Tag: Novel

Time of the Witches

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Time of the Witches by Anna Myers
Genres: Historical
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-545-22863-3
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

An orphan named Drucilla finally has a place to call home with the Putnam family in Salem. Although her adopted mother is strange – haunted by a troubled past – Dru feels drawn to her as the mother she never had. When a new reverend and his family move into town with their servant, Tituba, life takes a strange turn as young girls begin to fall ill and accusations of witchcraft begin to swirl. Reluctant to turn her back on the Putnams or her peers and overwhelmed by the power of groupthink among the other girls in town, Dru becomes one of the accusers herself. But when her best friend, Gabe, is accused, she must find a way to end the hysteria, or risk losing him forever.

Personal & Info

I got this as something to try for a spooky season read. It’s a stand alone historical fiction story. The story itself is fiction, because Dru and Gabe were created for the book, but apparently many of the characters are based on real people. There’s an author’s note in the back that explains a little about the real life events, and shows a listing of who died and how. So, while I didn’t know going into it, this book is actually a fictional retelling of actual Salem witch trial deaths.

This post is two months late, but I did indeed read it in October.

Content Warnings

-Death. There are many deaths in the book, including adults and infants.

-Slavery. The new minister has two.

-Abuse. Slaves and housekeepers are not treated well. Drucilla also suffers obvious mental abuse at the hands of her new mother.

Characters

Drucilla Overbey, who mostly goes by Dru, is the main character. The story covers her life from birth until about fifteen or sixteen. She can play the lute and she’s good at putting plans into action or taking action when necessary.

Gabriel Matson is Dru’s best friend. He’s practically her twin brother, because they share a birthday and grew up together raised by all of the same parents. Gabe is book smart and logical. He tends to be a voice of reason for Dru, but he doesn’t always understand the emotional perspective.

Mrs. Ann Putnam is the wife and mother in the family that takes in Dru. She is obviously mentally unwell, but can occasionally be kind. Her personality toward Dru is a good example of a toxic relationship.

Mr. Thomas Putnam is the husband and father in the family that takes in Dru. He seems to stay out of most drama and spends his time outside working. He seems like a kind man, but his flaw is that he does whatever his wife wants, even if he disagrees with her.

Ann Putnam is the eldest daughter in the family that takes in Dru. She’s about three years younger than Dru and takes after her mother in many ways.

Thomas Junior and Elizabeth are the youngest children in the Putnam house. Elizabeth is the youngest, and for a time, the apple of her mother’s eye. Both of them bond strongly with Dru, because she spends significant time babysitting and tutoring them.

Rose is the housekeeper at Thomas Putnam’s house. She hates them, but she must tolerate Mrs. Putnam’s abuse and all around unpleasantness, because she is working off a debt. Rose is probably the closest thing to a friend Dru has in the house.

There are a ton of other characters in the book, but I think the most important ones are the two primaries and Thomas’ branch of the Putnam family. We don’t see much of the family that takes in Gabe. Other characters, while they might be significant, don’t actually appear much. The majority of the story occurs in the house in which Dru lives.

Story & Thoughts

The first chunk of the book takes time to get the reader familiar with Dru and Gabe. It covers the events of their birth, their childhoods, and all the tragedies that occur around them as they are left behind by everyone they know and love. This section is important, because it shows how close Gabe and Dru are, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. They are different and opposites in many ways, but throughout out their childhood, they are the only constant in each other’s lives.

At age twelve, the two of them are separated for the first time since they were born. Gabe is sent to live with Mary Putnam, and Dru to live with Thomas Putnam’s family. These are two branches of the same family, and they are in a feud. This is where the story truly starts.

The story is slow. It never feels like much of anything is happening. I think the only reason I managed to read the whole book is because it does such a thorough job introducing Dru and Gabe.

There are no actual witches in the story. Instead, it covers the hysteria of what the time of the witch trials was probably like. Dru, against her own wishes, is pulled into the series of events that lead to everything spinning out of control. Everything is out of hand before she realizes what’s happening. The whole thing is a psychological nightmare revolving around the power of suggestion.

It’s clear at one point that the accusers don’t even care if they are correct, because they know they benefit from making the accusations. They claim they are accusing people on behalf of their religion, but there is just blatantly a time when someone says it’s basically an inconvenient time to accuse a person, so maybe that person can be a witch next year. It’s unclear if they fully realize what exactly they are doing, but it seems like they must know.

Overall, it’s an okay book. I likely won’t read it again, and it certainly was not what I was expecting. I was hoping for a book that actually included real magic in it. If Dru or somebody else turned out to actually be or become a witch, that would have made it far more interesting to me.

Marked

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Marked by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Series Name: House of Night
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-312-36026-9
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

ENTER THE DARK, MAGICAL WORLD OF THE HOUSE OF NIGHT, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been Marked as a fledgling vampyre and joins the House of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampyre. That is, if she makes it through the Change – and not all those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to Imprint her human ex-boyfriend. To add to her stress, she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers: When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny – with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Personal & Info

I’m going into this without reading any descriptions. I’ve heard so many people praise the series. When I found a few volumes cheaply at my local store, I made sure to grab them. All I know going into it is that it has something to do with vampires.

The shop links go to copies of the singular volume, but there are also box sets for the series. So, if you prefer to purchase your books in sets, you can easily find those on the same sites.

Content Warnings

-Teen deaths

-Insensitive language (This book is from 2007 so characters throw around words like “retarded” due to that being the type of language used at the time the book was written.)

-Sexual themes (The story mentions things like blowjobs and erotic dancing.)

-Bullying (The gay character experiences bullying, and the mean girl character bullies everybody.)

Characters

Zoey Redbird, original last name Montgomery, is the sixteen year old main character. Her heritage is Cherokee on her mother’s side through her grandmother, Sylvia Redbird. She has an older sister and a younger brother, and she doesn’t like either of them.

Stevie Rae Johnson is Zoey’s roommate from Henrietta, Oklahoma. She’s a true country girl with a love of country music, cowboy hats, and cowboy boots. Zoey considers her a “true Okie” because she speaks with a southern “twang.”

