Monday, March 18, 2024

Hannah Kaner: Godkiller

In her Debut novel, Hannah Kaner has four individuals forced together on a quest to find answers from the Fallen Gods:

Kissen is a Godkiller. She makes her way in the world by killing the Gods who are still around and determine to make plight against Humans. Kissen has every reason to hate Gods, as she was once destined to be a sacrifice for one. Kissen enjoys what she does and there has never been a God that she has refused to kill, until she meets a young girl name Inara, who somehow has a God bound to her. If Kissen were to kill the God it may kill her as well. This is why they are on a journey together, to try and find an Old Gol who can tell them how to break the bond. Along the way the meet a mysterious man Elos the baker, who is more than he seems, but with the darkness and treachery on the trail another set of eyes is reluctantly welcome. Especially when the world is in a time of upheaval, demons stalk the night and a civil war is brewing and all must face their reckoning.

This Kaner's debut novel and what a novel to debut with. I will say that this book does not read like a debut with the writing, plot and characters so well developed. The book reads like it was written by a seasoned writer, so I was really shocked to discover this was her debut. This book really hooked me in the first chapter, but I will admit that the next 50ish pages are a bit slow as we meet the characters of the book but after that it is really interesting when the quest really starts.

This book has a simple world so not much world building is required, as it had a very medieval feel to it and that Gods were once prevalent throughout the land are no more or not as strong as they once were. Gods feed on prayers and offering and as they have dried up so have the Gods and their powers. I would also classify it as Fantasy Light due to this fact, as the world is not that complex as High fantasy novel. I'm personally okay with the world building taking a side to the quests that our characters are on, as this is not a very long book I feel like excessive world building would have gotten in the wat of the plot.

I loved that there were Gods for everything really, anything that people have ever prayed to. There were the more known Gods like God of War and God of fertility and such but there was also God of Little White Lies (Skedi), God of different rivers and water and even buttons. I liked the creativity that Kaner had on this aspect.

I really enjoyed that we get the view of a fledgling God, Skedi as he tries to make sense of his purpose in life and the things that he desires among everything else, for offerings and prayers. Each POV is unique in this book, there is really no repetitiveness between the characters. I can’t help but like all the characters in their own way. Kissen’s with her path of vengeance against all Gods for what was done to her. Elo’s never wavering loyalty and love for his King, Inara a girl who has lost everything but the God who is bound to her and Skediceth (Skedi) a God of white lies who yearns to be free and wants to be a true God.

This was a great debut novel and I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I was invested in all four characters, which I don't think has happened before in a book for me. I can't wait to read the next book in this series to see where Kaner takes this story especially with that ending and what comes to light in this book.

Enjoy!!!

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Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Rachel Hawkins: The Heiress

Rachel Hawkins, shows that the most complicated relationship you have is one with your Family:

The McTavish family name has always had money and power in the small town in North Carolina, and when the heiress Ruby dies and leaves the fortune and Ashby House to her adopted son Camden, everyone is shocked that he wants nothing to do with it. Camden flees and becomes a teacher and wants to forget everything that is associated to the McTavish Name and Ashby House. But as much as Camden wants to forget his relatives and house keep calling, and he wife Jules finally convinces him that it is finally time to go home and confront everything. Everyone has their secrets and all of them seem to buried in Ashby house, it's whether they are buried deep enough to keep them safe that matters.

This is a good domestic suspense book as it is all about family and all the complications that families have. This is especially true when the family has money and influence, and the feeling like they are being left out with the money. This is really seen when Jules and Cam return to the house and the ugliness and pettiness that comes out of Cam's cousins and great Aunt is just appalling. I do not think that there is one nice things said to them while they are there, everything is extremely petty, snide or cruel. You can understand why Camden left and never wanted to return.

There are so many lies secrets, double crosses that you don’t know which voice to trust in this book, as you can tell that they are all holding on to a few secrets along the way. There is quite a bit of family meddling that goes on in both timelines and sometimes that meddling is between people that you did not think that it would occur between.

This was a quick and interesting read once you get into it, but I will say that I found the very beginning a bit slow. It wasn’t until we got the first few chapters from Ruby's POV that I really found myself invested in the book. I found that Ruby's POV was the most interesting one, but not the only one with twists. I was able to figure out Jules' twist but only some of Camden's. Really, I think that if Hawkins did Camden's character a disservice, he could have been interesting and I wish that Hawkins would have had more to him. I do find it interesting that although he wanted nothing to do with Ashby House and the money, yet he never actually got rid of either. Maybe it was just a small act to keep going what Ruby wanted, but it is never really explained why he did decide to still hold on to it.

