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Book Review: Shadow of the Exile, The Infernal Guardian #1

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Book Review

Shadow of the Exile, The Infernal Guardian #1

By: Mitchell Hogan

4 stars

Fantasy, Adventure

Outcast and exiled, the demon Tarrik Nal-Valim has long been forgotten by the world of humans. At least, so he thinks.

But when he is summoned as a last resort by a desperate sorcerer, it seems as though his past has caught up with him. The sorcerer is Serenity “Ren” Branwen, the daughter of Tarrik’s former master—and friend. Though she seems cold, driven, and ruthless, Tarrik can tell that Ren has her back against a wall, and he is compelled by ferocious powers to obey her.

As their world sinks into a terrifying maelstrom of murder, intrigue, and insurrection, Tarrik is forced to serve Ren’s arcane designs—plans that, if they were to succeed, would resurrect unimaginable power and could destroy Tarrik’s entire race.

But as events unfurl, the lines between demon and master become blurred, and Tarrik realizes that Ren is not what she seems. To prevent utter devastation, Tarrik may have to surrender what he values most: a chance at redemption and an end to his exile.

Shadohttps://amzn.to/4dCVIHEw of the Exile by Mitchel Hogan was a solid read. This book was my first read of Mr. Hogan’s. It created a unique world with a unique take on demons, demon summoning, and the sorcerers brave enough to call on them. The story read more adventure than fantasy, which I liked. From start to finish, there was a steady pace of action and intrigue and an ending I did not expect.

Book two of The Infernal Guardian is already cued up on my Kindle.

Happy Reading 🙂

Book Review: The Rage of Dragons, The Burning, Book 1

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Book Review

The Rage of Dragons

By: Evan Winter

5 Stars

Fantasy, Military

The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable war for almost two hundred years. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine.

Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war.

Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He’s going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn’t get the chance.

Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He’ll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.

This book truly had it all. A well-created world with well-crafted characters that had me laughing and crying and wailing and cheering. The perfect anti-hero we can’t help but love. A blend of tragedy and fortune, camaraderie, and villainy. As Blood Song, by Anthony Ryan, made me love stories of sword brothers, Winter gives us another group to laugh and cry with. All with a pinch of magic that elevates military strategy to another level.

Rooting for the underdog is our favorite thing, and this book is full of that. The most savage thing I’ve ever read a character decide happens in this book, and from that moment on, I could not put it down. While there were plenty of times I wished I could step in and intercede in some rash decision, it never reached a point that turned the story. What a fine line that is. Can any of us truly describe it? I imagine it’s different for all of us. Why else would someone rate this book 1 star while I give it 5? 🙂 Whatever that line, Mr. Winter tread it perfectly, and I can’t wait to re-read this book.

Buried beneath a suberbly crafted story is a great commentary on social structure and how those structures are an injustice to every citizen involved. How we too easily believe the lies of a majority, and most especially, believe the violent strength that maintains such structure. While the fight against systemic injustice is hard, while the decision to do evil for the sake of some greater good is easy, neither should be how we decide. History should be known, so we all understand where we come from and that no matter our gifts, we all have equal value in the whole.

Happy Reading 🙂

Book Review: Reverie

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Reverie

By: Ryan La Sala

4 Stars

Magical Realism, LGBT, YA

A few weeks ago, Kane Montgomery was in an accident that robbed him of his memory. The only thing he knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. The world as he knows it feels different―reality seems different. And when strange things start happening around him, Kane isn’t sure where to turn.

And then three of his classmates show up, claiming to be his friends and the only people who can tell him what’s truly going on. Kane doesn’t know what to believe or who he can trust. But as he and the others are dragged into increasingly fantastical dream worlds drawn from imagination, it becomes clear that there is dark magic at work. Nothing in Kane’s life is an accident, and only he can keep the world itself from unraveling.

Reverie is an intricate and compelling LGBT young adult book about the secret worlds we hide within ourselves and what happens when they become real.

I fully appreciated the originality of this book. The concept of dreams entering reality, that a few with the ability to take control to keep others from harm, was great. I even appreciated the underlying social commentary, the subtlety with which Mr. La Sala speaks of real issues buried in this fantastical story. While I didn’t like Girls of Paper and Fire because of the forced-down-your-throat way of telling, Reverie allows the story to make its point and allows the characters organic growth as they stumble and search and find the courage to be true.

On its surface, Reverie is a great story. That is enough to make the book worth reading. From page one, there is an overlying sense of urgency to find out what is going on that manages to maintain throughout, even as we’re swung back and forth between who might really be the villain, including the one who is central to the story. The central to this telling is the question of how friends are made, how social boundaries might be crossed, and how those friendships make us better people.

