Tag: Novel

Book Haul June 2023

fantasticfictionsblog

About

This haul is significantly larger than usual, because my local store is having a sale to clear out a bunch of their used books. All except one book in this haul are from my local store’s sale. I think the price of each book comes out to be about forty-four cents.

The pile system in the picture from left to right:
-Volume ones to try
– Books in which I still need the first volume
-Stand alones
-Series in which the pile includes first volumes and up.
-Later volumes in series I already own

The Wizard’s Jokebook doesn’t fit into any of those categories, so I just put it in front by itself.

Above the Veil by Garth Nix

This is volume four of The Seventh Tower. Volumes two through five are in this haul. I will have to get volume one later.

What is it?

A fantasy.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

I’ve seen this book popping up in the lists of what my circle of friends have read, so I figured I’d try it. Apparently there’s a movie, too. I did not know that. If Tim Burton was involved, it must be good. Also, this appears to be part of a duology. Volume two is called The Last American Vampire.

What is it?

A paranormal historical fiction.

Aenir by Garth Nix

Aenir is volume three of the Seventh Tower series. Volumes two through five are in this haul. I’ll have to get the first book later.

What is it?

A fantasy.

The Amber Wizard by David Forbes

I don’t know anything about this, but it mentions a wizard, and I like magic, so that’s good enough for me to give it a try. It’s the first volume of The Osserian Saga, which appears to be a trilogy.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

This is volume one of the Robert Langdon series. I’ve heard good things about this book and the more well known sequel, The Davinci Code. Apparently you can read the books individually as stand alone novels, but I’d rather read them in order.

What is it?

I think it’s a mystery.

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

This book is the first volume of the Farseer Trilogy. I managed to find the entire trilogy at the store, so I have the whole thing in case I like it. The only part I’m missing is the prequel, which isn’t immediately important.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb

The Farseer Trilogy ends with this third volume. There’s an additional prequel totaling four books, but I don’t have that and will worry about it when or if I actually need it.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Battle of the Beasts by Chris Columbus & Ned Vizzini

This is volume two of the House of Secrets trilogy. I found volume two so cheap that it’s worth getting just to have more to read in case I like the first volume, which I will have to get later. I didn’t look too closely at any description aside from skimming it for volume one. It mentions the occult, so I grabbed it.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy.

Castle by Garth Nix

Castle is volume two of the series The Seventh Tower. This haul has volumes two through five. The store didn’t have volume one, so I’ll have to get that one later.

I have the Abhorsen series and love it, so I’m getting more Garth Nix books to try.

What is it?

A fantasy.

The Chestnut Soldier by Jenny Nimmo

This is volume three of The Magician trilogy, also known as the Snow Spider trilogy. Volume two is also in this haul. I will have to get the first one later.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy involving magic.

The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby

I think this is a stand alone novel. I just kind of grabbed it because it’s nice to have some things that are not part of a series to read. It has something to do with clocks and three children.

What is it?

A children’s historical fiction.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Crazy Rich Asians is a three book series. This is volume one. I’ve heard good things about it, and I’ve never seen the movie, so I grabbed it to fill space and have something to try.

What is it?

A contemporary fiction, possibly with some romance. I don’t really know much about it.

The Cursed Towers by Kate Forsyth

This is volume three of The Witches of Eileanan. I’m missing book four, The Forbidden Land.

What is it?

A fantasy, probably with magic.

Daemon Eyes by Camille Bacon-Smith

Daemon Eyes is a two in one edition of volumes one and two for the series Daemon Inc. There are three volumes total in the standard series, so if I like this book, I will only have to buy one more.

What is it?

Based on the description, it sounds like an urban fantasy mystery detective series.

A Dark Inheritance by Chris D’Lacey

The Unicorne Files is a trilogy, and this is volume one. I only skimmed half the description before grabbing the book. It’s published by Scholastic, so it’s appropriate for kids. I’m pretty sure unicorns don’t actually have anything to do with the story, and that the name likely represents the fantastical, since it’s the name of an organization.

What is it?

A paranormal mystery adventure.

The Dark Planet by Patrick Carman

The Dark Planet is volume three in the Atherton trilogy. Volume two, Rivers of Fire, is also in this haul. I don’t have volume one, but if I get it later, whether I like it or not, the last two volumes only cost me about a dollar.

What is it?

A children’s sci-fi fantasy.

The Darkdeep by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs

I don’t think I even read the description for this book. It’s volume one of The Darkdeep trilogy, so I just grabbed it as something to try.

What is it?

A children’s horror of some kind.

The Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

The Dark Endeavor is volume one of the Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein duology. I don’t know if the name has anything to do with the original Frankenstein, but the description sounds interesting, so I’m going to try it.

What is it?

A historical fiction adventure, I think, probably with some horror.

Dark is the Moon by Ian Irvine

This is volume three in the series The View from the Mirror. Volume one is also in this haul. I don’t have volume two. The series totals to four books in length.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

I added this book to my to-read list years ago and haven’t gotten around to it. This is volume one of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. Aside from the three standard books in the trilogy, there is also a volume 2.5. It’s called Night of Cake & Puppets, and appears to be less than 300 pages long.

What is it?

A young adult fantasy.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I’ve heard good things about this book from pretty much everyone. People and TV shows all give it high praise. It’s volume two in the Robert Langdon series, but I hear you can read it as a stand alone.

What is it?

I think it’s a mystery.

Double Eclipse by Melissa de la Cruz

This is volume two of Summer on East End, so I have the complete duology to find out if I’m interested in reading more by the author. Volume one is listed farther down in the haul because it’s alphabetical by title.

What is it?

A young adult witch story with romance.

The Dragon and the Djinn by Gordon R. Dickson

This is volume six of the Dragon Knight series. Volume five is also in this haul.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy sci-fi isekai involving a man who becomes a dragon.

The Dragons of the Cuyahoga by S. Andrew Swann

This is the first volume of the duology for the Cleveland Portal series. There is also an omnibus edition that has both volumes in one book. This is one of the many first volumes I got to try something new.

What is it?

An urban fantasy where fictional creatures have come through a portal to Cleveland.

The Dragon, the Earl, and the Troll by Gordon R. Dickson

Dragon Knight is a nine book series, and this is volume five. The store only had five and six, but I’m definitely interested in trying this series, so I got these later volumes in case I like it. The first book in the series is called The Dragon and the George.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy sci-fi isekai involving a man who becomes a dragon.

The Dragon Quartet Omnibus, Vol. 1 by Marjorie B. Kellogg

This is an omnibus edition for the Dragon Quartet series. It contains volume one, The Book of Earth, and volume two, The Book of Water. There are four individual books total, so there are only two omnibus editions. I grabbed this mostly because it’s a volume one of something fantasy for me to try.

What is it?

An elemental dragon themed fantasy that apparently takes place in medieval Europe and the distant future.

The Dragon Society by Lawrence Watt-Evans

Dragon Society is volume two of the Obsidian Chronicles. I mostly grabbed it because two and three were available. I will have to get volume one later.

What is it?

A fantasy involving dragons.

Dragon Venom by Lawrence Watt-Evans

This is the third and final volume of the Obsidian Chronicles.

What is it?

A fantasy involving dragons.

The Elvenbane by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey

Elvenbane is another book I grabbed just because it’s a volume one of something new for me to try. It’s part of the Halfblood Chronicles, which is a trilogy.

What is it?

A fantasy about a half-elf child of destiny raised by dragons.

