Can’t Wait Wednesday : Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey
7 August 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Black Woods Blue Sky, Can't Wait Wedesday, Eowyn Ivey, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is: Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey. Here’s the cover and description:
New York Times bestselling author Eowyn Ivey returns to the mythical Alaska landscape of her Pulitzer Prize finalist The Snow Child with an unforgettable reimagining of Beauty and the Beast that asks the question: can love save us from ourselves?
Birdie’s keeping it together, of course she is. So she’s a little hungover sometimes on her shifts, and has to bring her daughter Emaleen to work while she waits tables at an Alaskan roadside lodge, but it’s a tough town to be a single mother and Emaleen never goes hungry. Still, she remembers happier times—trout fishing with her grandfather and hiking in the tundra—being free in the world of nature.
Arthur Neilsen is a soft-spoken recluse, with scars across his face, who brings Emaleen back to safety when she gets lost in the woods one day. He speaks with a strange cadence, appears in town only at the change of seasons, and most people avoid him. But for Birdie, he represents everything she’s ever longed for. He lives in a cabin in the mountains on the far side of the Wolverine River and tells Birdie about the caribou, marmots and wild sheep that share his untamed world. She falls in love with him and the land he knows so well.
Against the warnings of those who care about her, Birdie moves to his isolated cabin.
She and her daughter are alone with Arthur in a vast wilderness, hundreds of miles from roads, telephones, electricity or outside contact, but Birdie believes she has come prepared. She can start a fire and cook on a woodstove. She has her rifle and fishing rod. In the beginning, it is an idyllic life—the three of them catch salmon, pick berries and swim in sunlit waters. But soon Birdie realizes that she is not at all prepared for what lies ahead: Arthur harbors a dark secret unlike anything she’d ever imagined; and she learns that the Alaska wilderness is as mysterious and dangerous as it is beautiful.
Black Woods, Blue Sky is a suspenseful novel with life-and-death stakes about the love between a mother and daughter, and about the lure of a wild life—about what we gain and what it might cost us.
Expected publication : February 2025
Review : Heads Will Roll by Josh by Josh Winning
6 August 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Heads Will Roll, Josh Winning
My Five Word TL:DR Review: a Very Fitting Title Indeed
This was a very entertaining read, it maybe had more plot holes than a leaky sieve, but the title promises that Heads Will Roll and roll they did – and, perhaps because I’m not a massive horror reader – it never failed to take me by surprise.
Basically you have your classic slasher story, based in a retreat in the middle of nowhere, where a bunch of characters, all trying to escape some sort of trouble, or trauma, or upset in their lives come to be at one with nature, leaving their hectic lives, and any electronic devices, behind. What could possibly go wrong?
As the story begins we meet Willow on her way to Camp Castaway. Her life has imploded following an ill advised tweet that went viral inspiring hate mail and death threats. Her tv show has been cancelled, her fiancée has scarpered and she soon discovers that she really has little else with most of her belongings not actually being hers! She’s running scared and although this camp is in the middle of nowhere she’s worried about being recognised (leading to some almost comedic attempts at disguise).
I don’t think I need to elaborate on the plot too much. It’s a relatively small cast of characters with only three employees and less than ten visitors as the story begins. What they all have in common: secrets.
What I really enjoyed about this.
We have a good cast of characters. The shy and awkward young man who seems to need protection, a slightly older woman, previously a Hollywood star who retreated into obscurity, a young girl who quickly attaches herself to Willow and becomes friends, a camp leader who feels a little on the edge and another employee who everyone seems to fantasise about with his hot bod and good looks. And then a few others who don’t stand out quite as much and you can’t hep feeling will swiftly become axe fodder – although there are some surprises.
The setting is certainly remote. Plenty of trees, tiny cabins sprinkled throughout, a beautiful lake and lots of activities none of which involve tv or any other connection to what’s going on in the outside world. Plenty of places for someone to sneak around or hide out and there is more than one person doing a bit of sneaking. Oh, and I forgot to mention, no locks. I don’t think I would sleep!
Everyone is keeping secrets and some campers know more than others.
This is a slow build of tension fuelled by a local legend/urban myth know as Knock Knock Nancy. I won’t spoil the read by delving into that story here.
The final third of the book, is unrelentingly wicked with people running amok and literally losing their heads.
In conclusion, I went into this expecting a slasher and the author certainly delivers. I decided from the outset not to question events too deeply and I think that was the right move. As I mentioned above there were certainly questionable areas but I checked my natural inclination to drill down into everything at the start of the read and take this at face value and so it worked. The tension was ramped up incredibly during the last third and although it’s often difficult to form attachments with this kind of story I did find myself really rooting for a couple of the characters. There was plenty of blood, the victims were stacking up with indecent haste and I was never quite sure about the eventual reveal although I made a few attempts at guessing. Foolish decisions were aplenty and the axe wielder – well, in the way of any good slasher story – felt almost inhumanly strong and had more lives than a cat.
