A Towering Trilogy - Thousandth Floor Series

I've read so many stories set in a far-off future. Many are post-apocalyptic. Others are set in space. This was neither. Just futuristic fun. It's New York, 2118. The book focuses on a group of teens (most living an extravagant day to day life) their relationships, and the mystery/tragedy set up at the very start in the prologue. "The higher you are, the further you fall" ...

I think the author did an amazing job of building this world ... in the future, I guess there was no place to go but UP. So interesting to see the social structure actually defined as physical levels. The lower stories being literally looked down upon. I loved all the imaginative tech that is just there as part of these kid's every day lives. The contacts in their eyes that can instantly connect them to data, the ear-tennas, the wrist modules to "flicker" and "ping" each other. So many tiny touches, a "hovercover" (basically a drone umbrella), packaging that folds itself up into an origami butterfly to float off to the nearest recycle bin. Bubbles of beverages (access with a straw), 4D scanning at the clothing store, marking all your measurements, clothes designed digitally and then quickly stitched to custom commands. And it all feels so natural, it all fits and flows, while keeping me interested and entertained.

The story shifts between a few POVs ... I thought even the names fit this futuristic setting. Averey, Atlas, Leda, Eris, Watt, Cord, V, Rylin ... and the characters were very diverse too, many different races. Quite casual talk of girlfriends having girlfriends, not making it a "LGBTQ" thing, just a simple storyline. Sex was pretty casual here in the future too ... teens are still hooking up. Reading other reviews, some are turned off by the relationship between Atlas and Avery, as they are technically siblings, even though not related by blood (he's adopted). I guess that didn't really bother me. I've seen it happen between step-"siblings" IRL. It is not viewed as positive or normal, it's something they are hiding, knowing people would be shocked by it (and those who find out about it are appalled). 

Book One starts with a prologue ... someone has fallen from the top of the tower. It takes quite a while before everything is revealed. In Book Two, there are continued repercussions for those involved. I thought Book Three was a good conclusion. Lots of twists and turns I wasn't expecting. I really wasn't sure how it was going to all wrap up.  

I listened to the audio editions, and the narrator was great. She is very young sounding, which of course matches the majority of the characters correctly. Good enunciation, inflection, pacing, voices ... just made the read even more enjoyable having it read so well.

I'll remember this series fondly. Interesting characters, ones we weren't sure if we were supposed to love or hate. Everyone had issues. No one was perfect ... even Avery (who was created as a "perfect" designer baby). Kudos to the author for her imagination!

Robots - Recent Reads and TV Too

This is a TV Tuesday post, mixed with a Recent Reads. Topic? Robots. I ended up reading LifeL1K3 around the same time I was watching Season 3 of Humans. I really TRY not to read such similar books back to back, or watch something with the same theme ... just so I don't confuse things in my brain. But it does make for a good themed blog post *Ü*

I first discovered the BBC Series HUMANS in Summer of 2015. It was showing on AMC, and I recorded the episodes using my PlayOn service so I could stream them to my gym TV. I ended up rewatching the first season w/Hubs upstairs when it hit Amazon Prime.

When the second season started to air on AMC in the Spring of 2017, I was anxious to watch again ... again recording and streaming to the gym. I'd heard the third season was coming out, but this time I just waited and watched for it to appear on Amazon Prime. When it finally did, it was next up on my "to watch" list.   Just eight episodes each season ... two years is TOO long in-between. Sometimes I just wish I'd been more patient, and watched all three seasons back to back. I just watched a preview from season 1 ... I didn't remember a lot of it! It's been too long. It is an intriguing series. Robots, made to help with labor, replacing much of the human workforce, and gaining consciousness.

The movie I-Robot. 

The television series Battlestar Galactica. 

The  "Partials" book trilogy.

All robot related stories I've enjoyed in the past.

For more recent reads ...

 

I borrowed Lock In from my local library. It was a random pick for me. I loved it. Rather than featuring complete robots with an AI consciousness, the machines here are actually connected to a human body/brain. One affected by a futuristic disease called Hayden's Syndrome, which leaves the victim unable to move or communicate, even though they are fully conscious within their body. They are "locked in" per se. While there is no cure, scientific discovery leads to robot bodies that can connect and house the consciousness for those with this disease.  It's such a unique idea. Where do authors get such imagination?  The machine bodies are called "threeps" by many, as one of the first users looked in the mirror and stated "I look like C3PO" (from Star Wars). 

Lock In is technically the first book ... and Head On is a sort of sequel. Lock In can be a stand-alone, but as I loved the characters and the world created here, I was happy to read another installment. What I didn't know going in, was that there was a short story, called Unlocked that really introduces everything. I would absolutely recommend reading it to start (you can find it here on Tor for free. I prefer a Kindle copy, but it was worth reading this web-based presentation.)

This was one of those books that I could "see" ... my imagination made it into a movie. Loved the idea of the consciousness being able to hop from one mechanical body to another. No need to physically travel, just rent a new body at your desired destination. Just know it will cost you if you don't return it in good shape. That's something our protagonist struggles with ...

Even with the horrid disease, and people/robots walking around, the Lock In world was still very familiar. Not post-apocalyptic, not super-futuristic. Recognizable and relatable.

Not so for the LifeL1K3 world. As the story starts, it totally reminded me of the movie "Real Steel".   A big arena, with robots fighting, programmed by their human counterparts. But that not what the book is really about. At the very beginning, we are given definitions of the different types of robots (Automata, Machina and Logika), the three rules (and some thoughts on those) ... and a memory. We aren't sure whose memory or what it is all about. Those memories continue to surface throughout the book. They are written in italics, so they are easily identified. I was listening to audio, and still the different distinctions were quite clear. Also (I was glad I was able to download the Kindle copy in addition to the audio, as I like to have a visual of some of the story) Cricket's robotic "voice" was in a different typeface, which I liked, it added a distinctive note to the Kindle copy, the narrator did a good job with the different voices on audio.