I enjoyed the letter format that Hawkins used for Ruby's part and it just makes sense overall in the context of the book as it allows for 2 timelines of events but have them interact in a seamless way. I also liked that Jules breaks the fourth wall throughout the book, makes it feel like she is talking directly to you as the reader.

This was a good book and once I was able to get into the story I did enjoy it. If you enjoy a book that has a lot of family meddling and secrets, then you will enjoy this one. Another good book from Hawkins and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Enjoy!!!!

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Thursday, March 7, 2024

Jennifer Estep: Protect the Prince

As this is the second book in a series you will need to read the first book Kill the Queen to understand the dynamics and people in this book, it is also a great read full of gladiators battles and magic so what is not to love there.

Jennifer Estep is back with the second book in her Crown of Shards book and this time Evie is looking to protect people from death instead of inflicting it:

Everleigh Blair might have started as the low in the court as one could be, became a gladiator and then became the Queen of Bellona. Court Life has not gotten better since becoming Queen, instead of being in the background, she now has to deal with meddling nobles. Unfortunately, Evie remembers every slight that has ever occurred against her. If that was not enough Evie an assassin tries to kill Evie in her own throne room. Despite all the dangers, Evie knows that she needs allies more than ever, which is why Evie needs to go to the Kingdom of Andvari to talk alliance. But there are Dark forces at work inside the Kingdom of Andvari and soon Evie realizes that no one is safe.

This one basically picks up right when the first book left off, only a few months have passed, and I appreciated that, as there has not been that many times for actions to be taken against Evie. This book has less action than the first as this is not gladiators based like the first one so I did miss that aspect at times but loved the court and political intrigue. But with the less fighting we get a book that is more spy and cunningness that Evie and all the other individuals in the group.

Evie is a great character doing what it takes to not only survive but protect her kingdom. Nice to see more development of her power. I also like that Evie is ever protective of the people around her. It was nice to get more of a history about Evie and how she became an orphan.

The book are still light on world building, so I still have questions. Why do the Morton’s hate everyone and want to rule it all. There has to be a story there. Love the magic system and variety of powers that are presented throughout the book. 

I was able to figure out who the traitor was as well as one other aspect of the book that I will reframe from talking too much about as it is a bit of a spoiler (though I thought it was pretty obvious).

I really enjoyed this book and it was a great follow up book to the first one. Cant wait to get to the third and final book in this series to see what Estep has in store for readers next.

Enjoy!!!!!

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Friday, March 1, 2024

Amy Tintera: Listen for the Lie

In Listen for the Lie, Amy Tintera shows that a town is ready to convict a woman for murder even though she has no memories of the event that happened:

Five years ago, Lucy's best friend, Savvy, was murdered, not only is this devastating to Lucy, but Lucy was found wandering, covered in Savvy's blood. What starts out as Lucy also being a victim is twisted into Lucy being the one to kill Savvy. Lucy should be able to clarify what happened that night, but Lucy has no memory of that night. With not enough to charge Lucy, but a town willing to convict her. Lucy left, to find a place where no one knows who she is. That changes when the Pod Cast Listen for the Lie decides to look into Savvy's death and is drumming up notoriety that Lucy does not want. When the host decides to visit her home town, Lucy is forced to go back and confront the past and horrible events she ran away from, she doesn’t want to regain those memories just in case she did it, just in case she really did kill her best friend.

This is the first book that I have read by Tintera and after reading this one it will not be the last. The twists keep on coming in this book both related to the murder of Savvy and the craziness of secrets in this small town will knock you back each time. I enjoy that Tintera did not just focus on the murder of Savvy but realized that the small town secrets all affected what happened to Savvy.

You cannot help but feel sorry for Lucy for a good chunk of the book. Not only does she not remember what happened to her best friend, but everyone around her (including her parents) believe that she murdered Savvy. This leads her to questioning herself, could she have killed Savvy. I enjoyed and that it was unique that Lucy murders people in her head and this happens basically every interaction that she has especially when she doesn’t like someone. Lucy gets creative in the ways she murders people and always takes into account what she has on hand to use. This is a constant in the book, and really adds weight to Lucy’s thoughts that she may have killed Savvy.

Does it add anything to the Pod Cast book genre. I would say yes and no, it is hard to really add anything new to this sub-genre but I will say that Trenten did feature more people in the Podcast than I have read in other books, which i appreciated as it really showed that most of the town was against Lucy and in doing so reveal additional secrets of the town. I would like to know in real life how podcasters choose which unsolved murder(s) in random small town that they choose. What are the boxes that need to be ticked to choose that one over others.

I really enjoyed this book by Tintera, and although I was able to guess what happened to Savvy, I will say that Tintera had me questioning my guess till the very end. Highly recommended book, you're going to want to read this one in one sitting.