Something was missing that kept me from giving this book 5 stars. Possibly, that missing thing was simply because of Reverie‘s reading level. As a YA book, there is a line. There was also the lingering idea (in my mind) that this might have easily been a little darker, a little more horror or thriller that might have ramped it to the next level. Either way, Reverie is a great read.

Happy Reading 🙂

Book Review: The Starless Sea

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Book Review

The Starless Sea

By: Erin Morgenstern

5 Stars

Far beneath the surface of the earth, upon the shores of the Starless Sea, there is a labyrinthine collection of tunnels and rooms filled with stories. The entryways that lead to this sanctuary are often hidden, sometimes on forest floors, sometimes in private homes, sometimes in plain sight. But those who seek will find. Their doors have been waiting for them.

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is searching for his door, though he does not know it. He follows a silent siren song, an inexplicable knowledge that he is meant for another place. When he discovers a mysterious book in the stacks of his campus library he begins to read, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, lost cities, and nameless acolytes. Suddenly a turn of the page brings Zachary to a story from his own childhood impossibly written in this book that is older than he is.

A bee, a key, and a sword emblazoned on the book lead Zachary to two people who will change the course of his life: Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired painter, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances. These strangers guide Zachary through masquerade party dances and whispered back room stories to the headquarters of a secret society where doorknobs hang from ribbons, and finally through a door conjured from paint to the place he has always yearned for. Amid twisting tunnels filled with books, gilded ballrooms, and wine-dark shores Zachary falls into an intoxicating world soaked in romance and mystery. But a battle is raging over the fate of this place and though there are those who would willingly sacrifice everything to protect it, there are just as many intent on its destruction. As Zachary, Mirabel, and Dorian venture deeper into the space and its histories and myths, searching for answers and each other, a timeless love story unspools, casting a spell of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a Starless Sea.

Stories within stories within stories, all connected.

I loved reading this book. While I tend to binge-read, I could not do that with this. I’d have to put it down and go away to let it simmer and melt in my brain before returning.

The narrative was so vulnerable. Like the layer we hold ourselves on when speaking to each other in real life, that layer where fear of being misunderstood and judged lives large was peeled back, and a whole new kind of communication was established. I loved how each seemingly unrelated nuance added more layers to the entirety. If forced to look up concepts in a dictionary, like you might a word or phrase, this jumble of tales is what you might find because every sidebar enriched the rest.

While reading these pages, I felt like I could believe in fairies, unicorns and real magic again. For a moment, I was sad that maybe I had missed my door without the second chance Zachary received. Perhaps this wasn’t some story but a recount of what we all might find.

I loved how personal relationships mattered. Pairs ground each other to “reality;” to motivate beyond a bigger picture none were sure they could see or define.

Around halfway through, the book stumbles a bit. At a point, I lifted my head and wondered if maybe we weren’t about to fall into redundancy. But don’t worry. That’s where it picks up, and the pieces really start coming together.

Such a richly crafted chronicle that reminds us the end is never the last, and all beginnings stem from what was to become what might be.

Book Review: Delivering Evil for Experts (The Guild Codex: Demonized, #4)

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Book Review

Delivering Evil for Experts, Book 4 of The Guild Code: Demonized

By: Annette Marie

5 Stars

A Great Magic System and unique take on Magical Realism

I promised to avenge my parents.

But their killer is still on the loose, and he’s stolen more than my parents’ lives. Now, as he draws closer to his mysterious goals, he’s poised to destroy what little I have left.

I promised to translate an ancient grimoire.

But it holds the secrets of my family—and the secret history of demon summoning. I fear its answers as much as I need them. Who was the foremother of Demonica…and who am I?

I promised to send my demon home.

But the way he watches me, the way he protects me, the way he touches me⁠—how can I cast him away forever? I swore I would do this for him, but can I? Should I?

But I promised—and I will keep my promises even if they cost me my heart, my soul, and my life.

This series was adorable. I loved our main Miss Nerd, who was forced to become a power to save herself, and especially loved the slow-burn romance I kept changing my mind on. Some days, I thought, ‘Don’t do it!’ while others had me hope things worked out. I also enjoyed that the romance angle didn’t overshadow the story. I appreciated the entire world and magic system. Definitely my favorite of the series.

THE GUILD CODEX: Demonized Series:
Taming Demons for Beginners (#1)
Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (#2)
Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped (#3)
Delivering Evil for Experts (#4)