Emlyn’s Moon by Jenny Nimmo

This is volume two of the Snow Spider trilogy, also known as The Magician Trilogy according to the cover of this copy. I don’t know much about it, but I’m generally willing to try new children’s books lately. I will have to get volume one in order to start the series.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy involving magic.

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Back in 2021, I read the entire Maze Runner series. It was interesting, but generally average, in my opinion, but I’m curious to see if there are other things by the same author I would like better. So, after I finished, I poked around a little to see what else there might be. This is volume one of The Mortality Doctrine, which consists of a trilogy and one prequel.

What is it?

A young adult sci-fi involving gamers and hackers with a virtual internet, possibly dystopia.

The Far Kingdoms by Allan Cole and Chris Bunch

I already have volume three of this series. I don’t remember where or how I got it, but I do. It’s the the Anteros series. With this book, I can at least start the series and figure out if I even want to get volume two to be able to read volume three. The series is four books long.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure.

The Fathomless Caves by Kate Forsyth

This is volume six of The Witches of Eileanan. I think this is the final volume for the series.

What is it?

A fantasy, probably with magic.

The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens

The Fire Chronicle is volume two of a trilogy called The Books of Beginning. I don’t have the first volume, but it doesn’t hurt to already have the second since I found it cheap. Volume one, The Emerald Atlas, was already on my to-read list when I found this.

What is it?

A children’s adventure series involving time travel.

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

This is volume one of The Forgetting, which appears to be a duology. I don’t really know anything about it aside from the fact it involves people forgetting things on a regular basis and only being able to remember things that are written down. The main character is the only person who has never forgotten anything.

What is it?

Probably some kind of dystopia, possibly with science fiction and maybe a mystery.

For the Win by Cory Doctorow

This looks like a thick MMORPG themed stand alone novel. I haven’t really found any VR or MMORPG themed novels that I like, yet, but I haven’t tried very many, either. I’m hoping this one will be better than Ready Player One, which I didn’t even bother to finish, because I didn’t like it.

What is it?

Seems like science fiction, maybe dystopia.

Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret

I blindly grabbed this one because it looks like a children’s spooky story and I want to try more of those.

What is it?

A children’s ghost story.

The Glass Word by Kai Meyer

This is the final volume of the Dark Reflections trilogy, also known as Merle-Zyklus. Volume two is also in this haul. I don’t have volume one, yet.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy set in Italy.

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Glow is volume one of the Sky Chasers trilogy. I grabbed it as something to try.

What is it?

A young adult science fiction dystopia.

Grand Passion by Jayne Ann Krentz

Grand Passion is a stand alone novel written by Jayne Ann Krentz, also known as Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle. This is her contemporary setting pseudonym. I don’t know what this book is about, and I don’t care, because I will pretty much read anything by this author.

What is it?

A contemporary mystery romance.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

This is volume one of the Underland Chronicles. It’s five books long, and written by the same author as The Hunger Games. I like The Hunger games, so I want to try other things by the same author.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy adventure.

The Hunger Pains: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon

This is a Hunger Games parody book. Some parodies are really good while others are really bad. It was too enticing on the shelf for me to pass up.

What is it?

A parody book for The Hunger Games.

Impossible Odds by Dave Duncan

I don’t have the first volume for this series. It’s The King’s Blades series, and this is volume five. I do randomly have volume four, though, so I figure it doesn’t hurt to grab this one ahead of time.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy.

Inferno by Dan Brown

This is volume four of the Robert Langdon series. This brings me to three volumes from the same series in this haul, but I’m missing volume three. Apparently you can read the books individually as stand alone novels, but I’d rather read them in order. Unfortunately, this is the movie tie-in edition, but it was super cheap, and they didn’t have any other copies.

What is it?

I think it’s a mystery.

Into Battle by Garth Nix

This is volume five of The Seventh Tower series. Volumes two through five are in this haul. I will have to get volume one later.

What is it?

A fantasy.

The Jaguar Knights by Dave Duncan

The Jaguar Knights is part of The King’s Blades series. It’s volume six, right after Impossible Odds, which is also in this haul. I’m missing the first three volumes of the series, but with how cheaply I found these, it’s worth it to have them as a just in case.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy.

The Keeper by David Baldacci

This is volume two of the Vega Jane series, also known as The Finisher in the Netherlands. It consists of four volumes, and one is already on my list of things to read, but I don’t have it. I grabbed this one so I’ll have the first two to try when I get around to buying the first one.

What is it?

A dystopian fantasy.

The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda

This is volume one of the Rondo trilogy. I didn’t have much time left to look at books, and this one mentions a witch, so that is good enough for me.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure.

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

This is a stand alone story. Liesle & Po and The Spindlers are both written by the same author. This one is apparently supposed to be really good.

What is it?

I think it’s a stand alone children’s fantasy adventure.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I’ve only read two books by John Green, and they didn’t really interest me. This is the last one I’m going to try. If I don’t like this one, I won’t read any more by this author.

What is it?

A coming of age contemporary fiction stand alone novel.

The Lost Heiress by Catherine Fisher

Relic Master is a four volume series, and this is volume two. I still need to get volume one to be able to start the series. This one was so cheap that it makes it worth it to have the second one in case I end up liking the first book.

What is it?

Some kind of sci-fi fantasy, possibly dystopia.

The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone by Bill Muir and Alex Kendrick

This is a stand alone novel. It looks like this might be a movie tie in edition because the cover looks like a movie poster. Apparently this is religious fiction. I didn’t realize that when I grabbed it. I probably wouldn’t have if I’d known. Christian fiction is very hit or miss for me.

What is it?

A children’s Christian fiction adventure.

The Lost Swords: The First Triad by Fred Saberhagen

This is an omnibus for volumes one through three of the Lost Swords series. Honestly, I only grabbed this because the entire series was on the shelf.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy from the 80s.

The Lost Swords: The Second Triad by Fred Saberhagen

As with The First Triad, this book is an omnibus edition for The Lost Swords. It contains volumes four through six.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy from the 80s.

The Lost Swords: Endgame by Fred Saberhagen

This is the final omnibus edition for The Lost Swords. It contains volumes seven and eight.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy from the 80s to early 90s.

The Magician’s Lie

This is a stand alone novel I found in a section in which I don’t normally find anything that catches my interest. It’s recommended for people who like Water for Elephants and The Night Circus. I’ve read both of those, and liked both, so I figured I’d try it.

What is it?

A historical fiction mystery involving some magic.

The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

I mostly just grabbed this because it’s volume one of a series. The series is called The secret, and it’s about five volumes long. Volume six is a do it yourself mystery, and I’m not sure if that one is necessary to read/write.

What is it?

A children’s mystery adventure.

Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday

This is volume one of the Of Monsters and Madness duology. I don’t know anything about the series, but this volume is supposed to be a retelling featuring Edgar Allen Poe and his character Annabel Lee. I’m not familiar with any of that, so I won’t be comparing anything to this when I read it.

What is it?

A historical fiction horror retelling.

Phantom by Terry Goodkind

My May haul had a large chunk of this series. It’s called the Sword of Truth. This is volume ten. I believe I’m still missing six and eight, but I’m set with a good buffer to try the series. Someone at the store said it was good, so I’m optimistic.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

The Pool of Two Moons by Kate Forsyth

This is volume two of The Witches of Eileanan. This haul finishes off the entire six book series collection except for a single volume. I already have volume one, but have not yet read it. The only one I’m missing at this point is volume four, The Forbidden Land.

What is it?

A fantasy, probably with magic.

