Reviw: The House of Always by Jenn Lyons

The House of Always (A Chorus of Dragons, Book #4)

by Jenn Lyons

Release Date: May 11th 2021

2021 Tor Books

Kindle & Hardcover Editions; 544 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250175670

ASIN: B08GJQPRHW

Audiobook: B08JG3PCVF

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

The Eight Immortals have catastrophically failed to stop Kihrin's enemies, who are moving forward with their plans to free Vol Karoth, the King of Demons. Kihrin has his own ideas about how to fight back, but even if he's willing to sacrifice everything for victory, the cost may prove too high for his allies.

Now they face a choice: can they save the world while saving Kihrin, too? Or will they be forced to watch as he becomes the very evil they have all sworn to destroy.

 

 

 

 

My Thoughts

The House of Always is the fourth book in the A Chorus of Dragons series, and I have truly appreciated this series for its character study as well as the story.  Being the fourth book, I am now more familiar with the way the author likes to tell a story, so I was not surprised to find the characters all locked together and forced to relive each other's painful memories as a means of continuing the story.  I actually found it refreshing, and while I had no idea where the story was going at the beginning, once it started to take shape, I thought the twists and turns were fascinating.

 

The characters find themselves locked in Shadrag Gor and while there is not a lot of plot development in the sense with which we are familiar in fantasy stories, the author takes the time to tell the POV of the characters, revealing new information to things that have already occurred, making you rethink what you already knew.  It was an exploration of actions and deeds that occurred after the events of the last book and I found it fascinating to learn what the other characters did and thought about it all.  It also gave me a chance to get to know some characters a bit better, and I have become quite fond of all of them.  And while at first it seemed like it was going to be repetitive, it was anything but as I learned things I didn't know and explanations were given that explained what was happening in greater detail.  Plus, I loved the concept of them all being stuck together, having to figure things out together, having to survive and help each other, and not really knowing exactly what was going on, learning as the memories were revealed to all of them.  

 

The book does advance the story, but it does it in a way that puts the story line second and puts the focus on the characters and their actions.  Because it was done this way, it allowed the author a chance to really explore the relationships between the characters and I enjoyed that tremendously.  The focus is not just on Kihrin, but on all of them, and I enjoyed learning more about their own personal relationships as well as the growing relationships that seem to be developing.  That being said, there was definitely some action towards the end as well as a twist I didn't see coming although I should have if I had paid more attention.  The ending was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it tremendously; it was a nice surprise considering so much of the book jumped back and forth between memories and what Kihrin was doing.  This book was definitely a lot easier to keep track of with regards to past lives and who was who; although I didn't struggle with that aspect in the previous book, I know a lot of people had trouble keeping all the lives straight.  The author did continue to explore the mythological aspect in this book as well, something I appreciated.  

 

I did start out reading this book through Kindle, but was so happy to get a hard copy as one of the devices the author uses is footnotes.  By this book, you know who is writing the chronicles so there are interesting, and sometimes sarcastic / humourous, footnotes added throughout the book.  I loved these footnotes and looked for them all the time, but my Kindle version had them at the end of the chapter so it was distracting; I actually preferred the hard copy edition just because of these footnotes.   

Verdict

The House of Always is the fourth book in a series that I have enjoyed quite a bit and have been pleasantly surprised over the way it has been written.  I love character-driven books and this one definitely makes character development a driving force in its plot development.  There was lots of action, betrayal, twists and turns, but it is long, somewhat complex, and you have to pay attention to everything, what some would refer to a slow-burn.  I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something slightly different although I don't recommend jumping in at this point but starting from the first book.  Looking forward to the last book in this series, The Discord of Gods, when it publishes in April next year.

