another book about a magical school where only white, good-looking people are the obvious heroes.

Review:

A Deadly Education can be described as a cross between Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.  The setting is a magical school, but that is where the Hogwarts comparison ends.  The Scholomance in this book is actively trying to kill the students.  And no one thinks this is a bad thing.  In fact, students will be expected to fight their way out of their graduation ceremony, or die trying.  This was totally weird and unexpected.  Unfortunately, the novel also uses racial stereotypes that are extremely offensive.  To be honest, I didn't catch on to this when I first listened to this audiobook.  And for that I am truly sorry.

What I Liked:

Setting:

The deadly magical school is much like Hogwarts.  There are vanishing rooms, magical laboratories, and monsters in the dark corners.  But there are no teachers.  Students have affinities which the school knows about.  They are provided with knowledge as they need it.  It's the ultimate independent study situation!  All the strange ways students gained knowledge was so fun.  If you open a book in a dead language, suddenly, you need to learn it.  And you can't move on until you do!  Highly motivating.

Characters:

This book is basically about high school.  And there are the many types of students who might populate any typical school.  There are the popular, rich kids, and their hangers on.  And there are the losers, and chief among them is our main character, Galadrial, or El for short.  

El started life with a prophesy that says she would bring destruction to the world, which made most of her family reject her.  So she has a huge chip on her shoulder.  Everyone assumes she is evil, and El does nothing to counter it.  I think she has been hurt so often, she has built an armor of unpleasantness so she won't get hurt.  She just expects the worst. Unfortunately, this makes her miss several opportunities for friendship.  It was kind of heartbreaking that she couldn't recognize kindness in others.

This is her starting point.  And while she never loses her blunt approach to her peers, she does, eventually learn about friendships. 

I also loved the main male character, Orion Lake (think of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter).  He is so annoyingly good.  Nearly a Chosen One.  And El is NOT impressed.  He knows how fortunate he is, and feels deeply guilty about it.  Which is his main motivation for jumping in to save anyone who is in trouble.   El is the only one who isn't falling all over themselves to fawn over him.  This makes El utterly fascinating to Orion.

I loved their interaction and chemistry.  I was so fun to see how both of them find the other a confusing mystery.

Narrator:

Anisha Dadia  has a lovely, British voice as the narrator.  I enjoyed how she made El continuously annoyed and sarcastic.  And she has a lot of fun with the other characters.  Orion comes off as rather clueless if someone does something unexpected.  

What I Was Mixed About:

Story:

The story starts out with the characters in their junior year of magic school.  So we miss the wonder (and terror) of their first year of school.  This means there is a lot of exposition so we can understand the rules of this world.  Sometimes this can be tedious.  But it also means that we get straight into the action.

The monsters who will attack the seniors at graduation (a given) have started attacking students early.  This means all the students must escalate their preparations.  They need to create weapons, spells, and alliances in order for them to survive.  They need to create and store manna (life force) if they have any hope of survival.  But they must to walk a fine line between preparing and going evil.

The story is also about El furiously trying to strategize her survival.  It's hard to enter an alliance when everyone thinks you are already evil.   El begins the story only thinking of others in terms of how useful they might be to her.  This is one of the things that holds her back.  That, and her incredibly poor people skills.  

All the scheming and planning makes this book really fun and exciting to read.

What I didn't Like:

Racial Stereotypes:

Although I didn't catch them at first, it was pointed out to me that many of the descriptions about El are racist.  And upon reflection, I get it.  There are many references to El being dirty, and there is a deeply disturbing section where she describes dreadlocks (which should be referred to as locs) as getting magical lice.  Although the author has apologized, I believe this would be very offensive to readers, so I cannot recommend this book.

Rating: 

Release Date:  September 29th, 2020

Author:  Naomi Novik

Audio Publisher:  Penguin Random House Audio

Narrator:  Anisha Dadia 

Audio Length:  11 Hours

Print Publisher:  Del Rey Books

Print Length:  336 Pages

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Source:  Penguin Random House Audio

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation:  A very different take on the magical school trope.  Sadly, there are several hurtful racial stereotypes that are used, and I cannot recommend this book.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes a novel set in glamorous 1950s Mexico.

After receiving a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find - her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

Review:

More and more, I have come to appreciate the Gothic Horror genre.  Just from the title, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, you know there will be an isolated mansion, a creepy family, and dark secrets.  Add to this a strong female main character and the glamour of the 1950's, and you have a highly entertaining book.