Promise Not to Tell by Jayne Ann Kretnz

This is volume two of the Cutler, Sutter, & Salinas series, also known as the Sons of Anson Salinas. It’s a trilogy, and all three volumes are in this haul.

What is it?

A mystery romance.

Quest for Celestia by Steven James

I mostly just grabbed this one because it’s a stand alone and the description mentions the word fantasy. It’s a retelling of a book I’ve never heard of before, so I don’t really know anything about it.

What is it?

A reimagined retelling of The Pilgrim’s Progress. It looks like it’s a Christian fantasy of some kind.

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

This is volume one of the Red Sparrow trilogy. I’ve seen the movie, but never read the book, so I figured I’d give it a try. Unfortunately, the book got a little torn while traveling from the store to my home. It’s not too bad, though. Mostly a small tear on the back cover that effects the last few pages, which are only a preview for another book, anyway. The store had a copy of the movie cover version and a standard version, so I went with the standard.

What is it?

A mystery thriller with espionage.

Rivers of Fire by Patrick Carman

Rivers of fire is volume two of a trilogy called Atherton. I don’t know much about it, but the store had the last two out of three volumes, so I figured why not. If I find the first book somewhere, two and three basically only cost me about a dollar. Even if I end up not liking it, that’s not much of a waste.

What is it?

A children’s sci-fi fantasy.

The Roads of Heaven by Melissa Scott

I grabbed this book on a whim. It looks like it’s an omnibus edition of a science fiction series from the 80s. It costed practically nothing, so I figure no harm done by trying it. There is no barcode or ISBN anywhere on the book. It looks like it might have been published before that was a standard.

The individual books for the trilogy inside this omnibus are Five-Twelfths of Heaven, Silence in Solitude, and Empress of Earth.

What is it?

A space travel sci-fi trilogy omnibus from the 80s.

Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb

This is volume two of the Farseer trilogy. I don’t really know anything about the series.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

This is book two of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. It’s four volumes long, and I’ve actually already read it before. I read the whole series from my local library, but I found it so charming I wanted my own copies. This is the first one I’ve found, so it’s the only volume I currently own. The copy I initially read also had a different cover than this one, but I don’t think that really matters in the end.

Something interesting to know about the series is the volumes were not written in order. I don’t remember what the written order is, but there is an excerpt in one of the books that explains why and how they were written outside of chronological order.

What is it?

A fairy tale-esque fantasy with dragons.

A Shadow on the Glass by Ian Irvine

I was getting to the point of trying to fill space during one of my trips to the book store and I saw this was a volume one for a fantasy, so I just grabbed it. It’s part of the series The View from the Mirror. I don’t really know anything about it.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

The Skull of the World by Kate Forsyth

This is volume five of the series The Witches of Eileanan.

What is it?

A fantasy, probably with magic.

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

This book actually made it onto my list only about a year ago. It’s volume one of the Chicagoland Vampires series, which appears to be about thirteen volumes long, with a smattering of half volumes throughout. There also appears to be a spin-off series called Heirs of Chicagoland, which appears to still be releasing. Volume five is scheduled to release this November.

What is it?

An urban fantasy with a vampire theme.

Sphinx’s Princess by Esther Friesner

Sphinx’s Princess is part of two series. It’s volume three in a series called Princesses of Myth, which contains the other series, a duology, by the title Sphinx’s Princess. I think I can read this without reading the books before it, because it looks like Princesses of Myth is made up of a bunch of duologies. This particular one is Egyptian themed, so it caught my interest when I saw it on the shelf. It stars Nefertiti.

What is it?

A historical fiction, possibly with some fantasy and mythology mixed in.

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver

I never knew what to read when I was younger, so I’m always on the lookout for good children’s books to try. This one is a stand alone novel, and it’s written by the same author as Liesl & Po. Between the time I got it, and making this post, I’ve already managed to read it, so there is already a review available.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.

Stone Field by Christy Lenzi

I grabbed this while trying to fill space at the end of one of my store runs. I don’t really know anything about it aside from it being a stand alone novel. Apparently it’s supposed to be a retelling of Wuthering Heights, which I’m not familiar with, so I will not be comparing the two.

What is it?

A stand alone historical romance.

The Stone Light by Kai Meyer

This is volume two of the Dark Reflections trilogy, also known as Merle-Zyklus. I only grabbed it because it sounds like a fantasy adventure, and the store had 2/3 of the books. I still need to find the first one to be able to read the series.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy set in Italy.

The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

This is volume one of the Ever After High series. I grabbed both one and two of the series just to fill some final space in my basket. Based on the cover, it kind of looks like a more adorable version of The School for Good and Evil, which I have not yet read, either. I’m expecting some similarities.

What is it?

A fairy tale themed fantasy.

The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong

The Summoning is volume one of the Darkest Powers series. Apparently it’s supposed to take place in the same universe as the Otherworld series, which is one I love, so I’m looking forward to reading this. There’s also a sequel series to this one called Darkness Rising.

Unfortunately, this book is one I ordered from an unfamiliar Amazon marketplace seller that supposedly had 91% positive feedback. It was supposed to be in very good condition with “gently used” as the description. That’s not how it looks. It looks more like good condition with all the scrapes and creases on the cover. I don’t care enough to complain, but I probably won’t be ordering from that seller again.

What is it?

A young adult paranormal urban fantsy.

Sunwing by Kenneth Oppel

Sunwing is volume two of the Silverwing trilogy. I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I grabbed it. I was rushing to choose a few final books at the store that day. Honestly, I only grabbed this one because I have a friend who likes bats, so I figured I’d give whatever this is a try.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure with animals.

Sweep, Vol. 3 by Cate Tiernan

This is volume three of the Sweep series, which appears to be an omnibus edition of the series Wicca. It contains volumes seven ( The Calling), eight (Changeling), and nine (Strife) of the series. Volume one is already on my to-read list, so I figure if I end up liking it, it’s better to have the other books in the series bought cheaply. Volumes four and five of these omnibus editions are also in this haul, so I’m only missing the first two, which are the equivalent of six standard books.

What is it?

A young adult witch themed series.

Sweep, Vol. 4 by Cate Tiernan

This is volume four of the Sweep series, which appears to be an omnibus edition of the series Wicca. It contains volumes ten (Seeker), eleven (Origins), and twelve (Eclipse).

What is it?

A young adult witch themed series.

Sweep, Vol. 5 by Cate Tiernan

This is volume five of the Sweep series, which appears to be an omnibus edition of the series Wicca. It contains volumes thirteen (Reckoning), fourteen (Full Circle), and fifteen (Night’s Child). This book is the last volume for these editions, so in total I have three out of five of the Sweep books.

What is it?

A young adult witch themed series.

A Taste of Magic by Tracy Madison

I don’t think this is my usual preference, but it might be paranormal enough for me to enjoy. It sounds like there is at least a little bit of witch magic involved in the story. It’s volume one of a four book series called Magic.

What is it?

A paranormal story involving wish-granting baked goods, possibly with romance.

Time of the Witches by Anna Myers

This is a stand alone story involving Salem witch trial accusations. It’s short, so I grabbed it as something to try. The book is published by Scholastic, so it’s probably intended for children.

What is it?

A historical fiction.

Triple Moon by Melissa de la Cruz

I have something else by this author on my to-read list, but the store doesn’t have that, so I grabbed this instead. It sounds witchy, so I’ll probably like it. The series is called Summer on East End, and it’s a duology. I managed to get both in this haul.

What is it?

A young adult witch story with romance.

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Unbreakable is volume one of a series called The Legion. It currently has two volumes with no release date for the third. Upon doing some quick research, it looks like the third book will likely be independently published whenever the author gets around to it. Because of that, this likely will not be urgent on my to-read list.

