Hidden Sun | Jaine Fenn

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

Rhia Harlyn is Shen noblewoman and a secret scientist in the hidden network of Shadowland Naturalists. She has to keep her scientific activities secret or face the wrath of the church. When she discovers a mission to rescue her wayward brother from Zekt she forces her way into the group to go with them, putting her life at serious risk. At the same time, Dej, a Skykin child, not yet given her transformation, is living in the creche with others like her. Well, they're not exactly like her. They were given parting gifts from their parents while Dej, and her best friend Min, were not. This makes them the subjects of quite a bit of ridicule which Dej uses as an excuse to be a sneak thief. When Dej is finally called to go to her transformation an even more difficult life begins for her as she finds out the consequences of not having a parting gift.

Review:

This book was an intriguing introduction to an interesting world. It is well written and has some interesting characters and plot developments. The travel from Shen to Zekt provided some insight into the differences between the Shadowlands and the Skylands, the Skylands are on plateaus and are dangerously bright and hot for Shadowkin. And these plateaus and flatlands are in a honeycomb kind of pattern. You never get two Shadowlands or Skylands next to each other.

In order to survive the Skylands, Skykin children must undergo a bonding ceremony and be bonded with what is called an animus. This changes their physical and psychological nature. It gives them a magical talent (i.e. pathfinding) and gives them the kind of scaly skin, muscles and reflexes needed to survive the creatures of the Skylands. And if you have a damaged animus, you have to join the clanless, the lowest caste in the Skylands. The clanless tend to live down to that reputation.

This book wasn't really easy for me to get into. I had problems visualizing the world.  I get it, but it was still difficult for me to visualize. I guess I was at odds with myself while reading because Rhia mentioned seeing a building built by the ancients and all I could think of was that this was a post-apocalyptic Earth or space colony and I was waiting for the big reveal. I accidentally made it more difficult on myself to get into the world.

That being said, I still liked the book. It's got an interesting blend of characters and three different, interesting, intersecting story lines. I really felt for Dej. I was encouraged by Rhia's scientific curiosity. I was intrigued by Sadakh's role in everything. I know there is more going on than meets the eye and it's well worth a read. 3.5 hoots!

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Apocalypse Nyx | Kameron Hurley

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

Nyx, the main character, is a former belle-dame, elite of the elites in war. After she got kicked out she turned to mercenary work, alcohol and sex. Her team learns quickly that she will sacrifice any and all of them to get the job done. Naturally, this doesn't lead to a happy life. Then again, in a world ravaged by war where all men and women are required at the front, only the super rich First Families can expect a happy life.

Review:

I had no idea, going into this book, that I was going to be reading a collection of short stories from an already established series. That being said, you don't need to have read the other books to enjoy this one.  

This is an incredibly interesting world. Because all native men are required to be on the front for several years while the women are only required there for two years, it makes sense that the majority of the characters are strong women. When there are men, more often than not they're foreigners not required to sign up for the draft. There is bug-based magic and technology which, honestly, makes sense given how many bugs there seem to be. And the logic of the world feels very consistent. 

Nyx is an incredibly kick-ass character, better at shooting than talking her way out, which is one of my favorite kind of protagonists. It's not that she has a heart of ice, rather she has a very calloused heart after all that she's had to see and endure. Her sniper, Anneke, is more of a wild kind of crazy, complete with a drug problem. Her magician, Rhys, is a Chenjan man who only puts up with Nyx because Chenjans don't have many options, but he maintains his religious devotions. Her tech, Taite, is a scrawny Ras Tiegan teenager. Her shifter, Khos, is a rather large Mhorian who is just about desperate for work. Together, they make for an entertaining team to read about.

Fair warning, this ain't a book for the faint of heart. It's a world where there is constant war, frequent sirens warning of bombardments, and bodies regrowing limbs just to be sent back to the front. And the way those limbs are regrown are somewhat stomach upsetting. This book has plenty of fun moments, but it is has a lot of darker ones. That last chapter ended on a heart-wrenching note. 