Speaking of voices ... the book/characters had a distinctive tone. In their slang ... such as "no way a bot this beautiful is getting bricked by some fritzer" ... fizzy, smoked, true cert, and ALL the nick names and ways characters were referred to... LemonFresh (that's not even a nickname really), bestest, Riotgrrl, Freckles, Dimples, BrainTrauma, "the lifelife", almost-boy, dead girl, the Preacher. I liked it, although sometimes it got a little overdone (the "her bestest" and "the lifelike" ... a LOT of that).  Everything came together in the end. Even the title, with the numbers in there. The author did a good job and making the characters (and us) care about some of these machines (like Cricket and the little robot dog.)  There is a sequel coming out this year. Like the series Humans ... I'm wondering if it would have been better to wait and read the books back to back.

Any other robot/android TV, Movies or Books I should check out?
(I have seen WestWorld ... HBO Shows)

Epic Eight by James Maxwell

Time for a Recent Reads post ...

I had a three month Kindle Unlimited deal, and I was trying to "read" books that had audio options also. Because I can multi-task ... listen while driving, cleaning, mowing the lawn, etc., I can get through more books than I would otherwise. I listened, and loved, both of these four-book epic fantasy sets by James Maxwell. Narrated by Simon Vance.

 I started with The Evermen Saga ... I love the consistency of the covers.

The first book is 600+ pages. The others are around 500 pages each.

We are first introduced to the Alturans, land of the enchanters (other Houses are elementalists, illusionists, animators, builders, sailors, artificers, cultivators). We follow Ella and her quest to become an Enchantress, and her brother Miro, as he becomes a Bladesinger. Listening, at first I wondered if the narrator had said "Bladeswinger or Bladeslinger" but no ... singer. The magic is done with runes and then chanting/singing to activate the spells. In addition to a "Zenblade" (I'm thinking a little like a lightsaber) they have Armorsilk, a thinner, but enchanted covering. Depending on which spells they envoke, the armor can become stronger for protection against attack, or allow flexibility, shed rain/head, or even camouflage them with invisibility. Kind of cool. I love the imagination of authors! Of course these warriors need to be singing most of the time to keep the spells up. A little hard to do when fighting and running. There are TONS of enchanted things. Small lighters, lamps, little prismatic orbs (bombs). A touch of steampunk with dirigibles and mechanical creatures. A "drudge" pulling carts, golems that glow, colossus, woodmen/ironmen, and a sacred book for each house, the "Lexicon" which fuels all the magic, and must be renewed to keep it all going. There are epic battles in each installment while coming to the final conclusion.

While the author included a map at the beginning of the book (obviously not something that could be captured in the audio edition ... so I was very glad that Kindle Unlimited allows for both the digital download in addition to the audio. I did refer to the map, and the text, numerous times during the book). I would have appreciated somewhere having a list of all the houses, their specialty/color/symbol, maybe a list of characters that I could reference to remind myself who was who.

This had a bit of a "Lord of the Rings" or "Game of Thrones" feel to the expansive world. I haven't read those books, but have watched the movies/series. In addition to the broad scope of the storyline and the many characters and fantasy feel, there were other parallels. The "living" trees, an army of the dead, etc ...

I devoured these books. I listened whenever I could, and read when I could.  I was sad when it all ended. All the names had become second nature by the time I finished the fourth book. The narrator was excellent, and his refined accent added ambience to the fantasy feel. 

I saw there was a second quartet by the same author.
The Shifting Tides series.

While a similar set-up with the map, this was a completely different world.  

This series started with a bit more of a historical, rather than fantasy, feel. While not placed in ancient Greece, this setting seemed very similar. From the very title of the book, to names of the people (ie Aristocles), and names of places (Phalesia, Sarcican Sea, Temple of Aeris, Gates of Annika), to Greek words like lyceum and agora, and then there's the oracle, and many references to "the gods" ...

... of course, there were dragons. And giants, and serpents, and ogres, merfolk and furies. So, there's the fantasy. These creatures are actually people/shifters, the eldran. If they stay too long in one of these forms, they "lose" themselves and become wild (wildren) and attacks by wildren have strained relations between eldran and humans. There is also magic tied to metals...thus the theme of the titles. Again, wonderful consistency of covers!

I'd become so entrenched in the world of the Evermen, I wasn't sure I was going to like this new series as much. And I don't think I did to start. But then, I was finishing up the fourth book and again I had fallen in love with the world and the characters, and again, was sad to say goodbye. 

These books were also around 500 pages each. While I love reading, and I'm a fast reader, I just don't know how long it would have taken me to get through these two series if I hadn't had the audio option.  

You can check out my Good Reads profile ... sh(e)reader ... for more in depth reviews on each on of these books, and my other recent reads.  

The Glittering Court Trilogy

Time for a "Recent Reads" and Book Review ...

Trilogies seem to be SO popular these days. This one had a unique approach, one I haven't really encountered anywhere in my reading experience. These three books are completely connected, but not building on each other chronologically. Parts of each overlap each other, from different perspectives, each book a different point of view. I have seen that done in novellas, as an add on or extra scene to a full length novel, and I'll always remember Anne McAffery's Dragonriders of Pern series. Two different trilogies, that had points where they overlapped, and I'd see a scene from a different perspective. But here ... it's three full length books, each on from the point of view of one of the main girls. Adelaide, Mira and Tamsen. All three girls play pivotal parts in all three books, but each one comes from a different perspective, giving light to scenes not seen in the other stories.

This trilogy has a fantasy feel ... but there is no magic, nothing paranormal. This could be traditional England and the American colonies, but it isn't. It's a made-up world that mirrors our own. More mock-historical. Men have gone to the new world to colonize. Women are scarce, so a sort of "mail order bride" situation is set up. The Glittering Court.   A company entices women who want something better. Promising them education, presentation and the opportunity to pick a wealthy partner and start a new life. The men in the colonies will get a chance to woo the women.  The women basically will have a "price" paid by the men to the company (reimbursement for the time/travel/lodging/education/clothing ... and a little profit). A win/win/win project really.  It is all above board (if it wasn't, that could be a different story).