 

Review: A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver

A Peculiar Combination (Electra McDonnell, Book #1)

by Ashley Weaver

Release Date: May 25th 2021

2021 Minotaur Books

Kindle Edition; 304 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250780485

ASIN: B08FZ8R6LQ

Audiobook: B08SRCG1HT

Genre: Fiction / Mystery / Historical 

Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary

Electra McDonnell has always known that the way she and her family earn their living is slightly outside of the law. Breaking into the homes of the rich and picking the locks on their safes may not be condoned by British law enforcement, but World War II is in full swing, Ellie's cousins Colm and Toby are off fighting against Hitler, and Uncle Mick's more honorable business as a locksmith can't pay the bills any more.

So when Uncle Mick receives a tip about a safe full of jewels in the empty house of a wealthy family, he and Ellie can't resist. All goes as planned--until the pair are caught redhanded. Ellie expects them to be taken straight to prison, but instead they are delivered to a large townhouse, where government official Major Ramsey is waiting with an offer: either Ellie agrees to help him break into a safe and retrieve blueprints that will be critical to the British war effort, before they can be delivered to a German spy, or he turns her over to the police.

 

My Thoughts

A Peculiar Combination is the first book in a new mystery series by this author, and like her previous series, I liked the main character and thought the overall story was fun, if light.  The story takes place during WWII so there is a lot of potential for intrigue and plot development in this new series, but you can tell this is the first book in a new series as the author needs to set up relationships and give us some information about the characters which does take away from the overall story at times.  I don't necessarily mind this too much as I enjoyed learning about the characters, but for me, it did take away from the overall suspense of the story.

 

I really liked Ellie as a main character; she was loyal, curious, independent, and brave, but she was also a bit stubborn, a trait that could get her into real trouble, I think.  The other characters were likable as well, but the book sort of has this weird twist to it as Ellie's family is technically a criminal family as they break into houses stealing jewelry and other valuables.  Throughout the book, Ellie does reevaluate her own actions, as well as that of her family's, as she works with Major Ramsey to solve the conspiracy and she is uncomfortable with the truth and with her family's criminal activities.  I like that she tries to justify her behaviour but can't really come up with a reason for her justifications to stick.  Criminal activity is criminal activity.  

 

And while I did enjoy the other characters and hope to learn about them in further instalments, please preserve me from the love triangle I see forming between Felix, Major Ramsey, and Ellie.  Why does there always have to be a story line where two men don't get along simply because they have feelings for the same woman?  And the two men are pretty stereotypical; the major is stiff and serious, but you get the feeling there are deep emotions running through him, and the other grew up with Ellie and is a childhood friend whose relationship is potentially blossoming into something more.  Predictable? Yes. And while I liked Major Ramsey and I can see where the author is pushing Ellie, I am really hoping she does something unpredictable, like in the Anne Perry books with Monk and Hester.  

 

The story itself was interesting, but it did have a tendency to move slowly as the author was setting up the setting, the back stories, and the characters.  I didn't personally find the mystery all that absorbing; maybe it was all the other WWII books I have been reading lately, but I did find the character development intriguing. That being said, I do think the author struggled quite a bit with Ellie's independence and the time period as having Ellie state multiple times that she was an independent woman, but needed men to constantly watch over her, got old, fast.

Verdict

A Peculiar Combination is a good start to a new series.  The main characters were interesting and definitely likable, but the plot was a bit slow and I thought the author spent too much time trying to develop intrigue between Ellie and Major Ramsey instead of developing a suspenseful mystery.  I do think the series has potential so I will be taking a look at the next book when it is published.  If you are looking for something light and easy to read, then this book is for you. 

 

Review: The Unforgiven by Heather Graham

The Unforgiven (Krewe of Hunters, Book #33)

by Heather Graham

Release Date: May 25th 2021

2021 MIRA

Kindle & Audiobook Editions; 368 Pages

ISBN: 978-0778331896

ASIN: B08FYNGCDZ

Audiobook: B08S5KRJZ4

Genre: Fiction / Mystery / Paranormal

Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Twelve years after the grisly murder of her parents, Kaitlyn Delaney has finally found peace. She has friends, a good job, a place to call home and a new life to live. But then a shadow creeps in from Katie’s past, reminding her that she will never completely escape its terrifying grip.