Erin Bates is a pretty blonde girl from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her best friend is her roommate Shaunee, because they are extremely similar in personality and share a shoe size.

Shaunee Cole is Erin’s roommate from Connecticut. They are so similar in personality and interests that they call each other “Twin.”

Damien Maslin is the guy friend in the group. He’s from Dallas, Texas, has a sophisticated vocabulary, and faces bullying due to being gay.

Aphrodite is the mean girl of the story. She’s the “it girl.” She’s blonde, pretty, gifted, and prone to inappropriate behavior. Her three friend followers are Pemphredo, Enyo, and Deino. The main friend group refers to these four people as the “hags from hell.”

Erik Night is Zoey’s new crush. He’s about six feet tall, and good at acting. Zoey describes his appearance as reminding her of Superman with the hair curl. He’s also apparently the hottest guy at school. Absolutely everyone fawns over him.

Neferet is the High Priestess of the House of Night. She has beautiful red hair and green eyes, an affinity for cats, and a gift for healing. Neferet is also Zoey’s mentor, and she teaches Vampyre sociology class.

There are many more characters with names: Zoey’s friends and family from before, various teachers and other students, cats, etc.

Story & Thoughts

The story takes place in Oklahoma. Zoey attends school at Broken Arrow South Intermediate High School, but quickly ends up having to transfer to the House of Night finishing school in Tulsa. The book starts off with her getting marked as a fledgling vampyre, and vampyre fledglings can’t survive on their own.

Based on what I gather from her friends and family in the beginning, becoming a fledgling is the best thing that could have possibly happened to Zoey. Her family no longer feels like a family, so she’s unhappy at home, and her friends don’t seem like they are actually friends. Her best friend Kayla isn’t a very good friend, because she keeps important secrets from her. I’m not sure how much Zoey really likes her either, considering she calls Kayla’s speech “K-babble.” On top of that, Zoey’s almost boyfriend is the star athlete of the school, but he’s taken up drinking alcohol as if it were also a sport.

The friends Zoey makes at the House of Night seem way better than the people she previously surrounded herself with. Erin, Damien, Shaunee, and Stevie Rae already have a wonderful friendship. When Zoey gets to her new school and meets her roommate’s friend group, she experiences a warm welcome, and finds great friends in them. There’s a level of trust she has with this group that there’s no possible way she could have had with her previous friends.

I like this book. It’s really easy to get into and hooked me in the first few pages. The characters are well done. The way they speak and act feels more solidly real than a lot of other books. I was similar in age to the characters around the time this book was published, and I can tell effort was made to make it seem authentic. Granted, I did not speak the same way these teens do, but I am well aware that the “cool kids” did indeed speak in a similar manner to what is portrayed in this book. It’s a little annoying at first, because it means not everything is as grammatically correct as most books. But, once it gets going it feels natural.

Vampyre lore in this particular world is a little different than the usual. First and most obvious, their faces are marked with a crescent moon. Most adults have elaborate forehead decorations adorning the crescent. It’s easy to identify a vampyre on sight.

They don’t burn up in the sun. Sunlight is unpleasant to them, but it doesn’t kill them. They don’t have fangs. The change from human to vampyre is triggered by a special combination of genetics and hormones. And, the weirdest to me, they’re allied with cats. Most lore usually says cats hate the undead, but I guess these vampyres are not really undead, or at least it doesn’t seem like they are.

I also find it interesting most of the names and culture for vampyres involves Greek mythology. Many kids choose to have Greek names. Their Goddess is Nyx, and their sociology class talks about many of the roles vampyres play throughout history. The one that jumps at me the most is that the Amazons were all apparently vampyres. That one bothers me, because it mentions the disproven fact about them removing a breast.

This is a series I definitely intend to read more of. There are plenty of plot hooks to keep the draw. Something mysterious is going on at the school. Zoey’s uniqueness as a Cherokee fledgling is ongoing, and the book ends with a drop of more intrigue.

My only real problem with the story is so minor, it doesn’t even matter. I don’t keep up with celebrities, so I pretty much have no idea who any of the famous people are that the characters mention. A celebrity comparison is used to describe how Aphrodite looks, and I had to look up a picture to see who they were talking about. Aside from that, my only gripe is that the book wastes paper by always making chapters start on the right page. If a chapter ends on the right page, the back side of the paper is blank to make sure the chapter starts on the side they want.

This Dark Endeavor

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This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel
Series Name: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Adventure, Historical, Horror
Intended Age Group: 12+
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0315-4
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

In this prequel to Mary Shelley’s gothic classic, Frankenstein, sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein begins a dark journey that will change his life forever. Victor’s twin, Konrad, has fallen ill, and no doctor can cure him. Unwilling to give up on his brother, Victor enlists his beautiful cousin Elizabeth and his best friend, Henry, on a treacherous search for the ingredients to create the forbidden Elixir of Life. Impossible odds, dangerous alchemy, and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.

Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science, and love – and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

Personal & Info

This novel is volume one of the duology, The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. It’s apparently a prequel to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I’ve never actually read any version of Frankenstein, so that means nothing to me. I’m only familiar with some random TV specials as far as the original story goes.

There are letters written in cursive throughout the story. From the sounds of things, that’s not common curriculum in schools anymore, so just make sure you’ll be able to read those going into this.

Content Warnings

-There might be enough low end gore description to bother someone squeamish.

-An animal dies in the story.

Characters

Victor Frankenstein is the main character. He has a thirst for adventure, and he is prone to melodrama, as well as wanting things his brother Konrad has.

Konrad Frankenstein is Victor’s older identical twin brother by only two minutes. He is sensible, charming, smart, and better at just about everything.

Elizabeth is a distant cousin to Victor and Konrad on their father’s side of the family. Despite everyone in the family being atheist, she chooses to be Roman Catholic. She is the love interest of the triangle, caught between Konrad and Victor. Both like her for different reasons. Elizabeth is both feminine and smart, as well as adventurous and feisty.

Henry Clerval is the best friend to the Frankenstein twins. He has multiple fears, including heights and claustrophobia, often paired with his overactive imagination. Adventure is not his calling, because he would rather write poetry or create plays.

