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

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

A captivating novel about two sisters fighting for survival in male-dominated Dark Ages Britain that weaves a thrilling spell of magic and myth—from a bestselling author and historian.

In Dark Ages Britain, sisters Isla and Blue live in the shadows of the Ghost City, the abandoned ruins of the once-glorious, mile-wide Roman settlement Londinium on the north bank of the Thames. The native Britons and the new migrants from the East who scratch out a living in small wooden camps in its hinterland fear that the crumbling stone ruins are haunted by vengeful spirits.

But the small island they call home is also a place of exile for Isla, Blue, and their father, a legendary blacksmith accused of using dark magic to make his firetongue swords. The local warlord, Osric, has put the Great Smith under close guard and ruled that he make his magnificent swords only for him so that he can use them to build alliances and extend his kingdom.

For years, the sisters have been running wild, Blue communing with animals and plants and Isla secretly learning her father’s trade, which is forbidden to women. But when their father suddenly dies, they find themselves facing enslavement by Osric and his cruel, power-hungry son Vort. Their only option is to escape to the Ghost City, where they discover an underworld of rebel women living secretly amid the ruins. As Blue and Isla settle into their new life, they find both refuge and community with the women around them. But it is all too fragile. With the ruins collapsing all around them, Blue and Isla realize they can’t elude the men who hunt them forever. If they are to survive, they will need to use all their skill and ingenuity—as well as the magic of their foremothers—to fight back.

Review:

I wasn't sure what to expect when I received Dark Earth, by Rebecca Stott, from NetGalley.  I honestly thought this was going to be a YA fantasy novel.  Instead, this was an historical fiction about two sisters trying to survive in a brutal society where women were either not noticed, or were treated as property.  They had no one to rely on but each other.  

I really liked this book for its portrayal of the two sisters, the feudal society where rumors could kill, and (against all odds) the way women found ways to thrive.  This was a book about survival, but also about claiming one's worth.  Considering the history books have scant accounts of what women's lives were like, the author fleshes out their lives to bring this time period to life.  This was a powerful historical fiction that I really enjoyed.

What I Liked:

Setting/Historical Details:

Although most historical accounts skip over women, the author found ways to bring the time period to life for the reader.  The details of food, clothing, and customs showed how women were always one step away from disaster.  This was the time of the Vikings, where raids were common.  Your village could be a peaceful haven one day, and be razed to the ground the next.  Most inhabitants would be killed.  The "lucky" ones were sold of as slaves.  

There were also rigid roles for men and women.  Isla and Blue's father was a blacksmith who specialized in making magnificent swords.  Women were never allowed to even set foot in the workrooms, as people felt it brought bad luck.  But Isla's father having no sons, secretly allowed his daughter to help him make the swords.  If anyone were to find out, the all would have been immediately outcasts.  This may not seem like a problem, but given the viking raids, there were safety in numbers.

Characters:

Both Isla and Blue have hidden talents.  Isla has learn the skills of her father and can make the special swords that the King and his son covet.  And Blue, has learned how to use herbs for healing.  She also has "The Sight", and can see some of the future.  Both Isla and Blue are smart enough to know that if anyone knew of their skills they might be called witches and killed.  

I loved the relationship between the two sisters.  Although they did support each other, they were not completely honest with each other.  They each had their secrets.  This created tension and mistrust between the two.  Figuring out how they can have an equal relationship, each allowing the other to shine, is what this book was really about.

Story:

The story was revealed in pieces.  There were flashbacks where small details were revealed and had relevance to what was happening.  The mystery of what happened to the girls mother after a Viking raid was a central piece of the story.  But the actual story of survival was riveting.  They constantly had to appear stupid, yet outsmart various men in the story.

I loved that they find other women who are creating a meritocracy, rather than a  patriarchal society.  This was not a story where men swooped in to save the women.  These women saved themselves!  

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  July 19th, 2022

Author:  Rebecca Stott

Publisher:  Random House

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Page Length:  336 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  Besides being a compelling account of being a female during the Dark Ages this was an adventure story of survival.  I really enjoyed this book.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

The sleepy little farm that Laurel Early grew up on has awakened. The woods are shifting, the soil is dead under her hands, and her bone pile just stood up and walked away.

After dropping out of college, all she wanted was to resume her life as a tobacco hand and taxidermist and try not to think about the boy she can’t help but love. Instead, a devil from her past has returned to court her, as he did her late mother years earlier. Now, Laurel must unravel her mother’s terrifying legacy and tap into her own innate magic before her future and the fate of everyone she loves is doomed. 