When private investigator Dan Oliver is called to the scene of a gruesome crime in New Orleans, he can’t help but hear echoes of the Delaney case, the unsolved murder that made him leave law enforcement. As he digs deeper, he unearths more chilling similarities—including mysterious letters connecting the killer to a string of murders that terrorized the Big Easy in 1919.

 

My Thoughts

The Unforgiven is the next entry in the long-running Krewe of Hunters series, and I will admit, is one of those series I turn to when I need something predictabl, but fun, to read.  By about the fifth book, this series has developed a familiar pattern whereby the hero of the story begins to see something supernatural due to something traumatic happening, the FBI comes in to help, the two main characters develop a relationship, and we are treated to some interesting tidbits of history along the way.  There is definitely something comforting when you know exactly how things are going to happen, but in a fun way.

 

First of all, why do I keep reading these books?  As a history teacher, I love the interesting tidbits that are thrown into every book that is written.  And it's not the usual stuff that everyone tends to know, but the small things that I absolutely love.  This book took place in New Orleans, one of my favourite settings, and even though I know so much about its history, I still learned a couple of things I didn't know before so I always find that interesting.  Unfortunately, the focus on the historical tidbits does tend to take away from the overall story line though, and some parts do seem to meander and lose focus. 

 

Katie and Dan were ho-hum characters; it's not that I didn't like them, but I definitely didn't feel that sizzle between them and unfortunately, did not buy into their romance.  They went from hating each other to all of a sudden becoming romantically involved, all because Dan decided he would keep an open mind about one of the suspects due to Katie's stubbornness.  I was totally on Dan's side in that scenario and could understand why this person would be considered a suspect and didn't understand why Dan would drop it so easily without really investigating.  Naturally, it all worked out in the end, but it left a bad feeling in my mouth and I almost wanted that person to be the suspect just so I could go, 'I told you so'.  

 

The case itself was interesting and I liked the link to the 1919 murders, in particular the axe-murderer, but I did feel like the story meandered quite a bit and tried too hard with its twists and turns.  I did figure out who the murderer was quite early on, and I didn't really buy into the reasoning for the murders as it felt forced and a bit silly.  I definitely enjoyed my time in New Orleans, and loved visiting with characters from previous instalments, and, as always, was entertained by the ghosts.  

Verdict

The Unforgiven was fun, but predictable, with a slew of interesting information about present-day and historic New Orleans.  I liked the characters individually, but thought their romance was forced and didn't quite work.  I also thought the murder investigation meandered quite a bit as if the author couldn't decide exactly who the culprit should be which made the story less creepy and suspenseful than usual. This could be read as a standalone if you haven't yet read anything by this author, but I do recommend starting from the beginning simply because the earlier book are stronger in terms of plot and character development.

 

Review: Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker, Book #1)

by Victoria Aveyard

Release Date: May 4th 2021

2021 HarperTeen

Kindle Edition; 576 Pages

ISBN: 978-0062872623

ASIN: B08F7RDFBS

Audiobook: B08RQZV275

Genre: Fiction / YA / Fantasy

Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary

She is the last of an ancient lineage—and the last hope to save the world from destruction. But she won’t be alone. Even as darkness falls, she is joined by a band of unlikely companions:

A squire, forced to choose between home and honor.
An immortal, avenging a broken promise.
An assassin, exiled and bloodthirsty.
An ancient sorceress, whose riddles hide an eerie foresight.
A forger with a secret past.
A bounty hunter with a score to settle.

Together they stand against a vicious opponent, invincible and determined to burn all kingdoms to ash, and an army unlike anything the realm has ever witnessed.

 

My Thoughts

Realm Breaker is a new young adult fantasy by the author of the Red Queen books, and although I wasn't a huge fan of that series, I thought I'd give this one a try without knowing too much about it.  I really vacillated between liking the book and forcing myself to continue as there were times it was a slog to get through.  

