SUNDAY POST – 3rd March, 2024 #Brainfluffbookblog #SundayPost

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.

My son and his lovely girlfriend visited this weekend from Germany, arriving on Friday and leaving on Sunday. It’s been a whirl as Ethan also made the effort to return from uni for the weekend. Everyone arrived in the pouring rain on a cold, rainy Friday evening. And it started out that way on Saturday too – and then from lunchtime onwards, the weather brightened up sufficiently that we were able to go for a walk along the seafront and then have a coffee at the Each Beach café. Then on Saturday evening, we went to our favourite Chinese restaurant for a lovely vegan meal – the only pity was that Himself was working and had to miss it.

It got even better when we woke up on Sunday morning, as the sun was shining brightly and we visited Highdown Gardens for the first time this year to find it full of Spring flowers. Where Robbie proposed to Zoe. It was idyllic – there was even a heart of daffodils where they could stand. And for the very first time this year, I felt really, really happy. Zoe is the loveliest girl – and we are thrilled to welcome her into the family. They have now left and Ethan has returned to uni so the house is now quiet again. But I now have a sense of hope that Life will get better – and though I will always miss my lovely sister, I can still laugh and celebrate such a happy event.

Books I’ve read this last week:

Darkhaven – Book 1 of the Lightless Prophesy series by Kel E. Fox
Gabby is in her final year of high school and facing the Question: what does she want to do with her life? A shame ‘wizarding’ isn’t on the list of university courses.

Just as Gabby despairs that she’ll never find the answer, lightning strikes. She uncovers a conspiracy, meets a mysterious boy, and finds out that maybe, magic might just be real. But it comes at a cost, and now Gabby’s faced with a decision that makes choosing a university as easy as choosing a favourite kind of cake… How is anyone meant to do that?

A coming-of-age, contemporary fantasy, Darkhaven is the first book in the Lightless Prophecy, a galaxy-spanning adventure of magic and gods, love and betrayal, and a quest to find out what holds the stars together in the dark.
Yes… a premise that is an oft-trodden path. But then, there’s a reason for it. When done well, this time in a person’s life is often turbulent and difficult – and that’s without any magic or mayhem as the cause. And this time around, it is done well. While Gabby seems stuck – there’s a solid reason for her indecision and I liked the way the story starts relatively slowly and steadily builds in tension and action. By the end I was thoroughly invested in Gabby – to the extent that I’ve gone ahead and already bought the second book in the series. Highly recommended for fans of this fantasy sub-genre. 8/10

Pemberley: Mr Darcy’s Dragon – Book 1 of Jane Austen’s Dragons series by Maria Grace
England is overrun by dragons of all shapes and sizes. Most people are blissfully unaware of them and the Pendragon Treaty that keeps the peace between human and dragon kind. Only those born with preternatural hearing, like Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are able to hear and converse with dragonkind.

When the first firedrake egg laid in a century is stolen from Pemberley, the fragile dragon peace teeters on collapse. Darcy has no choice but to chase down the thief, a journey that leads him to quaint market town of Meryton and fellow Dragon Keeper, Elizabeth Bennet.

Elizabeth shares a unique bond with dragons, stronger than anything Darcy has ever experienced. More than that, her vast experience and knowledge of dragon lore may be the key to uncovering the lost egg. . But Elizabeth can’t stand Darcy’s arrogance and doesn’t trust him to care properly for a precious baby firedrake. After all, he already lost the egg once. What’s to prevent it from happening again? Can he win her trust and recover the stolen egg before it hatches and sends England spiraling back into the Dark Ages of Dragon War?
Right now, I’m reading to escape – so getting a slice of Jane Austen’s world with the addition of dragons is a dream come true. Better still – Grace has done an awesome job in depicting this era and giving Lizzie Bennett a convincing spin on her dragon-whispering powers. I also like this new, harder version of Mr Bennett. I couldn’t put this one down until I’d finished it. And then I picked up the next one – something I hardly ever do… 10/10

Longbourn: Dragon Entailed – Book 2 of Jane Austen’s Dragons series by Maria Grace
Darcy thought his problems were over when Pemberley hatched and successfully imprinted on humans. But baby dragons prove far more difficult than any dragon lore prepared him for. Only Elizabeth Bennet’s notes offer him any help. When his imperious Aunt Catherine takes matters into her own hands, things take a turn for the worse and Pemberley’s life hangs in the balance. He desperately needs more of Elizabeth’s help, but she ignores all of his requests.

