In the Air Tonight - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

 

In the Air Tonight (Sisters of the Craft #1)

by Lori Handeland

What is it about:

Four centuries ago, in a small Scottish village, three baby girls escaped the wrath of a witch hunter. Today, one young woman will learn about her secret history, her heart's destiny, and the sisters she never knew she had...

With her blue-black hair and dark eyes, Raye Larsen has never fit in with the Scandinavian community of New Bergin, Wisconsin. Being adopted is part of the reason she feels like an outsider, but what really sets Raye apart is her ability to see dead people. Everywhere.

She’s learned to keep her visions to herself . . . until she stumbles onto the ghost of a murder victim who needs Raye’s help. Enter Bobby Doucet, a distractingly handsome homicide detective who has been tracking a killer all the way from New Orleans. Could this be the break in his case he’s been looking for all along?

Meanwhile, the deeper Raye gets involved with the case—and with Bobby—the closer she comes to unlocking the mystery of her own origins. What she discovers about herself could destroy everything she knows . . . and everyone she loves. Is finding the truth worth the risk?

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:

This is a fun read.

I really liked Raye, and the way people treated her reminded me of why I do not like living in small towns and villages.

Then someone or something starts hunting her and things get suspenseful. Enter Bobby Doucet, a yummy detective who is more than willing to protect Raye. I was eager to find where things would lead and I was invested in both the action story and the romance. 

This being a Paranormal Romance it has a satisfying conclusion, but there's two more books that are about Raye's sisters, so I'm definitely going to read those as well.

Why should you read it:

It's has perfect mix of paranormal suspense and romance.

 

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Fugitive Telemetry - Book Review

 

Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries #6)

by Martha Wells 

What is it about:

No, I didn’t kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn’t dump the body in the station mall.

When Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people—who knew?)

Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans!

What did I think of it:

Although this is book 6 in the series it is set before the events in book 5 as far as I can tell. Also: it is sort of a standalone in so far that it's not connected to events in the other books.

And with that we have the only 'flaw' in this novella. I missed the connection to the overall story arc of this series.

Other than that this novella is just as awesome as the other books. Murderbot is cynical and sarcastic as ever, and tries hard to keep the humans from doing stupid things. I was hooked from the start and read the book in one sitting, it was that engaging.

There were appearances of some of my favorite characters, as well as new characters who seemed intriguing. The story is a whodunnit in space and it was set up really well in my opinion. All in all well worth the wait.

Now the waiting for the next book begins.

Why should you read it:

Because Murderbot is awesome!

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On McPig's Radar - The Witness for the Dead

 

The Witness for the Dead (The Goblin Emperor #2)

by Katherine Addison

Katherine Addison returns to the glittering world she created for her beloved novel, The Goblin Emperor, in this stand-alone sequel.

When the young half-goblin emperor Maia sought to learn who had set the bombs that killed his father and half-brothers, he turned to an obscure resident of his father’s Court, a Prelate of Ulis and a Witness for the Dead. Thara Celehar found the truth, though it did him no good to discover it. He lost his place as a retainer of his cousin the former Empress, and made far too many enemies among the many factions vying for power in the new Court. The favor of the Emperor is a dangerous coin.

Now Celehar lives in the city of Amalo, far from the Court though not exactly in exile. He has not escaped from politics, but his position gives him the ability to serve the common people of the city, which is his preference. He lives modestly, but his decency and fundamental honestly will not permit him to live quietly. As a Witness for the Dead, he can, sometimes, speak to the recently dead: see the last thing they saw, know the last thought they had, experience the last thing they felt. It is his duty use that ability to resolve disputes, to ascertain the intent of the dead, to find the killers of the murdered.

Now Celehar’s skills lead him out of the quiet and into a morass of treachery, murder, and injustice. No matter his own background with the imperial house, Celehar will stand with the commoners, and possibly find a light in the darkness.

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Teasing on a Wednesday: Spoiler Alert

 

No more hiding, she'd repeated through a suddenly tight chest. No more hiding. Folk goddamn trio.

(page 46, Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade)

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Promised Queen - Out Now

 

It's release day for The Promised Queen, the last book in the awesome Forgotten Empires trilogy.

Go get it now, because it is a wonderful conclusion!

(and yes: I 've already read it several times, so I know what I'm talking about!)

The Promised Queen (Forgotten Empires #3)

by Jeffe Kennedy 

In The Promised Queen, the thrilling finale to Jeffe Kennedy's Forgotten Empires trilogy, the fate of the world hangs in the balance as Con, Lia, and their allies sacrifice everything in a final bid to destroy the corrupt empire.

Claim the hand that wears the ring, and the empire falls.

Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, claimed the hand that wears the Abiding Ring, but the prophecy remains unfulfilled. Queen Euthalia of Calanthe returned to her island kingdom, but broken in mind and body. With the blood of war unleashing ancient terrors, Calanthe isn’t the haven it once was.

Lia must use her magical bond with Calanthe to save their people while Con fights to hold off the vengeful Emperor Anure and his wizards. Con and Lia will have to trust in each other—and in love—to fend off ultimate disaster.

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A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking - Book Review

 

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking

by T. Kingfisher

What is it about:

Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can’t control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt’s bakery making gingerbread men dance.

But Mona’s life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona’s city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona’s worries…

What did I think of it:

I've been curious about the books of Kingfisher for awhile, so decided to give this one a try.

And what a fun read!

This book is both humorous and suspenseful. Mona is an unlikely hero, but circumstances force her into action. Either she finds out what's going on, and stops it, or she might end up dead.

I loved the writing style and the characters. Special kudos to Bob, the sourdough starter! Once I started on the book I was soon hooked and eager to find out where the story would lead. The magic system in was fun an original, I had a great time seeing Mona figure out her bread magic.

All in all a wonderful read. You bet I'll read more books by Kingfisher.

Why should you read it:

It's a really fun Fantasy read.

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The Queen's Gambit - Book Review by Gilbert

 

The Queen's Gambit

by Walter Tevis

What is it about:

An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

When she is sent to an orphanage at the age of eight, Beth Harmon soon discovers two ways to escape her surroundings, albeit fleetingly: playing chess and taking the little green pills given to her and the other children to keep them subdued. Before long, it becomes apparent that hers is a prodigious talent, and as she progresses to the top of the US chess rankings she is able to forge a new life for herself. But she can never quite overcome her urge to self-destruct. For Beth, there's more at stake than merely winning and losing.

What did Gilbert think of it:

A lot of people seemed to like the Netflix series that was made based on this book, so I got curious and picked this up.

Even though this book is at times written in a detached way I was hooked from the start. I didn't particularly care for Beth ( I actually loathed her for one particular thing), but still I was curious to see if she could make it in the world of chess. 

I know enough about chess that I could follow some of it, but there were chess moves and talks that went completely over my head. Still the matches Beth plays are written in a way that it didn't get boring for me. 

All in all an interesting read. I might try more by Tevis in the future.

Why should you read it:

It's an interesting read about the competitive world of chess.

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