• The Glittering Court: Introduces Elizabeth, a high ranking lady who feels stuck in her life. She chooses to take the place of her servant girl, entering the Glittering Court in disguise. She is then "Adelaide" for most of the trilogy. 
• Midnight Jewel: Is Mira's tale. It actually starts a bit before Adelaide's story in a prologue, then jumps to all the girls together. It fills in some details, some events we heard about in Adelaide's story, but we get much more of Mira's adventures.
• The Emerald Sea: Is Tamsen's tale ... it starts a bit further in, still repeating scenes we've already seen (some twice), and again, giving new information, as Adelaide and Mira weren't together with Tamsen the entire time.

It was just really odd to read something new, but knowing what was going to happen (because you'd already read it from a different perspective). Ironically, this made me LESS likely to be compelled to continue immediately, like I often am ... especially with books that end in a cliffhanger. Here, each story pretty much wrapped up, and when I did get back to the series, it was easy to get back into. Normally I'm a little concerned I might forget some storyline or something if I wait between books, but here ... while I can't say the books could really be stand-alone novels, and you would want to read them in the above order ... they are telling the same story. So much was repeated, that I didn't feel like I necessarily had to remember what came before.   

I'd read Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series and really liked it. I enjoyed all the books in the Bloodlines spin-off too. This ... didn't pack the same punch for me. I liked it okay ... didn't love it. In fact, after the first book, I wasn't sure I was even going to continue (thus my wait in-between books). 

When I finally decided to go back to the series, I picked up book 2. My library had it in audiobook format, so I selected that. I'd listened to the first book too. Book 2 was a different narrator ... normally I like consistency in a series, but here, as the POV was changed, a different narrator was actually a good thing. Except here ... it was NOT working for me. Nothing against the narrator's voice really, it was the accent. Or the lack thereof.  Mira is the one telling the story, and Mira has a very distinct (English as a second language) accent. One that was part of her character. An accent that had been introduced in book one. An accent that was used when Mira spoke ... but not when she was "narrating" the rest of the story.  Again ... it's perfectly fine not to have an entire book told in an accent generally, if it's third person, a generic narrator ... but when it IS the character telling the story, she would still have the same sound when she's thinking as when she'd speaking. My brain could not handle it. I had to stop the audiobook, and get the Kindle copy from the library and read it on my own (and MY imagination had the accent the entire time).

My favorite was book 3. Maybe because I was already invested in the story by this time ... or maybe I just liked Tamsen best. Even after the first two tales, there were some things in Tamsen's storyline that had been left unaddressed. So with the third and final book, we finally got those answers.

Overall - I do think I'd recommend the series. 

Captivated by "The Conqueror's Saga"

Time for a Recent Reads post ... Featuring the "As I Darken" trilogy.

When I start a series, I usually just give a quick glance at the blurb and the Good Reads ratings. I don't want spoilers. With that little peek, seeing the name "Dracul" I was thinking this might be a paranormal tale about vampires (I had read and enjoyed this author's Paranormalcy series featuring all sorts of supernatural creatures). It was not. This felt a little like fantasy, but was more along the lines of historical fiction (10 Historical Facts Interwoven Within ...). A sweeping saga set in medieval times in the Ottoman Empire. It is dark and dangerous, with countries and kings, and characters we love, and others we aren't sure about. Should we love them, hate them, cheer them, fear them?

There is a lot of violence. There is some sex. There are gay and lesbian characters.  That is not what the book is about, it's part of the story.  This is a trilogy that I would recommend being ready to read back-to-back. I think you'll want to continue on immediately to the next book (those poor people who started reading it as it was written and had to wait for the next installment to be published. I was SO glad they were all out before I started). I love the continuity of the covers. I listened to the audio editions, and the narrator was wonderful. I definitely would not have pronounced "Wallachia" correctly, nor "Mehmed" ... in fact I almost didn't recognize the names when I saw them in print. I felt listening to the story told, in a slight accent, added to the exotic ambiance of the book. 

• AND I DARKEN: No one expects a princess to be brutal, and Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. Then they meet Mehmed, a true friend but heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.
• NOW I RISE: Lada Dracul has no allies. No crown. All she has is what she's always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares cross her. But Lada needs the support of her diplomatic younger brother, Radu. As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies?
• BRIGHT WE BURN: Lada's rule of absolute justice has created a Wallachia free of crime. But Lada won't rest until everyone knows that her country's borders are inviolable. Only by destroying everything that came before--including her relationships--can Lada truly build the country she wants.

This was a series I felt a bit bereft about when it came to its ultimate conclusion.

Sigh ... never read a series quite like it.

Recent Reads - Me Before You & Sequels

Books made into movies ... I TRY to read the book first. I'd seen the movie "Me Before You" advertised as available on Amazon Prime and it interested me. But ... I wanted to read the book first. The library had it available for Kindle, and in audiobook format. At this point, I generally gravitate toward audio if it is available.

As it started up, it listed several narrators (playing several parts?) and I wondered if this was going to come across more like a play. It wasn't. It was mainly "Clark" (our female protagonist) with just a chapter here and there from another perspective and voice. I struggled a bit with the main narrator at the start, she sounded older to me, not 26 like the character, and my mind imagined a younger sounding voice. But I got used to it, and enjoyed her voice, and I loved the English accent. 

So if you are not familiar with the book ... it features a young man in a wheelchair. Will had been successful in life and love, very active, until the accident. Now a quadriplegic, Louisa is brought in as a caretaker. After a rocky start, there is some romance between the two, although this really can't be called a "romance" per se. 

This really brings up some heavy issues. At what point is life no longer worth living? Should an individual have a choice in deciding to end their existence? Suicide is a very tender topic for many, but is it the same if it is planned, discussed and known before hand. If there are logical and understandable reasons behind the decision?

One thing the book didn't discuss, but I couldn't help but consider was the cost. The financial cost. Here, it is a very wealthy family dealing with this issue. They have the means to hire personal nurses, to pay for expensive equipment and care, and extravagant experiences.  And still ... the will to endure through it isn't there. How much harder is it for those who don't have the monetary means to deal with it all. Attitude is everything, and some will hang onto life through anything, but is it wrong or giving up if you'd rather not endure an existence?