That being said, I'm still gonna look into the other books of the series. 4 hoots!

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Fallen Gods | James A. Moore

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

In this sequel to The Last Sacrifice, we continue the stories of Brogan McTyre, the most wanted man in a dying world and his struggle to escape capture from kings, slavers and demons while trying to find a way, any way, to defeat the gods that are destroying said world. The demon, Ariah, furthers his plans for world conquest through his most obedient servant, Beron. The kings of the world seek help from a new god/demon, Theragyn. And sorcerers from other countries have arrived to help.

Review:

I remember finishing up the first book and thinking that the author did a great job of summarizing the various plot lines and setting the stage for the second book while keeping it all interesting. I was pleased to find he continued this trend with the beginning of this second book. At no time during the book did I feel like I was getting an exposition dump. That did make it a little difficult to get back into the minds of the characters, but ultimately ended up making the overall book a much better read.

Similar to the first book, this is not for the faint of heart. There are a number of torture scenes that left me feeling queasy. They don't go into vivid detail but enough that, if you're squeamish at all, you may want to pass on this series. If you can stomach these kinds of things, I think you'll enjoy the read.

Despite the unnerving aspects of the book, Moore makes sure to include some much needed humor when needed. Stanna naming her sword The Bitch always made me chuckle. Niall's awkwardness was more endearing than annoying. Brogan's discomfort at traveling with a good friend's wife, who also happens to be a witch, was some much needed levity.

There are many character perspectives per chapter, but the transition from character to character, chapter to chapter, is easily followed. At no time was I confused about which character I was reading. And there are so many characters to read about and root for. Don't get me wrong, the bad guys are still bad guys, but there are so many more and intriguing characters in this sequel. I'm so glad we actually got to meet some of the rulers of this world. I really want to more about the enigmatic Jahda. That guy alone was enough to keep me reading! But Moore writes so many other characters that make you feel for them. It's awesome!

Another aspect I love about the multi-character perspective is that it's a great way to provide background while also giving the reader plenty of action to follow. When King Parrish is unable to explain how he and his Marked Men are changed by Theragyn, the reader is not left in the dark because we were given Morne's perspective during a fight and we saw how being a Marked Man affected her.

And, again, Moore proves he knows how to end a book. I was nervous that this book would end and I'd be disappointed because I didn't have the answers I was looking for. I still don't have the answers, but at the end of Fallen Gods my mood wasn't one of frustration but rather "I am so ready for the next book!" Seriously, the next one is promising to be glorious. If the world is actually going to end, it ain't going down without a fight and I want to read that fight!

I happily give this book 4 hoots and encourage you to read this, after you've read the first one that is. This isn't a standalone sequel. But the adventure thus far has been well worth the time.

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The Last Sacrifice | James A. Moore

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

In the world of the Five Kingdoms, it is common knowledge that the Grakhul will come at any time and take people to be sacrificed to the gods, leaving behind heavy, ornate coins in place of the people. Always four of them. Brogdan McTyre was on his way home from his mercenary work when he was told that all four of his family, (wife, son and twin daughters) were taken. Mad with grief he gathers a small army and disrupts the sacrifice. The gods are not happy.

Review:

This was a very good read. During the first few chapters I was worried it was going to be considerably bloodier than I like, and there is plenty of blood throughout, but after a while it took a back seat to the story and characters. Moore does a wonderful job of world building and establishing characters. Just about every chapter had a section dedicated to one character or another's perspective, but not in a confusing way. I was never unsure of who I was reading about. 

The Last Sacrifice has a steady pace and has an excellent exposition to action ratio. I was never bored while reading this and I never felt like I was missing out on something. There are a lot of individual stories mixed up in the overarching story line so the fact that I didn't get them confused is evidence of Moore's skills.

Probably my favorite part of this book is how Moore ended it. I've gotten tired of authors trying to get me to read the next book by ending the first one with a cliffhanger. Moore does an excellent "here's where things stand" chapter and trusts that the bigger story is interesting enough to get you to want to read the next one. He is correct, for me anyways. I am quite interested in finding out how Brogan is supposed to kill the gods before they destroy the world. 