This is the same author as Beautiful Creatures, and I liked that series, so I figured I would grab this to try something else by the same author.

What is it?

A young adult paranormal series involving ghosts and uniquely skilled teens to fight them.

The Unfairest of Them All by Shannon Hale

The Unfairest of Them All is volume two of the Ever After High series. This series appears to have a couple spin-offs as well, but I won’t delve into those unless I end up liking these first two volumes.

What is it?

A fairy tale themed fantasy.

Untouchable by Jayne Ann Krentz

This is volume three of the Cutler, Sutter, & Salinas series, also known as the Sons of Anson Salinas. It’s a trilogy, so this is the final volume.

What is it?

A mystery romance.

Uprising by Sean McCabe

This is volume one of a series called Vampire Federation. It’s apparently a duology, but it’s vampire themed, so that immediately catches my interest enough to try it.

What is it?

An urban fantasy involving vampires.

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Virals is a spin-off series from Bones, also known as the Temperance Brennen series. This is the first volume. I’ve seen almost all of the TV show for Bones, and I read the first volume of the novel series a few years back, so I figured I’d give this a try. It looks like it’s more paranormal than the core material.

What is it?

A young adult paranormal science fiction mystery.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

This is volume one of the Warm Bodies series, which I think is primarily a trilogy. I saw the movie years ago and didn’t find out until after that it was based on a book. It’s been sitting on my to-read list ever since, and I just haven’t gotten around to it. Now I can at least read the first volume and see what it’s like compared to the movie.

What is it?

A zombie apocalypse romance in which the love interest is a zombie.

When All the Girls have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz

This is volume one of the Cutler, Sutter, & Salinas series, also known as the Sons of Anson Salinas. It’s a trilogy, and all three volumes are in this haul. I have no idea what it’s about, and I don’t really care, because I like the author.

What is it?

A mystery romance.

Wickedly Wonderful by Deborah Blake

Ever heard of Baba Yaga? Well, that’s the name of this series. This is volume two, and supposedly that name is a title carried by a select few, instead of an actual person. The series has four volumes plus some half volumes, and a prequel story.

What is it?

An urban fantasy with witches and dragon dogs.

The Wish List by Eoin Colfer

This book is a stand alone story by the same author who wrote the Artemis Fowl series. I’ve never read that series, but I’ve heard good things, so I figured I’d try this to see if I like the author. The description says it’s a race between the demonic and the divine to claim a soul.

What is it?

Some sort of paranormal fantasy.

The Wizard’s Jokebook by Chris Tait

As a nerd, I couldn’t pass this up. It’s just a thin book full of bad jokes.

What is it?

A children’s jokebook filled with wizard themed dad jokes.

The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell

This is volume one of the series The Wizards of Once. It’s four volumes long by the same author as How to Train Your Dragon, which I have not read, but would like to.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure.

The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable

This is a stand alone story. I dug through the boxes of kids’ books at the store, and it looked interesting.

What is it?

A stand alone middle grade mystery, maybe. I’m not sure.

The Wolves of London by Mark Morris

This is one I grabbed toward the end of one of my store runs while trying to fill space. It’s the first volume of the series Obsidian Heart.

What is it?

A time travel mystery.

The Spindlers

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The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Harper/Harper Collins
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-197809-8
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

When Liza’s brother, Patrick, changes overnight, Liza knows exactly what has happened: The spindlers have gotten to him and stolen his soul.

She knows, too, that she is the only one who can save him.

To rescue Patrick, Liza must go Below, armed with little more than her wits and a broom. There, she uncovers a vast world populated with talking rates, music-loving moles, greedy troglods, and overexcitable nids…as well as strange monsters and terrible dangers. But she will face her greatest challenge at the spindlers’ nests, where she must pass a series of deadly tests – or else her soul, too, will remain Below forever.

Personal & Info

This is a children’s stand alone novel. I’m always on the lookout for good children’s books, because when I was a child, I could never find anything interesting to read. Stand alone novels are a good way to try things, because there is no commitment to buy more volumes of a series, and if they end up being good it gives me an author to keep an eye out for.

I didn’t know anything about this when I grabbed it. I basically just skimmed the first paragraph of the description, and checked online, where I saw it compared to Alice in Wonderland and Gregor the Overlander. At 246 pages, I don’t see any harm in trying something new. Books that short can easily be read in a day, especially children’s books.

Characters

Liza is the main character. The story follows her perspective throughout the entire adventure. She’s the oldest of two children.

Patrick is Liza’s younger brother. He seems to have a moody personality, but his sister loves him anyway.

Mrs. Elston is Liza and Patrick’s mother. She’s always sitting at the table dealing with piles of bills and scolding Liza for telling stories.

Mr. Eltson is Liza and Patrick’s father. He doesn’t appear much, except to indicate he can’t find his glasses.

Mirabella is an eccentric rat. She guides Liza on her adventure in the Below realm.

Anna is never actually in the story, but it mentions her several times. She is Liza and Patrick’s favorite babysitter, but she is away at college.

Story & Thoughts

This is a cute stand alone adventure. I can see why people compare it to Alice in Wonderland. It has that whole, “down the rabbit hole,” thing going for it. I think this is a great book for children. It’s written in a way that I think makes it a good book to possibly read out loud to them, or for them to read themselves. As an adult, I think it could be improved upon, but for the age group it’s intended for, it’s probably fine.

Liza’s former babysitter, Anna, would apparently tell the kids about fantastical creatures and teach them games. The kids wholeheartedly believe everything she tells them, to the point that they recite a charm every night before they go to bed. It turns out it’s all true, and for some reason, Liza knows exactly where to go to find the place Below.

The book has some real nightmare fuel going for it, but not so much that it would be horror. I don’t recommend it for anyone who has arachnophobia. The main bad monsters are a type of extra horrific spiders. Their description is creepy and unsettling to imagine, and the lore of what they do is actually surprisingly horrific for a children’s book.

I like the creativity of the world Below. The creatures are interesting, and the landscape is vivid. The story is rather simple, but the descriptions and conversations about the terrain and landmarks make the world come alive. I get the impression the important chunk of the story is the journey, not the end. Liza and Mirabella both learn important lessons along the way. A running theme along the journey is Liza’s close-mindedness. She tends to judge things by how they appear at a glance, and as the story progresses, she learns better.

Book Haul May 2023

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About

All of these books are pre-owned from my local book store. There is a big sale going on right now, so my hauls over the summer for novels might be larger than normal.

Some of the books in this haul are later volumes of series I already started buying, but have not yet read. It doesn’t hurt to get some ahead of time if they’re going to be cheaper than getting them elsewhere in case I like them. Others are first volumes for me to try, or later volumes in a series I have not yet started buying for things I’m pretty sure I’ll like, so will save me money in the long run.

The Awakening by Thomas K. Martin

This book is volume one of the Magelord trilogy. I don’t know anything about this. It’s volume one of a fantasy, so I just grabbed it in hopes I might like it.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Blood of the Fold by Terry Goodkind

This is volume three of the Sword of Truth series.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

Chainfire by Terry Goodkind

This is volume nine of the Sword of Truth series. I do not have volume eight, nor do I have volume ten.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist

This is volume four in The Riftwar Saga. I still need to get two and three at some point if I like the first volume, which is also in this haul.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy.

Darksword Adventures by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

I’m not entirely sure what exactly this is. I will generally buy any book by these authors. Everything I’ve read from them is great. This particular book is a little unusual. I get the impression it’s part story and part RPG game book. I’m not sure what exactly that means, so I’ll have to look into it more later.