 

First of all, finally a YA fantasy novel with little to no romance.  I am not personally against romance, but the whole love at first sight thing or the love-triangle thing gets me every time.  There were some hints at some possible romance in the future, but it didn't drive the story so I was thankful for that.  

 

I also tend to enjoy the 'chosen one' trope as it doesn't bother me at all, no matter how often it's done.  Corayne is the last of her lineage, that we know of, and is expected to save the world, but her skills are non-existent when it comes to battle and strategy so I found her character to be quite interesting.  I liked that she had no clue what she was doing and needed to rely on others to help her through difficulties, and there was no sudden magical gift that helps her save the world.

 

Which brings me to the characters in the book.  I liked the characters in the book and while some of them did some twisty things, there was not enough of that to really capture my interest.  Sorasa was the most interesting of the bunch, but I still felt like I knew little about her towards the end of the book.  So, character development wasn't in great supply throughout the story as the author spent a lot of time world building.  I have no problem with world building, something I love in fantasy novels, but there is a fine line and I think the author has to be careful so they don't lose the story line.  Unfortunately, the story line fell flat for me throughout the book simply because the author spent too much time trying to explain the background when I think it could have been incorporated through dialogue or in a different manner.  It became a slog to read rather than something fun and exciting.   With the variety of characters the author introduced, there was potential for a lot of excitement and a lot of plot building, but I didn't really feel that or get a sense of the characters. 

The story is written in multiple POV, but that is never a bother for me.  I even prefer it when one of the POV is from the villain's as long as not too much is given away so we never lose that tension or dread. The author uses the POV to try and add mystery to the characters, sometimes by backtracking and giving us backstories, but it doesn't always work, at least for me.  I just felt like the story was disjointed rather than seamless.  There were points where I was riveted, then it would get interrupted by something completely different and I would lose interest.  This story was supposed to be a quest, and although we follow the characters through many different lands and areas, the quest gets eaten up by the descriptions and nothing really exciting happens which is why the book was difficult to get through. Yes, they got in trouble a couple of times, but there was no risk, no heart-pounding risk, where you held your breath and wondered how they would get out of it.  And these are the scenes where character, as well as plot, development occur.  None. Nope. Nada.  Boring.

Verdict

Realm Breaker had a lot of potential, with an interesting variety of characters and strong world-building. I thought the character development was one of the weakest points of this novel, and the author spent so much time on world-building that she sometimes lost track of the story line which made it seem disjointed and frankly, the quest was a bit boring. Would I read the next book in this series? At this point, I am not sure, to be honest.  I think you would have to read this book and judge for yourself.

Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea

by TJ Klune

Release Date: March 17th 2020

2020 Tor Books

Kindle Edition; 394 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250217318

ASIN: B07QPHT8CB

Audiobook: B074BS795T 

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary

Source: Review copy from publisher

4 / 5 Stars

Summary

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

 

My Thoughts

The House in the Cerulean Sea was a heart-warming journey of transformation, but underneath that wholesome layer is a slew of other layers just waiting to be peeled, dissected, and examined.  I liken this story to an onion, where if you wish to go through the layers, you can, but if you don't, you don't have to.  While on the outside, this story presents as one of transformation, it does touch upon such themes as child abuse, negligence, family, hope, fear, loyalty, and perseverance.   

I really liked Linus Baker as a main character.  When we first meet him, he is living in London and everything around him is grey and dull, kind of like his life. When he is assigned  a highly classified assignment, the orphanage is bright, full of colour, and also, full of what society would term as monsters.  The contrast sort of reminded me of the movie The Wizard of Oz, and I kept comparing it to that.  Linus' character is very well fleshed out and he learns to open his mind, and his heart, to new possibilities, rather than constantly following his rule book.  To be honest, I found his constant references to his rules quite hilarious.  As he learns about the children, and becomes less afraid of them, his heart opens more and more to other possibilities, and especially as to what may have been hidden from him or what ha has chosen to ignore over his career.  I enjoyed watching his progress and his growth as a character.  I also liked that he wasn't the usual character in a physical sense as well.  I've read so many comments about how the author has gone overboard when it comes to Linus complaining about his body, but if you have never been overweight, you have no idea what it is like, the constant justification and the constant self-reassurance one does.  I personally thought the author got it spot on.