Review:

Wake The Bones, by Elizabeth Kilcoyne is the perfect book for a late summer, or autumn read.  It has a moody atmosphere, young characters at a crossroads, and creepy supernatural elements.  I loved the small town element, and young people just out of high school trying to find their way.  The title refers to Laurel's ability to sense the final moments of an animal from touching their bones.  But the title seems to go deeper than that.  I took it to mean finding your place in the legacy of your family and community.  Laurel and her friends are all in that moment when you decide where you want to (or need to) go with your life.  For Laurel, it means dealing with the death of her mother, and her (possibly being a witch).  For Isaac, it means fleeing a dangerous home situation.  And for brothers Ricky and Garrett (who love Laurel and Isaac, respectfully), it means deciding what your willing to do for love.

This was a beautiful book with supernatural elements, and a "big bad" coming for the group.  This could represent many things, and I loved that one could interpret this in a variety of ways.  If you love horror and YA, you will really enjoy this book.

What I Liked:

Moody Atmosphere:

This small farming community in Ohio is one I have never experienced in real life.  The people, young and old, work hard.  They are up at dawn and doing manual labor like fixing fences, and picking weeds.  It's backbreaking work, but Laurel and her friends are in it together, so they still manage to have a few laughs.

But, there is an underlying current of doom.  The land is not as fertile as it once was.  And Laurel has an unusual hobby.  She is a taxidermist.  She scours the land for the remains of animals who have died and brings them to life as still life sculptures.  It's her way of connecting to the land.

Lauren also lost her mother when she was a small child.  Did her mother kill herself?  Or did she die trying to protect Laurel from an unspeakable Evil?  Will the bones reveal the secrets of the land?  Is her mother a ghost?  Who, or what is the Evil thing that may be trying to kill Laurel?

via GIPHY

Diversity of Paths:

I liked that even though the main character, Laurel, drops out of college, her life is not over.  For many people, college is just not for them.  There was some sadness that she has to start over to find the right path.  But Laurel always knows that her farm is where she wants to be.  There is no real struggle to leave, which I found to be refreshing.  One can make a life, a good life, anywhere.  And some people feel a strong connection to where they grew up.  So many times in YA, the characters can't wait to leave their small town.  And some of these characters do feel that way (with good reason). But I really liked that the author presented a counterpoint.

Characters:

Laurel is still trying to understand her mother's death.  This legacy comes with a heavy burden.  her uncle has raised her, and she feels a deep obligation to help out at the farm.  She also knows that her uncle is grieving too.  So she feels like she can't talk to him honestly about her mom.  This is hard for Laurel.  She really has no one she can really talk to about all of this.  

Laurel's friends will break your heart.  She has three male friends who are also trying to figure out their life paths.  Brothers Garret and Ricky are hometown boys all the way.  They like where they live and have no desire to leave.  But Garret is secretly in love with Laurel's other friend, Isaac. Garret and Isaac both want to be together, but how can they do that in a homophobic town?  Isaac is sick of living in the shadows, so he desperately wants to leave to a larger city.  Also, as his father is an abusive alcoholic, Isaac really needs to leave if he wants to keep himself safe.  These are Laurel's "ride or die" friends.  They believe Laurel when she tell them something evil is on the way.  Even with all their tensions, they are always there for each other.

Story:

This story is one of growing into an adult, but also of dealing with the baggage of one's family, all with the backdrop of a supernatural suspense thriller.  The group keeps finding grizzly dead animals around the farm.  Is someone (or something) trying to mess with Laurel?  Was her mother an actual witch?  Could Laurel be, as well?  There is evil all around, but also there is the earth, the natural healer.  I loved that Laurel and her friends are so in tune with the land that they can sense something bad is coming.  When it does arrive, it takes all of them to drive it away.  There will be a cost, but not one I saw coming.

Trigger Warning for domestic violence & suicide

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  July 12th, 2022

Author: Elizabeth Kilcoyne

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Genre: YA Contemporary Horror

Page Length: 320 Pages

Source: NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation: This was a moody, scary read.  I loved it.  If you enjoy horror, you will love this book.

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

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

“You are the next step in human evolution.”

At first, Logan Ramsay isn’t sure if anything’s different. He just feels a little . . . sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep.

But before long, he can’t deny it: Something’s happening to his brain. To his body. He’s starting to see the world, and those around him—even those he loves most—in whole new ways.

The truth is, Logan’s genome has been hacked. And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade. A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past, and a horrific family legacy.

Worse still, what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan, one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large—at a terrifying cost.

Because of his new abilities, Logan’s the one person in the world capable of stopping what’s been set in motion. But to have a chance at winning this war, he’ll have to become something other than himself. Maybe even something other than human.

And even as he’s fighting, he can’t help wondering: what if humanity’s only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution?