What is it?

A complete guide to “venturing” in the enchanted realm of Thimhallan.

Deception by Amanda Quick

I buy everything I can find by this author and her other pseudonyms. I don’t even check what they are about before I get or read them. Amanda Quick is the pseudonym for historical novels, though, so I know that much. It usually doesn’t matter to me to know more, because I tend to like everything she writes.

What is it?

A historical romance.

Dragon Keeper by Carole Wilkinson

This is volume one of the Dragon Keeper series. This book is printed by Scholastic, so it’s definitely a children’s book.

What is it?

I think it’s a Chinese setting for a fantasy about protecting dragons.

The Fire Within by Chris D’Lacey

This is volume one of The Last Dragon Chronicles. It’s printed by Scholastic, so it’s definitely a children’s book.

What is it?

A dragon themed fantasy.

The Golden Cord by Paul Genesse

This book is volume one of The Iron Dragon series. I didn’t look at it too closely in the store. I just generally like stories with dragons, so I grabbed it.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure involving dragons.

Heart’s Blood by Jane Yolen

This is volume two of the Pit Dragon Chronicles. I already have volume one, but have not yet read it. It’s a four volume series, so this gives me half to find out if I like it.

What is it?

A dragon themed fantasy.

Hung Out by Margaret Weis & Don Perrin

This is volume three of the trilogy Mag Force 7. I usually buy Margaret Weis novels because they are fantasy in theme, but this one is a science fiction style story instead. I need to get the first book to find out if I will like it.

What is it?

A science fiction fantasy, maybe a space opera. I’m not really sure.

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

This book is volume two in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I haven’t read Stalking Jack the Ripper, yet, but I’ve heard great things about all books in the series. My plan is to read Stalking Jack the Ripper first before reading this one. I just happened to find this one first.

What is it?

A historical fiction mystery.

Icons by Margaret Stohl

This is volume one of the Icons duology. I added this to my list back in 2018.

What is it?

Post apocalyptic dystopia, I think. I haven’t looked into it much.

Idols by Margaret Stohl

This is volume two of the Icons duology. The store had both, so I figured why not just get the whole thing.

What is it?

Probably a post apocalyptic dystopia.

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

This book is volume one of the series The Great Library. I skimmed the description in the store, and saw it’s basically dystopian in theme, and that was enough for me to grab it to try.

What is it?

A dystopian series involving books, and maybe the Great Library of Alexandria.

Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist

This is volume one of The Riftwar Saga, which I think is a four book series. I apparently added this to my list sometime in 2016. I don’t really know what it’s about, but it sounded interesting at the time I when I read the description.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy,

The Mystery Woman by Amanda Quick

This is volume two of the trilogy Ladies of Lantern Street. I don’t have volumes one or three, yet, so this will be shelved until then. I think this series crosses over with Acrane Society and Ghost Hunters at some point, because I recall seeing some mention of characters from it while I was reading those.

What is it?

A paranormal historical romance.

The Pillars of Creation by Terry Goodkind

This is volume seven of the Sword of Truth Series. I do not have volume six, nor do I have volume eight.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

Soul of the Fire by Terry Goodkind

This is volume five of the Sword of Truth series. I do not have Faith of the Fallen for volume six.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind

This is volume two of the Sword of Truth series.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

Tale of the Thunderbolt by E.E. Knight

This is volume three of The Vampire Earth. I already have volume one, but have not read it, yet. If I like volume one, I will be sure to get volume two.

What is it?

A post apocaliptic fantasy.

Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind

This is volume four of the Sword of Truth series.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind

This book is volume one of the Sword of Truth series. It looks like a fantasy series with thick volumes, so I grabbed as many of the series as I could find on the shelf. It’s cheaper to get them this way than to try one volume and order them later. This way I have a large chunk of the series, and I didn’t spend much on them. So if I like it, I’m good for a while, and if I don’t, I can just donate them or something.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

Honorable Mention: Fablehaven

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What is an Honorable Mention?

Honorable mentions are blog posts about individual books, or series, that I have already read, and recommend. Some I might have already reviewed, others I might not have. I make no guarantee that books recommended as Honorable Mentions will get reviews.

In these posts, I will describe the book or series, and tell you why I recommend it.

Shop links will be at the bottom of Honorable mention posts.

About Fablehaven

Fablehaven is a five book series for children, by Brandon Mull. The first couple books are relatively standard in size, but the last few get pretty thick. I think the last volume was over six hundred pages. It’s been a bit since I read it, so I’m guesstimating.

Fae, fantasy, and mythological creatures are all real, but secret. But, over the centuries, those creatures have all been gathered in reserves as the world developed into the modern era. This is both for their safety, and the safety of the people. One of these reserves is called Fablehaven.

The main characters, Seth and Kendra, are approximately ten and thirteen at the start of the series. Again, I’m guesstimating, because it’s been a while. They go visit their grandparents on vacation, and things aren’t entirely as they seem. Through various puzzles and milk drinking, they find out their grandparents’ property is the Fablehaven reserve.

This leads to many dangerous adventures and new friends. They travel to a few of the other reserves and meet many interesting people and fantastical creatures. Seth and Kendra both develop and discover special abilities while saving the world multiple times throughout the series.

Suggestions & Things to Know

I think, when it comes to trying this series, you should read at least the first two books before making any judgement. The first and second books focus significantly on plot building as it introduces you to the hidden world of Fablehaven. Honestly, the first two are the worst in the whole series. They aren’t bad, but the last three are significantly better. Definitely give the series some time to get going.

People die in this series. It’s uncommon in children’s books, but it happens in this series, so here is your warning on that.

There’s no real romance. Seth is basically too young to be interested in girls. Kendra has crushes, but nothing serious, as is appropriate for her age. I don’t think anyone can honestly label the series as a romance. It’s just not.

If you don’t like the trope of a character doing stupid things just to progress the story, there might be a problem. That is one of the downsides to the series. Seth seems to do stupid things just to do stupid things, or just because if no one does said stupid thing, the story won’t progress. That’s probably the biggest weakness in the plot. For example, the cover of Rise of the Evening Star. I will give you one guess what happens.

Why I Recommend

I personally love this series. It makes me feel things when I read it, and that’s usually a tell for a good book. If it can make you feel something, it’s usually good.

The characters are likeable, even the bad ones. My favorite book dragon ever, so far, is in this series.

I don’t give out perfect scores often, but when I read this series in 2020, it earned a 5/5 from me. Of course, it’s not perfect, but I enjoyed it that much.

Sequels

Fablehaven has a sequel series called Dragonwatch. I have yet to read it, but it takes place in the same world, and apparently uses some of the same characters. When I get around to reading this, I will reread Fablehaven first, so both series will be (re)read and reviewed eventually.

Companions

There are two companion books that go along with Fablehaven and Dragonwatch. I have not yet read these either, so I do not have an official reading order recommendation for where they should go. Based on research, though, I think The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven should be read after the Fablehaven series. And, I think, Legend of the Dragon Slayer: The Origin Story of Dragonwatch can be read before Dragonwatch, if you want.

Where Can I Buy It?

Here are some assorted links for where you might be able to find your own copies of Fablehaven and Dragonwatch, as well as the companion books.