Alphonse and Caroline Frankenstein are the parents to Victor, Konrad, and Elizabeth, as well as the two younger boys, Ernest and William. Caroline is about twenty years younger than Alphonse. Alphonse is one of the four magistrates in the republic of Geneva.

Julius Polidori is a wheelchair-bound alchemist the main group consults throughout the story.

Various doctors and house servants also appear throughout the novel.

Story & Thoughts

The initial setting of the story is Frankenstein manor located just outside of a town by the name of Bellerive. Victor, his twin brother Konrad, and their distant cousin Elizabeth, are all sixteen. They are well off, and home schooled by their father. The three of them grew up together, and their best friend Henry, a promising youth and son of a merchant, also studies with them. Henry also often stays with them whenever his father is out of town on business.

Their house is hundreds of years old, so they occasionally find secret rooms or passages. The place they find pertaining to the story is a room that starts Victor down the road to the mad scientist we all know. Victor gets drawn to the allure of alchemy, which will likely lead him down the path of controversial sciences.

Victor doesn’t actually start seriously looking into any of it until Konrad gets sick. There’s a time when doctors don’t have a clue what his illness is, or how to treat it. Victor, Elizabeth, and Henry decide to take it upon themselves to find or make a cure, the fabled Elixir of Life. Of course, it won’t be easy. They must adventure to find the ingredients, and anything that can go wrong, does go wrong. But, the adventures themselves give Victor a chance to dabble in alchemy. He follows recipes to create concoctions that will assist in their endeavors. It only takes one alchemical solution for him to realize he has an interest in the profession.

Elizabeth is the center of all romance in the book. Everyone adores her. Henry doesn’t wish to pursue his interest, but Victor and Konrad do. I’m actually surprised Elizabeth’s immediate interest is in Konrad. Konrad seems to think her weak and not cut out for adventure, while Victor thinks of her as more of an equal and fully accepts how capable she is.

Victor doesn’t always do the morally correct things. Whenever there is something he wants, he takes advantage of every deceit and opportunity that presents itself to him. He explains this by saying he is very passionate, but there seems to be something a little more unsettling hidden beneath that. Something that implies a crazed selfishness and envy, likely due to having an overly talented brother.

Part of the climax of the story is predictable. Early on, I speculated a possibility to myself, and that ended up being exactly what happened. However, because I did not look at the description for the second book, the actual ending caught me off guard. But, it makes sense for the direction the story needs to go.

I like this book enough to look into getting a copy of the second to finish the duology.

Beautiful Creatures

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Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Series Name: The Caster Chronicles
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Witches
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: Little, Brown/Hachette
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-316-04267-3
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous planation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Personal & Info

This is volume one of the Caster Chronicles, which is four volumes long.

I read this series back in 2013. Unfortunately, after I read it, I found out there are short stories between volumes that are digital only. This made me feel like I hadn’t gotten the complete story. I didn’t have a kindle or anything back then, either, but now I do, and I have the middle story parts as well. So, it’s time for a reread. I also have the sequel duology that I don’t want to read until I get through my reread with all the little middle stories.

Apparently, I never took any notes or wrote any reviews for my initial read, so this review will be based on my reread opinions only. The rating is an average of my original rating and and what I would currently rate it. It’s been ten years, but my first impression rating should still count for something.

Characters

Ethan Lawson Wate is the sixteen year old main character. He’s six foot two, on the school basketball team, and can’t wait to get out of boring small town Gatlin, South Carolina.

Amarie Treadeau, mostly known as Amma, is the grandmotherly housekeeper of the Wate household. She is barely five feet tall, smart, ornery, and dabbles in voodoo, which is obvious early on in the story. She comes from a long line of tarot readers, which she also does as a side business.

Wesley Jefferson Lincoln, who goes by Link, is Ethan’s best friend since the sixth grade. He has a car they refer to as the Beater. His mother, Martha Lincoln, is part of the DAR, a women’s group that runs the town.

Lena Duchannes (Du-Kane) is the love interest. She supplies most of the paranormal aspects to the story.

Macon Melchizedek Ravenwood is the local shut-in and Lena’s uncle. The townspeople of Gatlin fear him even though they never see him.

Dr. Marian Ashcroft is the head librarian, and the best friend to Ethan’s mother before her accident. She’s not from Gatlin, and is blatantly smarter than almost everyone else in town.

Ridley Duchannes is Lena’s cousin. She is one year older, and they grew up together like sisters. Their current relationship is a bit estranged.

There are tons more characters, but I’m not going to list them here. Most of them are extended family members for Ethan and Lena. The rest are classmates from Jackson High, or parents, with a small sprinkling of other less important people who only appear once or only get passing mentions.

Story & Thoughts

Beautiful Creatures takes place in the small town of Gatlin, South Carolina, where nothing surprising or interesting ever happens. The residents of Gatlin follow the negative stereotypes of xenophobia, mob mentality, and prideful confederate heritage. If you are not born and raised in their town, are a little different, or don’t agree with their glorification of the confederacy, they will hate you and try to drive you out of their town. It’s that kind of place.

The book starts off slow. Around fifty pages in, the story only just starts to get interesting after finally finishing the primary introductions to Gatlin and the community. That’s about the time Ethan starts interacting with Lena and weird stuff starts to happen. From there, the book dives into a slow burn romance with intrigue and research.

Lena is a caster, or witch, there isn’t much difference. Her sixteenth birthday is going to be an incredibly important event, but not in the way normal people have sweet sixteens. The problem is, she knows little to nothing regarding what will actually happen, and anticipates having no control over it. No one will tell her or Ethan anything helpful, because of the ridiculous idea of ignorance being safer. So, the whole book revolves around the growing romance between Lena and Ethan, while they stress and try to figure out how to change the possible worst case scenario.

I admit I probably liked this book better the first time around, but I still like it well enough. The writing is enjoyable, so the majority of the story, where it feels like not much is happening, doesn’t feel like it drags. I think the portrayal of the characters helps significantly with that. There are many, but they all seem to be done well. For me, whether or not the characters feel fleshed out or authentic often affects how tolerable any book is.

