Weekly wrap up 29/1/17
29 January 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Blood upon the Sand, In Calabria, The Black Wolves, The Grey Bastards, Weekly wrap up
January is coming to an end – I hope you’ve all had a great month. I can’t believe how quickly the time has flown.
Reading wise I finished one of the books I highlighted last week and started the other. I finished the readalong of Chimes at Midnight which I loved. Reviews to come: Deadlight Jack, Chimes at Midnight, Dawn Study and The Black Wolves of Boston.
Last week’s reads:
- The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French, which is my SPFBO book – I’m currently reading this one and so far so good.
- The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer – urban fantasy and evil Wickers – I completed the Black Wolves and my review will follow shortly.
Next week I’m hoping to complete:
- Blood Upon the Sand by Bradley Beaulieu – I CANNOT wait to read this. Twelve Kings was so, so, good.
- In Calabria by Peter S Beagle – because, great writing and unicorns.
And, finally, my cover compare this week:
What are you currently reading?
Chimes at Midnight (October Daye #7) by Seanan McGuire, readalong final week
Today is the final week of a four week readalong of Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire. How I’m loving this series and it feels as though each book just keeps adding more depth to the world created by McGuire. Be aware that spoilers will be lurking below so be careful!
This week I will be providing the questions so lets get a boogie on:
So, Armandine – obviously the Luidaeg has gone mysteriously quiet whilst searching for her sister. How do you think that scenario is playing out? Has the Luidaeg found Armandine in her tower?
I really keep hoping that Armindine will turn up at some point and help Toby when she most desperately needs it but so far that doesn’t seem to be the case. I did wonder if the Luidaeg was going in search of Armandine to beg for her help but I’m not sure about that – it feels like maybe a confrontation will be taking place between the two. I’m very puzzled over Armandine.
When this all first started I thought Armandine was maybe slightly crazy at best and a neglectful mother at worst. It seems that I was wrong. Clearly something dreadful has happened in her past – any speculation as to why she would behave as she has?
Well, unfortunately, I didn’t take notes this time around and I’m sure I read something in here about Armandine and some sort of a relationship – damn, why didn’t I bookmark that! Anyway, I wonder whether she was in love and either something went wrong or the person died? To be honest, I really don’t know. I’m guessing that she’s been used in some sort of awful way and that’s why she’s so determined that Toby doesn’t follow her path.
May – omg – I was so scared with the scene at the Knowe – literally, I cannot believe that she came through it. What exactly is May now. I know what she came from, I know what she then was, but I have no idea what she now is. Is she invincible? (I mean, I hope so because I love her)
I cannot believe that scene! I really thought that May couldn’t survive that attack and I was so sad thinking that she would no longer be part of the stories. And, yeah, I’m sort of puzzled about what exactly May is now. She’s was previously a Haunt and then a Fetch – but she isn’t either any longer. What is she and is she indestructible?
Toby – her blood magic. Well, I think we’ve seen maybe a touch of why Armandine was trying to protect her. How far and how powerful do you predict Toby will really become?
Well, to be honest, this blood magic really does make Toby just about as powerful as any fae around – providing of course she can chomp on a bit of blood. We saw here that she could teleport after tasting someone’s blood so really her abilities would be endless wouldn’t they? Or am I just over simplifying. Probably. Although if I am right – it makes it a bit clearer just why Armandine was trying to push Toby towards being human.
So many alliances were made even stronger here which is great – and we also learned of Quentin’s origins and in fact met his parents – what for Quentin now. Can a prince continue as a squire?
I love the sea realm and seriously hope for more in that respect. In terms of Quentin – I’d like to believe that he could go back to being Toby’s squire but part of me wonders if Toby would be able to treat him as naturally as she did before she knew he was a prince. I can’t help wondering if he couldn’t stick around and help Arden learn the ropes a little. After all, he seems to know the court formalities.
I forgot to ask anything about the Queen and the ending – where she managed to slope off – obviously we’re going to see her some more, no doubt causing a massive nuisance of herself. I must say that siren song was some pretty strong stuff! Quick thinking on Toby’s part though with the tree sap ear plugs. I was pleased that Toby got to bring the Queen down a peg or two although that attack from Tybalt – wow! It was really touching how sheepish he was after (but you would be really wouldn’t you) – even though it wasn’t his fault.
Anyway, that brings this book and readalong to a conclusion. I love this series and can’t wait to dive into No.8.
‘“A book is as dangerous as any journey you might take. The person who closes the back cover may not be the same one that opened the front one. ‘
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book, compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future week’s themes are listed below. This week’s theme:
Book “A room without books is like a body without a soul”
I struggled with this one a little although I’m sure I’ll think of a load of books the day after! I’ve gone with the Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman – this is a great series that I can’t recommend enough!
And my winner,:
I love this cover. It’s simple and classic. I probably would have preferred this cover with the colouring of the green cover but there you go.
Which is your favourite?
Future themes:
03/02/2017 – Hotel “Welcome to the Hotel California! Such a lovely place. Such a lovely face. Plenty of space at the Hotel California”
10/02/2017 – Diamonds “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend!”
17/02/2017 – Car “Drivin’ along in my automobile”
24/02/2017 Alien – “Aliens – if they exist-are little green men with big eyes and spindly arms…or giant insects or something like a lumpy little creature”
03/03/2017 – Playing cards “Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well”
10/03/2017 – School “I never let my schooling interfere with my education”
17/03/2017 – Bird “Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs are too sweet and wild”
24/03/2017 – Street lamp “He stood under the street lamp, sleet settling in his hair, hands fisted at his side”
31/03/2017 – Casino “Whisky, gambling and Ferraris are better than housework “
07/04/2017 – Circus “You can get the monkey off your back, but the circus never leaves town!