This book is not for everyone. It's more of a book for people interested in fantasy, with a tolerance for bloody fight scenes. Four hoots!

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Binary Storm | Christopher Hinz

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

100 years prior to the events in this book, Nick submitted himself for cryogenic freezing in the hopes of at least helping science learn from its mistakes if not actually being woken up in a more hopeful future. It turns out, the future isn't as bright as he'd hoped. There are constant bio-terrorist attacks wiping out hundreds of thousands if not millions of lives. There are also creatures called Binaries, entities that exist in two bodies and have superhuman speed, strength and intelligence. They consider themselves above the human race and are working towards destroying or enslaving the lesser creatures.

Review:

I was nervous about picking up this book as it is the prequel to an entire series. I was assured, however, that the book stands on it own and does not require you to have read any of the other books. For the most part, this is true.

Hinz does an incredible job of building the world and quickly establishing its problems through action rather than exposition. Yes, some of the disasters were news reports, but Annabel directly interacted with Doomers and Nick had to be saved from gangs in the sec region. The character development was also evidenced through actions and conversations, though could, at times, seem to jump with the time skips in the chapters. This is, genuinely, a good book that appeals to my love of sci-fi, intelligent characters and puns. Hinz was even able to give me a couple moments of genuine I-did-not-see-that-coming moments, that were not caused by plot holes but, rather, good writing. 

The one downside to this book is that I haven't read the rest of the series. There were several moments in this book where I thought "if I'd read the series, this [moment/name] would be more profound." There were a number of names, especially towards the end, that I felt would have impacted me more if I'd read even one of Hinz' previous books. Instead, I ended up finishing the book feeling like I was missing out on something. 

If you're a fan of the series, this is a great book for you. If you're interested in the series, I recommend you start with one of the original books. This was a good read, with a good story, but it's best if you know the series' history.3.5 hoots!

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Necrotech | K. C. Alexander

*Image from publisher site.

**This book was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Riko, one of the rare people born without a SIN chip permanently installed, is a well known street thug. She's the scattergun of her group, the brawler. When she wakes up, however, she has no idea where she is, when it is, nor why there are sirens blazing throughout the hall she's in. As she escapes, she sees her girlfriend is trapped in the building, too, but she's changed. She's covered in tech gear when, previously, she had nothing. Riko gets out and finds she's lost a few months of her life and, most importantly, the vast majority of her street cred. She needs to find out what happened, when it happened, and get her girlfriend and her cred back.

Review:

This book is definitely not for everyone. There is an intense amount of colorful language, even more colorful metaphors and violence. That being said, I loved this book! I read all 400+ pages in one day, never wanting to put the book down. If I'd had the right soundtrack playing in the background, I probably would have read it quicker. This is one of those books that hooks me in quick and keeps me guessing. Even after completing the book, I'm as in the dark as the main character. I have my theories, but I'll have to wait until I can get my hands on the next book.

I'll admit I'm not as well versed in the cyberpunk genre as I'd like to be, but if the world they're in is like this one, I'm definitely adding more to my TBR. I love seeing all the different ways authors can think of for how technology will integrate itself into our lives, and even our anatomy. The only reason Riko is able to survive as much as she does is because everyone in this world has nanobots in their blood stream that repair damage, provided they're given enough energy to do so.

Of course, there are consequences for having too much tech. At some point (different for each person) a human becomes more tech than human and the tech takes over and turns the person, essentially, into a fast zombie. These are Necrotech and they are scary. Some of the descriptions made me think of Japanese horror movies. At least one or two scenes left me feeling genuinely terrified.

The best part, for me, was that I only knew as much as Riko, the narrator, knew. I have some theories, about what happened and what will happen, but, just like Riko, I have no certainties. I am very eager for the next book to come out to either confirm or rebuke my theories. I was left guessing on a lot of things, in a good way. Plus, by having the book from Riko's perspective, we get to see just how badass she really is. I was rooting for this woman the whole way, downsides to her personality and all.