I could easily see this being adapted and providing plenty of shocks as people lose their heads.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 crazy, blood soaked stars.
Review: A Sorceress Comes to Call by T Kingfisher
5 August 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Sorceress Comes to Call, blogging, Book Reviews, Fairytales, Goose Girl, reading, T Kingfisher
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Characters, Setting, Story, All Perfect
In a nutshell I loved this. I’ve taken to barely browsing the descriptions of books these days (mainly because I prefer to have as little knowledge as possible of the content before picking it up) so I had little notion of what to expect from this. I did however have high expectations, this being an author I really enjoy and I actually think on this occasion this book exceeded my expectations. I had a great time with this one.
The story begins as we meet Cordelia. Cordelia is only a young girl (14 years young I think). Her mother is a sorceress who wields her magic in a terrible way, often controlling her daughter in a way that renders her little more than a puppet. Cordelia lives her life in constant fear, trying to predict her mother’s mood and what to say in order to avoid any repercussions. One day, her mother decides that she needs to marry a wealthy man and with that in mind they leave their cottage and hamlet behind.
I don’t really want to say too much about the plot. I understand this is inspired by the Brothers Grimm Goose Girl, a fairytale that I’m not familiar with although I have since familiarised myself with the story and can see how the original was used to guide the narrative.
What I really loved about this.
After starting the story with an almost traditional fairytale fashion, with mother and daughter living in a small cottage in a tiny hamlet the setting morphs into an almost Regency style story. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a comedy of manners with bustling, bonnets and ribbons, but at the same time it draws on the etiquette and expectations of that period, relying very much on manners and genteel behaviour and the willingness to accept things at face value.
Cordelia and her mother find themselves, through deceit, ensconced in a fine country manor where the Squire quickly becomes besotted with Cordelia’s mother (Evangeline). And Cordelia, terrified of the repercussions is afraid to say anything.
I really loved the setting and period and felt it worked perfectly for this dark tale lending it a gothic feel, especially when we move to the estate of Lord Evermore.
The writing is really well executed, I was totally immersed in the story and the plight of the characters, to such an extent I was trying to conjure up ways for them to escape their predicament, not very successfully I confess. The pacing is also really well handled. The tension is cranked up with a deft hand and before you know it you’re on the edge of your seat.
The characters really make this story. Cordelia is the narrator but Hester, the Squire’s sister really steals the show, abetted by her two close friends Imogene and Penelope. Plus I have to applaud our dastardly villain, Evangeline. She is so perfectly horrible. She’s almost like a small child with her petty tantrums, except of course here there are more deadly consequences.
A dark story with some unsettling themes that are handled with finesse. I was totally enchanted.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 of 5 ensorcelled stars.
Booking Ahead/Weekly Wrap Up
4 August 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Booking Ahead, Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Sunday Post, Weekly wrap up
Today I’m posting my Weekly Wrap Up and II’m linking up to The Sunday Post over at Kimberly’s Caffeinated Reviewer. Without further ado:
Books read this week:
I’m still playing catch up and so been posting quite a bit this week, more than I usually do anyway. I don’t really like double posting but it has helped me to start getting ahead with reviews. This week I completed The Wilds by Sarah Pearse. I also read and loved A Sorceress Comes to Call by T Kingfisher. And I also completed a novella, A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience by Stephanie Burgis, which was very entertaining. I’m currently reading The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno Garcia, I’m about a third of the way through that one. I’ve also nearly finished A Poisoner’s Tale by Cathryn Kemp.
Next Week’s Reads:
I’m hoping to complete The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno Garcia and A Poisoner’s Tale by Cathryn Kemp. If I get chance I’d also like to pick up Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning.
Reviews Posted:
- A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike
- Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan
- The Trouble With Mrs Montgomery Hurst by Katie Lumsden
- Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
- The September House by Carissa Orlando
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
- Storm Child by Michael Robotham
- Love Letters To A Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell
- The Drowning House by Cherie Priest
- A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience by Stephanie Burgis
- The Wilds by Sarah Pearse
- A Sorceress Comes to Call by T Kingfisher
#SPFBO X : My Third Batch of Books
SPFBO X is now underway and the books allocated. I’ve divided my books into three sets of five. Hopefully tackling one batch of five per month for the next three months.
For those who don’t know about SPFBO (the Self Published Fantasy Blog Off) – this is a competition created and run by Mark Lawrence. The competition is now in its tenth year and you can find more about all the other entrants and judges over on Mark Lawrence’s blog. This year I am again teaming up with the Critiquing Chemist.
This year I am planning on reading the first 25% (or for those larger books the first 100 pages) of all the books in my allocation. This way I will quickly gain an idea of the books that I want to continue to read.
I’ve read the first 25% of my first and second batch of books. This month I will be doing the same for my final five after which I will be making some tough decisions and some cuts. I’ve changed my tactics slightly this year, I usually make cuts as I go along. There was no particular strategy behind this, it was more of a spur of the moment decision based on the fact that I hadn’t made any firm decisions at the time. So, hopefully, in the next few weeks, with my final batch checked out, I’ll be starting to move forward.