What I Liked:

Setting:

The novel begins in 1950's Mexico City.  This is a world of wealth, glamour clothes, parties, and pampered daughters.   But this is also a world where once a woman is married she is part of her husband's family.  Any independence she may have had is gone, replaced by total subservience to her husband.  

When Noemí leaves Mexico City to check on her cousin, Catalina, she encounters remote tropical jungles and a village dominated by a wealthy English family living in a strange mansion.  They represent the colonial power that dominated Mexico's past.  These are people who feel superior to the locals, and are only too willing to raid the resources of the land for their own benefit.

The village and remote mansion are full of atmospheric dread.  If there isn't a thick fog, it's unceasingly raining.  Everything smells of rot.  And there is a terrible silence, particularly in the Doyle's mansion.  Unless you count the voices of the dead...

Characters:

Noemí is a glamorous young woman who's biggest dilemma is choosing which dress to wear to the next party.  She is used to being indulged by her father, changing hobbies (and a variety of dates) constantly.  But her family is getting impatient for Noemí to settle down and get married.  She wants to hold off on this as long as possible by going to university (and not just the ladies college that proper young women attend).  So she makes a deal.  She will check on her cousin in exchange for getting her shot at a real education.  

I liked Noemí for her strong, independent nature.  She wants more than society's confining roles for women.  She also knows her own self-worth. Even faced with the racist English family of her cousin' husband (the Doyles), she never allows herself to feel inferior.  

Francis is a member of the Doyle family who is about Noemí's age.  Unlike the rest of his family, Francis does not share his family's racist views.  He wants to help Noemí understand what happened to Catalina.  But he is also completely stuck with this terrible family.  This means he can't really warn Noemí of the very real dangers she faces.  Some may feel that he is rather cowardly, but I felt a lot of sympathy with Frances.  As he was completely dependent on his family, it was nearly impossible for him to rebel without paying a steep price.

Story:

This is a twisted, creepy story!  On the one hand, it's about the overt oppression of women in Mexican society in the 1950's.  Noemí may be wealthy, but she is dependent on her family.  She doesn't have any way to make her own choices in regards to how she will live her life (strangely, Francis, the young male in the Doyle family, shares a similar fate).  She must learn to strike a balance between pleasing her father, and total rebellion.

But this is also a straight up horror story.  Is Catalina hearing ghosts or is she mentally unstable?  Why won't the Doyles let Catalina leave to seek medical help?  Is her husband Virgil overprotective, or is he holding on to her to gain access to her money?  And what is that strange mold in her room (the one pulsating on the wall)?  Noemí wants to find the answers, but there are obstacles at every turn.  

As we learn more about the Doyles there are even more mysteries.  Why did their silver mine close down?  How did all the workers die?  And how old is the patriarch of the family, anyway?  The answers are deeply disturbing.

What I Didn't Like:

Narration:

This is one of the few audiobooks where I wasn't impressed with the narration by Frankie Corzo.  The narrator's performance was delivered in an almost monotone voice.  I really wanted to hear more emotion in Noemí's voice.  There were some genuinely scary moments.  But the narrator kept the performance at the same steady tone.  I wanted more in such a creepy book.

Rating: 

Release Date:  June 30th, 2020

Author:  Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Genre:  Gothic Horror

Audiobook Publisher:  Penguin Random House Audio

Narrator:  Frankie Corzo

Audio Length:  10 hours, 39 minutes

Book Publisher: Del Rey

Book Length:  301 Pages

Source:  Bought on Libro.fm

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation:  A creepy fun book, perfect for the fall season.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost — one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumored to grant its possessor the power of God.

Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into the icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all.

As hidden secrets come to the light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves. But what they find out may lead them down paths they never imagined.

A tale of love and betrayal as the crew risks their lives for one last job. 

Review:

This series has so many elements that I just adore.  It's set in the Gilded Age in Paris, there is magic, a group of misfits who become friends, and (at it's core) a heist.  Gilded Wolves, the first in the series, was fun, had an complex world of magic, and an exciting story.  The Silvered Serpents continues the adventure.  But this time, we get a more in-depth look at several of the supporting characters.  This was a highly entertaining page-turner!