Once again, this book is not for everyone. Those that are okay with strong language and violence, however, and are looking for a cyberpunk mystery or thriller story will definitely enjoy this. I happily give this book 5 hoots and am already chomping at the bit to get the next one!

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Children of the Different | S. C. Flynn

*Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

It's been 20 years since a plague called The Madness spread throughout the world. Many were killed by the plague, others were actually cured by it. Unfortunately, another group turned Feral, so filled with rage that all they could do, or think to do, was kill all those around them. Children born in the post-Madness world all go through The Change when they reach their teens. They go into a coma and wake up either with powers or as Ferals. This book follows the stories of Narrah and Arika, twins born in post-Madness Australia, as they are kidnapped, hunted, and go on dangerous journeys in the real world, and in the Changelands.

Review:

I'll admit, at first glance, this book seemed like it was going to be just another YA Dystopia novel that was just gonna be "okay" at best. What I found, however, was an interesting world with intelligent characters, always an enjoyable combination for me. I appreciate when I never feel the urge to yell at a character for being stupid. Couple that with "super powers" in the real world, and I was hooked.

Overall I found the story to be well written and easy to follow. No part of this book felt out of place, but not everything was predictable. As the book progressed, the world opened up and became more interesting. I appreciated that Flynn included all kinds of survivor mentalities. There were those that felt technology caused all the problems, so all instances of it should be destroyed. Others felt that technology was the only way to save the world. And, of course, there were also the religious fanatics. Each view point was well thought out and fully believed by the characters.

There were also little things that made me enjoy the book. The entire book takes place in Australia, so when the twins encounter an American for the first time, one of them makes note of how the guy was clearly speaking English, but there was something off about how he was speaking it. There was also how Arika used her abilities, getting into the right mindset required a very different kind of thought process.

This book ended up being a much more engaging read than I thought it would. Good characters, good world, good story. I happily give 4 hoots!

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The Poison Secret by Gregg Loomis

I'm not sure if any of my readers remember, but a while back,  I had completely given up on thrillers. They just weren't for me. They didn't thrill me. I needed to take an extended vacation from them. Then I was asked by a publisher to at least take a look at The Poison Secret. I read the description and figured, why not give it another try. That being said, I had a great time reading this book!

Though I have not yet read the previous books, I never felt like I needed to in order to understand this one. The main characters clearly have a history, but once Loomis establishes their relationship, there really is no need for back-story or excess exposition. Loomis clearly writes his books with all readers in mind, not just his regular audience.

The Poison Secret is a very fun adventure with great characters. The plot requires a little stretch of the imagination, but definitely not an uncomfortable one.* At no point did I want to put this book down. The exposition is well paced with the action.The dialog is natural. I happily give The Poison Secret by Gregg Loomis 4 hoots!

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*Especially after it's established that the main characters have a LOT of money.

Princeless 2: Get Over Yourself by Whitley and Martin

I'll admit, I held off on writing this review because I just didn't get the same OMG! reaction that I did from the first one. But do not take this to mean that this second installment is not great. I had a number of laughs and even more intrigue as the history of this world and King Ash's personal history are explored. The depths to which this world is starting to be explored has left me craving more. I will be stalking the comic book stores around here until the next book is released. 30 minutes after, I will have read the next book and will be stalking them for the fourth book. I'm psychic about these things. Also Whitley and Martin are just so talented! 

So, Princeless 2: Get Over Yourself picks up where the first book leaves off. Princess Adrienne and Bedelia are looking to rescue Princess Angelica, only to find she doesn't want to be rescued. She enjoys being The Beautiful Princess and being the muse for so many artists. Meanwhile, King Ash has enlisted the aid of the greatest knights in his kingdom to kill the "guy" he believes killed Adrienne. This includes his closest friend, the Black Knight who is later seen kidnapping Queen Ashe. 

This book is steeped in world building and intrigue. It is a marvelous continuation of the first book and I am sincerely looking forward to the next one.

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Hoo