Elizabeth, though, has problems of her own. After the Bennet family dragon sent Pemberley away, life at Longbourn was supposed to return to normal and Elizabeth get on with the all-important business of marrying the heir to her father’s estate. Except that he is the last man in the world whom she could ever be prevailed on to marry—a bumbling, addle-pated dragon-hater who demands she gives up the dragons she lives for. Can she, with the help of her dragon friends, find her way back to Pemberley before they both suffer their fate from the Dragon Entail?
Yet more Jane Austenesque goodness featuring plucky Lizzy Bennet, who now finds herself faced with the prospect of a marriage to Mr Collins. And while she knew this was always her fate – once she is confronted with the pompous fool, she finds him pompous, overbearing and innately hostile to dragons… The pages flew by as I inhaled this entertaining take of Pride & Prejudice with dragons. 10/10

Netherfield: Rogue Dragon – Book 3 of Jane Austen’s Dragons series by Maria Grace
Elizabeth Bennet thought she was prepared to do anything to make the Dragon Conclave accept her beloved young dragon Pemberley into the Blue Order, but she had not anticipated it would leave her banished from her ancestral home and betrothed to none other than Mr. Darcy. But before Elizabeth and Darcy wed, they must find a dangerous rogue dragon before it provokes a war amongst the dragons and brings the fragile peace between dragons and mankind to a catastrophic end.

Nothing written in the annals of dragon lore has prepared Elizabeth to manage a dragon not governed by the Blue Order. Dragons have always loved her, but this one finds her arrogant, selfish and insensitive to others. With only her instincts to guide her, she must convince the rogue of her good intentions before the Blue Order loses patience and decides on more drastic measures. Called away to the other side of the kingdom, trying to settle the dragons’ unrest, Darcy learns the nature of the force poisoning the rogue dragon against Elizabeth. One nearer and dearer than they could have imagined. Can Elizabeth and Darcy convince with rogue dragon to cooperate before darker forces turn it against them, without destroying the fragile bonds uniting the couple?
Yes… I’m bingeing on this series – a major departure from my usual reading pattern. But Grace has absolutely captured the characters and the world and then put a delightful draconic spin on the story. Once again, this one absolutely delivers and has left me with an almighty book hangover. 10/10

The Tainted Cup – Book 1 of The Shadow of the Leviathan series by Robert Jackson Bennett
In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.

Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears–quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.
I absolutely loved this lush, science fantasy world where geneticists have altered both people and their environment to suit their needs. Review to follow.

A Proper Introduction to Dragons – Book 4 of Jane Austen’s Dragons series by Maria Grace
Nobody had any compassion for dragon lore expert Thomas Bennet’s nerves. He was reconciled to the fact he was father to some of the silliest girls in the country. However, he had suspected for some time that little Elizabeth was different. When she befriended the old tatzelwurm in the woods, he was convinced.

As much as her father might rant and storm about the need for secrecy and expect that to be the end of it, Elizabeth cannot contain her curiosity about all things dragonic. Nor, would it seem, could she stem the development of her unique and prodigious talent for bonding with the creatures.

When Elizabeth discovers an abandoned clutch of fairy dragon eggs, Mr. Bennet finds an unhappy alternative before him. Somehow, he must save the dragon eggs, contend with the jealous estate dragon, and keep it all hidden from his family… or risk exposure of England’s greatest secret and the breaking of the Pendragon Treaty that keeps the tenuous peace between man and dragon.
This was an enjoyable read. But as a prequel to the events in the first book, we already know most of this plot anyway. So while this was entertaining and very readable, it lacked the magic and surprise of the previous books, because I pretty much knew what was going to happen anyway. 8/10

Dead Man’s Hand – Book 1 of the Unorthodox Chronicles by James J. Butcher
On the streets of Boston, the world is divided into the ordinary Usuals, and the paranormal Unorthodox. And in the Department of Unorthodox Affairs, the Auditors are the magical elite, government-sanctioned witches with spells at their command and all the power and prestige that comes with it. Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is…not one of those witches.

After flunking out of the Auditor training program and being dismissed as “not Department material,” Grimsby tried to resign himself to life as a mediocre witch. But he can’t help hoping he’ll somehow, someway, get another chance to prove his skill. That opportunity comes with a price when his former mentor, aka the most dangerous witch alive, is murdered down the street from where he works, and Grimsby is the Auditors’ number one suspect.

Proving his innocence will require more than a little legwork, and after forming a strange alliance with the retired legend known as the Huntsman and a mysterious being from Elsewhere, Grimsby is abruptly thrown into a life of adventure, whether he wants it or not. Now all he has to do is find the real killer, avoid the Auditors on his trail, and most importantly, stay alive.
As a fan of Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden novels, I was curious to see what his son was capable of producing. Grimsby is a suitably downtrodden protagonist, with a grim backstory that has left him scarred – both physically and emotionally. The story takes a bit of time to get going and I wasn’t immediately drawn to either of the main characters. However as the story wore on, I came to like them both and enjoy the action-packed tale with all its twists and turns. 8/10

My posts last week:

Can’t-Wait Wednesday featuring Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of NETGALLEY arc The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers

Sunday Post – 25th February 2024

Hope you, too, had some brilliant books to tuck into and wishing you all a happy, healthy start to the New Year😊.