The children were a delight and I enjoyed all of their personalities.  There were many times I laughed out loud at their antics and thought it was just pure fun; but underneath that fun there often an element of seriousness that addresses a lot of the issues the children had dealt with in the past and it is sad, things from child abuse to neglect to being told they are monsters.  

And while the book is warm and hopeful, with a good dash of fun, there are definitely some things that don't make sense.  While Linus was fully fleshed as a character, I don't feel like the other adult characters were treated with the same character development, and I would have loved to learn more about Zoe.  And while some of the characters were a bit suspicious at the beginning as Linus was there to observe them on behalf of Extremely Upper Management, I did think the reactions of the rest of them were a bit off and weird.  I just didn't understand why everyone had such high hopes in him as there was nothing to suggest that he would report in their favour.

Verdict

The House in the Cerulean Sea was a lovely book with some great underlying messages.  The concept isn't a new one, but I thoroughly enjoyed following Linus as he grew and discovered there was more to life than rules and regulations, and was willing to open his mind to other possibilities.  The other characters were a lot of fun, and the themes running through the book were subtle, but profound, and I thought about them for a few days after I was finished the book.  I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for whimsy, comfort, and colour!!

 

Review: I Don't Forgive You by Aggie Blum Thompson

I Don't Forgive You

by Aggie Blum Thompson

Release Date: June8th 2021

2021 Forge Books

Kindle Edition; 352 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250818454

ASIN: B08GJRPXHM

Audiobook: B08JD3PBMK

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary

It all starts at a neighborhood party when a local dad corners Allie and calls her by an old, forgotten nickname from her dark past. The next day, he is found dead.

Soon, the police are knocking at her door, grilling her about a supposed Tinder relationship with the man, and pulling up texts between them. She learns quickly that she's been hacked and someone is impersonating her online. Her reputation--socially and professionally--is at stake; even her husband starts to doubt her. As the killer closes in, Allie must reach back into a past she vowed to forget in order to learn the shocking truth of who is destroying her life.

 

My Thoughts

I Don't Forgive You had such an interesting premise,  but that was quickly lost for me about three chapters into the book.  I feel like there are so many books out there that feature this so-called innocent person who gets accused of doing something sordid, and then something shocking happens to them (like in this book) whereby they have no idea why this is happening or how.  And then you get this story line where the author tries to drop this bombshell on the reader, the one where no one has called the main character by that name in years and the poor character has no idea how their carefully hidden past has been discovered.  Yeah, that one.  This book so went there.

 

First of all, the main character in this story, Allie, who has the nefarious job of being the poor innocent who is accused of all sorts of things, was not very well-developed nor very likeable.  This device is getting used a lot in recent books and I am fast becoming tired of this being a central focus to drive character development.  I think it is meant to derive sympathy for a character, but for me, all it did was make me shake my head and wonder what Allie was really thinking at times as she did some really silly things.  And surrounding Allie is the usual group of suspects who can be trusted to have secret pasts, to be mean, to accuse her, and to be downright terrible people so that Allie looks like the good person.  It didn't work as I really didn't empathize with any of the characters in this book, except maybe for Allie's son Cole.  When you try to set up too many accusers and make everyone look suspicious, it can backfire on you, which is exactly what happened in this book.  I don't have to 'like' the characters in the book, but I do need to understand their motivations; this was definitely not made clear in this book.