After I read the book, I watched the movie, and I thought they did a really good job with the adaptation. I really wasn't sure going in how I'd feel about "Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons" (Game of Thrones) in a contemporary role. And Louisa certainly had her own personality! But she did a good job, as did the other actors.

I didn't know the story continued on ... but it does. Two additional books continue to cover Louisa and her life after Will. At first, the second book seemed to have some incidents that were just a little too much for belief. Too coincidental. But I kept reading (or listening, audiobook again). 

I absolutely enjoyed this story. Enjoyed may be the wrong word, because while it wasn't the same heart-wrenching tragedy of the first book, there were three big blows that Lousia had to deal with, beyond still coming to terms with losing Will. The first one absolutely caught me off guard, I guess the second one did too. I was almost expecting the third at that point.

But I have to say, there were so many laugh out loud moments. I don't laugh easily. I smile. But I was laughing. I'm a little embarrassed to say that many of them were potty humor (about farts, or intestinal worms) or "I'm a good catholic woman, we don't divorce. We just make our men suffer for all eternity." There were so many more moments, but as I was listening to audio, I couldn't stop and highlight them all like I would with Kindle. But ... a lot of humor to balance out the serious stuff.

It was really interesting to see the story continue. To see how Lou was dealing (or not), how it impacted Will's parents, if Lou's mother stayed true to her threat at the end of book 1, or if it had just been said in the moment. To see how often Will's memory continued to impact events afterward ...

So while this book didn't NEED to be written, I was glad it was, and I enjoyed the third book as well. The majority of my reads are apocalyptic, paranormal or otherwise sensational. While Lousia lived anything but a "normal" life, it was still tame and "real" compared to my usual fare. But I absolutely enjoyed this series and will look back on it fondly.

Books - Stand Out Stand Alones

I've been reading.

Not so much while on the bike ... but in bed. 

Or audio ... while driving, cleaning, doing dishes, folding laundry, mowing the lawn and watching the boy's  basketball games. I love being able to accomplish two things at once and I'm getting TONS of reading in.  Here are a couple of my recent reads ...

Both of the above books I experienced in audio format. Both are a little more "adult" (older characters and explicit content). I rated both four stars ... I ended up liking them more than I thought I would when I started, they made a memorable impact on me, yet I'd be hesitant to recommend them to family or friends. Both were just random picks from immediately available books at my library. I knew nothing about either going in. Both of these are also stand-alone stories, which seems a bit of a rarity in the book world today (so many series out there now). When I was younger, I ADORED finding a good series ... knowing automatically what was next on my reading list. But now, with so many books waiting in my Kindle Cloud and library loan list, sometimes I'm less willing to commit, or I have several series going and just need a single book to bridge the gap while I wait. 

... and while I'm wonderful at updating my GoodReads account, rating and writing reviews as I come to the end a story, I'm NOT nearly as good at keeping up with book posts here on the blog. I often feel like I need to finish a series before I blog, or I like to wait and combine several similar themed publications together. As mentioned above, these two books had several things in common, so, that's enough of a connection, and it's time ...

ALL THIS LIFE by Joshua Mohr. This ended up reminding me of the movie "Crash" (which really hit me) with a wide cast of characters. We are introduced to everyone, and slowly the stories unfold and begin to intertwine until there is the ultimate ending as everything (and almost everyone) comes together. Crash. As the "loading" sign on the cover indicates, this book delves into our obsession with online activity and the impact it can have on ourselves and others. I must admit, at the beginning of the book, I wasn't sold on the story. I had to push through a bit as I tried to remember the cast of characters and start to care about them (many are not very likeable at all). In the end though, I was uber anxious and almost in tears. Crash.

THE SERIALIST by David Gordon. This book is ... unique. Harry Bloch, the central character is an author, writing several different serials under a variety of pseudonyms. In addition to his story in this book, we, the reader, get peeks at his stories, his writing ... and it is SO bad! Just over the top, practically porn. I think the writer (David Gordon) is amazing at writing so badly. I just had to laugh out loud so many times when the chapters would randomly switch to one of his  (Harry's) stories. The underlying mystery here was interesting and had some twists and turns I wasn't expecting, and  Harry's real (in this book) life was "stranger than fiction" indeed.  And a complete hats off to the narrator here ... Bronson Pinchot. He was amazing with accents and inflections and I know I enjoyed this story much more because of his audio. My imagination would not have added quite so much. 

So as mentioned above, both of these have some rather explicit content (proFanity, sexual situations), but if that's something that doesn't bother you (or you're actively looking for *Ü*) and either of these are up your alley ... check them out and let me know what YOU think of them.

Prehistoric Pride and Prejudice?

While I haven't been writing up many book reviews ... I have been reading. A lot! I carry a book with me wherever I go on my Kindle app, and I always have an audiobook going, listening when I drive, clean the house or even watch the boy's basketball games. This duology was one I experienced as audio. Published in 2016 and 2018, I read (listened to) both early in 2018.

 It almost didn't happen.

As book one began, I was completely confused ...

That first sentence. YOU. Me? Is the character in the book talking to ME? Okay, now he (Kol, we find out later) says the name "Mya", so that is who he is talking to. Am I supposed to be Mya? He keeps thinking/saying "you" and "your" ... aaarrgg! Personally, I prefer 3rd person, I can deal with 1st person, but 2nd person, to another character? Me no likey!

At the end of this prologue, Mya asks Kol to tell her a story, so I guess that could explain this odd presentation, except that it existed before this request, and once the story catches up to this prologue point, it continues on until the end. So that never made sense to me. It drove me CrAZy! In my mind, I kept quickly substituting all the "you" and "your" with "Mya" and "Mya's" or "her"  which was a little mentally exhausting.  When I finished the book and went to write my review on GoodReads, I scanned the other reviews ... and some people LIKED this unique presentation, something that stands out as different from the norm.  Personally, I hope it stays very "unique" and I never have to read it again. Book two was from Mya's POV and presented non-uniquely, I'm happy to say.