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of KINDLE Ebook Adversary – Book 5 of the Hive Mind series by Janet Edwards #BrainfluffKINDLEbookreview #Adversaybookreview

I’m a solid fan of Janet’s writing. See my reviews of the Earth Girl series including Earth Girl, Earth Star, Earth Flight, Earth and Air, Frontier , as well as the prequel spinoff series featuring disaster magnet Draco Tell Dramis, Hestia 2781 and Array 2781, as well as the short story ‘Hera 2781’ and her short story collection Earth Prime. There is also the Scavenger Exodus series, including Scavenger Alliance and Scavenger Blood, as well as the previous books in the Hive Mind series, Telepath, Defender, Hurricane and Borderline. So I was delighted when Janet contacted me and asked if I would like an arc of the latest addition to the Hive Mind series.

BLURB: Being a telepath means being a warrior. Eighteen-year-old Amber is the youngest of the five telepaths who protect the hundred million citizens of one of the great hive cities of twenty-sixth century Earth. As her city celebrates the start of a New Year, one of the other telepaths must stop work to have lifesaving surgery.

Amber is already worried how she and her unit will cope with the increased workload, but then she finds herself facing twin enemies as well. Inside her city, Keith takes advantage of his increasingly powerful position as one of only four working telepaths. Outside her city, Hive Genex sends the devious Adversary Aura to lead their defence against charges of attempting to kidnap Amber.

REVIEW: It was a while since I tucked into the previous books, so I was pleased the start of the book provided plenty of reminders as to who was what and allied with whom. However, if you’re looking for constant foot-to-the-floor action, then this isn’t for you. Amber and her team face a steady stream of threats as they struggle to maintain law and order in the very crowded environment of the Hive. But this book is as much about the daily routine and customs of this underground society, as it is about the adventure – which is fine with me. I like my science fiction full of worldbuilding, so long as it is sufficiently interesting and continues to revolve around the main characters and advances the storyline. And Adversary certainly ticked that box.

I thoroughly enjoyed the celebration and vivid descriptions of Amber’s reactions and feelings at a keynote celebration, which also added background and context to her character and reactions. It was also enjoyable to learn more about how certain members of her team were coping with the added pressure that was being put upon them. If there is any quibble – and it’s a relatively minor one – I did think the final denouement, which had quite a buildup, didn’t provide the gritted challenge I was expecting. However, I also recall that at the time of reading the book, I was simply relieved that the worst of the ordeal was over for poor Amber and her team.

I would just add that if you happen to pick this one up without having read any of the other books, you certainly won’t flounder. But if you don’t go back to the first book and read these stories in order, you’ll be missing out on watching characters develop in a highly enjoyable YA science fiction series that isn’t like anything else I’ve read. I was provided with a review copy of Adversary by the author, which in no way has influenced my honest, unbiased opinion.
9/10

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of NETGALLEY arc The Hunting Moon – Book 2 of The Luminaries series by Susan Dennard #BrainfluffNETGALLEYbookreview #TheHuntingMoonbookreview

I’ve read and enjoyed The Luminaries – see my review. But I hadn’t appreciated at the time just how much this offering would stick in my memory. So when I saw the sequel on offer, it was a no-brainer that I’d go for a copy and was thrilled to get one.

BLURB: Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity.

The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.

Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that’s killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent. On top of that, following her dad’s convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.

Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help her: Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own. As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary—and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.

REVIEW: I was especially delighted to get hold of a copy of The Hunting Moon, as The Luminaries proved to be a memorable read. I found myself thinking a lot about young Wednesday – but even more about the vivid and claustrophobic world Dennard has depicted with her magical forest inhabited by all sorts of lethal monsters. So I was eagerly anticipating this offering.

Has Dennard managed to keep the tension and excellent worldbuilding moving forward in The Hunting Moon? Yes, she has. Once again, I found myself right alongside Wednesday as she deals with the fallout from the night she nearly died. As a YA read, emotions are dialled up high and Wednesday is often ambushed by her conflicted reactions as she is confronted with a series of difficult revelations. While I’m far from being the target audience, overall I think Dennard successfully negotiates the fine line between Wednesday being a thoroughly sympathetic protagonist and becoming too whiny and indecisive to convincingly cope.

I found the world just as intriguing and vivid this second time around. The amazing creatures that inhabit the forest – along with those fabulous drawings – are a constant delight. And I liked that Wednesday is increasingly torn over the Luminaries’ automatic reflex to kill everything they label a monster. Her unfolding relationship with Jay works well, even though that isn’t the part of the story that particularly interests me. I also like that Wednesday hasn’t been somehow transformed into a superb hunter. She’s still struggling with her fitness and forest craft which puts her at risk at crucial moments. Especially as she also wears glasses…

The one grizzle I have, is that the pace dipped midway into the story. And that’s down to the continual repetitions. I’m aware there are a number of plot threads within the storyline. I’m also aware that Wednesday is wrestling with some decisions that will have a huge impact on her future – and probably the future of everyone in their community. But those repetitions did silt up the narrative drive and slow down the momentum at a time in the book when everything needed to keep moving forward.

