Believe in the Fantastical: A.M. Robin's Hidden Scales

Title: Hidden Scales

Author: A. M. Robin

Series: Merrows (book 1)

Published: September 1, 2019

Purchase on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Blurb:

Merrows are supposed to be extinct. No one has seen the water-breathing creatures in over a century.

That's all eleven-year-old Mira has time to think as she stares at the silver scales that have spread over her foot before she accidentally triggers a curse that will change her world forever. She and her best friend, Peter, are forced to embark on a journey across the kingdom, escaping from ruthless spies who will stop at nothing to capture them before anyone else learns Mira's secret.

With the help of a runaway scholar and a familiar young boy who reveals that he, too, has just discovered that he is a merrow, the children begin to train to beat the spies at their own game. Before they can truly find safety, Mira must learn to use the mysterious powers of her people, or else she and her friends may never be able to return home again.

My Thoughts:

I was immediately impressed by this book because it has illustrations, and they're good. Then I started to read, and it was also good. Gripping, even. I found myself already enthralled in the story and connected to the characters. It's hard not to like Mira upon first meeting her. She's cute, smart, and a bit of a social outcast because she's an orphan. But don't fret, she has a fantastic adoptive mother. Appoline is not only heavily involved in the city council, and a celebrated astronomer, but also a kind, albeit strict mother to Mira. And, not in most of the book. Once Mira discovers that she unexpected scales growing across her feet, her life becomes a whirlwind. One second she's playing chase in the woods and the next she and her friend Peter have joined the party of a flying horse, and are fleeing across the country. 

There is never a dull moment in this book. Anytime the group begins to relax, they are either attacked by the enemy's spies, or taught some new fantastical ability. And as the reader you can dive right into the lake alongside Mira and Kay. You too can ride Eola through the skies, and shoot arrows with Peter. You can even stroll through the Ripples and peek into Tonttu's shop. Hidden Scales is a great Middle Grade book because it's immersive. It's immersive, fun, and expands the imagination. I look forward to Mira's and the gang's next adventure!

My Rating:

I want furniture that rearranges itself: review of Daniel McMillan's Eve of Ascension

Title: Eve of Ascension

Series: The Fall of the Ascendancy (Book 1)

Author: Daniel McMillan

Genre: Science Fiction / Dystopian

Pages: 270

Buy Eve of Ascension

What Goodreads has to say:

LIFE IN THE ASCENDANCY WAS NOT ALL THAT IT APPEARED...

When an attempt at establishing a World Government seems destined to fail, the global elite seek refuge on a space station and crash an asteroid into the Earth to "bring the population down to a more manageable level".

Once the world was sufficiently healed from the Cataclysm, the elite reappeared and established The Ascendancy. They offered refuge in twelve new cities around the globe - all survivors had to do in exchange was give everything they could for the betterment of the government.

Baxter Clarke grew up in the city of Enswell, enjoying the highest comforts the Ascendancy provided thanks to his brilliant father's contributions.

But when Baxter discovers a connection that upsets the balance he has been familiar with all his life, he finds himself in a situation he never dreamed possible.

Now, with the fate of the Ascended attached to a device stolen from a government agency, he will have to run for his life and leave the city to save his people and rise to be the man he was meant to be.

What I have to say:

This book has fascinating concepts and super interesting characters. There's furniture that rearranges itself when you're having company over (like why have we not invented this yet in the real world, it would make life so much easier?) and makeup that adjusts automatically when the lighting changes or even better, when the person wearing it cries. (Seriously, we need this now, ok?)

The idea of an ascending order of cities is also interesting: most people start out in the outer cities, and as they advance socially, they're moved up into the inner cities. It can take generations for a family to move from one city to another, and if you screw up your chances, forget it.

Meanwhile, the Sylvans live outside the city, frustrating the Ascendancy (the central government) whenever they can, keeping hope of the resistance alive no matter the cost.

Right away, I was hooked: a rebel fighter was surrounded by deadly robots in a jungle, and his chances didn't look good. The story got off to a bang.

Then I was mesmerized by the two different spheres: the city-life of Baxter and his friends, plush with the latest technology and controlled by the government at every turn; and the rugged life of Raishann and her family, who live in much more humble circumstances but consider themselves free in a way the city people aren't. They even speak differently, using slang rather than highly polished, almost manneristic phrases.