Fablehaven Box Sets

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Fablehaven

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Rise of the Evening Star(Fablehaven 2)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Grip of the Shadow Plague(Fablehaven 3)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary(Fablehaven 4)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Keys to the Demon Prison(Fablehaven 5)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

The Legend of the Dragon Slayer: The Origin Story of Dragonwatch

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Dragonwatch Box Sets

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Dragonwatch: A Fablehaven Adventure

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Wrath of the Dragon King(Dragonwatch 2)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Master of the Phantom Isle(Dragonwatch 3)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Champion of the Titan Games(Dragonwatch 4)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Return of the Dragon Slayers(Dragonwatch 5)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Sky Raiders

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Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull
Series Name: Five Kingdoms
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4424-9701-6
Rating: 3.5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Cole Randolph is just trying to have fun with his friends on Halloween. But their trip to a neighborhood haunted house turns out to be the start of a wild adventure when Cole watches his friends being whisked away through a mysterious passage.

Cole dives in after them, only to emerge somewhere that’s very clearly no longer Mesa, Arizona. He soon learns he’s come to a place called the Outskirts.

Made up of five kingdoms, the Outskirts lies between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death. The balance of power in the five kingdoms has been upset, and the magic there is becoming unstable. It’s up to Cole and an unusual girl named Mira to set things right, rescue his friends, and hopefully survive long enough for Cole to find his way back home….

Personal & Info

I love the Fablehaven series, so I want to try more books by the same author. This book is volume one of the Five Kingdoms series. It’s five volumes long, and I have all five ahead of time, because I have high hopes. If I like this series, I’ll probably continue to buy books by Brandon Mull.

Characters

Cole Randolph is the main character. He’s in sixth grade, and shorter than most in his class.

Dalton is Cole’s best friend. He’s on the shorter side, like Cole, and he is easily stressed and anxious.

Jenna Hunt is Cole’s childhood crush. He swears he doesn’t like her that way anymore, but it’s hard to tell.

Mira is an eleven year old girl who works for the Sky Raiders. She was a scout until she showed shaping potential.

Durny is a professional looking man with a cain. He works for the Sky Raiders as their head shaper, and has a close relationship with Mira.

Jace is a scout for the Sky Raiders. He seems moody, arrogant, and rash, but good at heart. I suspect he will have a significant amount of character development as the series progresses.

Ruben, mostly known as Twitch, is around ten. He’s a scout for the Sky Raiders, and he is overly cautious.

Liam is a talented shaper. He lives in hiding, but helps out with the adventure whenever he can.

There are a ton of characters with names that hold little significance as a whole. The ones I listed here are the ones I think are most important. There are more plot significant characters, but I feel some of those are better off not said to keep some surprise in the story. The ones here are the ones I feel are most important. If the ones I chose not to list become bigger roles later in the series, I will list them in those volumes and possibly come back here to add them in.

Story & Thoughts

This book pulls a plot twist within the first fifty pages. It’s not really a spoiler, because the first fifty pages of a book are basically the introduction. The premise states it’s up to Cole and a girl named Mira to save his friends. The story starts off with Cole following abductors through a portal to do just that, and I thought it would be like a jumping off point where he might accomplish something and regroup or what have you, but that’s not what happens. He almost immediately gets caught and enslaved along with his friends.

As the first volume in the series, there’s a lot of ground to cover with world building. I think this book does that very well while pushing the story along. Mira takes the time to explain how long years and seasons and days are. Another character, Declan, functions as a sort of NPC lore dump. You know, like how in video games there are characters to talk to where you can just ask them a bunch of questions and they give long winded explanations? That’s Declan, except he’s an important person.

It seems like each book is going to take place in a different kingdom of the Outskirts, so we’ll likely get lore for each area as the story progresses.

I love the whole shaping concept. I’ll let the book explain what that is. The items made with that remind me a lot of D&D magic items. The basic examples use ropes that can do various tasks, and some of those examples have basically the same descriptions as D&D items.

Brady’s Wilderness is really cool. I think seeing that place animated or live action would be amazing. Even a terrible jerky 80s rendering with bad CG and animatronics would make it work.

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.

There is a young character whose number of years is more than their appearance, but not in a creepy way. They are a child, and think of themself as a child, despite their number of years. Any crushes regarding this character 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.

Ghost of a Chance

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Ghost of a Chance by Jayne Ann Krentz
Genres: Ghosts, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Mira
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 1-55166-524-7
Rating: 2/5
Amazon ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

It was time to lay some ghosts to rest…

Anne Silver’s brother had been working to expose a clever ring of swindlers when he was struck down by a car – a clear case of attempted murder. Now Anne’s determined to finish what her brother started. But she can’t do it without the help of ex-CIA agent Julian Aries, a man who once betrayed her.

With Julian as an unwilling conspirator, the couple goes undercover to face ghosts old and new – an unsolved murder and a clever gang of fake psychics. But as Anne and Julian put their lives on the line, the icy chill of danger and a powerful desire they can no longer deny force them to confront the greatest unsolved mystery of all…their unlikely love.

Personal & Info

Jayne Ann Krentz (and all her other pseudonyms) is one of my favorite authors. Her books always feel comfortable to read, so I am amassing a collection. This one is a 250 page stand alone.

I purchased this novel from my local used book store for a dollar. Apparently it’s out of print. I think you can still find some audiobook or ebook versions if you don’t want the hassle of locating a print edition. The links I provided SHOULD lead you to some print editions if that’s what you want.

Characters

Anne Silver is the leading lady. She works at a university as a research assistant, and her brother Micheal is a reporter.

Julian Aries is the leading man. He is ex-CIA, and, in my opinion, there is absolutely nothing charming about him.

Prue Gibson is the housekeeper of the house they will be using to ensnare the ghost hunters.

Thomas Craven is the lead ghost hunter.

Sara is the “sensitive” that can sense and communicate with ghosts. She claims to have no last name.

Dan Hargraves is Craven’s assistant. He handles all the notes and research regarding their ghost hunting adventures.

Story & Thoughts

I think the most important thing to point out starting out is the fact this book is from the 80s. There are themes and opinions involved that definitely show the perspective of the times. The date in my book says it was published in 1984. If you don’t like to see consent disrespected, or how men would think or act in the 80s, you might not like this book. If you do like that, then you might also like Serpent in Paradise by the same author.

The story itself is okay. I don’t have any issues with that. Anne and Julian plan to trap some ghost hunters who use their profession to rob houses. That’s all well and good. The plot even wraps up nicely, though I’m not surprised about the plot twist at the end. I actually had my suspicions early on.

The biggest issue in the whole book is Julian. I have pages of notes about how horrible Julian is. I cannot stress enough how frequently he disrespects consent. There is technically no rape, however a significant amount of consent is in a very gray area, or in the badgering category, which does not really count as true consent.

Julian tries to find sexual meanings or responses in practically everything. He does not understand simple human compassion, and he is delusional enough to mentally justify all of his actions, even if his justification completely goes against something he was told. There are no redeeming qualities about him. He is a toxic person, and Anne should not like him at all. Any sweetness at the tail end of the book does not make up for the entirety of the book before it, nor does it change anything about him. Julian basically ruins the whole book.

Aside from all the Julian garbage, there are only two more things I think are worth mentioning. Anne doesn’t stand up to Julian nearly enough. She lets him manipulate her too much. The last thing isn’t related to the story, but there seem to be a significant amount of typos.

Book Haul March 2023

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About

Most of the books in this haul are the first volumes to series of which I already have some other books. Obviously I can’t exactly start reading a series without the first volume. All of these are pre-owned purchases through Amazon.

And I Darken by Kiersten White

This is volume one of a trilogy. I already have books two and three, because the series was on my list and I found them cheap at the discount store. Obviously I couldn’t start the series without this first book, though.