I genuinely like the story. I have no issues there. Lena is melodramatic, but she has good reason. It’s actually surprising to me that her family doesn’t take her concerns seriously. People don’t bother to comfort her, let alone tell her anything that will calm her down. It’s always just reassuring her everything is going to be fine without doing or saying anything to convince her of that.

My biggest gripe is with Ethan’s dad, Mitchell. I get that he’s grieving, but he’s doing it in a selfish way. He locks himself in the only room in the house anyone can feel close to Lila (Ethan’s mom), and nobody else is allowed to enter. Mitchell isn’t the only one who lost someone. Ethan did, too, but his dad doesn’t seem to care about that fact. They need to be there for each other. They should both have access to the room.

There is one line in the book I found so funny I had to set it down for a moment while I laughed at it. Someone threatened the possibility of a Wal-Mart opening in Gatlin and everyone was so aghast at the idea. I don’t know why, I just found it absolutely hilarious. That was the funniest thing in the whole book to me.

Ghost Dog Secrets

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Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret
Genres: Abuse, Contemporary, Ghosts
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-545-38989-1
Rating: 2.5/5
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Description from the Book

Every day, Rusty feeds an injured German shepherd that’s left chained outside in the cold with no shelter, food, or water. When he can’t get Animal Control to help, Rusty and his friend Andrew unchain the dog, named Ra, and take it to their secret hideout. Meanwhile, the ghost of a collie has been visiting Rusty, and Ra’s mean owner is making increasingly scary threats. The boys will need to figure out what the ghost dog is trying to tell them before it’s too late!

Personal & Info

This is a stand alone novel I got when filling a basket during a sale. It involves a ghost, so I saved it for spooky season.

I’m sure what everyone cares about most for information regarding any dog book is, “does the dog die?” No, the dog does not die. However, there is a ghost of a dog who did die, and the story eventually tells you how they died.

Content Warnings

This book contains themes involving animal abuse. The abuse itself is not shown, but the results of it are.

Characters

Rusty Larson is the main character. He’s in sixth grade and lives with his single mother.

Andrew Pinella is Rusty’s best friend. He contains a multitude of random trivia information.

Ra is the German shepherd the story focuses on.

Gerald Langston is a bully who also cheats off of Rusty at school. He seems to get away with everything and never receives punishment.

Mrs. Webster is Rusty’s teacher. She does her best to impart morally correct lessons and encourage community support.

Heidi Kellogg is the local animal control officer. She takes her job seriously and does not restrict herself to business hours.

Various other students and faculty also have names, but don’t play major roles in the story. Rusty’s mom and Andrew’s family members appear frequently, but are not specifically given names, except for Andrew’s little sister Wendy.

Story & Thoughts

This is a generally okay book. It’s under two hundred pages, and the story quality is decent. The events of the story are pretty simple and straight forward.

Rusty’s sixth grade class undertakes a project fundraising for the local animal shelter to help a bunch of dogs that were recently rescued from a puppy mill. At the same time, Rusty wants to help a German shepherd he noticed chained outside with no food, water, or shelter. He and his friend Andrew try to go through the right channels at first, but take things a step too far, leading to problems, but potentially saving the dog’s life before he can starve.

The simplicity makes it relatable. Any dog lover is either going to be angry or upset reading the parts where the book discusses animal abuse. It’s not as emotionally upsetting as some more renowned tragic animal stories, but it’s still stirring to read about Rusty and Andrew trying to help Ra before he can come to any more harm, or any other dogs can be hurt by the same person.

As for the ghost, it’s not malicious. The ghost is a helpful dog who wants the same thing they do. It’s the ghost of a collie, and it does what it can to show Rusty that help is needed or give warnings.

The reason I’m giving this a score lower than three is because it felt a little bland. Between events, the story needed to pass days of tedium and waiting. It felt like there were more of those than the climactic parts. The parts the blurb covers don’t even happen until closer to the middle of the book. The morals and information regarding the rescue of animals are good lessons for the story, though.

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall

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The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender
Genres: Ghosts, Horror, Mystery
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-545-91073-6
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Delia’s new house isn’t just a house. Long ago, it was an insane asylum nicknamed “Hysteria Hall.” However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.

But the House still wants to keep “troubled” girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia gets trapped.

And that’s when she learns that the house is also haunted.

Ghost girls wander the halls in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia finds that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, as well, harbors shocking truths within its walls – truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free.

But she’ll need to act quickly, before the house’s power overtakes everything she loves.

Personal & Info

This is a stand alone ghost story novel. I grabbed it one day while I was filling a basket at a book sale. It’s one of many books I got that I wouldn’t normally read, but got for the purpose of trying something new. Now that it’s September, it’s a good time to start reading spooky season novels, so it’s a great time to try things like this.

If I had to point out possible content warnings, I don’t think there really are any. It’s a ghost themed book. It’s obviously going to have themes around death, murder, and suicide. If you don’t like those themes, why would you be reading a ghost story in the first place? At worst, there’s a little girl who died, and they tell you how. I guess there’s technically child abuse to a ghost as well. The details surrounding Maria are probably the worst. Her disfigurement is a bit grotesque.

Characters

I’m choosing to leave some characters off of this list, and leaving out some details, to avoid spoilers and leave some mystery in tact.

Delia is the main character. She is approximately fifteen, and named after her great aunt on her father’s side of the family.

Janie is Delia’s younger sister. They have about a five year age gap. Janie is different than the rest of her family. She has the bluest eyes and the blondest hair compared to the muddier traits of her family, and her strong personality also sets her apart.

Nic is Delia’s best friend. They’ve been close since sixth grade.

Landon McKay is Delia’s ex-boyfriend. He’s not the greatest guy.

Brad, the dad, is obviously Delia’s father.

Lisa, the mom, is obviously Delia’s mother.

Eliza Duncombe is a ghost with a British accent, and one of Delia’s friends. She died in her pajamas.

Florence Beauregard is apparently the prettiest ghost in the house, and she speaks with a southern accent. She’s also one of Delia’s friends.

Theo Hawkins is a ghost who roams the grounds outside the house. He used to work for the government to survey properties for minerals that might be worth mining. He’s also one of Delia’s friends.