So in the categories of freaking cool concepts, solid world-building, and really awesome, diverse characters (marry me, Laena), this book scores top marks.

But I had a problem with its style, and that kept me from giving it top marks all around. I'm a writer myself and a critic, so it could be that I just have a nitpicky disposition. I also enjoy thinking about how I would rewrite a book/play/movie to make it better. It's one of my favorite past-times.

If I were rewriting this book, I'd use a lot more active voice and follow the time-honored "show don't tell" rule. There were a lot of passages that read along the lines of: "Lila asked him what was on his mind and Baxter said that he wanted to go to the store, Lila agreed with him but pointed out that it was late, which caused Baxter to feel guilty and say they could go tomorrow."

Why tell us what the characters are saying? Why can't they just, like, say it?

Other times, we'd be told what a character was thinking when it would have been more effective to show us what they were thinking by the way they acted or by something they said.

I feel like this got in the way of character development and made it hard for us to get truly attached to the characters--which is sad because the author has put together a stellar cast here. There are some really interesting personalities and wide-ranging perspectives. So yeah.

At the end of the day, great story, fun characters, just needs some polishing up in the writing department. That's something that's easily overcome, and as the ideas and concepts are still super cool, I'm excited to see what this author gets up to next.

Rating:

Until tomorrow.

Grandpas are magic: B.C.R. Fegan's Don't Drink the Pink

Title: Don't Drink the Pink

Author: B.C.R. Fegan

Illustrator: Lenny Wen

Buy on Amazon

Review:

As soon as I opened this book to the first illustration—of an empty inventor’s workshop giving off strong steampunk vibes—I knew it was exactly my kind of children’s picture book.

As I flipped through the next couple pages, my suspicions were confirmed. Early 1900s costumes? An adorable little girl with billowy dark hair? I could eat this book for dessert.

But before I get carried away and start requesting an edition of Little Women illustrated by Lenny Wen, I should get back to, you know, B.C.R. Fegan’s actual story.

Every year on her birthday, Grandpa Gilderberry brings Madeline a box of brightly colored potions. “Happy birthday, Madeline,” he says. “Take a potion, take a brew. Just don’t drink the pink.”

Dutifully, Madeline picks a different color (never pink) every time. And when she does, marvelous things happen.

She breathes fire, turns invisible, runs faster than a train, and creates money with her bare hands. (That last trick wins Grandpa Gilderberry big points with Madeline’s father, I suspect.)

But a month before her 15th birthday, Madeline’s grandpa dies. Heartbroken, she goes to his workshop on her birthday and cries. When she lifts her head, Madeline sees a single pink bottle behind a note that reads: “Happy birthday.”

Clearly, it’s time to drink the pink.

While the story may feel a bit repetitive, it’s wonderfully charming and imaginative. And though after a few pages, the book’s pattern is established, there’s still an element of surprise as we wonder which potion Madeline will choose this time and what will happen when she does.

Of course, below the surface level story is a message about grandfathers and the curious delight they bring their granddaughters. I found myself thinking about my grandpa who passed away a few years ago and how, like Grandpa Gilderberry, he was always surprising and delighting his grandchildren and gifting them with strength, power, and perhaps best of all, memories.

I’ll admit that, while I found the ending beautiful and quite moving, it left me with a few questions. This could be because I’ve watched too much Doctor Who and am taking this simple children’s picture book to complicated places where it doesn’t need to go. (Time loop?)

But whatever my questions, I heartily approve of B.C.R. Fegan’s Don’t Drink the Pink, its whimsical illustrations, and its story about a grandfather with an infinite capacity for giving. Drink the pink, Madeline.

Until tomorrow.

Good people are hard to find: Review of Stone Man and the Trail of Tears

Title: Stone Man: And the Trail of Tears

Author: Charles Suddeth

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 162

Release Date: October 8, 2019

Buy Stone Man: And the Trail of Tears

What Goodreads has to say:

After U.S. soldiers attack twelve-year-old Tsatsi’s Cherokee village, his family flees to the Smokey Mountains. Facing storms, flood, and hunger, they’re forced to go where Stone Man, a monstrous giant, is rumored to live. Their journey is a dangerous one. Will Tsatsi find the strength to become a Cherokee warrior? And will they ever find their family again?