Intimate in scale yet epic in scope, Upgrade is an intricately plotted, lightning-fast tale that charts one man’s thrilling transformation, even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity—and our boundless potential.

Review:

Upgrade, by Blake Crouch, was a fun, fast-past thriller.  In a world where it's become easy to alter your DNA, doing so is illegal, and for good reason.  Logan's own mother was the architect of a scheme to alter DNA to help increase food production, but it had world-wide disastrous results.  Now, to alleviate his guilt, he has become part of a special law-enforcement unit to catch people changing DNA.  This could be done for profit (there's a market for genetically enhanced animals), or for terrorism.  Either way, it's almost impossible to put that genie back in the box. 

How do you get past the baggage of your family?  And what are you willing to give up in order to save the world?  I really enjoyed this book, and could easily see this as a highly entertaining movie.  If you enjoy thrillers and speculative fiction, you are in for a treat.

What I Liked:

Set-Up:

Logan lives in a world where scientists (specifically, his own mother) have tried, and failed, to use DNA splicing to fiddle with Nature.  Changing DNA has become easy, and many people would love to use the technology to do anything from create enormous alligators, to obtain super human abilities.  I loved all the science, gadgets, and back-channel government organizations.  This is a world where one should be paranoid!

Characters: 

Logan has tremendous guilt over his part in starting a global disaster.  He blindly followed his charismatic mother, a scientific genius, as she tried to play god.  Now, after doing prison time for the incident, he is doing what he can to mitigate the damage he has done.  But it will never be enough. 

Logan is the ultimate people-pleaser.  First, he worships his brilliant mother, seeing (too late) that she is an egomaniac.  He also can't match his sister, who is a badass military officer.  He is constantly trying to be someone he isn't.  He even does this to his wife and child.  The guilt is killing him.  I loved that Logan didn't have all the answers.  He is the sidekick who tries, and fails to become the hero.  But, in doing so, he has the one thing his mother and sister don't, a moral compass.  

Story:

There's a lot of twists and turns in this story, which I loved.  You often don't know who the good guys are?  And I don't think the "good guys" really understand if they are doing anything wrong.  It's that old adage of the ends justify the means.  Which never really absolve one of accountability.  If you have to use that excuse, you've already lost the argument.  

This was  a quick and absorbing read, and would make a perfect summer vacation escape. 

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  July 12th, 2022

Author:  Blake Crouch

Publisher:  Ballantine Books

Genre:  Speculative Fiction

Page Length:  352 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  This was a really fun thriller filled with science, genetics, and family ghosts.  If your in the mood for some escapism, you will love this book.

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

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

On a bitter cold day, in the December of his Junior Year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. They borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo a game where players can escape the confines of a body and the betrayals of a heart, and where death means nothing more than a chance to restart and play again. This is the story of the perfect worlds Sam and Sadie build, the imperfect world they live in, and of everything that comes after success: Money. Fame. Duplicity. Tragedy.

Spanning over thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, games as artform, technology and the human experience, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.

Review:

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin, follows the highs and lows of a deep friendship.  Over decades, Sam and Sadie connect and disconnect.  First as children, and then back and forth as adults.  I loved that this story touched on so many themes, from love and friendships, to becoming adults, to what it means to be a woman in the gaming industry.  It all fits elegantly together to form a tapestry of an unforgettable story.  

What I Liked:

Story Structure:

The story is structured as interviews that Sam and Sophie give to media outlets, and as flashbacks.  I loved the style.  It gave the reader clues to future events in the story, putting together different puzzle pieces.  When the pieces fell into place, it was extremely satisfying.

Characters:

Sam and Sadie are very much alike.  Both are genius-level intelligent, and awkward with others.  When they find each other as children, they feel an immediate connection.  But one of the problems that each of them has is that they often read social signals incorrectly.  This often creates friction between them, and leads to them "breaking up" for years on end.  They have a pattern of connecting and then having terrible misunderstandings that leaves both of them exhausted with each other.  Deep down, each of them know they bring out the best, and worst, in each other.  

I also enjoyed many other characters in this book, especially Sam's grandparents, who raised him, and Sam's roommate, Marx.  At first, Marx seems insignificant to the story.  He is Sam's long-suffering roommate and protector.  But Marx becomes an important bridge between Sam and Sadie, as well as their business partner.  I loved how Marx sort of snuck up on the reader and became a pivotal character for both Sam and Sadie.

Themes:

Friendship is the major theme of the book.  Do you have a friend that you haven't talked to in years, but then you call them and it like no time has passed?  It's a comforting feeling, but also one that involves loss.  Why did you lose touch with them in the first place?  What deeper friendship could you have had if you kept them closer?  Sam and Sadie have these moments of deep closeness, and even deeper betrayal.  

