Catch-Up Quickies 49

First a quick explanation!

Due to some severe health issues over the last few years, and a lingering chronic condition, my planned review schedule went right out of the window and I have been scrabbling ever since to get it back on track.

In my latest attempt to try to regain some lost ground, I have been scrunching some of my (overdue) NetGalley reviews together into one or two posts each week: shorter reviews, but still covering all of the points I intended to.

That’s the plan anyway, so let’s spring (groan!) into that TBR…

Title:  The Luminaries
Author:  Susan Dennard
Publisher:  Daphne Press

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 must enlist 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: I love the idea of this book but it just doesn’t quite work.

The story follows Winnie as she tries to reclaim her family’s lost status by becoming a Hunter, deal with the emotional trauma of her father’s absence and betrayal, and flirt with Jay, her ex close friend. And if you have read the blurb and my summary, then you have pretty much read the whole story! None of the plot threads raised get resolved, or explored fully – all of the obstacles are introduced and explained (a bit… I’m still not sure exactly what the deal is with the Dianas!). It feels almost like this is a very long prequel and first few chapters to a story that will actually follow in future books?

I got irritated with Winnie’s constant teeth clicking and felt she was being pretty obtuse about some of the ‘mysteries’ she faced – I’m pretty sure I know what Jay and Erica are, even though the story doesn’t confirm it!

In tone, the story feels like a middle grade or young teen book, especially with regards to the relationships and the parental vs. career path plot, but then some of the gory, gruesome content relating to monsters and deaths make the story feel too dark for the emotional age range.

I really do think there is scope for this to be an amazing book with regards to the world and plot we are teased with, but the pacing, characters and overall tone of the story could do with some evening out for it to achieve its full potential.

Purchase Link: The Luminaries on Amazon

Title:  The Murder Game
Author:  Tom Hindle
Publisher:  Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century

Blurb:  One house. Nine guests. Endless motives for murder…

In the seaside town of Hamlet Wick, nine guests assemble for a New Year’s Eve party to remember.

The owner of Hamlet Hall has organised a murder mystery evening with a 1920s twist, and everyone has their own part to play.

But the game has barely begun when one guest is found dead – killed by a fatal injury to the head.

With no phone signal and no way out of the house, the others are trapped with a killer in their midst.

Someone is playing by their own rules. And in a close-knit community, old rivalries run deep…

Review: A classic style, small-cast mystery, this story sees a group of locals all assembled for a game, each with their own secrets and strong reasons to hate the surprise guest, Damien White, who is inevitable found brutally murdered during the course of the evening.

There is some authentic-feeling portrayal of PTSD in the story and it was a clever idea to focus the narrative mostly on the viewpoint s of the four younger (early 20s) – all very different – characters: Lily, heiress to and daughter of the murdered man; Will, organiser of the event but struggling with long-term trauma; Theo, actor in the game and aspiring actor outside it; and Justin, local journalist, desperate for a big story to break him out into the big papers.

There are multiple layers of mystery that overlap as the story unfolds, including the earlier deaths of a young boy in a tragic fall and a previous murder, the discovery of which is the cause of Will’s PTSD.

In fact, there is far too much drama and intrigue to be the least bit realistic, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable read anyway and an ideal, entertaining read for those who enjoy old-school mystery writers like Dame Agatha Christie or Ngaio Marsh.

Purchase Link: The Murder Game on Amazon

Title: The Fifth Horseman
Author:  Jon Smith
Publisher:  Balkon Media

Blurb:  Internationally published bestselling author Jon Smith makes his adult debut with The Fifth Horseman, a modern comic fantasy that rides roughshod over established mythology and the rules of life… and death.

The Fifth Horseman is a darkly comic tale of two thirty-somethings caught between our world and the afterlife, who must embrace their role as reapers to prevent the End Times. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Father Ted, perfect for fans of Ben Aaronovitch, Terry Pratchett, and Neil Gaiman.

Death is just a day job you can’t quit…

Emma and Mark had a bad day. The worst part of it was dying. But, according to Death, the Rider on the Pale Horse and first horseman of the apocalypse, things aren’t that simple. Turns out the sand in their hourglass is stuck in place. Somewhere between life and death, they’re put to work as Death’s assistants, reaping the souls of the living until it’s time for their final clock out…

To compound matters, despite their omnipotence, the four horsemen are facing an existential threat – one they’re ill-equipped and ill-prepared to combat. 

Emma and Mark must reap like their afterlives depend on it, to help prevent the End Times – even if it means scuppering the one opportunity they have at being granted a second chance at life.

Filled with humour, romantic tension, and suspense, Jon Smith utilises a witty, lightly sarcastic ensemble of flawed but loveable characters. It will appeal to mainstream fantasy readers and hopeless romantics, as well as those who enjoy a good story and a good laugh.

Review: This humorous fantasy novels feels like it wants to be a Terry Pratchett novel – a bit of Mort, a bit of Reaper Man, a bit of Good Omens – but it just doesn’t have the same warmth or wit as the late great Discworld author.