What I have to say:

This was such a sweet story. Tsatsi’s love for his family, concern for their safety, and desire to protect them at all costs makes this a book that will hit home for anyone who has a family, which should be just about all of us.

Besides that, it will hit home for anyone who’s ever helped or been helped by someone outside their family. Johnny Garner, a white trapper living alone in the mountains, takes it upon himself to rescue two Cherokee children and get them to safety.

Along the way *SPOILER* he risks arrest, injury, and death, and even gets shot protecting Tsatsi and Sali. Why would a lone white man risk so much to save two Cherokee kids he just met? Because he’s freaking awesome.

But Tsatsi is pretty awesome too. The kid is 12 and could probably teach a wilderness survival course that I would 100% attend. Tsatsi is the main character and narrator, and he has a nice voice and personality. He’s tough because he’s had to grow up fast, but he’s also very much a 12-year-old boy.

He’s interested in the pretty girl who helps shelter and feed the three fugitives (Tsatsi, Johnny, and Sali). And he has a soft spot for his younger siblings. He’s also terrified of monsters and can’t get the legend of the giant cannibal Stone Man out of his head.

I found this story enjoyable, educational, and inspiring. It made me want to learn more about the Trail of Tears (which I’ve read some books about in the past but not recently). It made me want to try Johnnycakes because frankly they sound amazing. It inspired me to reach out to others and help people in need, even if they’re strangers. And the ending made me smile.

By the way, this book is nonstop action. One crisis follows hard on the heels of another. If it’s not soldiers or a gang of renegades, it’s a flash flood, a thunder storm, or a life-threatening fever. The story kept me fully engaged.

I can’t fathom being thrown into the situation of Tsatsi and his family. I can’t imagine waking up to soldiers burning my village and having to run into the wilderness to escape them. Then losing my family in the wild and having to fend for myself and my little sister—knowing that soldiers are still following us and believing that my parents and other siblings are dead.

But for many Cherokee families in the 1800s, that’s just what happened. In fact, Tsatsi and his family are lucky because *SPOILER* they actually manage to escape. Other Cherokees were forced to march 1000 miles to Oklahoma, many dying along the way.

And similar things have happened to countless groups of people through the ages. I don’t know why people continue to be such jerks time and time again, but it’s good to know that while there are plenty of Andrew Jacksons and Adolf Hitlers in the world, there are also people like Johnny Garner. And they’re everywhere.

As Tsatsi reflects: “Good people came in all sorts of shapes and colors. And good people made life worthwhile.”

So do good stories, and this short but heartwarming adventure is one of them.

Rating:

Until tomorrow.

Two stories, two killer heroines: review of The Soldier's Heart by Jeffrey Bardwell

Title: The Soldier's Heart

Series: The Mage Conspiracy (Book #3)

Author: Jeffrey Bardwell

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 222

Buy The Soldier's Heart

You can also currently get the first book, The Knight's Secret, for free

What Goodreads has to say:

A perilous journey. A dark conscience. An unforgivable sin.

When Black Guards capture the ancient mage Maven and the heroine Kelsa, Maven disguises herself as the once distinguished Sir Corbin, now assumed to be a mage-in-hiding due to the old woman's carelessness. Kelsa, guided by the spirit of a sassy blade mistress, pretends to be a mercenary, but the guards wonder. What ties beyond gold bind her to the traitor knight? The Black Guards gleefully drag their prisoners toward the cruel clutches of the empress so that she might wring the secrets from their bodies.

Kelsa must escape the empress's grasp, desperate to rekindle the mage revolt whose leaders have vanished into the barbarian north. It is a land of dark forests and ice-choked rivers where worth is proven on a dagger's edge and feuding clans are more vicious than any Black Guard. Can Kelsa find and reignite the mages' passion or has the heart of the revolution grown cold?

Grab The Soldier's Heart, the third epic fantasy romance of The Mage Conspiracy series. Discover a world of adventure and intrigue where lies cut deeper than any sword.