I dearly loved the author exploring what it means to be a woman in a field that is dominated by men.  The gaming industry is notorious for treating women poorly.  It has been deeply misogynistic and hostile towards women, discounting their contributions and questioning how they even became part of the gaming world.  Sadie is constantly having to consider how it will look if she make certain decisions.  Will using her former professor's game engine seem like she is incapable of doing great work?  Will it look like a man helped her out?  Will people take her seriously?  Sam never has to face such scrutiny. 

What I Was Mixed About:

Perhaps it was intentional, but Sadie deals with a lot of internal guilt, while the men in the story never do.  Both Sadie and Sam do some pretty awful things, yet Sadie seems to be the only one who feels bad about them.  Her guilt also leads her into destructive behavior that was had to read about.  But, Sam is also no angel.  You never see him even realizing he has something to be sorry about.  Okay, I suppose he does have some guilty feelings, but they are buried DEEP inside. 

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  July 5th, 2022

Author:  Gabrielle Zevin

Publisher:  Viking Press

Genre:  Contemporary Fiction

Page Length:  416 Pages

Source: NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  This is a story about the video game industry, but also of a friendship that ebbs and flows over decades.  I was entertained, and really moved by this book.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

England, 1882. In Victorian London, two children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness —a man made of smoke.

Sixteen-year-old Charlie Ovid, despite a lifetime of brutality, doesn't have a scar on him. His body heals itself, whether he wants it to or not. Marlowe, a foundling from a railway freight car, shines with a strange bluish light. He can melt or mend flesh. When two grizzled detectives are recruited to escort them north to safety, they are forced to confront the nature of difference, and belonging, and the shadowy edges of the monstrous.

What follows is a journey from the gaslit streets of London, to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh, where other children with gifts—the Talents—have been gathered. Here, the world of the dead and the world of the living threaten to collide. And as secrets within the Institute unfurl, Marlowe, Charlie and the rest of the Talents will discover the truth about their abilities, and the nature of the force that is stalking them: that the worst monsters sometimes come bearing the sweetest gifts.

With lush prose, mesmerizing world-building, and a gripping plot, Ordinary Monsters presents a catastophic vision of the Victorian world—and of the gifted, broken children who must save it.

Review:

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading Ordinary Monsters, by J.M. Miro, but I liked the blurb and was lucky enough to receive an advance copy from NetGalley.  This book was a cross between Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Rigs, and a Stephen King novel: Fantasy with a hefty helping of Horror.  The story follows several children who have supernatural "Talents" as they being sought by two groups of people.  Those who want to protect them, and those who want to use them for evil.  But who will reach them first?  The children in the story are pawns in a much larger game of chess.  Both sets of adults looking for them want to use them in some fashion or another.  They can sense this, and it's difficult to know who the children can trust. 

I really liked all the characters in this story, both adults and children.  All the characters are fully realized and one can really sympathize with nearly all of them.  Charlie, a African-American teen has been brutalized all his life.  He has no reason to trust anyone.  But he quickly sees a kindred spirit in Marlowe.  Although Marlow is much younger than Charlie, he has also seen many hard times.  He no sooner finds a stable home than he is ripped away from it.  Both have powers they don't understand. 

The adults in the story, especially the two detectives, Coulton and Alice, were also wonderful characters.  Each had a compelling backstory that added motivation to what they were doing.  I loved how protective they became as they got to know the children.  Even the villain, who of course never considered himself to be evil, had a long and interesting history.

The world-building is also top-notch.  The world is mostly set in Victorian London.  It's grimy, smoggy, and filled with desperate people.  Everyone is one step away from destitution.  Get hurt on the job?  You become homeless.  Kids who are orphaned must fend for themselves.  But it's the shadow world that some of the characters must enter that mirrors London that is even more terrible.  It's filled with dread, and horrible creatures.

My only complaint about this book is that it is SUPER LONG!  At nearly 700 pages, this book is an epic.  And it's part of a series!  If you are in the mood for a long, but compelling, read, this book ticks all the boxes.  Fun characters, creepy bad guys, magical school, vast conspiracies and very gothic horror await.  This book will keep you enthralled (and probably also give you nightmares).

Trigger Warning for Child Abuse

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  June 7th, 2022

Author:  J.M. Miro

Publisher:  Flatiron Books

Genre:  Historical Horror/Fantasy

Page Length:  672 Pages

Source: NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  If you like dark fantasy mixed with horror, this book is for you. The world-building and characters will leave a definite impression.  This is the beginning of a series that will be a must read for me.