 

To be fair, the book is actually well-written, and the author does a great job of creating tension and suspense, making you wonder what will happen to poor Allie next.  It was quite easy to figure out who the culprit was if you paid attention, and I think I kept reading just to validate my choice.  And the author used Allie's insecurities quite well to create more tension and problems in her marriage and in her life, but that really had nothing to do with what was happening and some of it felt forced and didn't always make sense.  Plus, her relationship with her husband and his family felt downright toxic.  Considering that relationship, perhaps it is not so shocking she hid so much from him, but to use that to create tension didn't quite work.   And why would you ever make your sister, who is clearly not stable, power of attorney over your mother who is suffering from dementia? 

 

I did like how the author highlighted some of the risks and dangers of online security. However, for someone who works with computers as a photographer, you would think she has a better knowledge of computer security than what she shows in this book.  Which brings me to another issue I had with this book.  If you knew you were being hacked like this, why wouldn't you go immediately to someone who specializes in this kind of thing?

Verdict

I Don't Forgive You had potential, but was caught up in a story line where the author tried to make every neighbour sound guilty in an attempt to make Allie feel like the victim.  It didn't actually work for me and I ended up not liking most of the characters.  The author is a solid writer though and she was able to keep the tension and the suspense at a pretty good level.  However, work does need to be done with character development because there were so many times I couldn't believe Allie just said, or did, something that was silly. And I would have liked a bit more focus on the neighbourhood dynamics rather than just on Allie.  All in all, a quick, easy read.  And although it was just an okay book for me, I would definitely be willing to read another by this author to see how she develops her story lines and her characters in the future.  

 

Review: The Executive Order by David Fisher

The Executive Order

by David Fisher

Release Date: May 26th 2021

2021 St. Martin's Press

Kindle Edition; 384 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250183453

ASIN: B08FZ9C93D

Audiobook: B08WJTZ65V

Genre: Fiction / Political Thriller 

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

In a post-Trump and Biden world, an independent senator, Ian Wrightman, is elected president to heal a nation frayed by extreme partisanship. After years of reporting chaos in the White House, digital journalist Rollie Stone and his colleagues embrace the normalcy. But after the country is rocked by a series of devastating terrorist attacks, the new administration springs into action and begins rolling out executive orders that claim to protect the American people--while slowly chipping away at their constitutional freedoms.

 

 

 

 

My Thoughts

The Executive Order is one of those books where I went from flipping the pages and enjoying myself thoroughly to grimacing and having to pick up something else.  For one, I needed to think about what was going one, but also because the author spent time building up the tension only to lose me in a long political digression that could have been done in a different way.  Trust me, I love my politics and I have a good knowledge of what is currently happening, but I wish the politics had been incorporated into the dialogue and into the story in a different way as there were times it felt preachy and condescending, as if I couldn't figure out what was happening by myself, or on whose side I should be. 

 

I really enjoyed the main character, Rollie Stone. A digital journalist, a former wounded Special Ops soldier, he thought something was suspicious about the attacks almost from the get-go and was a fierce protector of American fundamental human rights.  I enjoyed his interior monologue about what had happened during the Trump years as well as his political insight.  He was insightful, loyal, intelligent, and he was a fierce defender of the Constitution and Human Rights.  I totally felt his frustration as he was thwarted in his attempts to get information out to the people about what was happening as censorship from the government slowly tightened.  He was also frustrated with those around him who couddn't, or wouldn't, see what was happening around them.  Rollie was an interesting character and I would have liked to learn more about him.  

 

A couple of other characters I liked were Jenny and Laura.  Both of these women seemed like strong women, the first trying to slowly deal with the truth, the second, helping Rollie discover the truth.  Unfortunately, I felt the author really did a disservice with these characters as they were relegated to secondary roles that were truly underdeveloped when they could have played a much bigger role or had a much bigger impact.  

 

I am going to say the story does have a big impact and does make you think about the current political situation, not just in the US, but in the world.  I am not American, so I think I have a less biased viewpoint, but even I felt the author's disdain towards Trump in this book and thought it was excessive.  Got the point the first couple of chapters.  That being said, it does make you thankful for our freedom of speech and our other liberties, and I hope that if anyone takes anything out of this, that we remain forever vigilant to keeping them. 