What I have to say:

A spunky young heroine journeying through barbarian territory in search of dangerous rebel mages? Daring disguises, crazy escapes, and (squeal) adorable baby dragons??? Yeah, OK, I'll take it.

That's sarcasm, readers. I loved The Soldier's Heart. As if the above weren't enough, there's another story line told in parallel: one about a young recruit navigating the Imperial Army, falling in love, and proving herself to the world.

Kelsa's story is the immediate one. She's the young heroine journeying through barbarian country in search of Gordius and his rebel mages.

Meanwhile, due to a stubborn mage who messed with her head (see book 2), Kelsa finds her thoughts often invaded by Minerva--the young Imperial Army recruit--and as a result we also get Minerva's story (happening in the past) alongside Kelsa's.

You might think that would be confusing, but it's not because the author has an uncanny knack for telling multiple stories simultaneously. Far from being confusing, two plots makes the novel doubly engaging.

It helps that both stories are helmed by killer protagonists. I've loved Kelsa since book 1, but it was this book that really endeared me to Minerva. She's formidable yet vulnerable; prickly yet affectionate; she could take everyone down but deep inside, she just wants to be loved.

While I felt like the last book in this series wandered a bit, The Soldier's Heart has perfect pacing--all leading up to its pair of smoking hot climaxes: Kelsa must convince the rebel mages and barbarian rulers to help her wage war against the Empress, while Minerva duels Corbin Destrus--the man she either loathes or loves.

In the first two books, we heard a lot about Corbin and Minerva, but in this book we flashback to see how they meet and progress from enemies to frenemies to lovers. It's dynamite.

My only negative reaction to this book is that it's a little crude and there's some sex scenes that made me a little squeamish. But on that note, when Corbin and Minerva finally come together, it's described in so few words, as a thing so clean and fitting, that it's a relief and it feels so right after all the messy love affairs in previous pages. Corbin and Minerva feel meant to be.

I'm eager to see where Kelsa's and Minerva's stories go in the next book--when I assume a lot of things will come to a head and there will be a day of reckoning for everyone: country girl, soldier, empress, and mage.

Rating:

Until tomorrow.

Just the Right Amount of "Wack"™

Quests and Quandaries by Alda Yuan

Title: Quests and Quandaries

Series: The Floating Isles (Book 1)

Author: Alda Yuan

Publisher: Khanda Books

Published: 2018

Before progressing any further, I would like to define the word "wack" as used in this review. Wack: super weird, peculiar, rather odd. Okay, continue reading.

Goodreads Blurb: The Floating Isles were created millions of years ago when a beetle the size of a continent churned up mud from the seabed for a perch. And things have only gotten weirder since.This is a tongue in cheek account of a princess forced to go on a quest, very much against her will. With the proverbial band of sidekicks at her side, Rahni leaves the familiar comforts of home for the mysterious Eigen States, a place where, of course, nothing is as it seems. Or else it wouldn't be much of a quest. Rahni is determined not to let the laws of the land dictate anything, least of all how seriously she has to take the whole matter. Her dearest wish is to get through the quest with as few near scrapes and mortal enemies as possible. If she has to go on a quest, she wants it to be bland, with no nonsense about holding the fate of the world in her hands. Naturally, nothing goes quite as she plans. But what else is new?

My Thoughts: This book was a riot right from the start. Rahni, the main character, is cursed, by her own parents, to go on a quest. Apparently they were at their wits end, and hoped this was the answer. They even provide her with her quest-mates to help speed  along the process, and then dump her out in the river. Honestly, they really hindered more than helped. 

I loved this book. Not only were the footnotes hilarious (but hard to flip to on a kindle), but the descriptions, dialogue, and general setting was so ridiculous it was genius. The world descriptions reminded me of Terry Pratchett's Discworld. I mean, The Floating Isles are not round, but flat, and hang suspended in the air by way of massive wires. Go figure.

Goblins that wear masks to keep up appearances and refer to a storybook for guidelines? Evil Overlords that hire actors to portray them in the field? A locked up princess who killed her own monster and then made a rope of  its hair? This book has them all. The scope of belief that the reader must adopt while enjoying this book is immense, and I, for one, am here for it. Also, the amount of magical swords Rahni received from completing side quests is what I wish would happen in my D&D game . . . 