Beyond the odd point-of-view presentation, this story is set in prehistoric times. These are humans, not cavemen, but they are living simply, hunting mammoths, living in distinct clans (the Manu, Olen and Bosha). I couldn't help but note similaries to another prehistoric series, Earth's Children, most well known for it's first book "Clan of the Cave Bear."  However, this book claims a connection to a different well known work, "Pride and Prejudice" ... which is one of my all time favorites.

Now if I hadn't read about the P&P connection, I never would have made it on my own. I suppose if I really, really look for resemblances, some can be found. The main motivation as this book begins is to find wives for Kol, Peck and their brothers. A gender swap, but this is comparable to P&P. As an attraction develops between Kol's brother Peck and Seeri, sister to Mya, Peck goes to visit their clan and doesn't return as expected. Kol (having to walk because the family's only canoe is needed) also goes to the neighboring clan to check on his brother ... and meets up with Mya again. Their initial introduction hadn't gone well, but a relationship reluctantly develops. There is another storyline concerning a younger brother falling for a girl and running off with her and Mya and Kol needing to come to their rescue. Some P&P similarities if you search...

On Goodreads, I gave three stars to book 1, and four stars to book 2. Originally, I think this was intended as a trilogy, but it really wrapped up there at the end of the second book, and I guess the author was happy with that as well and left it alone.  I enjoyed the overall story and setting in this two book series, and for better or worse, I'll always remember the POV presentation of the first book. 

I DID watch the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies movie. I loved it! Totally connected to the book, well ...more the miniseries starring Collin Firth. Austinland was another Pride&Prejudice based book that I enjoyed (and the movie version of it was cute too, reading the author's notes on who she would like to play certain parts was hilarious, as she hinted that Collin Firth would be perfect to play the Mr. Darcy type roll, except that Collin Firth playing Mr. Darcy in the miniseries is part of the plot itself). There are definitely P&P based books and movies out there, but I didn't consider this one of them.

Five Fabulous Fantasies

I read a little bit of everything ... post-apocalyptic dystopian, paranormal, science-fiction, historical, romance, and of course fantasy. I think fantasy can be one of the more challenging genres. So often taking place in completely different worlds, with unique names (both people and kingdoms) that can take a little effort to keep track of.  Most have a touch of magic and cannot be contained in a single book. The five featured here all have at least three books in their series, with a couple extending further. I really enjoyed all five of these fantasies and thought I'd finally get back to a book post here on the blog spotlighting these favorites ...

  

My most recent read was "The Hundredth Queen" series by Emily R King. This took an idea many other books have used... some people are gifted with elemental powers. Burner, Galer, Trembler and Aquifier. Controlling fire, wind, earth and water respectively.  Here in a fantasy setting, with kings and countries at war,  different gods worshiped and cruel customs, it completely captured my attention and kept me reading all the way through. I even BOUGHT the book 2. I never do that (it was just $1.99 for the Kindle download, but still, with so many books waiting in my Kindle cloud and library list it's hard for me to justify a purchase, especially when the series is part of the Kindle Unlimited plan, and available to borrow as part of the Prime Lending Library. I'd already borrowed my book for January, and figured I'd read book two and then borrow book 3 for my February pick, which is what I did, although I had to wait until mid-February as it was just being released then. There is a fourth book being released later in 2018). Looking at the first three books, the basic set-up was a bit reminiscent of the Hunger Games series. A girl forced to competition battle for her life in book 1 ... then another, larger competition/battle set-up in book 2, then a revolution, real-world war in book 3. My mom follows my GoodReads profile and grabbed the audio CDs for the first two books and enjoyed them as well. It was fun that we were reading the same books so close together. 

Of the five fantasies featured here, "Finnikin of the Rock", first book in "The Lumatere Chronicles) was the one I read least recently, back in 2013. But as I was thinking of a list of fantasy books to spotlight, this series was right at the top of my list. Honestly, I struggled a little starting this series ... it's a medieval setting, with different kingdoms, religious belief in "the goddess". The language is a little poetic, and the NAMES, so many different names, just hard to keep track and remember everything (the town of Sprie in Sarnak, by the Charyn border. Lumatere, Skuldenore, Belegonia, Yutlind, Lagrami, Sendecane, Sarnak).  But by about halfway through book 1, I was pretty involved in the story. Got emotional a few times, and highlighted several sections that really impacted me. Book 1 actually wraps up pretty well, and for that reason I didn't continue on immediately, but I did come back to finish up the series. Froi was introduced in book 1, and not a particularly likeable character. In fact, all the characters are very human, even the heroes definitely have their issues and are not always likable. This book DID end on a cliff-hanger, so I immediately went onto the final book (again, Quintana isn't exactly your typical heroine). While I read this series a while back, it is one that lingers in my memory. I like to look back at my highlights and remember what impacted me as I was reading. 

I read this trilogy about a year ago. This series focuses on twin sisters, Ashyn and Moria, the Keeper and the Seeker. They are each paired with a "bond beast" ... a huge hound and a wildcat and have specific duties in their village before embarking on a quest continuing through the three books. There is magic, evil, monsters and a little romance. I read the first book, then tried out the audio for book 2 ... it can be a little hard to make that change as I've already imagined "voices" in my head, and these didn't quite match. The narrator switched for the third book (I liked her a little better though). It was a series I was sad to see end. 

I remember rating the first book 3.5 stars, the second 4 stars, and 5 stars for the finish. I admit in my Goodreads review, that I was a little distracted while listening to the audiobook, and was just a little lost (as I mentioned above, with fantasy, and all the names/kingdoms, the magic, etc, it can be hard to comprehend even under the best of circumstances). I think as I understood the setting and situations, I was able to get more involved in the story as it went on until I was completely captivated there at the end. 

... and finally, no fantasy list is complete without mentioning the "Mistborn" series. I must admit, there is a second trilogy following this first set, and I haven't read it yet. These are long, complex books, and they really take a bit of a commitment!  Book one is actually titled "The Final Empire" and I don't know about you, but that threw me originally. I wasn't sure I was starting with the correct book, as the word "final" made me think it was the last book in the series. Nope. I am honestly amazed at the imagination of authors ... this world, and the magic therein, was unlike any I'd come across before. Different metals provide powers to specific individuals ingesting them. I discovered this series before I experimented with audio ... I'm just not sure if I could have caught everything by listening. I really needed to read, highlight, and sometimes re-read to fully experience and understand this complex world. It is a great series, and I need to get back to this world and read the follow up books too. I have read Sanderson's Steelheart series which, while wonderful as well, is SO different in tone that I can hardly believe it's the same author!