Maria is the disfigured ghost of a little girl who lives on the third floor.

Story & Thoughts

If I’m being entirely honest, this is the best ghost story I’ve ever read. That applies specifically to the time I’m typing this, and doesn’t mean much when you consider the fact I haven’t actually read a whole lot of ghost stories. But, I genuinely like this one. I think it’s very well done, and I only have a few gripes.

Since I mentioned them, I’ll start with my complaints. The big one is a trope that I tend not to like. It’s that whole, “why didn’t our child come to us with their problems,” thing. I hate that, because whenever it comes up, they either DID try to go to their parents about a problem, or they felt like they couldn’t for blatantly obvious reasons. In fact, I think I just don’t like Delia’s parents.

Brad and Lisa were incredibly dismissive of Delia’s fear. They didn’t so much as try to comfort her. Instead, she was accused of being dramatic. Not only that, but she only seems to have done one thing wrong, which was enough to make her parents treat her like what she did was habit. I get that there is the implication that her family isn’t as closely knit as it used to be, but the whole thing just doesn’t sit right with me.

My other issue is fairly minor. It felt like there was a significant amount of wasted time. Delia wasted so much time doing basically nothing. She originally wanted to find out which room was her aunt’s office, but she literally forgot about her goals for multiple years.

I’d say those things are pretty small when considering the story as a whole. The book did a great many things right in comparison. There’s a scene I think was done splendidly, but I can’t say what it is, because I don’t want to spoil anything. It involves Delia coming to terms with something early on in the book. You’ll probably know which one I mean when you come across it.

The story is sufficiently spooky where it needs to be. That’s one of the issues I tend have with most ghost stories. They’re usually not eery enough, or not written in a way that gets the intended mood across well.

I didn’t figure out the mystery part until the story gave the answer, either. The plot twists were sufficiently twisty and unexpected.

One of my favorite things about the book was the unique traits of the ghosts. They didn’t get touched on for more than three of them, though, unfortunately. The ghosts have specific sounds, odors, or visual effects depending on how they lived or died. I thought those were cool details.

Rogue Knight

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Rogue Knight by Brandon Mull
Series Name: Five Kingdoms
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4424-9704-7
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Cole Randolph never meant to come to the Outskirts, but when his friends were kidnapped on Halloween he had to try to save them. Now he’s trapped in a world that lies between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death.

Cole’s hunt for his lost friends has led him to the kingdom of Elloweer. Accompanied by new friends Mira, Twitch, and Jace, Cole teams up with the resistance movement and joins the search for Mira’s sister Honor.

But Elloweer has grown unstable. A mysterious enemy is wiping out towns, leaving no witnesses or survivors. And an infamous rebel known throughout the kingdom as the Rogue Knight is upsetting the balance of power.

With enemies in pursuit, Cole and Mira must resort to a fascinating new kind of magic to protect themselves. Every move is filled with danger as Cole and his friends try to outwit the High King, who will stop at nothing to regain what he has lost.

Personal & Info

This is volume two of the Five Kingdoms series. Odds are, if you’re reading this, you already know that, because you’ve likely already read the first one. If not, I’m including a link you can use to check out my review for the first volume instead to avoid reading any spoilers in this one.

The gap between reading the first and second books is longer than I would have liked, but thankfully Rogue Knight includes some refreshers in the beginning.

Content Warnings

Slavery is a big industry in the Outskirts. If you don’t like elements of slavery in your stories, this series is not for you.

Mira and her sisters have more years than they look, but not in a creepy way. They are children, and think of themselves as children, despite their number of years. Any crushes regarding these characters are not intended to be creepy. The idea is they are as old as they claim to be, because they have never been any other age. I can see how this might still upset some people, so just use your own discretion.

Characters

Cole Randolph is the main character. He’s in sixth grade, and shorter than most in his class. At this point in the story, his weapon of choice is a jumping sword. Unfortunately, Sambrian items don’t work in Elloweer.

Jace was a scout for the Sky Raiders. He’s moody, arrogant, and rash, but has a good heart. He now likes scaring his friends as a hobby. At least he no longer teases in the same mean ways as before.

Mira, also known as Miracle Pemberton, is an eleven year old girl who has been hiding from her father for decades. She is one of the High Shaper’s daughters, and did not age during the time her powers were missing.

Twitch, whose real name is Ruben, was a scout for the Sky Raiders. He’s from Elloweer and has a cautious personality. In Elloweer, he has grasshopper legs, wings, and antennae, because he is a race called grinaldi. Outside of Elloweer, Twitch has to use a ring to access his grinaldi form and abilities.

Dalton is Cole’s best friend. He stresses easily and tends to be anxious. He can create seemings, so he studies in Elloweer.

Joe is a member of the resistance, also referred to as the unseen. He warns Mira about impending danger in the first book, and helps out significantly as one of the gang in this one.

Skye Ryland is a member of the resistance. She’s also a fugitive, and one of the best illusionists in Elloweer.

Honor, or Nori, is Mira’s second oldest sister. She prefers to keep her hair short, and shows great skill with swords and bows. As her name implies, she is an honorable and brave person.

There are more characters, but these are the significant ones worth mentioning that do not spoil anything.

Story & Thoughts

The first book takes place in Sambria, where the gifts they use are referred to as shaping. This one continues where that one leaves off, with the group traveling in an auto-coach. Our heroes are Elloweer-bound to rescue Mira’s sister Honor. New country, new way of shaping. Sambrian shaping does not work in Elloweer. Ellowine shapers are referred to as enchanters. They’re illusionists who make seemings, and have similarities to magicians.

Once the story gets going, it’s hard to put it down. There are so many twists and turns and interesting developments. It isn’t just defeat the monster and get the power back like the first one. There are multiple problems to deal with, and new information that will contribute to the story to come.

Some of the story puzzles are easy to guess the answer. One mystery is to figure out the Rogue Knight’s identity. I wrote down my theory as I was reading, and I got it right. Another mystery is a game Jace, Cole, and Mira must play. Based on the description, I immediately knew the correct answer. So, the mysteries are not difficult, but that’s fine.