While I will admit that at times the story got "super wack"™, looking at you elephant goddess etc. scene, the rest of the time it kept to "pretty wack"™, which was just the right amount, in my opinion. Hats off to you Alda Yuan. (Do you prefer Alda or Yuan?)

Did I enjoy this book? Yes. Would I recommend it to my friends? Yes. Do I wish the footnotes were at the bottom of the page instead of the back of the book? YES. Alda, (I've decided we're on a first name basis apparently) I don't know if that's possible, but please look into it.

Buy Quests and Quandaries on Amazon

Rating:

Sisters, lovers, rivals: Review of The Dragon's Mercy by Jeffrey Bardwell

Title: The Dragon's Mercy

Series: The Mage Conspiracy (Book #2)

Author: Jeffrey Bardwell

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 299

Buy The Dragon's Mercy

You can also currently get the first book, The Knight's Secret, for free

What Goodreads has to say:

The Red Dragon Warrior, a tactician without peer, awakens from a shrouded dream in a cold, dark alley. Her ex-lover Corbin kneels by her side, but where is her treacherous, fire-slinging twin? The soldier's hazy world snaps into focus when Corbin reveals the fate of their regiment. They are the sole survivors . . . including her sister. 

Kelsa is done merely surviving. This fledgling hero wants to fight. After Kelsa rescues the Blue Dragon Warrior, a mage without hope, from the dungeons of a vengeful empress, the pair struggle to evade their pursuers. Kelsa girds herself for a losing battle. The old mage hides behind the disguise of her sister's ex-lover and imbues the brash, young woman with the clever spirit of her long dead twin. Kelsa's flashing eyes are replaced by something soft and sly as the Rose of the Imperial Army flips her hair and struts into danger. 

Step into the realm of The Dragon's Mercy, the second fantasy adventure in The Mage Conspiracy series. Discover a world of lurid entanglements and deadly intrigue where lies cut deeper than any sword.

What I have to say:

A book by Jeffrey Bardwell is always a good time: exciting, dangerous, gritty, and multi-layered. As you might expect if you've read Rotten Magic and/or The Knight's Secret, The Dragon's Mercy is fast-paced, entertaining, and psychologically intense. 

That said, it's not my favorite of his novels (yep, that's still Rotten Magic, which I LOVE) and I think I prefer the first novel in this series--The Knight's Secret--which was a killer story, to this one.

I realize that there was a lot of backstory in this novel, and maybe that makes sense for the second book in a series, now that I think about it. I also realize that the characters went on an emotional/psychological journey and there was important character development that happened. Still, when I finished this book I felt like nothing was accomplished. 

The characters spend most of the book evading capture and trying to escape the city, to little avail. They also spend a lot of time talking when it seems like they should be, I don't know, running for their lives?

But back to what I loved about this book, which was quite a bit. I found the flashbacks fascinating, when we go back into the characters' memories and see the childhood of Minny and May (Minerva and Maven). 

The twin sisters' conflicted relationship forms the center of this book, and I found their bond / rivalry deeply compelling. They were best friends that could read each other's thoughts, and yet, they were also rivals: for attention, for success, and finally, for the man Corbin Destrus. 

This all gets pretty messed up when one of the sisters--Maven--impersonates Corbin Destrus and doesn't let the other sister--Minerva--in on the secret. (You can imagine the awkwardness that ensues.)

Minerva the soldier is a compelling character, as is Maven the mage. Clever, determined, ambitious, and deeply flawed (I'm all about those flawed characters: see every review I've ever written), they demand the reader's respect, even if we can't quite come to love them. 

At the same time, both sisters have such a thirst for success and such a need for love that we can't help seeing something of ourselves in them, and maybe even finding something to love--or at least empathize with.

Meanwhile, Kelsa takes a backseat to the two larger-than-life sisters. I imagine that girl is going to go through some identity crises in the future, now that she's magically impersonated Corbin and Minerva for extended periods of time. 

Then again, Kelsa's pretty boss and I feel like she can probably handle it. Still, I'm interested to see what happens to her character in the coming books, and hoping she gets to take the spotlight as Kelsa eventually. 

All in good time, though--the buildup is pretty intense and I wouldn't trade it.

Rating:

Until tomorrow.