I write my reviews on GoodReads as much for myself as for others, although I hope they might help too. Here on the blog, again ... it's mainly for me in my mind that I like to link several series so I can look back and remember my reads. I have a few first books in new fantasy series, so hopefully I'll have another "fantastic fantasy" books blog post coming up again soon ...

Invisible Books

I'll admit it ... I like the supernatural. Angels, vampires, dragons, mermaids ... as I cycle through my various reads, I attempt to alternate topics, not reading two vampire (or whatever paranormal topic) books back to back, as it can get confusing, mixing up the storylines in my mind. I didn't read these three books featuring invisibility that close together, but being a rather unique topic, I thought I'd review them in one blog post... before they fade away in my memory (do you SEE what I did there?)

• Things Not Seen: This was the first "invisibility" book I read. It was a while ago (Oct2015 ... thank you GoodReads for keeping track of my reading list.) My son (#4, in 6th grade at that time) had picked it up at school. I like to know what the kids are reading, so I gave it a go too. Here, Bobby had lived a normal life until one morning ... he wakes up and he's invisible. His parents make excuses for his "absence" (school, activities) while they try to figure out what is happening. Clothes are not invisible on his body, and as floating clothes would draw unwanted attention, Bobby goes around naked much of the time. He meets Alicia, who doesn't realize Bobby is invisible at first, because she is blind.  The story continues as their relationship develops and they search for an explanation, and a cure ... There are a couple follow up books (Things Hoped For, Things That Are) and my son read the next in the series, but I never got around to it myself.
• Invisibility: I read this at the beginning of the year (Jan2017) ... or listened to anyway. Audio edition. Here, Stephen was born invisible ... if he puts on clothes, they disappear. Food that he eats disappears as it enters his mouth. Even "existing" seems to be a struggle. Having his voice heard, being able to touch or move things, he has to really concentrate to make those things happen. He's almost a ghost, except he's alive. A new family moves into the apartment building, and the teenage girl, Elizabeth ... can see Stephen. Stephan can't believe it at first, and Elizabeth doesn't realize that no one else can see him, only her. I really liked the first half of the book, as the alternating chapters/POV told their story. Then the book devolved a bit into a whole "search for the curse" which was a little weird. 
• Transparent: Having read two "invisibility" books, and comparing/contrasting how things were handled, I was interested in the topic and jumped on the next book I found that dealt with invisibility. This one was FUN. Whereas the other two were dealing with invisibility in a more "realistic" setting, this one takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, where similar to X-men, Heroes, Steelheart ... many people have developed abilities. Here we have a female protagonist, 16-year old Fiona. Like Stephen in Invisibility, she was born invisible, but like Bobby in Things Not Seen, clothing doesn't disappear (although food does, or even just putting something in her mouth). In this world of "mutants" she has no problem walking around, just floating clothes (and hat and gloves, to give a better sense of where she is) ... unless she's on a nefarious mission from her mob boss father ... in which case complete invisibility (nakedness) fits the bill better. She and her mother try to run and hide from this mob life, but that is difficult to do, even if (or especially if) you are invisible. This book was fluffy fun and I enjoyed it all. In fact ...

I bought the sequel. I'm cheap ... I don't buy many books because there are SO many free ones out there (from Amazon and the local library). This was only $2.51 for the Kindle download ... kind of a weird price point. Gotta get that extra penny!  While "Transparency" was originally marketed as a stand-alone, not a series, the author ended up continuing the story in a second book... "Blindsided."

This cover definitely portrays the slightly cartoonish feel of the book(series), and is actually a better match than the cover of the first one (which makes it look a little more sophisticated and series than it actually is.) Here again, more fluffy fun.

I'm sure there are more books out there addressing the sci-fi concept of invisibility. I've been reading "The Young Elites" series, and one of the characters there can create a camouflage of invisibility. And of course there's the cloak of invisibility in the Harry Potter series. I'd be interested to hear about any other books that feature the main character being invisible all the time though, just to see how in compares to what I've read already.  I'm also always interested in the titles ... what other play on words can authors come up with?

  

Recent Reads - Watersong Quartet

I try to do a monthly Recent Reads post ... often combining several series (while attempting to stick with a theme) and still I'm reading many more books than I end up reviewing here. I'm up to date on my GoodReads reviews/rating though. I do that for me, but hope it might help others too.

A recent series I read was the Watersong Quartet. I'd put this off a bit, after experiencing the author's Hollowland (Zombie) book. It didn't click with me. This series was better, I enjoyed it, but still just in the 3/4 star range for me.

I've always loved the story of The Little Mermaid ... these are NOT those kind of mermaids. These are sirens. Their song can kill. They can also transform into birds. There was quite a bit of mythological background here with the siren theme. There are three girls ... and they need a fourth.

• Book 1 (Wake) introduces all the characters. The sirens ... Penn, Lexi, and Thea. The sisters ... Gemma and Harper. Their love interests ... Alex and Daniel. It sets up the story, the background of the sirens and Gemma's transformation. The story does wrap up, while staying open ended for the next installment.
• Book 2 (Lullaby) starts off pretty much where the first left off. We have two separate stories as Gemma is off with the girls and Harper, Alex and Daniel are still at home.
• Book 3 (Tidal) has all the characters reunited again. Here there were flashbacks to Thea's early memories which explained some details, but also made this book feel a bit jumpy.
• Book 4 (Elegy) was quite long (500+ pages) but did wrap everything up. 

I experienced the first two books in audio format. I liked the narrator, she had distinct voices for the different people. Sing song voices for the sirens. As I read the last two installments myself (my library didn't have them in audio), I'd still "hear" those voices in my head.   Looking back on the series, it felt a little more like one long story than four distinct books. 