That said, the pace picked up again in the final act. And while the revelation at the end of this book isn’t as shocking as the doozy at the end of The Luminaries – I was nevertheless glad to have my suspicions confirmed. All in all, this was another cracking read and I’m now waiting for the next slice of the adventure. Highly recommended for fans of YA fantasy full of dangerous monsters, a difficult family dynamic and a vivid landscape. While I obtained an arc of The Hunting Moon from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

SUNDAY POST – 12th November, 2023 #Brainfluffbookblog #SundayPost

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.

It’s not been a great week. I ended up back in bed with a significant relapse of my long covid exhaustion. It started out with a couple of days where I was too tired to get out of bed, interspersed with some good days during the previous week. But I took it that on the good days, I was able to resume my general level of activity – and that was a major misstep. I can’t. So I now need to wind everything back and take it a lot easier until I’ve built up more resilience. Which is so very annoying. Especially as this last week, Himself had his annual winter holiday and we couldn’t go anywhere or do anything nice, because I was stuck in bed. No wonder we’re both feeling really fed up and rather sorry for ourselves! In the middle of all this, poor Oscar had his fourteenth birthday. He didn’t want a cake, so we got him some chocolate muffins as a treat. Though he hasn’t been all that well this week, either…

Over the last fortnight, the weather has been tempestuous – literally. The week before last, we were battered by torrential rain and stormforce winds. To the extent that many schools along the south coast were shut the previous Thursday and Ethan ended up having all his lectures online. Oscar was disgusted to discover that his school was one of the few that stayed open. Although picking him up was a nightmare as every other parent in the school, including those who usually allowed their children to walk or cycle, turned up outside the school where parking is limited anyway, as the rain came down in sheets and the wind tore at leaves and branches. Luckily, our area has avoided any flooding or damage, for which I’m very grateful. The garden, though weed-infested and overgrown, is still intact. My pics this week show the autumn leaf change that is finally happening. Though my tradescantia, normally dying back by now, is still in full flower and my rhubarb and custard heuchera is still throwing up new growth – something that normally doesn’t happen in November.

The release of Flame & Blame, the second book in my Picky Eaters series happened at the end October and the launch went far better than I’d expected which was a huge relief. The Happiness Engineers at WordPress have also come through for me, so I’ve now sorted out my issues with the sidebar and I can make the covers on my current series larger, while keeping the previous series tidy and aligned.

Books I’ve read this last fortnight:

AUDIOBOOK – NOVELLA The Black God’s Drums – prequel to The Dead Djinn Universe by P. Djèlí Clark
Creeper, a scrappy young teen, is done living on the streets of New Orleans. Instead, she wants to soar, and her sights are set on securing passage aboard the smuggler airship Midnight Robber. Her ticket: earning Captain Ann-Marie’s trust using a secret about a kidnapped Haitian scientist and a mysterious weapon he calls The Black God’s Drums.

But Creeper keeps another secret close to heart–Oya, the African orisha of the wind and storms, who speaks inside her head and grants her divine powers. And Oya has her own priorities concerning Creeper and Ann-Marie…
This was a riveting tale, which although isn’t very long – is packed full of action and adventure. And Creeper is a delightful protagonist, whose gutsy attitude completely won me over. It reminds me that there is now a full-length novel in this world that I also need to check out. 9/10

The Green Man’s Quarry – Book 5 of The Green Man series by Juliet E. McKenna
The Green Man sends Daniel Mackmain to stop threats from folklore making trouble in the everyday world. Now a naiad and dryad want him to deal with the big cat they’ve seen prowling in their woods. Reports like this turn up in the tabloid press from time to time, though no one has ever caught such a cat, or even found evidence of a large carnivore’s kills.

Can Dan discover the truth behind this modern myth before social media turns his hunt into an internet sensation? He knows that not all animals are what they seem. A huge cat which can appear and disappear without a trace must be more than meets the eye. Dan knows one thing for certain. He’s on the trail of a killer.
This is one of those rare series that is an auto-buy for both of us. I was delighted when Himself announced this one was available and put everything else on hold to tuck into it. 10/10

Bookshops & Bonedust – prequel to the Legends and Latte series by Travis Baldree
Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned.
Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it. What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn’t possibly imagine.

Still, adventure isn’t all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.
T. Kingfisher has described this offering as ‘a warm hug of a book’ and she’s absolutely right. Review to follow.

Nectar for the God – Book 2 of the Mennik Thorn series by Patrick Samphire
Only an idiot would ignore his debt to a high mage, and Mennik Thorn is not an idiot, no matter what anyone might say. He’s just been … distracted. But now he’s left it too late, and if he doesn’t obey the high mage’s commands within the day, his best friends’ lives will be forfeit. So it’s hardly the time to take on an impossible case: proving a woman who murdered a stranger in full view is innocent.

