An Apology

My apologies if you were looking for reviews of the last couple of books. I was accidentally posting them on my husband's long forgotten blog. I must delete that thing. I think he last posted about ten years ago.

 

Massive World Buildings...and togas! A Review of Will of the Many...with togas!

 

Please help us up the steps. These things are hell to walk in.

Well, I tell ya, this is one super long book. Perfect for readers who love fantasy world building. With gore. Lots of getting poked with obsidian knives. No, more like getting pinned to a wall with obsidian shards. People are bleeding all over the place and losing their eyeballs. Speaking of eyeballs, there was a lot of eyeball rolling, and smirking. Fantastical story, lots of amazing things happening, but the characters are all smirking and eyeball rolling like all of the other characters in YA books.

But, despite my personal weariness of smirking and eyeball rolling, I did like, and felt like I got to know the characters. Vis, the protagonist, goes through a hell of a lot for only being seventeen. Sometimes it seemed like a little much. He should have died about a dozen times or at the least, have brain damage. Like all good heroes, he keeps plugging along. 
 
Something was a little weird. They have sappers (tables that suck the will out of unfortunates) transports that fly through the sky for hundreds of miles, trackers that can show them where anybody is at, yet they're still writing with a stylus on wax tablets and lighting oil lamps. They can transport through the air, move walls with stone push buttons but they haven't discovered electricity! 

I sound like I'm complaining but I actually liked the book (except for the smirking and eyeball rolling.) Lots of action, lots of desperate situations, good friendships and a whole bunch of stabbings. And the world building is excellent.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Saga Press for allowing me to read and review The Will of the many. Oh, and it's set up for a sequel.

Not Happy Campers. A Review of Tell Me What Really Happened.

 

Tell Me What Really Happened is one of my favorite books of 2023. Five friends (some of whom only tolerate each other) go camping. Four of them end up in police interrogation. Each chapter begins with one question from a detective. The rest of the chapter is each teens' answers. Suspense! Creepy! Also a unique way to write a novel.

Murder...or is it? Friendship...or is it?

I kept reading this book long after midnight because I was asking myself, "What next? WHAT NEXT!" Full of surprises. A couple of the characters I kind of wished would be eaten by bears. They weren't. Maybe one of them was eaten by something big and hairy. Maybe not. A real "who done it." Or what done it.

Mystery. Action. Romance...or maybe not. Definitely death. But who, how, and why?

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read, review, and be frightened by Tell Me What Really Happened.

Get past the despicable characters to find more despicable BILLIONAIRE characters. A review of You Can Trust Me

          

I've read several reviews where the reviews where the reviewers
 said they disliked the two main characters. There are whole bunches of people to dislike in You Can Trust Me. in fact, the rest of the characters are so despicable that the two young women protagonists come off looking like saints. Saints who steal credit cards, but hey, it's hard to be a saint. 

Although I initially cared little for Leo and Summer, pickpockets and con-women galore, the novel turns into a thriller and into a story of bravery and friendship. I know we all hate billionaires, unless you are a billionaire in which case, I like you just fine. But when this billionaire wants to take you out in his boat...don't go. Do Not Go!

That's all I'm going to say about that. After I got past the part of pickpocketing, and out to the island, You Can Trust Me became a real nailbiter. I only have nubs left. If at first you don't like Leo and Summer, kept reading. It's thrills and chills and beach sand between your toes. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Bantam Books for allowing me to read and review an eARC of You Can Trust Me.

Well, I messed up the placement of the photo. I don't know how I do these things.

One or more or several bright things. Not all of them are good. A review of The First Bright Thing

 Sometimes I read books where the characters have magical abilities, but they use their abilities to do trivial things like have glossy hair. (Okay, I know glossy hair is important, lord knows I've spent enough on argon oil, but it's less important than world peace.) But the characters in The First Bright Thing are working for world peace! Yay! Unfortunately, they bite off more than they can chew. If world peace were easy, we'd have it by now.

Usually I like detailed descriptions, and there are many lovely descriptions in The First Bright Thing. Occasionally the novel seemed long to me. There were many things I liked about it. The misfits because of their magical abilities came together to make a beautiful circus, but they also made a beautiful family who took care of each other. And although the nonmagical public wanted to exterminate those with the "spark," the sparks went out of their way to help troubled people. There are strong women and strong female friendships. Except for the abusive husband that the protagonist Rin is fleeing from, the female and male characters are equal to each other and good friends to one another.

Notice, too, that the first bright thing can stand for more than one thing or person. One bright thing in the story is dreadful and ghastly. while other bright things are helpful and awe-inspiring. Well, the bad bright thing is awe-inspiring but not in a good way. In the long run, the circus performers realize that bringing happiness to the world is their true magic.

A big thank you to Tor and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review The First Bright Thing.