I like this book more than the first one. Sky Raiders is good, but it has all the base world building to slow it down. This one moves much faster since that world building is already done. Instead, this volume only has to cover the lore pertinent to Elloweer and enchanters. There’s also far more action. The governing system of Elloweer relies on knights and sword fighting, so the adventure in this instance is more violent. People get hurt or die often. But, don’t worry, none of the descriptions are particularly gory. The book is for kids, after all.

I also love the idea of the confidence lounge. This series is fantastic for D&D inspiration. There are a lot of things in the story that can easily be applied to a D&D setting. As a nerd who’s just getting started on learning how to run a game, I’m always looking for more ideas, and I’m constantly amazed by the things I find in the Five Kingdoms.

The Hunger Pains: A Parody

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The Hunger Pains: A parody by The Harvard Lampoon
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Dystopia, Parody, Sci-Fi
Intended Age Group: Young Adult
Publisher: Touchstone/Simon & Schuster
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4516-6820-9
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

When Kantkiss Neverclean replaces her sister as a contestant on the Hunger Games – the second-highest rated reality TV show in Peaceland, behind Extreme Home Makeover – she has no idea what to expect.

Having Lived her entire life in the telemarketing district’s worst neighborhood, the Crack, Kantkiss feels unprepared to fight to the death while simultaneously winking and looking adorable for the cameras. But when her survival rests on choosing between dreamy hunk from home, Carol Handsomestein, or doughy klutz, Pita Malarkey, Kantkiss discovers that the toughest conflicts may not be on the battlefield but in her own heart…which is unfortunately on a battlefield.

Personal & Info

This book is a parody novel of The Hunger Games. It’s fairly short, at about 157 pages. I’ve seen several parody movies of things, but never read a parody novel. My curiosity won out and made me grab this book, since it was cheap.

Based on the appearance of the book alone, I’m impressed. The cover is essentially identical to the source material, except for the position of the bird. Not only that, but the chapter and page numbers are also decorated with the same touches as the Hunger Games novel. Effort was obviously made to make it visually recognizable as a parody and to give the pages the same feel.

Characters

As usual for a parody, the characters have silly and ridiculous names that sound close enough to the original to work out who is which original character. I’m only going to list a few of them as examples, because learning the names is part of the comedy.

Kantkiss Neverclean – Katniss Everdeen

Pita Malarkey – Peeta Mellark

Carol Handsomestein – Gale Hawthorne

Cinnabon – Cinna

Effu Poorpeople – Effie Trinket

I’m sure you get the idea.

Story & Thoughts

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this. A novel parody can’t be the same as you would expect a movie parody to be, right? Wrong. This book is exactly what I expect movie parodies to be. In fact, this book should have been a movie instead of a novel.

The majority of the comedy is based on low intelligence and gags that would be way better as visuals. For example, there’s a scene where Kantkiss and Carol are harvesting a cow, and they pull out T-bone steaks and things that a butcher would obviously have to prepare. That scene would go over better with visual props.

Using the buffoon main character trope is taking the easy and boring way to write comedy. Kantkiss is so ridiculously unintelligent that she doesn’t know how to sit on a sofa. She misunderstands everyone else’s feelings and hopelessly sees the good in people to the point of misinterpreting everything they say. Her thoughts and behavior imply she’s so deranged that it’s amazing she could have even survived to become a teenager in the first place. It felt like the writers were either trying way too hard to make things funny, or weren’t trying hard enough.

There are some good gags in the book, though. Changing the specialties of the districts to stuff like telemarketing and theater was pretty funny. Haymitch’s parody character having a gambling problem instead of a drinking problem as an ongoing joke was pretty good, too. There just wasn’t a good balance of the good gags versus the blatantly silly stuff.

If I had to describe what the overall comedy is like, I think it’s a bit juvenile for the age group. People under fifteen might think it’s hilarious, but people over fifteen might think it’s meh. But obviously that also depends on your taste in comedy. I prefer things a bit more witty, but if you like things a bit more idiotic, this might be something you’d enjoy.

I think I would have liked this more if it were a movie. My expectations are a bit different for a book. I can’t exactly say I like it, but I can’t really say I don’t either. I’ll likely keep it as a novelty for my Hunger Games set.

Content Warnings

There’s obviously violence in this book because, duh, The Hunger Games, but there’s something specific that might bother some people. A baby dies in a rather violent manner.

Book Haul July 2023

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About

All books in this haul are pre-owned.

Due to the large size of my book hauls recently, it’s clear the way I type them is a bit inefficient. From here on out, I will be typing them the same way I do manga hauls. Books will be listed alphabetically by series name and volume number, and I will put the individual titles in the descriptions. This will group all relevant things together, so the information and connected novels will not be scattered throughout the haul.

I also like the system I used last month for organizing the piles, so I will be sticking to that when the hauls are large. The pile system in the picture from left to right:
-Volume ones to try
-Series which I still need the first volume
-Stand alone
-Series including first volumes and up.
-Later volumes in series I already own

Bloodline, Vol. 2 by Kate Cary

Bloodline is a duology. I’ll try almost anything that involves vampires or werewolves, so I just need the first volume, titled Bloodline, and then I can read the entire duology. The book in this haul, Reckoning, is the second volume.

What is it?

A historical vampire fantasy.

Blue Bloods, Vol. 2, 3, 4, 5, & 5.5 by Melissa De La Cruz

Blue Bloods is a vampire series I’ve been meaning to try. I saw this chunk of books on the shelf and just grabbed them all. Now I just need volume one, and then I will have a large chunk of the series to find out if I like it. The series is nine books long, possibly ongoing, and has some middle volumes.

The titles for this lot are: 2 – Masquerade, 3 – Revelations, 4 – The Van Alen Legacy, 5 -Misguided Angel, and 5.5 – Bloody Valentine.

What is it?

A vampire fantasy.

Circus Mirandus, Vol. 1 by Cassie Beasley

This is volume one of a duology. It doesn’t appear to have a series name aside from simply the name of the first book. It sounded interesting, so I grabbed it as something to try.

For those interested, volume two is called The Bootlace Magician.

What is it?

A middle grade fiction involving a circus and real magic.