Unfortunately, Mennik can’t resist doing the right thing – and now he’s caught in a deadly rivalry between warring high mages, his witnesses are dying, and something ancient has turned its eyes upon him.

The fate of the city is once again in the hands of a second-rate mage. Mennik Thorn should have stayed in hiding.
I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Shadow of a Dead God, which rightly garnered a lot of attention and awards. So I was delighted to find this one also available. Nik Thorn is once again beleaguered and overwhelmed – yet Samphire manages to keep him from becoming a tedious whiner. It’s a tricky balance to achieve. This vivid city, with its pantheon of gods, leaps off the page to the extent that I’ve dreamt of it… Highly recommended. 9/10

AUDIOBOOK – Green Mars – Book 2 of the Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson
Nearly a generation has passed since the first pioneers landed, but the transformation of Mars to an Earthlike planet has just begun. The plan is opposed by those determined to preserve the planet’s hostile, barren beauty.

Led by rebels like Peter Clayborne, these young people are the first generation of children born on Mars. They will be joined by original settlers Maya Toitovna, Simon Frasier, and Sax Russell. Against this cosmic backdrop, passions, rivalries, and friendships explode in a story as spectacular as the planet itself.
While I don’t feel this book has quite the sweep and impact of the first book, that may be because I’ve become accustomed to the extent and ambition of this fabulous series. I’m still blown away by the scope of the writing. SKR has provided one of the best depictions of posthumans I’ve read. If you’re into stories of terraforming, this series is a must-read/listen. 9/10

AUDIOBOOK – NOVELLA In the Vanishers’ Palace by Alliette de Bodard
A dragon, among the last of her kind, cold and aloof but desperately trying to make a difference. When failed scholar Yên is sold to Vu Côn, one of the last dragons walking the earth, she expects to be tortured or killed for Vu Côn’s amusement.

But Vu Côn, it turns out, has a use for Yên, as she needs a scholar to tutor her two unruly children. She takes Yên back to her home, a vast, vertiginous palace-prison where every door can lead to death. Vu Côn seems stern and unbending, but as the days pass Yên comes to see her kinder and caring side. She finds herself dangerously attracted to the dragon who is her master and jailer. In the end, Yên will have to decide where her own happiness lies—and whether it will survive the revelation of Vu Côn’s dark, unspeakable secrets…
This novella is undoubtedly well written. But in common with many fantasy reads on the literary end of the genre, I felt the pace suffered from too much repetition. And unfortunately, I saw the final plot twist well before it happened. Nonetheless, it is an enjoyable story that I was never tempted to DNF. 7/10

The Hunting Moon – Book 2 of The Luminaries series by Susan Dennard
Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity. The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.

Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that’s killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent. On top of that, following her dad’s convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.

Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help her: Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own. As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary—and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.
I was keenly anticipating this one, as I thoroughly enjoyed the first book. Review to follow.

AUDIOBOOK – Witches’ Brew – Book 3 of the Dark Streets series by B.R. Kingsolver
Washington, D.C., has never been boring, but this is ridiculous. Warring witch covens. Werewolf packs fighting for territory. Rumors of Human sacrifice. Minor problems leading up to Beltane, when the portents say the veils between worlds will shred. Did I mention the blood mage conspiracy using Troll shock troops to take over the world?

With a jaguar shifter, a handsome Nephilim, and a nest of feisty Fairies watching my back, things should be fine. Right?
I was a bit devastated to discover that this lovely, entertaining read is the last book in this series. I’ve grown very fond of the feisty little elf who features in these tales and was hoping for more, given how detailed the world is. The only comfort is that I’ve now discovered another prolific urban fantasy author, whose writing I thoroughly enjoy. 9/10

AUDIOBOOK – The Fairies of Sadieville – Book 6 of the Tufa series by Alex Bledsoe
“This is real.” Three small words on a film canister found by graduate students Justin and Veronica, who discover a long-lost silent movie from more than a century ago. The startlingly realistic footage shows a young girl transforming into a winged being. Looking for proof behind this claim, they travel to the rural foothills of Tennessee to find Sadieville, where it had been filmed.

Soon, their journey takes them to Needsville, whose residents are hesitant about their investigation, but Justin and Veronica are helped by Tucker Carding, who seems to have his own ulterior motives. When the two students unearth a secret long hidden, everyone in the Tufa community must answer the most important question of their entire lives — what would they be willing to sacrifice in order to return to their fabled homeland of Tir na nOg?
This is another awesome series that has come to an end… Bledsoe’s wonderful, savage depiction of fairies living in the Appalachian mountains is a whole lot grittier than almost anything I’ve ever read. But they are still surrounded with glamour, dangerously sexy to the extent that I’ve dreamt of them and their tragic history. Bledsoe brings the series home with this wonderful tale. However, whatever you do, don’t start here. Not because you’d flounder, he’s too good an author to let that happen. But because it would be such a shame not to experience the Tufa in all their glorious complexity. 10/10

AUDIOBOOK – Magic Ops – Book 1 of the Federal Agents of Magic series by T.R. Cameron
FBI Agent Diana Sheen is an agent with a secret…

…she carries a badge and a troll, along with a little magic. But her Most Wanted List is going to take a little extra effort. She’ll have to embrace her powers and up her game to take down new threats, not to mention deal with the troll that’s adopted her.