 

The book is well-written, but while it can be gripping at times, it did lose me when it became more preachy sounding rather than a novel about a man trying to deal with his loss of liberties.  Because of this style of writing, the action was downplayed quite a bit and for some people, I can see why it would be somewhat boring.  For some of the scenes, I should have been full of rage and anger, but while I read in horrified fascination, the way it was written sort of robbed me from the rage.  Realistically, I should have been scared for these people, angry, frustrated, ashamed, and just plain furious, wanting people to fight back, do anything.  Unfortunately, the rambling took the edge off these emotions, at least for me.

 

Verdict

The Executive Order is definitely a book that makes you think about our current political situation and how easily it could end up an authoritarian rule.  And for anyone who says it could never happen, I would think the German people felt the same way when Hitler took power in 1933.  While the book is definitely well-written, I did feel the tendency to go on about the political situation took away from the suspense, the action, the character development, and the shock value of the book, which is too bad as there was a lot of potential here, and Rollie is a great character.  Do I recommend this book? Yes. If anything, it will open your eyes and make you more protective of our human rights.  

 

 

 

 

 

Review: Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

Local Woman Missing

by Mary Kubica

Release Date: May 18th 2021

2021 Park Row

Kindle Edition; 352 Pages

ISBN: 978-0778389556

ASIN: B08DKZX3FX

Audiobook: B08PDWGPSB

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold.

Now, eleven years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they’ll find…

 

 

 

 

My Thoughts

Local Woman Missing certainly had a suspenseful and intriguing start, and I was hopeful that would continue throughout the book.  And while the first two-thirds was pretty solid, with an interesting, and suspenseful, story line, when the 'incident' occurred, and I suddenly had to switch gears about a character, it didn't sit well with me, nor did it feel realistic.  And unfortunately, I didn't buy into the ending and the events toward the end of the book.  

First of all, I enjoyed the whole 'child gone missing' trope in this book, until the end.  The author's use of this stylistic suspense was quite well done throughout the first half, and it did make me question and wonder as to what happened, how, when, where, and why.  And I really wanted to know more about the psychological aspects of how the police would deal with what was happening, but the book was not a police procedural, so you learned about it more through the eyes of a fifteen-year-old.  However, that was pretty effective as well as that 15 year old was the Delilah's younger brother who was only four when she went missing, and I loved reading his viewpoint; trying to grasp his struggles, his pain, his wonder, his confusion, and his grasping of memories of an older sister he doesn't really remember, except through videos and pictures, was fascinating.  I actually thought his chapters were some of the strongest in the book. I personally went through a variety of emotions while reading his chapters.

Initially, the strong writing has me turning the pages and I did finish this book in one sitting. Written in dual timelines, and in multiple POV, this worked rather well in setting up an intricate, and detailed, story.  However, as I've already mentioned, about two-thirds into the book, things took a serious nosedive, and unfortunately, I just didn't buy into what happened.  It was just so out of character as to what was happening, that it didn't feel real or believable. I don't know if this was done to shock the reader or if the author just lost track of what the intention was for this book, but for me, it just didn't work.  A lot of work went into setting up a rather suspenseful, and enjoyable, story line, one in which I was quite invested, and then...it exploded into what I consider as something completely unbelievable.  

Verdict

Local Woman Missing had such a strong start, with enjoyable characters, and a strong, intriguing story line.  However, two-thirds into the book, it took a nosedive into the unbelievable and unrealistic, and I just didn't buy into the ending.  There were definitely some wonderful elements to this book, so I do recommend you check it out for yourself to see what you think.  Unfortunately, I just couldn't get past that ending. 