What I Liked:

Recap:

One of the unfortunate aspects of reading a sequel is that I often can't remember who the characters are, or what happened in the first book.  The Silvered Serpents solves this problem by subtly recapping important events from the first book.  I really appreciated this as a reader. 

Characters:

While the first book was all about world-building, the second book is more character driven.  We really get to know Enrique and Zofia, and see why they are such valued members of the group.

Enrique, a young Filipino man in Paris, has a lot of bravado.  But this masks a deep unease as he navigates European society.  He is keenly aware of how he is treated by most people.  This affects his self-esteem and makes him question his worth to the group, and it's leader, Séverin.  He is also the book's conscience, noticing how the Europeans conquer and pillage from other cultures. 

Zofia is another character who we learn more about in this book.  While not saying it outright, Zofia exhibits characteristics of Autism and anxiety.  Zofia has very particular habits such as needing food to be bland (and not touching on the plate), and she soothes herself by counting objects.  She knows she is different and that her friends do small things to accommodate her.  While she uéderstands this is done out of love, she also doesn't want to be a burden.

Romances:

The love/hate relationship between Laila and Séverin is even more intense in this book.  While they are drawn to each other, they have many misunderstandings, which lead to intense anger.  I think both of them are confused by their feelings.  How can you be so attracted to someone who hurts you so much?

The relationship between Enrique and Hypnos is also complex and touching.  It's heartbreaking to see how Enrique wants a real relationship with Hypnos.  But the object of his affections just can't take Enrique seriously.  If this were a book set in modern times, Laila would be telling Enrique, "He's just not into you"!

Story:

The story is, again, filled with adventure, and puzzles.  It was a lot of fun to follow the gang as they look for The Divine Lyrics, which could be the key to saving Laila.  I really liked all the clues and puzzles they must sort through to find their prize. 

Who else is looking for The Divine Lyrics?  What will Séverin (or anyone) do with the prize once they get it?  Who can they trust?  So many questions...   I liked that most of these questions are answered.  Even though there was a cliff-hanger, the main plot points were resolved.  This makes for a satisfying ending, while leaving the reader eager for the next novel in the series.

Rating: 

Release Date:  September 22, 2020

Author:  Roshani Chokshi

Publisher:  Wednesday Books

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Page Length:  416 pages

Source:  Netgalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  An entertaining sequel to The Gilded Wolves.  I highly recommend this book.  

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

LISBON, 1943. After escaping from Nazi-Occupied France, SOE agent Elisabeth de Mornay, codename Cecile, receives new orders: she must infiltrate high society in neutral Lisbon and find out who is leaking key information to the Germans about British troop movements. As Solange Verin, a French widow of independent means, she will be able to meet all the rich Europeans who have gathered in Lisbon to wait out the war. One of them is a traitor and she must find out who before more British servicemen die.

Complications arise when 'Solange' comes to the attention of German Abwehr officer, Major Eduard Graf. As they get to know each other, she struggles to keep her lies close to the truth.

But in a city that is filled with spies, how can she tell who is friend, or foe?

Review: 

When I read the description for City of Spies, by Mara Timon, I got very excited.  It's an historical fiction set in neutral Portugal during WWII.  At it's center is a female SOE agent named Elisabeth who is a literal femme fatale.   I've read several books lately about these SOE agents recruited during the war.  The level of danger they willingly welcomed is hard to fathom, which is why I find novels about them so fascinating.  With the intrigue of spies, rich expats and threats from all sides, this novel was an exciting page turner, and highly entertaining.

What I Liked:

Setting:

Strangely, I have recently set my sights on visiting Portugal as my first big trip post pandemic, so I was really happy that the setting was in Lisbon.  It's 1943, and in theory, Portugal is supposed to be neutral, welcoming both Allied and Axis sympathizers.  But the reality is that the government seems to sway to whichever side is winning the war at any given time.  This makes it a tricky political climate for the rich expats living there.  The book only hints at the local unrest of the ordinary citizens.  But, it's the motivation for the tight control the government has over everyone.

Historical Details:

I especially loved the details of clothing, and the lack of technology in 1943 Portugal.  As a spy, Lisbet (Elisabeth) has an array of  disguises and I loved all the details about how she was able to make herself look like a variety of different people. Using wigs, changing outfits, and even using pads inside her cheeks helps her to become different people.  Because Lisbet has this background, she take special notice of how others dress and can glean all sorts of information from details such as how worn a person's shoes may be, or how they carry themselves.