All signs point to a serious threat lurking just beyond sight, pulling the strings to put the forces of good in harm’s way. Magic or mundane, you break the law, and Diana’s gonna find you, tag you and bring you in. Watch out magical baddies, this agent can level the playing field.
This offering didn’t quite work for me. There’s a huge amount of action going on which is clearly written. But I didn’t quite connect with Diana, or anyone else. While I was never tempted to abandon this one, I don’t think I’ll be reading or listening to any of the other books in the series. 6/10.

My posts last week:

Castellan the Black and His Wise, Draconic Sayings

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of NETGALLEY arc My Cousin Skinny – Book 5 of the Jersey Girl Legal Mystery series by E.J. Copperman

Can’t-Wait Wednesday featuring The Little Old Lady Strikes Back by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg AND The Naming of Moths by Tracy Fells

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of KINDLE Ebook The Green Man’s Quarry – Book 6 of The Green Man series by Juliet E. McKenna

Hope you, too, had some brilliant books to tuck into and wishing you all a happy, healthy week😊.

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of NETGALLEY AUDIOBOOK Scala – Book 2 of the Angelbound Origins series by Christina Bauer #BrainfluffNETGALLEYbookreview #Scalabookreview

I was first attracted by the cover – and then recognised the author’s name. She’s an indie author who is in the process of republishing these books and has actually narrated this one. I sampled the audiobook and was immediately struck by the bouncy narration, so requested an arc.

BLURB: Nineteen-year-old Myla Lewis has transformed into Great Scala, the only being who can move souls into Heaven or Hell. Too bad her powers are hella blocked. And without her new skills, Myla’s homeland could get overrun with angry ghosts. No pressure.

REVIEW: I haven’t gone back and got hold of the first book in the series, which probably I should have. But Bauer has done a good job of giving sufficient information so I didn’t flounder at any stage.

Like other audiobook fans, I have strong preferences regarding narrators. And sometimes, they are a surprise. Like Bauer, for instance. She has a strong American accent and is quite idiosyncratic in her delivery – not generally elements I enjoy. But as the author, she also delivers the first-person viewpoint with absolute conviction and enjoyment that drew me in and took me with her. Whether it’s intended or not (I’m thinking it probably is…) the contrast between the gritted seriousness of being the final arbiter of souls that will endure for the rest of eternity and the bouncy girlishness of a slightly immature nineteen-year-old is quite funny. Before my teenage grandsons came to live with us, I’d have said that Myla doesn’t sound nearly mature enough to be convincing as a nineteen-year-old. But then, I’ve currently got an eighteen-year-old living under my roof – and he can one moment be extremely mature and responsible. And the next, he’s locking horns with his thirteen-year-old brother and acting the same age…

Myla, most of the time, makes the right decisions. But her immaturity does surface and her chatty sharing of her emotions gives this one a YA feel. However, the stakes are high and the story certainly isn’t held back in any way by her occasional wobbles in situations that would probably floor someone twice her age. What I do feel she has going for her is that forward momentum the young and fearless can possess, particularly if that strategy has been successful for them previously. And from what I can gather about her past life, that’s the case here. I’m conscious that I’ve made this one sounds as if it’s allll about Myla’s own personal tussles with what is going on around her – and this book is nothing of the sort. It’s packed with intrigue, crisis and interesting plot twists delivered with a bouncy style I found increasingly appealing. I particularly liked the fact that Myla has a really hard time killing someone.

The inevitable romance is sweet without being too sugary, or too graphic, or impeding the ongoing adventure. To the point that I was really invested in it when that mattered to the story – and that’s a whole lot harder to achieve than Bauer makes it look. In short, I’m delighted that I’ve found an enjoyable angels vs demons series to tuck into – because I definitely want to revisit this world. Highly recommended for fans of otherworld fantasy adventures. While I obtained an arc of Scala from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

Can’t-Wait Wednesday – 14th June, 2023 #Brainfluffbookblog #CWC #WOW

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week’s Can’t-Wait offering – AUDIOBOOK Scala – Book 2 of the Angelbound Origins series by Christina Bauer – release date – 27th June, 2023

#YA #fantasy #angels #demons #romance

BLURB:
As the Great Scala, Myla Lewis is the only being who can move Purgatory’s souls to Heaven or Hell. It’s a big job. Too bad Myla goes through assistants faster than a hot knife through brownies. Not that it bothers her much; Myla’s always been a solo fighter.