Without further ado let’s take a look at my final batch of books.
The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle by Steve Hugh Westenra
Tyler Kyle doesn’t believe in monsters.
A washed-up thirty-year-old actor and reluctant cryptid investigator, Tyler is used to playing the Scully to his best friend Josh’s Mulder on their stupidly popular YouTube channel. But when Tyler receives previously unseen footage of the B movie bombshell mother who abandoned him eighteen years ago—footage linked to an isolated island in the Canadian wilderness—the mystery is one conspiracy he’s determined to investigate. The fact that following the scent gives Tyler an excuse to run away from the “straight” Josh, whom he drunkenly made out with, is just the cherry on the shit sundae.
But Echo Island isn’t what it seems. Its eerily scenic veneer hides a twisted secret buried in its roots as a gay conversion camp, and as Tyler retraces his mother’s footsteps, he discovers a supernatural connection between the residents and the island—one they seem to think Tyler and his mother share.
Even worse, the footage of Tyler’s mom came from someone on the island–a stalker whose obsessive fascination with both Tyler and Josh is about to make Tyler wish he hadn’t gone this one alone. Puppeteered by his stalker, searching for his mother, and debating whether it’s possible to queerbait yourself, Tyler comes to realize that it doesn’t matter so much whether you believe in monsters, if they believe in you.
THE ERSTWHILE TYLER KYLE is an adult horror comedy for fans of GHOST FILES, BUZZFEED UNSOLVED, and TWIN PEAKS.
Content warnings available on Steve Westenra’s website (see Goodreads Profile).
***
Sidetracked by SK Kelly
Jayde Palmer considers herself a typical college student, but life is messy.
The day before her 19th birthday, a chance meeting with a beautiful young man named Ice Monroe disrupts Jayde’s plans for a quiet, relaxing summer. She assumes he’s too good to be true—until he calls. Jayde takes the bait, and things go well at first, but the relationship takes a bizarre turn when Ice drops a bombshell secret:
He is a magical human-feline shapeshifter, known as an immortal.
As Jayde comes to terms with the existence of immortals and struggles to work out Ice’s true intentions in dating her, a series of unexpected and uncomfortable encounters with a figure from his past leave Jayde increasingly unsure who she can trust or what she should do next.
Even so, it’s clear that something is wrong, and she may have no choice but to act on instinct.
Sidetracked is part one of a four-part series about dark secrets, difficult decisions, strange dreams, a secret government program, and mental illness.
With cats and a little bit of magic!
***
Smile and be a Villain by Yves Donlon
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark… and that ‘something’ is magic.
HELSINGØR, 1536.
Ophelia is a disgraced handmaid to the queen, the cast-off lover of Prince Hamlet.
She is also a witch, and a good one at that. And she can see that Denmark is rotting from the inside out, afflicted by dark magic.
WITTENBERG, 1536.
Hamlet is a useless son, a failed heir. He is the prince of a nation about to fight a war they won’t win.
He doesn’t know about magic, but if he did he would use it to destroy their enemies—no matter the consequences.
As Hamlet and Ophelia find themselves increasingly torn apart, they must decide: how much are they willing to sacrifice in order to save Denmark?
And, by the end of it all, will they be beyond saving?
***
Fortitude’s Prize by Ceril N Domace
The Master of Fortitude, the largest city in the Flying Isles, has been robbed.
Normally, this wouldn’t concern Edward Bardsley. He’s an alchemist and surgeon on a small privateering vessel, and there are much larger and better equipped ships in Fortitude. It only becomes his concern when his crew is commissioned to retrieve the master’s stolen property. Between storms, injuries, and secrets that could see Edward exiled from the skies the way his father was, just getting to the thief’s hideout is enough to test the hardiest crew.
Thrust into the middle of an adventure that will take him from one end of the Flying Isles to the other, Edward must use every ounce of his alchemical and sailing knowledge to keep the crew intact as they inch closer to their goal.
***
The Hybrid by EK Frances
Sebastian Parker is thirteen. He thinks he is just an ordinary alpha off to join the Academy to refine his skills, but ‘the test’ shows something different. It turns out he is a Hybrid – a Quad-brid to be exact – and will grow up to be the most powerful alpha in more than two millennia.
Forced to join the Dark side of the Academy, Sebastian faces fear, rejection, and brutality. Making some unlikely friends and finding adventure, he strives to keep to the Light. However, in a final twist, unsure of who to trust, and what is real, Sebastian is faced with the ultimate decision of whether to embrace the Darkness …
Dark, brutal, and gripping, The Hybrid is the first novel in The Hybrid series. The series is set in a dark vision of the future where some humans, known as alphas, have developed abilities.
***
Good luck everyone 
Books and travelling with Lynn 