Due to the time period (and the distinct possibility of phones being tapped), the character used various methods of communication that was indicative of the time.  Letters, dead drops, and secret code were used by the spies to pass along information.  But what struck me was how people could easily lose track of loved ones in the chaos of a war.  How do you locate someone who isn't listed on a public record?  If a family member disappears while you have to evacuate, will you ever be able to reconnect?

Story:

There are plots, conspiracies, and hidden agendas that make this a very complex story.  Add to this an array of people who are not what they seem to be, and this becomes a novel that keeps the reader enthralled.  As Lisbet navigates Lisbon high society, she has to decide what side each person is on.  She can't trust anyone.  But, using disguises, safe houses, and her training as a spy,  Lisbet finds ways to get useful information to the British.  She is always just on the edge of being discovered.  This tension is what makes the book so fun.

What I Was Mixed About:

Ending:

While I was glad that the main plot point in the book was resolved, the book didn't answer many questions.  I hope that this means that this might be the first book in a series.  But when I checked on Goodreads, there was no mention of a sequel.  This was a frustration.  

Rating: 

Release Date:  September 17th, 2020

Author:  Mara Timon

Publisher:  Zaffre

Genre:  Thriller

Page Length:  453 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  A tense spy thriller set in WWII Lisbon.  Highly entertaining.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this book from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages, and in England one man's ambition to make his abbey a centre of learning will take the reader on an epic journey into a historical past rich with ambition and rivalry, death and birth, love and hate.

Thirty years ago, Ken Follett published his most popular novel, The Pillars of The Earth, which has sold over 27 million copies worldwide.

Now, this novel, the prequel, will take the readers on an epic journey that will end where The Pillars of The Earth begins...

Review:

Ken Follett writes epic novels in the vein of James Michener and  George R.R. Martin.  These are sweeping books that have multiple characters, settings, and story-lines, giving us a sense of people caught up in historical events bigger than themselves.  The Evening and The Morning is the prequel to Follett's masterpeice, The Pillar of The Earth, and it is a worthy novel.

What I Liked:

Historical Setting:

The author readily states (in his notes to the reader) that the details of life in the Middle Ages are scant.  But, nevertheless, he provides such an abundance of details about food, clothing, and the various ways people lived in those times, we can't help but feel transported to that time.  

I found the way the author distinguished between the lives of the different classes particularly interesting.  At the beginning of the story, a family who had a modestly successful business loses everything in a Viking raid.  They must start over, but with no money, or possessions, they are really at the mercy of others.  They need to rely on their wits (and an amount of luck) in order to survive.  Contrast this with noblemen who lose possessions from a Viking raid.  They still own property and collect rents.  So they don't feel the hardships of events that are out of their control.

Characters:

Edgar and his family, prosperous boat builders, lost everything in a Viking raid and had to start over as farmers.  Did he know anything about farming?  No, but that didn't stop Edger from making a go of it.  Edgar had a curiosity that was rare for most people, and an aptitude for engineering. 

Edgar's friend Aldred was a monk who had a similar keen mind.  He had big dreams to create a library which would make his monastery a center of learning.  Both Edgar and Aldred had a strong sense of justice.  This pushed them to confront corruption.  But their strident adherence to following the rules also was their weakness.  They often missed opportunities to find compromises with their neighbors, which made their lives difficult at times.

Regna was the most fleshed out female character.  She was a noblewoman from Normandy who married into a powerful English family.  Although she had a lot to learn about the ways of the English, she was often underestimated.  Even as she knew her limitations (she had to follow the edicts of her husband), she knew how to strategize, form alliances, and plan ahead.  She was practical, smart and compassionate.  

Story:

This was a sweeping saga that followed Edgar and his family as they literally start out with nothing.  At the beginning of the book, they moved to a tiny village. But at the book's conclusion, the village became a prosperous town. I found it fascinating to see how people could begin with nothing, and through ingenuity and hard work, build a successful community.  It mostly happened by creating income sources that weren't dependent on others.  If one could acquire land, and then collect rent on that land, they would have a steady form of income.  

But this was also a story about how innovation drove progress.  Both Edgar and Aldred look for solutions to problems in new ways.  Sometimes this was about inventing new tools to make work more efficient.  Other times, it was about looking at problems in a different way or forming alliances that were mutually beneficial.  I found this fascinating.