Then comes the problem of the fading angels. Millions of Heavenly residents are dying. According to a prophecy, the only way Myla can save them is by traveling back in time, meeting King Arthur, and creating her own knights of the round table. The catch? Doing so might end the after-realms in a bloody demonpocalypse.

Yipes.

Myla and her main squeeze, Lincoln, aren’t afraid of taking a few chances (in between kisses). But this time the stakes may be too high, even for them. And the biggest challenge of all? Finding those knights. Because Myla Lewis doesn’t play well with others. At all.

I listened to the sample and was intrigued. Bauer is narrating this as a teenage, feisty character who has somehow got involved in major Life and Death business. Listening to Bauer’s antsy delivery as Myla is balancing the fates of thousands of souls is actually quite funny and I am looking forward to listening to the rest of this one. It’s certainly quite different to anything else I’ve been tucking into, recently. This series is in the process of being republished.

Can’t-Wait Wednesday – 7th June, 2023 #Brainfluffbookblog #CWC #WOW

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week’s Can’t-Wait offering – Charming by Jade Linswood – release date 18th July, 2023

#YA #fantasy #fairytale retelling #romance

BLURB:
Brave, Resourceful, Deceitful, Double-Crossing… Charming.

Prince Jean-Marc Charming Arundel, known to friends and enemies alike as “Prince Charming,” is handsome, well-mannered, brave, a peerless swordsman, a cunning tactician – and a liar, a con man and a fraud. For years he has been travelling from one kingdom to the next, rescuing endangered princesses and maidens, securing their troths and his place in their fathers’ palaces, then looting their treasuries and having it away before dawn.

Until a chance meeting of three of his victims – raven-haired Marie Blanche de Neige, the sorceress Doctor Emilia Rapunzel and the long-slumbering Bella Lucia dei’ Sogni – suggests a course of revenge…
I liked the look of the cover – and then read the blurb. I thoroughly enjoy engaging fairytale retellings and this one looks as though there is humour and a nice switching up from the original story. Having Prince Charming as a thief and con-man who then gets entangled by some of his former victims sounds like a really engaging premise.

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of NEGALLEY arc Cursed Crowns – Book 2 of the Twin Crowns series by Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber #BrainfluffNETGALLEYbookreview #CursedCrownsbookreview

I listened to the first book in this series, Twin Crowns, and quite enjoyed it. Though I did feel that Wren, in particular, took crazy risks to spend quality time with the man in her life, almost at the expense of everything else. Like the future of the kingdom and the fate of all witches within it, including her family. It didn’t make me all that fond of her. So I was hoping there was less romance and more story in this slice of the adventure.

BLURB: Twin queens Wren and Rose have claimed their crowns . . . but not everyone is happy about witches sitting on Eana’s throne. Cool-headed Rose sets off on a Royal Tour to win over the doubters, but soon finds herself drawn to the Sunless Kingdom. Here secrets are revealed about those closest to her, and Rose finds her loyalties divided.

Meanwhile rebellious Wren steals away to the icy north to rescue their beloved grandmother, Banba. But when she accepts King Alarik’s deadly magical bargain in exchange for Banba’s freedom, the spell has unexpected – and far-reaching – consequences . . . As an ancient curse begins to arise from the darkness, the sisters must come together and unite the crown. Their lives – and the future of Eana – depend on it.

Break the ice to free the curse,
Kill one twin to save another . . .

REVIEW: I enjoyed the premise and the overall ideas driving the narrative in Twin Crowns, as well as the contrast between careful, responsible Rose and reckless, adrenaline-junkie Wren. What niggled me was the emphasis on the romantic thread within the story, which I felt took too much precedence in an adventure-packed plot where far more interesting things are going on. Twin Crowns finishes on a major cliff-hanger, so I was glad to have this offering.

Cursed Crowns is far more about the precarious situation both queens now find themselves in. Although they have now successfully claimed the throne for themselves, they are far from out of trouble. The rabid fear of witches and their magic hasn’t disappeared and there are those determined to take advantage of the situation.

Meanwhile, Wren is determined to go after her beloved grandmother. Despite everyone, including fierce Banba, warning her not to do so. This time around, as the next tranche of perilous escapades unfold, there is far less about smouldering looks being exchanged, which I appreciated. Particularly as both authors are capable of throwing sudden twists into this story that takes the danger up a notch. I certainly hadn’t expected some of the developments that took place. In amongst all the danger, what sets this one apart are the regular dollops of humour. And some of it proves to be very dark. Or perhaps I’m just a very bad person, but I did find the outcome of Wren’s spell to try and save her grandmother’s life both poignant and hilariously funny…

Rose’s storyline proves to be every bit as gripping as she desperately attempts to gain help for her troops against the incipient rebellion, where the population’s fear of magic is being manipulated in a bid for power. We’d heard a great deal about the Sunless Kingdom in the first book, so I was very happy to see this plotline explored – as well as the seers’ stronghold, which was another hilarious interlude. The comic relief stops this from becoming yet another grim scrabble for power within a fantasy setting – and instead turns it into something more quirky and unpredictable.