Codebearers, Vol. 2 & 3 by The Miller Brothers

Hunter Brown and the Eye of Ends and Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire are the second and third volumes of the Codebearers trilogy. I know absolutely nothing about it, but only one book is missing, so I figured it was cheap enough to try. Christian fiction is not really my thing, but it’s not always bad, so I’ll find out if this series is a hit or a miss when I read it. It stood out to me on the shelf because the series uses weird 3D art for the covers, which looks super corny.

What is it?

Sounds like some kind of Christian fantasy adventure.

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

I think this is a stand alone. It’s not super long, and it’s published by Scholastic, so it’s likely not very terrifying. I’ll probably read this around October for a spooky story.

What is it?

A ghost horror mystery.

Dragonlance: Chronicles, Vol. 4 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, & The New Adventures, Vol. 2 by Jeff Sampson

I’m slowly collecting the Dragonlance universe books, and I think I have maybe nine, so far. That does not include these two. When I saw these on the shelf, I had no idea what they were. They didn’t look like any Dragonlance books I’d ever seen from my research, but the collection is massive, so I figured better to grab them than not.

To the Gates of Palanthas says it’s volume four of Chronicles, but I’m well aware that series is a trilogy, which I already own. I wasn’t sure if there was another Chronicles it was referring to. It turns out, this book is a shorter copy of part of the story. It’s part two of the second book, Dragons of Winter Night. So, I don’t actually need this book, but it’s cool to know they printed it in this format. It looks like it’s intended as a way for younger readers to have an easier time reading the usually lengthy books.

Wizard’s Betrayal says it’s volume two of The New Adventures, or Trinistyr Trilogy. Despite looking similar to the book mentioned above, this one is not a smaller divvied version of something else. So, I actually did needed a copy of this. I’ll find volume one of this trilogy some other time. It appears to be out of print, so I’ll have to poke around for some cheaper prices.

What is it?

A fantasy universe inspired by Dungeons & Dragons.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

I’ve seen the movie for this, but never read it. Books tend to be better, so I want to see how this one compares.

Apparently this is technically part of a series. It appears to be a stand alone novel, but it has a prequel book, Ogre Enchanted, that can be read on its own. There’s also an unofficial sequel called Fairest. I’m not sure if there are more, but these three can at least be read by themselves individually, so that’s good.

What is it?

A fairy tale retelling of Cinderella.

The Faelin Chronicles, Vol. 2 by C. Aubrey Hall

The Call of Eirian is the second book of The Faelin Chronicles trilogy. It looked interesting at a quick glance, so I grabbed it. I will have to get volume one, Crystal Bones, before I can start reading the series.

What is it?

A fantasy starring twins who are half-fae and half-human.

Gifted, Vol. 1 by Marilyn Kaye

Out of Sight, Out of Mind is volume one of the Gifted series. It’s a first volume, and it’s paranormal, so that was enough for me to grab it. Gifted appears to be a six book series.

What is it?

Sounds like a paranormal school setting involving supernatural powers.

House of Night, Vol 6, 7, & 8 by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

These volumes are (in order) Tempted, Burned, and Awakened. They are part of the House of Night series, which I have not yet read, but I’ve heard very good things about. I already have the first four books, so I didn’t see the harm in grabbing these three, since they were so cheap. If I get volume five, I have a significant buffer to find out if I like the series or not.

All three of these books are hardcover, but Awakened is missing the dust jacket, which actually isn’t that bad since the under-cover looks fine. I broke my own policy for these, because I figured it doesn’t matter if they are so cheap. Usually I wouldn’t buy hardcover books if I already started the series as paperbacks. Hopefully that won’t drive me up the wall later.

What is it?

A vampire fantasy.

Niebla, Vol. 1 by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The Prince of Mist is volume one of the Niebla series, also known as Mist. It’s a trilogy, and I grabbed it as something to new to try. The description sounded interesting enough.

What is it?

Sounds like some kind of historical mystery, possibly involving a ghost.

The Osserian Saga, Vol. 2 & 3 by David Forbes

The Amber Wizard, volume one of this series, is in my June haul from last month. The series is a trilogy, so these two volumes complete the set. I have not read any of it, yet, but if I end up liking it, I now have all of it at my disposal.

Volume two: The Words of Making

Volume three: The Commanding Stone

What is it?

A fantasy series, probably involving magic.

The Princess Diaries, Vol. 6 by Meg Cabot

The Princess Diaries is a lengthy series that appears to be ongoing. I think it’s about twelve-ish volumes right now. I already have the first three for sure, but have not yet read them. This one is volume six, Princess in Training. I figured it couldn’t hurt to grab it for the low price just in case I like the series, less for me to have to worry about getting later.

What is it?

A coming of age story, I think, possibly with some romance.

Ranger’s Apprentice, Vol 2 by John Flanagan

The Burning Bridge is book two of the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This sixteen book series has been on my list for a while, and I already have the first volume, so when I saw the second one, I made sure to grab it. I don’t particularly need it right away, but it never hurts to have an extra volume or two to be able to read more of a series quickly.

The first volume, The Ruins of Gorlan, was in my End of 2022 haul.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Rats of Nimh, Vol. 2 by Jane Leslie Conly

The first volume, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, was included back in my February haul. Rasco and the Rats of Nimh is volume two, and I just happened to find it. That gives me two out of three.

The first book is written by a different name than the other two. A quick google search tells me the sequels are written by the daughter of the original author. I’ve only read one series where another author took over, and I didn’t like that one, so this should be interesting.

Serafina, Vol. 2 by Robert Beatty

Serafina is a four volume series. Serafina and the Twisted Staff is volume two. The store did not have the first volume, but it was so cheap it was worth getting the second book first. When I get the first one later, I’ll have half the series to figure out if I like it.

The first volume is called Serafina and the Black Cloak.

What is it?

A middle grade historical fiction with fantasy and mystery elements.

Tomorrow Girls, Vol. 1, 2, & 4 by Eva Gray

These books have been on the shelf every time I’ve gone to the store. I debated on grabbing them a few times. Nobody else ever grabbed them, so I decided to go for it this time. The fact one and two are here gives me a bit to try, and if I decide I like the series, I can track down volume three. Apparently the series is only four books long, anyway.