Trigger Warning for Rape

Rating: 

Release Date:  September 15th, 2020

Author: Ken Follett

Publisher:  MacMillan

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Page Length:  817 Pages

Source: Edelweiss

Format:  E-Book 

Recommendation:  A must read for fans of The Pillars of The Earth.  A highly entertaining prequel.

Please Note::  I received an advance copy of this novel from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Mila is used to being alone. Maybe that’s why she said yes to the opportunity: living in this remote place, among the flowers and the fog and the crash of waves far below.

But she hadn’t known about the ghosts.

Newly graduated from high school, Mila has aged out of the foster care system. So when she’s offered a job and a place to stay at a farm on an isolated part of the Northern California Coast, she immediately accepts. Maybe she will finally find a new home, a real home. The farm is a refuge, but also haunted by the past traumas its young residents have come to escape. And Mila’s own terrible memories are starting to rise to the surface.

Watch Over Me is another stunner from Printz Award-Winning author Nina LaCour, whose empathetic, lyrical prose is at the heart of this modern ghost story of resilience and rebirth.

Review:

I deeply admire the writing of Nina LaCour.  Her books are filled with realistic characters and pack an emotional punch.  Her latest book, Watch Over Me, is another winner. I loved the setting, characters, and profound symbolism in this novel.  This is a book about children surviving abuse.  I can definitely see how this could be a trigger for some readers.  That is not to mean that you shouldn't read this if you have suffered abuse.  But this book does get right to the heart of the psychological aspects of childhood trauma.  Spoiler Alert:  It made me cry!  But this was not a depressing book.  Far from it.   

What I Liked:

Setting:

The novel is set on a small, idyllic farm in Northern California, a refuge for foster children.    The farm is also a place where kids who have aged out of the foster care system are given jobs working on the farm, and teaching the younger kids.  Everyone is dealing with their hidden pain, so the couple who run the farm try to create an atmosphere of calm.  There's no internet, television, or even cell phone reception.  But they do seem to have something that other places do not...ghosts.

Characters:

Mila, one of the former foster care interns, doesn't know what to expect coming to the farm.  Her life has been one of loss.  She has lost her grandparents, and her mother has abandoned her.  Even before her mother left physically, Mila had to experience horrible betrayal as her other chose an abusive boyfriend over her.  Blake, her mother's boyfriend, was sadistic.  He enjoyed playing mind games, and reduced both Mila's, and her mother's, self-esteem, until they were dependent on him.  Although she is now out of that environment, the damage has been done.

I felt deeply for this character.  The aftermath of what she endured shows how devastating child abuse is.  It creates life-long scars as victims feel guilt and shame over their abuse.  The author captures this in many heart-aching moments.

Lee, Mila's young student, has had even more recent abuse.  He is clearly anxious and suffers from PTSD.  Mila feels an instant connection to Lee.  But, she herself is only in her late teens.  She has fierce, protective feelings for Lee.  But she isn't really in a position to truly help him.   She needs to heal herself before she can be there for someone else. 

Symbolism:

The symbolism in this book creates an almost dream-like quality in the book.  Places such as the ocean represent danger for some, and refuge for others.  The ghosts have definite meaning in the book.  I don't want to reveal too much, but they made me cry. The farm itself is a crossroads for the characters.  They can use this place of limbo as a space to sort out their feelings, if they are willing to put in the effort.  

Trigger Alert for domestic abuse

Rating: 

Release Date:  September 15th, 2020

Author:  Nina LaCour

Publisher:  Dutton Books for Young Readers

Genre:  YA Fiction/Magical Realism

Page Length:  272 Pages

Source:  Edelweiss 

Format: E-Book

Recommendation:  A profound book about abuse and healing.  Very moving.

Please Note:  I received an advance audiobook copy of this novel from Libro.fm in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Kate Rees, a young American markswoman, has been recruited by British intelligence to drop into Paris with a dangerous assignment: assassinate the Führer. Wrecked by grief after a Luftwaffe bombing killed her husband and infant daughter, she is armed with a rifle, a vendetta, and a fierce resolve. But other than rushed and rudimentary instruction, she has no formal spy training. Thrust into the red-hot center of the war, a country girl from rural Oregon finds herself holding the fate of the world in her hands. When Kate misses her mark and the plan unravels, Kate is on the run for her life—all the time wrestling with the suspicion that the whole operation was a set-up.