From a parental perspective ... the first book was completely clean as I recall. In the second book, an f-bomb was dropped (timing, I was in the car with  my 11-year old when the autoplay started and oops! There hadn't been any proFanity to that point!) The language increased in the third and fourth books, as did the violence and sexual content.   

I've read a couple other "siren" books, and some "mermaid" books ... I'll need to gather up my reviews/ratings and do another book review featuring these other sea stories.

Stories of Shared Souls ... and light blue book covers

Time for a RECENT READS blog post ...

I've laughed a little to myself, and my "multiple personalities" ... I feel my life has three divisions. Family and Friends, Health and Fitness and then Basketball Mom. I have separate social media accounts for each "personality" and it works out perfectly.

It's been a bit of a theme in my recent reads too. I reviewed "The Body Institute" back in September, and then read The Hybrid Chronicles and the Starters/Enders series ... all completely different in storyline, yet they all had a similar feel, with more than one person in one body (and their covers all have a similar light blue look too!)

The Starters/Enders series had a different cover set too ...

Starters/Enders is a two book series. While the world setting was different (here, a virus has swept the globe. A vaccine was given to the most vulnerable, the children and the elderly, and they are the only ones to survive). Whereas in "The Body Institute" ... the mind of one (someone motivated to exercise and eat right) was inserted into an overweight body, here, Prime Destinations, called "the body bank" entices young people to loan their bodies so that the elderly and once again experience youth. Very similar premise. Contracts, agreements between parties, one mind "stored" while another takes over.

I experienced this as an audiobook. Not the best narrator, she was a little dry ... but I enjoyed the story. In addition to the "mind swap" similarities, I've read several books where the post-apocalyptic situation was similar (although in "The Girl Who Owned a City"  "Kahayatle" "Gone" and "Night of the Purple Moon" it was all just kids who survived. No adults. Here, the "grandparents" were still able to keep the world running more smoothly than in other apocalyptic reads. 

There was one little moment that caused me to laugh out loud though ... one of the older gentlemen was talking and says "remember when we could travel? Now Mexico built that wall to keep us all out!"  I just thought it was pretty funny considering the current political situation!

I really enjoyed "The Hybrid Chronicles" ... and I loved their covers! The consistency throughout the three books, the duality represented visually, the Me, We, Us emphasized in font and title. And such a unique idea! Everyone is born with two souls within them. For the first few years of life, both "children" are part of the family. As the child grows, it's expected that one soul will be dominant, and the other, recessive soul, will fade away. Can you even imagine? Even sharing one body, as a parent, having a child you knew you were going lose? It's just the way it is. There is a small, private mourning, then it's not really talked about and life goes on. It's NOT normal if one of the souls refuses to fade. Here, with Addy and Eva, Addy is the dominant soul and Eva is almost gone. No one but Addy knows she is actually still around. Eva is only a voice in Addy's mind, a presence. She can't take control of the physical body or speak ... until someone guesses that Eva is still there and works with the girls to help her regain those abilities. There are other "hybrids" out there but they are viewed with suspicion and taken for "treatment" ...

I listened to the first two as an audio download from my local library. Great narrator. Unfortunately book three wasn't available at my library in anything but a physical printed book. The thought of having to go to the library, pick up an actual book, lift the heavy thing to read it, turn pages, lug it with me ... what can I say? I'm a complete digi-convert! I actually paid $10 to buy the final  book (couldn't quite justify the extra cost of audio, although I did miss the narration). I'd recommend this series and think back on it very fondly!

Parts of it reminded me a bit of The Tripartite Soul, which I also read last year. In that one, three different people have their own separate bodies (and one of them is a dragonish creature, not a human) but their consciousness is linked. As Addy/Eva could leave to "leave" to give each other a bit of privacy, so could the characters in this story build walls to attempt to shut each other out a bit.

The blue/white covers reminded me of another series ...

I also read "The Clone Chronicles" last year ... unlike the other books in this blog post, this is not two minds in one body, but two identical bodies (an original and a clone), with their own individual souls (although the clone isn't encouraged to think that way).  But again, you have the idea of coming across this person and thinking "who is it really inside?"

I have NOT yet read this series ...

It sure matches the light blue cover theme doesn't it? I guess there are so many stories out there, that there are going to be similarities in covers and ideas. I'm sure there are more I haven't mentioned ... yet to discover. So much reading left to do ...

Steelheart Series

Have you heard of the author Brandon Sanderson? Living in Utah, and he being a "Utah" author, his name is pretty well known here. But his books have national acclaim too, and it's well deserved. I've started his Mistborn series (finished book 2 in the double trilogy), and it is such a complex fantasy world, I was a little surprised Steelheart (book 1 in The Reckoners series) was by the same author. Still well written, but more of a modern-day (well, post-apocalyptic), American setting ... x-men type story. Completely different tone. This series is fast paced and pretty silly at times.

There is a little conversation in book two of this series: 

"you're not actually bad at metaphors..." 

"Thanks!" 

"...because most of the things you say are SIMILES."  

I totally said that in my review of Steelheart/book 1 (that they were similes, not metaphors). I was happy to have it justified here. *Ü* And just to prove HOW BAD David's similes are ...

• The place was as black as the inside of a can of black paint that had also been painted black.
•  It was like trying to balance a pot full of frogs on the tips of two half-cooked pieces of spaghetti.
• I felt like a cupcake on a steak plate.
• I'm intense like a lion is tannish.
• It called to me like the ding on a microwave as it finished nuking a pizza pocket.
• It was like I was a donut, and somebody had sucked all the jelly out of me.
• I mixed with ordinary people about the same way that a bucket of paint mixed with a bag of gerbils.
• ... it was like a calzone stuffed with dynamite
• ... like discovering that Santa Claus was secretly a Nazi.
• ... like I was a piece of snot on the windshield following a sneeze.
• ... like a catapult that shoots enormous grapes.
• ... like a punk guitarist in a mariachi band.
• ... exhaling like an epileptic pilot who'd just landed a cargo plane full of dynamite.
• ...looming over me like a roommate who just heard you open a bag of toffee-pulls.
• The sun sank down like a giant golden pat of butter melting onto the corn of New Jersey 

Okay, that last one is a pretty nice one.