All the ingredients are here: Death and the Horsemen of the Apocalypse as characters; the afterlife seen as a day job rather than the final frontier; a couple of human characters with a love-hate bickery relationship to provide a little light relief and a couple of relatable viewpoints. Unfortunately, none of these ingredients quite come together. I never quite got a handle on Death’s character, the day-job element of the plot started promisingly but became a bit stale and repetitive, and it was hard to appreciate Mark and Emma’s casual bickering when they are in their current position due to attempted suicide of one and accidental death of the other – it feels a little too dark to be so lightly-treated.

Most of the actual action in the plot falls into the final quarter of the book, while the first three quarters follow Mark and Emma’s training as Death’s interns. Once the big climax starts, it is obvious that the main characters will triumph over ridiculously overpowered supernatural odds, but the actual ending we get feels rushed and forced, and involves Emma suddenly completely changing her mind about Mark and about life in general (both of which she had been resolutely adamant about throughout the book), with no build-up or believability to her volte-face.

I really did want to love this story, as it appeared to be right up my street, but the characters and pacing didn’t work for me and the plotline just wasn’t enough to balance them out.

Purchase Link: The Fifth Horseman on Amazon

Title: A Gift of Poison
Author:  Bella Ellis
Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton

Blurb:  Haworth 1847 – Anne and Emily Brontë have had their books accepted for publication, while Charlotte’s has been rejected everywhere, creating a strained atmosphere at the parsonage.

At the same time, a shocking court case has recently concluded, acquitting a workhouse master of murdering his wife by poison. Everyone thinks this famously odious and abusive man is guilty. However, he insists he is many bad things but not a murderer. When an attempt is made on his life, he believes it to be the same person who killed his wife and applies to the detecting sisters for their help.

Despite reservations, they decide that perhaps, as before, it is only they who can get to the truth and prove him innocent – or guilty – without a shadow of doubt.

Review: The fourth and final book in Bella Ellis’ Brontë sisters investigations series has a slightly more melancholy and ominous tone than the earlier stories, as the shadow of death looms over the family and the reader’s awareness of their imminent fates.

As the sisters look into the accusations against the very unpleasant Mr Lowood, under threat of blackmail, they are joined by some of the other strong, intelligent female friends they have made along the way: Catherine Crowe, author and psychic investigator; Celia Patten, a doctor’s wife who is medically knowledgeable in her own right; and Ellen Nussey, who provides moral guidance and emotional support.

I was particularly pleased that Reverend Brontë finally finds out what his daughters have been up to and loved his reaction to the news and his insistence on getting involved.

The storyline was somewhat more far-fetched than previous books, touching on some of the psychic and paranormal beliefs and practices of the time, but all of the gothic melodrama fit nicely with Charlotte’s writing of Jane Eyre in feverish stolen hours between the story’s action.

Branwell, at this point in the story and history, is a pitiable shambles, but the three sisters are as free-spirited (Emily), forgiving (Anne) and forceful (Charlotte) as ever, and I shall miss reading about their adventures in literature and detection.

Purchase Link: A Gift of Poison on Amazon

Title: The Scarlet Circus
Author:  Jane Yolen
Publisher:  Tachyon Publications

Blurb:  The Scarlet Circus, the fourth volume in Yolen’s award-winning short fiction series brings you passionate treasures and unexpected transformations. This bewitching assemblage, with an original introduction from Brandon Sanderson, is an ideal read for anyone who appreciates witty, compelling, and classic romantic fantasy.

A rakish fairy meets the real Juliet behind Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. A jewelry artist travels to the past to meet a successful silver-smith. The addled crew of a ship at sea discovers a mysterious merman. More than one ignored princess finds her match in the most unlikely men.

From ecstasy to tragedy, with love blossoming shyly, love at first sight, and even love borne of practical necessity—beloved fantasist Jane Yolen’s newest collection celebrates romance in all its glory.

Review: I haven’t read any of Jane Yolen’s books before, and this is a really good introduction to her work.

The collection contains eleven short fantasy stories, not themes particularly around circuses or the colour scarlet, but around elements of love and romance within other genres.

Most of the stories feel like traditional fairy tales, folk tales or ghost stories. I loved the first six (Sans Soleil; Dusty Loves; Unicorn Tapestry; A Ghost of an Affair; Dark Seed, Dark Stone; Dragonfield) which deal with dragons and unicorns, fae and ghosts, magic and curses. I enjoyed the next three stories too, featuring a retelling of an Arthurian legend, a merman and a djinn respectively (The Sword in the Stone; The Sea Man; Memoirs of a Bottle Djinn). Finally, I was less fond of the last two stories – Peter in Wonderland and The Erotic in Faeries: The Footnotes, which I found a little bit too chaotic and disjointed compared to the earlier standard. (I guess that is the problem with setting the bar so high earlier in the book!)

All of the stories are well-written and the whole collection makes a lovely taster for newcomers to this author’s work. While I hadn’t read any of her stories before, I certainly will be in future!

Purchase Link: The Scarlet Circus on Amazon

A very solid selection here of fantasy and mystery books, all with striking and/or gorgeous covers!

Did anything take your fancy? Let me know in the comments.

And with the weather getting warmer, keep cool and happy reading! 🙂