Cara Black, doyenne of the Parisian crime novel, is at her best as she brings Occupation-era France to vivid life in this gripping story about one young woman with the temerity—and drive—to take on Hitler himself.

Review:

Cara Black is a prolific writer of crime fiction set in Paris.  Her novels are gritty and exiting.  Three Hours in Paris, is another thriller, but this time, it is set in the Paris of WWII.  Kate is uniquely qualified to go behind enemy lines to attempt to assassinate Hitler.  Although an American, Kate is an expert markswoman who is also fluent in French.  But what is most qualifying for Kate is that she has a very personal reason to kill Hitler, he is responsible for the deaths of her husband and daughter.

This is a thrilling novel, where we follow Kate on a nearly impossible mission to France to kill Hitler, and get back to England alive.  Can she do it?  Or is she being set up to fail?  Although the beginning is needlessly melodramatic, I loved the characters, and the complex plot lines.  This was a very entertaining read.

What I Liked:

Setting:

I liked the attention to historical details of life during WWII.  Aside from clothes and food, I could got a strong sense of how Paris became a different city due to the occupation. You could feel the desperation in neighbors and shop owners.  Neighbors could inform on each other.  But many people did want to help fight the Nazis in small, quiet ways.

Characters:

Kate was resilient, fierce and so determined to survive.  I loved that she never gave up.  She was able to adapt and change her plans quickly.  She was like a female McGyver! 

Her trainer, although on the Allied side, was the true villain of the story.  He wrote off Kate as expendable, mostly because she was a woman.  His willingness to send people to their deaths showed how ruthless he was.  It also showed that the behavior of the British were not as pristine as they wanted anyone to believe.

Story:

I loved how fast-paced the story was.  In the chaos of war, none of the plans Kate was directed to follow work out.  Following Kate as she finds workarounds to problems was exciting and made this book a page-turner.  I really wanted Kate to make it out alive.  And, I wanted the men who were so wiling to throw her life away to pay for cruelty.  I couldn't stop listening. 

What I Didn't Like:

Melodramatic beginning:

I know that the author needed Kate to be highly motivated to hate Hitler.  But the killing of her husband and daughter was very dramatic.   Of course, Kate's life was practically perfect.  She had a loving husband, and adorable daughter.  When they die, it's brutal and disturbing.  Afterwards, she really doesn't have anywhere to go.  I wished the author could have made a motivation that was more subtle.  I didn't like that she was so alone. 

Rating: 

Release Date:  April 7th, 2020

Author:  Cara Black

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Audio Publisher:  Recorded Books Inc.

Narrator:  Elisabeth Rodgers

Audio Length:10 hours, 21 minutea

Print Publisher:  Soho Crime

Page Length:  350 Pages

Source:  Libro.fm

Format:  Audiobooks

Recommendation: I thrilling historical fiction.  Highly entertaining.

Please Note: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

A love story between a vampire and a werewolf by the creator of the enormously popular Sarah's Scribbles comics.

Elsie the vampire is three hundred years old, but in all that time, she has never met her match. This all changes one night in a bar when she meets Jimmy, a charming werewolf with a wry sense of humor and a fondness for running wild during the full moon. Together they enjoy horror films and scary novels, shady strolls, fine dining (though never with garlic), and a genuine fondness for each other’s unusual habits, macabre lifestyles, and monstrous appetites.

First featured as a webcomic series on Tapas, Fangs chronicles the humor, sweetness, and awkwardness of meeting someone perfectly suited to you but also vastly different. Filled with Sarah Andersen’s beautiful gothic illustrations and relatable relationship humor, Fangs has all the makings of a cult classic.

Review:

Sarah Anderson is mostly known for her witty, socially isolated characters from her Comic Sarah's Scribbles.  She can convey so much about the human condition by capturing brief moments in life.

With Fangs, the author creates a sweet love story between two unlikely characters, a werewolf and a vampire.  This is a compilation of an online Comic, called Fangs.  It is a truly delightful, quick graphic novel to read.

What I Liked:

Characters:

The two characters are super endearing.  I loved how they both are self-conscious about who they are (commonly thought of as monsters), while also embracing their tendencies. 

Humor:

The humor in this book is heavy on the irony and the macabre.  The author is very sly with her use of typical couples situations and then twisting them with dark humor.  