The titles of these volumes are: 1 – Behind the Gates, 2 – Run for Cover, and 4 – Set Me Free.

What is it?

Some kind of dystopia.

Waterfire Saga, Vol. 2 by Jennifer Donnelly

Rogue Wave is volume two of the Waterfire Saga. The cover art for this book is pretty, so that’s what caught my attention. Waterfire is an interesting title for a series, so I’m curious to find out what it’s all about. The series is four books long.

The first book, which I will need to get to be able to start the series, is titled Deep Blue.

What is it?

A mermaid fantasy.

Wait Until Midnight

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Wait Until Midnight by Amanda Quick
Genres: Historical, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Jove/Berkly/Penguin Group (USA)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 0-515-13862-2
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Gentle Reader,

It could have been a scene from one of my novels. As a rule, respectable ladies do not accept calls from Mysterious Gentlemen on business of the most grave importance – but I confess that I was possessed of a lively curiosity. The past three years had been so determinedly dull, I hoped Mr. Adam Hardesty would offer a tiny respite from it. Indeed, upon first glance, Mr. Hardesty had such a formidable, thrilling presence, he quickly became the model for the villain in the sensation novel I was currently writing.

Imagine my shock and distress then, when Mr. Hardesty accused me of being party to a plot of murder, blackmail, and general villainy! I knew nothing of such occurrences, and proclaimed my innocence. Unfortunately, Mr. Hardesty left unconvinced, and I had an uneasy feeling over what his search would uncover. You see, Gentle Reader, though I live a most uneventful life now, my past contained a Great Scandal that would be ruinous if resurrected. To protect my secrets from Mr. Hardesty’s investigation, I concluded that I would need to conduct an inquiry of my own, and if that meant sharing my findings with Mr. Hardesty, so be it. And my course of action had nothing whatsoever to do with the illicit, passionate feelings that he aroused in me – feelings that propriety would definitely frown upon…

Yours most sincerely,
Caroline Fordyce

Personal & Info

While I only gave this three stars, it’s a good three stars. I consider books from this author to be comfort reads.

This stand alone book has psychical themes, but there are no real psychics in it. It simply takes place during a time when seances and psychic demonstrations were popular. They are all parlor tricks, so if you’re not into paranormal, it should still be fine for you to read this book.

The character list for this book is very long. I did my best to list all of the ones I feel are important, and the ones I recall making any kind of appearance that might be significant. There are more named characters than the ones I listed here. If I forgot to put them down, they likely were not important. Whether or not the murderer’s name is on the list, I will not say.

Characters

Caroline Fordyce is the leading lady. She’s a sensation novelist whose stories are published weekly in the Flying Intelligencer.

Adam Hardesty is the leading man. He comes from a poor background, which gives him a unique set of skills. Julia, Jessica, and Nathan are his adopted siblings.

Wilson Grendon is a wealthy, elderly widower. He took in Adam and his siblings and passes them off as his own distant relatives.

Emma is Caroline’s aunt and only living blood relative. She dresses plainly and presents a tall and severe appearance, with a matching personality.

Milly is Caroline’s aunt, but not a blood relative. She is short and wears brightly colored clothing, which matches her optimistic and cheerful personality.

Julia is Adam’s adoptive sister. She is married to Robert, the Earl of Sourthwood, with two children.

Robert is the Earl of Southwood. He is married to Julia, and they have two children. Robert is essentially a quiet and thoughtful man.

Mrs. Plummer is Caroline’s housekeeper.

Morton is Adam’s butler.

Elizebeth Delmont is the initial murder victim. She is spiritualist who hosts seances and spends time at the Society for Psychical Investigations.

Julian Elsworth is a fashionable practitioner of psychical powers. People consider him to be very attractive. He conducts his business in private homes in only the most exclusive circles.

Durward Reed is the President of the Society for Psychical Investigations and publisher of the newspaper New Dawn. He owns the mansion, Wintersett House, that the society uses as its headquarters.

Harold Filby is Adam’s fashionable and bespectacled man of business. He runs all kinds of errands and gathers information.

Ned is Adam’s coachmen. He’s worked for Adam for a long time.

Irene Toller is another spiritualist. She is Elizebeth Delmont’s rival in business.

Bess Whaley is Irene’s housekeeper and assistant.

Mr. Spraggett is Caroline’s publisher, described as a nervous, wiry, and balding man.

Gilbert Otford is a correspondent for the Flying Intelligencer. He wrote an article about Caroline claiming she has psychical powers.

Story & Thoughts

This book took way longer than I intended to read. No fault to the quality, I’ve just had a lot going on. As with most books by this author, this is a murder mystery. The murder is introduced at the beginning and the whole book is a romance based around the investigation.

It’s actually pretty interesting, because the majority of books I read by this author are about psychics. Psychics with actual talents, I mean. This book is only about frauds, psychics who use tricks and mechanisms to make people think they have powers. It’s an interesting flip from the usual content.

The book also follows the author’s standard storytelling formula. There’s both a murder and a backstory issue. Both get resolved by the end of the book. Some people don’t like writers who have a consistent formula for their stories. If that’s you, then consider this your warning so you know this author, and all her other pseudonyms, uses a consistent formula. I think that’s one of the things that makes them feel like comfort reads, but I understand not everyone relates to that.

The whole of the story is pretty straight forward, so I don’t have much to say about it. I do think it’s important to note that I had no idea who the villain of the story was until the story pointed them out. While it’s not always a bad thing to know who the villain is early, it’s nice to be surprised at the end. It really had me going, thinking I knew who the culprit was, then threw a curveball. Although, the more I think about it, the more I realize there were clues that pointed to them that I didn’t connect until after. So, there is the possibility to figure things out earlier than I did.

I think the most amusing thing in the story is how fixated Adam gets on the fact Caroline finds him inspirational for the villain of her novel. He doesn’t read her novel, but he can’t help thinking of the villain as literally himself whenever someone talks about it. It offends him to no end, and he can’t help interjecting possible hopes for the character or disgust for any unjust actions. The whole situation had me giggling whenever it came up, and during the first half of the book, it’s quite frequent.