What is it?

A fantasy romance of some sort? I’m not sure. I just know it’s on my list, because it interested me at some point.

East by Edith Pattou

I’ve heard good things about this book. The bargain overstock store had the sequel for cheap, so I grabbed that a while ago just in case I end up liking it. I still needed a copy of this one before I could read it.

What is it?

Supposedly a retelling of something called East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and involves a girl leaving home with a polar bear to go to a castle.

Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill

This is volume one of the trilogy Clash of Kingdoms. I already have volume two, so I can’t exactly read that without this one first. Volume two was something I found randomly at a discount store. The series was already on my to-read list, and if I ended up liking it, it was cheaper to just grab the second book there than to have to order it online later.

What is it?

A fantasy romance of some sort where the main character’s father has been murdered and she must go on an adventure to find the murderer. At least, that’s what the description implies.

Omens by Kelley Armstrong

I’ve been trying to get my hands on this for a while. I tried being patient. The local library has a digital copy, but only ONE copy. It’s been seemingly eternally checked out. So, I resorted to buying a copy for myself.

I love Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series, so I want to try her other works. There’s a book on my shelf that contains Otherworld short stories as well as short stories for this series, so I figure why not start with this? It’s volume one of the Cainsville series.

What is it?

A mystery of some sort, maybe? A girl finds out she is adopted, and that her real parents are serial killers. She then runs away from home and ends up in Cainsville, Illinois. From the sounds of it, things get weird from there.

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

This is volume one of the series The Princess Diaries. I already have volumes two and three, because I found them cheap at a bargain overstock store. Now that I have this one, I can start reading the series whenever I feel like it.

This book was kind of gross when it came in. It looked like it had blood stains and some gunk on it, but I managed to get most of it off with a cotton ball and some rubbing alcohol. What do people do with their books to get them covered in blood (or blood-like substance)?

What is it?

Seems like a coming of age series regarding a teen princess, possibly with romance?

The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood #12)

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The King by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Berkley/Penguin
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-41706-0
Rating: 4/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath finally assumed his father’s mantle – with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sits heavily on his head. As the war with the Lessoning Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything – and everyone – at risk.

Beth Randall thought she knew what she was getting into when she mated the last pure-blooded vampire on the planet. But when she decides she wants a child, she’s unprepared for Wrath’s response – or the distance it creates between them.

The question is, will true love win out…or will Wrath’s tortured legacy take over?

Personal & Info

I need to find time to circle back to this series more often. Between the main series and the spin-offs, it’s long. I like reading it, and I still have a lot to get through. It just takes more time than my other books because these are around six hundred pages each. I shall strive to shorten my gap between volumes, but I promise nothing.

Characters

Wrath, the king, and Beth, his queen, are the lead couple for the book. This is the first book that readdresses a couple instead of focusing on one getting together for a happily ever after.

Wrath’s father, and his mate Anha are important backstory characters.

Assail, I don’t remember if his last name was ever said, is vampire nobility who chose to become a drug dealer. He doesn’t care what anybody does, as long as it does not interfere with his business.

Ehric and Evale are Assail’s cousins. They act as his assistants, bodyguards, and enforcers.

Sola Morte is the human woman who fascinates Assail. She specializes in things like thievery and breaking and entering.

Sola’s grandmother is also technically a character worth listing. She’s mostly referred to as Vovo, and I love her. I can’t find the words to explain why, but it involves how she interacts with people.

Trez is something they call a Shadow, and part of a civilization by the name of s’Hisbe. From the sounds of it, they are vampires with different abilities and rules from the norm. Trez runs the night clubs, and he is promised to a princess he wants nothing to do with. The previous book establishes his crush on Selena.

iAm is Trez’s brother. He owns a restaurant, and he cooks to relieve stress. We get to know his character a little better in this book, and I’m starting to like him.

Selena is a Chosen who regularly services the Brotherhood for their blood needs. She has a crush on Trez, as well as some issues she keeps to herself.

Layla is a Chosen carrying Qhuinn’s child. She is infatuated with Xcor, but does not let that affect her judgement for what is right.

Xcor is the leader of the Band of Bastards. He is infatuated with Layla, and causes problems for the Wrath and the Brotherhood.

Story & Thoughts

As per usual with this series, there’s a lot going on in this book. Every book in this series has a ton of perspectives and jumping around to various plot pieces. It can be a lot to follow, but I love it.

The main focus of the book is Wrath and Beth. Beth wants a baby, but Wrath does not. Drama ensues, and they have to deal with political nightmares at the same time. It’s nice to see Beth play a larger role in a book again. She’s been stuck in the background ever since she had her love story as the first book in the series.

There’s also a historical perspective. Not all of the books have this kind of perspective, but they are good for lore and background. This one specifically is about Wrath’s parents. You can sort of think of it as a short story. It takes place while Wrath’s mother, Anha, is pregnant with him, and essentially proves the politics never seem to change. Someone is always trying to take or manipulate the throne.

My favorite part of the side content is Assail and Sola’s story. Their romance was introduced in Lover at Last. I didn’t care for it when it came up back then, until the later parts in that book. However, I absolutely love it in this one.

The ground work has been set in the previous volume, so this book has all the juicy parts. Assail gets to show off his alpha male instincts as well as his sweeter side. Sola gets to show off how capable she is in a pinch. I love these two characters, and I think they make an excellent couple. I look forward to seeing where it goes, if it goes anywhere. Their section is likely not complete, yet. I just can’t see it ending like this. There has to be more.

The most important side content is probably Trez and Selena’s story. The next book in this series, volume 13, The Shadows, looks like it will be their novel. The ground work for that also began in Lover at Last. Qhuinn and Blay were the main focus of that book, though, so I didn’t think much of the introduction at the time.

The last perspective worth mentioning is Xcor and Layla. Their complicated Romeo and Juliet feelings for each other continue to be complicated. They don’t gain much traction here, but their story continues to build. I suspect they will eventually get their own book, but I don’t know for sure. I try not to look too far ahead, so I can avoid potential spoilers.

Something I think is worth mentioning, the lessers have been a very minor part of the story for the past several books. Lately the focus is on the internal vampire problems. I think the reason is because the lessers are struggling for cash, so they are busy focusing on drug dealing to rekindle their funding. We only seem to see the odd lesser here or there, either when the Band of Bastards takes them out, or someone stumbles across one on the street.

I feel like I’m forgetting something I want to say, but I can’t think of what it might be, so quick recap of my thoughts. It’s good to see more of Beth again. Vovo is awesome. I love Assail and Sola’s romance, but there has to be more. Selena is great, but her circumstances are unfortunate. Trez needs to get his life together. I don’t like how his downward spiral is turning into a different kind of downward spiral. iAm is growing on me. Layla and Xcor are complicated. I love this series. The characters and writing are so engaging and comfortable.

Trigger Warnings

I’m just keeping a running list of trigger warnings that have been in the series so far, from what I can remember. If you’re reading the series, or considering reading the series, and you have sensitivities, you might want to know these. The list so far: abuse, attempted rape, pregnancy problems(ex: miscarriages), drugs, kidnapping, sexual themes, rape, mutilation, torture, and violence.

Daughter of the Deep

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Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan
Genres: Adventure, Contemporary, Sci-Fi
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-368-07792-7
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Ana Dakkar is a freshman at Harding-Pencroft Academy, a five-year high school that graduates the best marine scientists, naval warriors, navigators, and underwater explorers in the world. Ana’s parents died while on a scientific expedition two years ago, and the only family she has left is her older brother, Dev, also a student at HP. (And they’ve heard all the Harry Potter jokes already, so don’t go there.)