Artwork:

The drawings are sweet and bring out the emotions in each character.  I loved her use of aspects of vampires, such as not seeing themselves in mirrors, and of werewolves and their canine instincts.  The drawings are really funny.

Rating: 

Release Date:  September 1st, 2020

Author:  Sarah Anderson

Publisher:  Andrews McMeel Publishing

Genre: Humor Graphic Novel

Page Length: 77 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  A must-have for fans of Sarah Anderson.  This would make a fun gift for someone in your life who loves dark humor.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

On their first night in Paris, the Gamaches gather as a family for a bistro dinner with Armand’s godfather, the billionaire Stephen Horowitz. Walking home together after the meal, they watch in horror as Stephen is knocked down and critically injured in what Gamache knows is no accident, but a deliberate attempt on the elderly man’s life.

When a strange key is found in Stephen’s possession it sends Armand, his wife Reine-Marie, and his former second-in-command at the Sûreté, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, from the top of the Tour d’Eiffel, to the bowels of the Paris Archives, from luxury hotels to odd, coded, works of art.

It sends them deep into the secrets Armand’s godfather has kept for decades.

A gruesome discovery in Stephen’s Paris apartment makes it clear the secrets are more rancid, the danger far greater and more imminent, than they realized.

Soon the whole family is caught up in a web of lies and deceit. In order to find the truth, Gamache will have to decide whether he can trust his friends, his colleagues, his instincts, his own past. His own family.

For even the City of Light casts long shadows. And in that darkness devils hide.

Review:

This is the sixteenth book in the Inspector Gamache mystery series, and I have read them all.  Besides the challenge of solving whatever crime is featured in the novel, I love the people and village of Three Pines, Quebec.  This is the first novel in the series that is not set in that idyllic small town.  But, the Paris setting, a more in-depth look at the Gamache family, and the complex mystery in this book, I didn't mind this detour.  This book widens the world of the series and was as thrilling as any of her other books.  I loved it.

What I Liked:

Setting:

Who doesn't like Paris?  The author does a wonderful job of showing what this city is like for Quebecois visiting France.  They don't quite fit in.  Similar to when Americans go to England.  They may speak the same language, but that's the only thing they have in common.  Parisians consider themselves to be superior to all others, and treat anyone with a Quebecois accent like they are country bumpkins.

But Penny also shows the magic of Paris, with it;s many lovely parks and monuments, museums and libraries.  It is a place of culture and privilege.   One can definitely see why so many people want to live in such a magical place.

Characters:

All of the Gamache family are in Paris in this book.  Daniel, Armand's son, is a banker and has made a comfortable life for himself and his family.  Jean Guy Beauvoir, married to Gamache's daughter Annie, has just taken a job in the private sector (and away from all the bullets).  Armand, and his wife Reine Marie, are in Paris for the birth of Annie and Jean Guy's baby.  Everyone is looking forward to a happy occasion.

When Armand's godfather is attacked, Gamache must find out who is behind it.  This strains his relationships, particularly with his son, Daniel.  Daniel is a very complex character.  Outwardly successful, he is actually full of insecurities, and anger towards his father.  I vacillated between finding Daniel annoying, and feeling sympathy for his tragic misunderstanding of his father.  So many years are lost to hurt feelings and grudges.  This dynamic illustrates how difficult it is to see your parents as adults, and for parents to look at their kids as grownups.

Plot:

Once again, the plot is a web of conspiracies, and unlikely connections between people that lead to a satisfying puzzle.  The author gives just enough information so the reader will have the possibility of solving the mystery along with Inspector Gamache.  I loved figuring out the clues and piecing it all together.  I also loved how the book focuses on how (and if) Armand can heal his relationship with Daniel.

What I Was Mixed About:

No Three Pines Characters:

I really liked this book, but I cannot lie:  I missed the people of Three Pines.  I think the purpose of this book was to focus on Armand and his family relationships, so it was natural for the plot to be set away from the village.  The contrast between the small Canadian village and big old Paris couldn't be more stark.  But this did end up being less cozy and more real world, as a result.

Rating: 

Release Date:  September 1st, 2020

Author:  Louise Penny

Narrator:  Robert Bathhurst

Audio Length:  14 hours

Audio Publisher:  Macmillan Audio

Print Publisher:  Minotaur Books 

Page Length: 448 Pages

Genre:  Mystery/Thriller

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation:  Another wonderful book in the Inspector Gamache series.  A must read for fans.