Beyond the bad similes ... there were just silly statements like "Easy as pie. Not that I actually knew how to make pie." or "This time when she'd pointed the gun at me, she'd flicked the safety on. If that wasn't true love, I don't know what was." or "But the machine had always been finicky, and it had chosen this moment to finick."

... but I loved it! It's fun to have a book make me laugh, while providing a story and action. Superheros ... well, super villains! It's an interesting thought brought up... as all those with powers are bad! Were only evil people given powers, or did the powers bring out the bad? They all have a weakness ... and David is really good at guessing Epic's weaknesses. I mean ... Kool-Aid? Seriously, how did they GUESS that? And compliments? He really makes some leaps (literally and figuratively).

The imagination of authors as they create these characters and worlds. All these villains, with their names and powers (and weaknesses) and so creative and crazy. In the third book, one creates a moving, constantly crumbling/rebuilding city of SALT. What? Where do authors come up with ideas like that?

Steelheart, the first book in the series, really sets things up. We are introduced to the characters and the world situation. It comes to a natural conclusion,while still leaving things open enough to continue with the series. I read "Mitosis" ... a short story set in-between Steelheart and Firestorm, and I do recommend reading it. Not absolutely necessary,  but my library even had this mini-book (digital). Firefight, the second in the series, was quite a bit of fun for me. I was already involved in the world and knew the characters and was excited to see what would happen next. The final book was good too, maybe not quite where the first two were for me, but I liked how everything wrapped up. Fun series. I might have to invest in physical copies for our home library and encourage my boys (reluctant readers, but sometimes the school STILL required reading!). 

... now I need to shift gears and get back to the Mistborn series!

Recent Reads - Three Trilogies

 I've been reading. A lot. I recently finished up three different trilogies. All could be considered YA, all are romances, with a strong female protagonist (well, two of the three anyway) ... completely different worlds though. Legend is a dystopian, a fractured land in the future. Ruby Red is set in modern day England for the most part ... there is time travel to the past. Defy is more of a fantasy world, with kingdoms and sorcerers and magic. I enjoyed all three trilogies and would recommend them.  Read on for a closer look at each one ... 

This series had been hit the lists and  was held up to such series as Hunger Games and Divergent ... and I do think it is deserving of the comparisons. I was impressed. My only regret with this was the wait between books. Unfortunately, I have no one to blame but myself there, because all three books were out when I read the first. My library only had "Legend" however ... and I'm just SO cheap, and couldn't justify purchasing the sequels when I have so many books already in my Kindle Cloud and library list. I shouldn't have been so cheap ... or I should have waited to start. I honestly don't know how people DO wait a year in-between editions. It was about a year before my library got the second and third books in and I happily grabbed them ... I realized I didn't remember. Anything. Vague recollections. I had to look up a summary online before I could start the sequel. I did read the final two book back to back.

I "read" read the first book, but downloaded the audio edition for the final two books. This is a risk, as I've often already formed "voices" in my head ... but it had been long enough (as mentioned above, I forgot everything!) that this aspect didn't impact me. Alternating POVs of June and Day were read by female and male narrators. My only issue with the audio was in a couple of the names. "Day" for one, as beyond his name, the word "day" also appeared a lot ... but the thing that drove me crazy was another name, Kay-a-Day (not how it is spelled, and I'd read it more like "Katie" or "Kaydee" when on my own). To have DAY and Kay-a-DAY all day long ... too many "days" left me in a daze.

I really enjoyed the setting. The world building and the characters captivated me. Full of action and romance and difficult decisions. Thumbs up.

I'd seen this Ruby Red series recommended, and it appeared to have high reviews. I must admit, I didn't even read the blurb, I had no idea what the book was about when I started. Based on the pretty covers, I was was thinking "princess" themes ... so I was quite surprised when I was plopped into modern day England, with a typical teenager protagonist. Well, almost typical ... there's this time travel gene that runs in the family, and she can see ghosts ... so a bit of the supernatural and time twists.

I really struggled to get into book 1. As everything was being set up ... introducing the characters, the whole time travel business ... I just didn't feel like enough was happening. I wasn't sure if it was worth continuing on, but book 2 was already waiting for me at the library, so I kept going. 

I liked the second and third books more ... maybe because I already knew what was going on. I wasn't totally committed to the characters, enough to really care and get emotionally involved, but it held my interest enough that it was a quick read and I'll recall it fondly.

I guess this series was originally written in German? Translated into English? I didn't take notice of the writing feeling stilted or anything, there was a nice flow. I did note, that there were NOT the English versions/spellings of common words (absolutely acceptable, especially with the story set in the UK, but they always jump out at my eyes as being mis-spelled even though I know they are alternates). There were a few British phrases/words ...  mobile instead of cell, lift instead of elevator. One character had "plaster" over a wound ... I wasn't familiar with that, is that used instead of bandage?

Anyway - I ended up liking the series. I really like the consistency of the covers.

The Defy series has great cover consistency too.

Finally ... the fantasy. Set in an imaginary land, with three distinct kingdoms coming into conflict. Blevin, Dansie and Antione. I honestly don't know if I have the spellings correct, because I never saw the names in print ... all three books were audio downloads, and I have to say, I think the audio added a completely different atmosphere for me. Narrated with a heavy English accent, it something I wouldn't have initiated on my own. It really added to the foreign, fantasy feeling. The narrator was great. I had a little trouble getting into the first book, as I was getting to know the characters and the setting and situation, and in book two I remember being a bit frustrated with Alexia (our protagonist) but by book three I was quite involved in the story and anxious how it would all end.  I didn't quite read the books back to back (waiting lists at the library, took them when I could get them). Defy in May, Ignite in July, and I finished up Endure in October. 

All three trilogies were quite clean - acceptable as YA reads.  No profanity that I recall (I do try to note it for my "parental perspective") ... the Defy series did have some tough situations. Orphan girls taken to the "breeding house" ... it is as the name suggests.  

Three different trilogies... three solid series.