Ana’s freshman year culminates with the class’s weekend trial at sea, the details of which have been kept secret. She only hopes she has what it’ll take to succeed. All her worries are blown out of the water when, on the bus ride to their ship, Ana and her schoolmates witness a terrible tragedy that will change the trajectory other lives.

But wait, there’s more. The professor accompanying them informs Ana that Harding-Pencroft has been fighting a cold war against its rival school, Land Institute, for 150 years. Now that cold war has been turned up to a full boil, and the freshmen are in danger of becoming fish food.

In a race against deadly enemies, Ana will make amazing friends and astounding discoveries about her heritage as she puts her leadership skills to the test for the first time.

Personal & Info

I meant to read this shortly after Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, but I wasn’t in the mood at the time. It’s apparently recommended to read that first to have some background foundation before going into this book, since this is sort of a spin off. I did not read any of the other books by Verne that had more Captain Nemo in them. Due to how much time has passed, I’ve probably forgotten some things, so I’ll do my best with what I remember for this review.

It may have been a blunder to only read Twenty Thousand Leagues, because this book also mentions The Mysterious Island quite a bit. I didn’t see that one recommended anywhere as a thing to read before going into this. You can probably read the whole thing just fine without reading any of the Verne books, but if you do read them you have more understanding regarding what the characters are talking about, and you may be able to pick out some references to the source material.

However, the book clearly states the Verne books are not entirely accurate as a way to allow for the story and technology to be a little different. So, even if you did read one or both, there are things that will be different. If you are a stickler for details, this might bug you. So, basically, it’s a good idea to read both books for the background, but you don’t have to, but also take everything with a grain of salt if you do.

There are a forward and an introduction at the beginning of the book. The forward gives some enthusiasm and introduction to the book. The introduction talks more about the inspiration behind the book, as well as some information about Captain Nemo for those who might not know about him.

Characters

Ana Dakkar is the main character. She attends Harding-Pencroft Academy, a school for future marine scientists and naval officers.

Dev Dakkar is Ana’s older brother. He is a senior at school while she is a freshman.

Socrates is a dolphin friend to Ana and Dev, but mostly Ana.

Ester Harding is Ana’s roommate and one of her best friends. She is in House Orca.

Top is Ester’s emotional support dog, but he supports anyone who needs it. He is part Jack Russel and part Yorkie.

Nelinha da Silva is also Ana’s room mate, and her other best friend. She is in House Cephalopod.

Gemini Twain, also known as Gem, is the House Shark Prefect. He acts as Ana’s bodyguard throughout most of the book.

Dr. Theodosius Hewett is a theoretical marine science teacher. He doesn’t seem very likable.

Jupiter is an orangutan chef who speaks sign language.

Ophelia Artemesia is a Harding-Pencroft alum. She knew Ana’s parents, and she is from House Orca and Shark.

Luca Barsanti is also a Harding-Pencroft alum. He is married to Ophelia, and comes from House Cephalopod.

There are a bunch more characters, but these are the ones I think are most important. Most of the list is available in the beginning of the book, before chapter one. There is a full list of the freshman class along with which Houses they are in.

Some of the villains have names, but I don’t think they are truly important enough to bother mentioning here.

Story & Thoughts

The school uses a four house system to divide the classes by specialty, which is kind of cool. The houses are Shark, Orca, Dolphin, and Cephalopod. They have a list at the beginning of the book, along with the freshman class, to tell you which characters are in each house and what each house specialize in. The story makes it relatively easy to remember which does what as it goes, too.

The premise revolves around Captain Nemo being an actual historical person. There are names from the Verne books scattered everywhere throughout: Harding, Pencroft, Aronnax, Land, Verne. It does a good job giving nods to the Nemo books. The titles of the books themselves come up fairly frequently as part of the lore of the schools’ origins, and many of the characters have read them.

It took a few chapters for me to get into, mostly because I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t like Twenty Thousand Leagues much, so that made me a little wary of this book. The story moves quickly, but the majority of the first half is traveling, with a few events to push the plot forward.

I could predict where the story would end up early on. It’s not an elaborate story, but it is done well enough that I like it despite having figured out the major plot twist right away. I think it’s a good sign of the book’s quality when I don’t like the book that inspired the story, but I do like the resulting story.

I won’t bother trying to point out differences compared to the source material, because they state in the book that the Verne novels are not the whole truth, nor entirely accurate. It’s a good excuse for some creative liberties.

I love how diverse the cast is. The school seems to recruit all types of people from all over the world. There is even autistic representation with Ester.

When all is said and done, I feel like this book is a great starting point for a new series. There are no current plans for that, but the story leaves it open. Maybe some day.

Book Haul February 2023

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About

Most of these novels are things I purchased for myself for my birthday. They are overstock items from a bargain store, so they are a little random. I like to choose books this way once in a while to try some new things I may not have seen or heard of before, or just find some things I might not expect.

The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi

This is volume one of a series called The Beast Player. It apparently contains volumes one and two. My copy has a sticker for a Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in young adult literature as an honor book, so it must be good, right? The description sounded interesting.

What is it?

A fantasy about a girl who can communicate with magical beats. That was enough to sell me on it.

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Mimh by Robert C. O’Brien

This sounds familiar and was not expensive, so I figured why not grab it. Apparently there is a movie based on it. I swear I’ve seen it, but I must have been rather young at the time, because I don’t remember anything about it. It’s also volume one of a trilogy.

What is it?

An animal story for children, possibly kind of dark.

Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy by Melissa De La Cruz

This is volume one of a series called The Chronicles of Never After. I’m not going to lie, I don’t know anything about this series. I added it to my pile when I saw the description mention a girl interacting with a character from her favorite book series.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure of some kind that has something to do with fairies and fairytales.

The Outcast by Taran Matharu

This is a volume zero prequel to the series Summoner. I have not read anything in this series, nor do I have volume one. I guess I will be starting with volume zero and working my way from there. Hopefully the series is will be equally enjoyable starting with this volume as opposed to others.

What is it?

Something involving fantasy and magic. I don’t know, it’s been a long time since I added the series to my list.

The Princess Diaries: Princess In Love by Meg Cabot

This is volume three of The Princess Diaries series. I have no idea if it’s anything like the Disney movies, but considering this series appears to be fairly lengthy, probably not.

What is it?

Seems like a coming of age series regarding a teen princess, possibly with romance?

The Princess Diaries: Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot

This is volume two of The Princess Diaries series. The series is approximately twelve-ish books long, plus maybe some middle and side stories. I likely won’t be delving too deeply into things until I start actively reading the series. They didn’t have volume one at the store, so I will likely have to order that later in order to start reading these.

What is it?

Seems like a coming of age series regarding a teen princess, possibly with romance?

The Rise of Kyoshi by by F.C. Yee

This is the first volume of the Chronicles of the Avatar series, as in The Last Airbender, not the blue people. The first two are the Kyoshi novels, and the third is about Yangchen. They can be divided into sub-series by which Avatar they feature. I don’t know if there will be more than just the three novels, yet. If you’re familiar with the show, you’ve already heard of Kyoshi and Yangchen. This was given to me as a birthday gift, and I’m excited to read it. I grew up watching Avatar.

The Wolf of Cape Fen by Juliana Brandt

This one is a stand alone novel. I don’t really know anything about it. It’s one I grabbed a bit randomly.

What is it?

Sounds like a Rumpelstiltskin-like mystery adventure thing.