14/04/2017 – Easter “The rabbit of Easter. He bring of the chocolate”
21/04/2017 – Bridge “I demolish my bridges behind me…then there is no choice but to push forward”
28/04/2017 – Beach/Seaside”Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!”
05/05/2017 – Lion “If you place your head in a lion’s mouth, then you cannot complain one day if he happens to bite it off”
12/05/2017 – Phone “Don’t use the phone. People are never ready to answer it”
19/05/2017 – Plane “When everything seem to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it ….”
26/05/2017 – Mice “Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, ‘it might have been’…”
02/06/2017 – Moon “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”
09/06/2017 – Mummy “It shuffles through the dry, dusty darkness”
16/06/2017 – Guitar “You couldn’t not like someone who liked the guitar”
23/06/2017 – Cat “In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this”
30/06/2017 – Hat “It is always cruel to laugh at people, of course, although sometimes if they are wearing an ugly hat it is hard to control yourself “
07/07/2017 – Gold “All that is gold does not glitter”
14/07/2017 – Boats “The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea, in a beautiful pea green boat…”
21/07/2017 – Planet “Any planet is ‘Earth’ to those who live on it”
Friday Firsts: The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer
27 January 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Friday Firsts, tenacious reader, The Black Wolves of Boston, Wen Spencer
Friday Firsts is a new meme that runs every Friday over on Tenacious Reader. The idea is to feature the first few sentences/paragraph of your current book and try and outline your first impressions as a result. This is a quick and easy way to share a snippet of information about your current read and to perhaps tempt others. Stop on by and link up with Tenacious Reader. This week I’m reading The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer.
Joshua really thought it would be easier to catch a rabbit; he was a werewolf, after all. The stupid things, though could turn on a dime and kept zigging when his body kept zagging.
And then there were the trees.
He hit, yet another oak tree, this one only about four inches wide, but enough to knock him down and nearly knock him out when he hit it. Acorns rained down on him. It felt like the oak tree was laughing at him.
“Stupid tree.” He kicked it while still lying flat on his back.
There was a loud crack and it toppled slowly away from him.
Joshua groaned and slapped his hands over his eyes. He was doing this at night so no one would see him or know what he’d done. People might not notice if half the trees in the Back Bay Fens Park had face impressions but they weren’t going to miss a downed tree.
My First Impressions
Well, I think those first few sentences clearly give the impression that Joshua is a new wolf and isn’t coping well at coming to grips with everything. I think it also manages to inject some levity into the book and give the impression that though this could be serious in parts it will also be tempered with humour. I’m really enjoying this so far to be honest. There’s plenty going on and the urban fantasy elements are really good.
What you reading this Friday??
*The above excerpt was taken from an advanced reader copy and it is possible that the final version may have further changes.
Department Zero by Paul Crilley
Department Zero by Paul Crilley feels like a slightly madcap adventure with a liberal dash of bizarre and a sprinkling of surreal. It’s an odd mash up, the baby of Lovecraft and Men in Black.
As the story begins we are introduced to Harry Priest. I confess I didn’t envy Harry his day job – his role has a very fancy name but basically he cleans up after any and all sort of deaths. Murders, suicide, natural causes. And sometimes it’s been weeks before the body is found. When the book begins Harry has been called to his next job. On arrival at the address things seem a little amiss and it doesn’t appear that the police have been at the scene to examine any potential wrong doing. However, before Harry has a chance to call the office (or the police) a group of characters arrive on the scene, saying they’re from ICD (Interstitial Crime Department) and claiming precedence and sending Harry and his colleague on his way. As it happens, this was the highlight of Harry’s day, from hereon in things are going to get seriously bad and Harry’s world is going to wind up in turmoil.
Without giving too much away about the plot lets just say that there are a number of artefacts and there are a number of groups interested in said artefacts. So interested in fact that they’ll go to just about any length to get their grabby hands on these items. The problem is – these items could unleash a force that would unravel the universe, unravel multiple universes and in fact parallel universes. So Harry, simply needs to change job, go to work, retrieve items, prevent world destruction, all in time to be home for tea and a spot of telly! Of course the job at the ICD plummets a little as soon as Harry joins and he ends up in Department Zero – just about the worst possible demotion you can imagine and seemingly he’s back on the clean up crew again.
I enjoyed this, it was highly entertaining. There was quite literally never a dull moment and in fact that could be probably one of the only issues I had with the book, that occasionally I found myself thinking ‘for goodness sake give Harry a break, or me! But, yeah, the action is none stop and in fact I thought the opening chapters were incredibly gripping – the scene with the spiders, I nearly had kittens (which oddly enough would have been quite fitting at the time and probably wouldn’t have been quite as surreal as some of the scenes in this book).
The writing was very easy and persuasive and the characters very easy to get along with. Well, when I say characters there are primarily two – Harry and Graves – but they had a very readable double act – good cop bad cop feel if you will.
The setting is creative and awash with creatures. There is no shortage of tentacles and beasts, gods, demons, rips in time, battles, dreamscapes – it’s difficult to know whether to say it’s fun – but it is. It’s a romp. A riot. Creative. Imaginative and entertaining.
There’s a lot of potential for Harry and Graves to have more adventures although I have no idea if that is the author’s plan. If more books were in the offing though I would certainly read on.