While I hadn’t been completely convinced by the rave reviews for Twin Crowns, I’m joining the chorus of approval for this second slice of the adventure. But whatever you do, don’t skip the first book. This one tips the reader straight into the middle of the action, where Twin Crowns leaves off – and while both authors are too deft to leave you floundering for too long, I think it would dent your enjoyment, which would be a shame. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy adventures featuring interesting magic with two contrasting protagonists. My only niggle is the inclusion of a possible love triangle – but hopefully that will be ironed out in the next instalment, which I’ll definitely be getting. While I obtained an arc of Cursed Crowns from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

Can’t-Wait Wednesday – 19th April, 2023 #Brainfluffbookblog #CWC #WOW

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week’s Can’t-Wait offering – Cursed Crowns – Book 2 of the Twin Crowns series by Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber – release date 27th April, 2023.

#YA fantasy adventure #feisty heroines

BLURB:
Twin queens Wren and Rose have claimed their crowns . . . but not everyone is happy about witches sitting on Eana’s throne.

Cool-headed Rose sets off on a Royal Tour to win over the doubters, but soon finds herself drawn to the Sunless Kingdom. Here secrets are revealed about those closest to her, and Rose finds her loyalties divided.

Meanwhile rebellious Wren steals away to the icy north to rescue their beloved grandmother, Banba. But when she accepts King Alarik’s deadly magical bargain in exchange for Banba’s freedom, the spell has unexpected – and far-reaching – consequences . . .

As an ancient curse begins to arise from the darkness, the sisters must come together and unite the crown. Their lives – and the future of Eana – depend on it.

The colourful cover first caught my eye – and then I was intrigued that two best-selling authors got involved in this project. I’ve always been fascinated by books written by more than one author and decided to request this one, because I liked the premise. I’ve bought the audiobook of the first in the series and will be listening to it shortly – and before I start the arc.

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of NETGALLEY arc The Luminaries – Book 1 of The Luminaries series by Susan Dennard #BrainfluffNETGALLEYbookreview #TheLuminariesbookreview

I thoroughly enjoyed Truthwitch and Windwitch, so I was delighted when I was approved for an arc.

BLURB: Hemlock Falls isn’t like other towns. You won’t find it on a map, your phone won’t work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you.

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie’s town—and the rest of humanity—from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night. Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal—and restore her family’s good name. Or die trying.

But in order to survive, Winnie enlists the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for. Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.

REVIEW: This is a major shift from the Witchlands series that Dennard has been working on, though I recognised many of the same strengths in the writing. Firstly, Winnie is a gutsy, appealing character. Having spent the last four years being officially shunned by everyone in Hemlock Falls, she has the courage and resilience to still come back fighting. That said, such a hammering from erstwhile friends and relations leaves it mark – and when public attitudes suddenly shift, I was pleased that Winnie is still struggling with her anger at the betrayal. I quickly found myself entirely in her corner and willing for her to prevail as I liked and sympathised with her.

That said, I was a bit flummoxed at her particular habit of clicking her front teeth – the only people I’ve ever come across who did such a thing wore dentures. And on several occasions I was pulled out of the story by wondering exactly how much noise they made and how exactly she did it. I was a bit surprised that such a mannerism survived the editing stage, to be honest, as it’s sufficiently rare to be distracting and rather an off-putting habit.

The other strength of this story is the forest and the monsters that reside there. This terrifying place constantly creates unpleasant creatures who are highly dangerous and the Luminaries are designated families whose task it is to keep them sufficiently culled so they don’t leave the forest and spread out to attack everyone else. I enjoyed the range of monsters, who Winnie obsessively studies and draws, so we also get to discover them and their methods of killing. Winnie wants to become a hunter and has to pass three trials in order to succeed at this demanding role, but is very much hampered because while her family were shunned, she wasn’t able to train using the excellent facilities and equipment to make her sufficiently formidable. I think Dennard gets away with her workaround – I was pleased that Winnie didn’t end up being some kickass heroine who was able to march into the forest and take down a dangerous beast with hardly any problem.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and while the slow-burn romance wasn’t an aspect of the book that particularly drew me in – it was well handled. However, I do have a major grizzle that has knocked a point off my original score – and that was the very abrupt ending. Reading a digital copy meant I wasn’t completely aware of how far through the book I was. And when I suddenly swiped the page to be confronted with the back matter, I wasn’t best pleased. Chiefly because not a single one of the major dangling plotpoints are resolved. I am aware that we do have a complete story arc for Winnie, but that didn’t appear to be the narrative engine powering the plot, so I felt both wrong-footed and more than a little dissatisfied with the sudden ending. That said, I did enjoy the world sufficiently that I definitely want to discover what happens next. While I obtained an audiobook arc of The Luminaries from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10