Enjoy!!!

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Saturday, February 24, 2024

Ivy Asher: The Lost and the Chosen

In the first in a new series, Ivy Asher has a woman who finds out where she came from, one that is full of more danger than anyone could ever have guessed:

Vinna's life has been full of secrets and questions, especially when one night when she is 16 strange ruins show up all over her body. These ruins give Vinna amazing abilities and when her trainer Talon finds her on the street he starts to train her to fight. It is after one of her cage fighting matches that Vinna stumbles into a world that she knew nothing about, but one that has the answers to her magic and past plus possible a family she has been longing for, especially when she meets the Boys. The road to finding the answers Vinna wants is a dark and dangerous as there are those that want Vinna for their own purposes.

I knew nothing about tis book when I went in to is, I just liked the cover and the premise sounded like something I would enjoy. I'm a fan of Urban Fantasy so if something can pique my interest I'm going to try it. I will say I did not realize this book was going to be a reverse harem book, at least I think it is going to be, I mean I have been wrong before, but if it is one, it seems like it will be a slow burn one, so maybe I’ll be more into that, but no promises. I will also say that we get a really interesting beginning and ending to this book but nothing really seems to happen through the middle chapters. I mean it wasn’t slow per say but just nothing major happens in the middle.

What kept me engaged in this book was the main character Vinna, she is your kickass heroine who is both a regular fighter, due to her fighting in cage matches, and she has some really cool abilities with the ruins all over her body. She has the ability to pull magic weapons from the ruins on her body and not just swords, but staff, bow and arrows, mace, almost anything that you can think of. As this book starts with an awesome cage match and fight scene, I was kind of disappointed that it took so long for Vinna to return to the cage.

There is not a lot of world building in this book, even when you get to the town. There are some things that I still want to know, why shifters are looked down upon by the mages and more about how the council is formed things like that. I mean it didn’t take away from the story but I still have questions.

Pretty sure Asher needs to send me Vinna's workout playlist, i know i could Jam out to it. 

Although this book was slow in the middle, I really did like Vinna as a character as well as the cool powers that she has. The last 25% of this book are crazy and with action and completely heartbreaking. It ends with a cliffhanger, so I know that I will be picking up the next book in the series.

Enjoy!!!

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Saturday, February 17, 2024

Kat Ailes: Expectant Detectives

In her debut novel Kat Ailes explores what happens when a death happens so close to a prenatal class in a small town.

Alice and her partner Joe have decided to move from London to the small sleepy town of Penton because they are expecting their first child together. The agree that the small town feels like the perfect place to raise a family. That is until a local shop keeper's body is found just a few feet from where Alice and Joe are attending their prenatal class. What Alice and Joe also don’t expect is that somehow everyone in the class is now a suspect. With that in mind, Alice and the other women in the class has a common goal, to prove that they did not murder the shop keeper and find out who did. Penton is far from the idyllic town that they thought it would be and between the shady commune in the woods to a mysterious death that occurred 10 years prior, moving to the country may not have been the best thing.

I really enjoy small town mysteries as I find that while the small town may look quant to those who are just visiting you have to know that there are probably secret galore in that town as well. Hard to keep secrets when everyone knows each other. What makes this one different from books that you have read in the past is the main two individuals who do the detecting are Pregnant, well along pregnant, like could pop at any moment. This add a unique perspective in what Alice decides to do, I mean when you're pregnant and already off work what better way to spend your time than to investigate a murder.

This is a cute cozy mystery that is not that high on suspense and more about a very pregnant women and one who just had a baby try to figure out who a murderer is. There are some different aspects with the hippie compound that seems to be the center of it all, as well as the death that occurred 10 years ago that seems suspicious. With all this i will say that Ailes did a good job of keeping things straight and not confusing. I was able to figure out one twist but not the other. We only get Alice's POV in this book so i feel like you get to know her quite well and her motivation to investigate the murder is really seeded in her need to find friends.

Helen is the best character and I will not be swayed from this. Really Helen is the hero here.

I like that Ailes highlights at the beginning of a book how hard it is to root up one's life when they are older and how much harder it is to make friends as an adult. It's like we all forgot how to make friends and are just overly concerned that we will say the wrong thing, that we do say the wrong thing. Alice i very conscious of this and often put her foot in her mouth.

The book did feel overly long by the end of it though and everything get tidied up in a neat bow. I think you can also tell with the writing style that this is Ailes debut novel but I have no issue with that.

This was a good easy read, with some fun and funny moments. If you want a break from more serious books, this is one to give a try. I mean they are pregnant, why not investigate a murder.

Enjoy!!!

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