Review: The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany by Gwen Strauss

The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany

by Gwen Strauss

Release Date: May 4th 2021

2021 St. Martin's Press

Kindle & Audiobook Editions; 336 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250239297

ASIN: B08FZ8RJTD

Audiobook: B08KSJRXYR

Genre: Non-Fiction / WWII

Source: Review copy from publisher

Summary

The Nine follows the true story of the author’s great aunt Hélène Podliasky, who led a band of nine female resistance fighters as they escaped a German forced labor camp and made a ten-day journey across the front lines of WWII from Germany back to Paris.

The nine women were all under thirty when they joined the resistance. They smuggled arms through Europe, harbored parachuting agents, coordinated communications between regional sectors, trekked escape routes to Spain and hid Jewish children in scattered apartments. They were arrested by French police, interrogated and tortured by the Gestapo. They were subjected to a series of French prisons and deported to Germany. The group formed along the way, meeting at different points, in prison, in transit, and at Ravensbrück. By the time they were enslaved at the labor camp in Leipzig, they were a close-knit group of friends. During the final days of the war, forced onto a death march, the nine chose their moment and made a daring escape.

Drawing on incredible research, this powerful, heart-stopping narrative from Gwen Strauss is a moving tribute to the power of humanity and friendship in the darkest of times.

 

My Thoughts

The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany was an emotional and haunting book about the lives of a group of women during World War II and their fight to survive. Told through the women's individual stories, it captures the hardships and suffering as the women were captured, tortured, sent to Ravensbruck, sent to Leipziz, and finally, their harrowing tale of escape during the death march.  A lot of research went into the book, and the tales were interspersed with many facts about the camps and some of the terrible things that happened.

 

I have read many books about the Holocaust, and I teach about it as well,  and while some books are definitely better than others, what always captures my interest is the strength and courage of these men and women during a shocking time of history.  The inhumane way people were treated and the abuse they suffered shocks me every time.  And while the author was quite frank in her telling, there were a lot of things that were not explained simply because it was too difficult for the women to go back and remember.  This is not a criticism, but one of the things I found quite compelling was the insistence of people during this time period to want to hide their experiences during the war; it was not necessarily the men and women who suffered who wanted to hide them, but those who were left behind who seemed to not want to hear about it.  The criticisms and the rebukes if men and women wrote about their stories were quite strong in the aftermath, and makes me wonder if a lot of that was guilt: guilt because they didn't suffer the same way these men and women suffered, especially as more and more information, and horrors, became known to the world.  

 

The author, a great-niece of one of the women in the book, writes about these women with compassion, but also highlights their courage and their fighting spirit.  And while some of the descriptions don't go into great detail, you get enough to understand the suffering and the misery these women experienced and how terrible it must have been.  You also understand how important these friendships were to their survival.  The author also includes many facts about life in the camps and these facts truly show the horror of what the women would have suffered, explaining things about rape, birth, treatment of children and babies, and so on.  Even though I know a lot about the Holocaust and am widely read, reading about it again doesn't ever get easy or less shocking, nor should it.  

 

One of the things I liked about this book was the aftermath, although I don't like using the word 'liked' because how do you like something about women who suffered so terribly?  In some of the fiction stories I have read, the characters emerge from their experiences and have fulfilling lives afterwards; they rarely mention how the war has impacted them, and I have always thought something was wrong with these types of books.  This book does not fairy tale the aftermath: many of these women suffered from depression and other health issues for the rest of their lives.   Furthermore, their children suffered as well, and the author does a great job explaining the impact and why this happens.  I found this quite poignant, and it made me look at the aftermath of the Holocaust in a new light.  

Verdict

The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany was a well-written book about women who were courageous and who stuck together during a terrible time in their lives. The author writes about brutal subjects with great delicacy, but doesn't mince her words either, something I appreciated as I despise it when brutal and shocking things are sugar-coated and glossed over.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading more about the Holocaust and learning about the resistance in France.  Yes, there are some brutal sections, but the Holocaust was brutal and horrible things were done.  I, for one, am glad these stories continue to be written.