Tag: Stand Alone

The Magician’s Lie

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The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister
Genres: Abuse, Fantasy, Historical, Magic, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4926-2899-6
Rating: 3.75/5
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Description from the Book

The Amazing Arden saws a man in half every night. The crowds pay good money to watch: she’s perhaps the most notorious illusionist in the country. But when one show goes terribly wrong, she finds herself in a one-room police station with a desperate officer determined to discover the truth. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless—and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie, endless night, the magician will need to pull off one final act—this time with her own life at stake.

Personal & Info

My main reason for reading this is that it’s apparently recommended for people who like Water for Elephants and The Night Circus. I like both of those, so I think it’s worth trying. After reading it, I think the recommendation is accurate. The book has similar vibes to both of those novels. It has more magic than Water for Elephants, but less than The Night Circus.

Content Warnings

-Abuse
-Animal Abuse
-Attempted Rape
-Self Harm

Characters

Ada, also known as Vivi, or the Amazing Arden, is the main character. She is a stage magician specializing in illusions. Her most notable feature is her unique eyes. They are blue, but her left eye is half brown as if cut through the middle.

Ray is Ada’s cousin by marriage. He is the son of Ada’s step father’s brother, and he is four years older than her. Ray is effectively the villain of the story.

Clyde is Ada’s first love. He is two years older than Ada and has a talent with plants.

Adelaide is the wife of a recently deceased magician who owns an entire company. She takes it upon herself to complete his obligations and step into the spotlight as a magician herself. Adelaide is also Ada’s mentor and kind of a surrogate mother.

Officer Virgil Holt is a main character in the sense that he is the police officer to whom Ada is telling her story. He is the only officer in a small Iowa town called Janesville, and he doesn’t expect to have his job much longer due to medical reasons.

Story & Thoughts

I think the most important thing to know about this book is the plot has an overarching abuse theme. Spoiler or not, it’s also important to know it has a good ending. So, while the book can be a bit dark, it’s not horribly depressing. The balance between the abuse, romance, and tension is good. No one aspect lingers too long, but they last long enough to keep the story interesting and stir the right feelings

The story covers about thirteen years of Ada’s life, from age twelve to approximately twenty-five. Suspected of murder, her life story is supposed to prove her innocence. Her tale is full of abuse, tragedy, hope, and love. Her life has been both ordinary and anything but.

Normally I don’t resonate well with historical fiction. They’re usually dull and boring. However, I think this is one of the better ones. I tag it loosely as fantasy, because Ada has real magic in a debatable sense. She can heal herself, but it’s not instant. Her injuries heal remarkably faster than the norm, which can only be explained as magic. It adds a tiny fantastical element to the book, but the story and writing themselves are good enough without it. During the long sections when her ability doesn’t come up, it still holds my interest.

I think the only reason I’m not giving this book a four is because there are a few places that montage the passing of time. Those parts are fine, but I find them less interesting. More actual magic would appeal to me more, too. None of the magic in Ada’s show is real. They emphasize many times it’s all an illusion. I like it well enough the way it is, though.

The Clockwork Three

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The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Urban
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-545-20339-5
Rating: 1.75/5
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Description from the Book

Giuseppe is an orphaned street musician who sees no way to escape from his ruthless master, until the day he finds an enchanted green violin.

Frederick is an apprentice clockmaker with a past he cannot remember, who secretly works to build the most magnificent clockwork man the world has ever seen.

Hannah is a maid in a grand hotel, whose life is one of endless drudgery, until she encounters a mystifying new guest and learns of a hidden treasure.

As mysterious circumstances bring them together, the lives of these three children soon interlock, like the turning gears of a clock, and they realize that each one holds the key to the others’ puzzles. The trios’ adventures sweep them through the winding alleyways and glittering plazas of their city, and along the way Giuseppe, Hannah, and Frederick must learn to trust in one another — and in themselves — for they risk losing the things they hold most and dear, as the dangers they face quickly become all too real.

Personal & Info

This is from a fill a basket pre-owned book sale. My only reason for grabbing it, is that it is a stand alone novel. I like to just grab some stand alone novels to try something different.

Interestingly, this book is in multiple perspectives, which consistently alternate in the same order. It’s always Giuseppe, then Frederick, and then Hannah. This is the first book I’ve seen like that, but oddly, it works.

I went into this blind. I didn’t look at the description until after I finished the whole book. It’s pretty clear that the description embellishes a bit.

The Barnes & Noble shop link only has the ebook and audiobook versions.

Content Warnings

-Child Abuse
-Death
-Guns
-Human Trafficking
-Kidnapping

Characters

Giuseppe, one of the main characters, is eleven. His parents died and he and his siblings were sent to live with his uncle, who sold him to Stephano at age five. Giuseppe is a gifted musician with a kind heart. All he wants is to go home to Italy and be reunited with his brother and sister.

Stephano is a Padrone. He kidnaps and purchases children to work for him as slave labor. All the kids work on street corners playing instruments to collect money on his behalf.

Paolo & Ezio are two of the meaner kids working for Stephano. They bully the younger kids and steal their money, which guarantees they get punished by Stephano for not bringing home their quota. Paolo and Ezio also function as enforcers, because they seem to like inflicting violence.

Pietro is a new kid working for Stephano, who was abducted from his family’s yard back in Italy. He never seems to be able to make enough money on his own to avoid punishment.

Reverend Grey is the elderly Priest of the Old Rock Church, and a good friend to Giuseppe.

Frederick, one of the main characters, is thirteen. He is an orphan apprentice clockmaker with a traumatic past that he would rather not remember. All he wants is to qualify for Journeyman with the clockmaker’s guild so he can gain more independence.

Master Isaiah Branch is Frederick’s guardian and master. He is the one who took Frederick out of the orphanage.

Hannah, one of the main characters, is twelve. Her father is not well, so she quit school to be able to work while her mother takes care of him. Hanna works at the Gilbert Hotel as a maid.

Miss Wool is a mean woman who manages the maids at the Gilbert Hotel.

Mister Hans Grunholdt is the Gilbert Hotel manager. He’s not the best person, but apparently does his job well.

Mister Twine owns the Gilbert Hotel. He is also sort of a friend of Hannah’s family. Her father used to work for him, and he gave her a job when requested.

Madame Constance Bernadette Pomeroy is a wealthy spiritualist currently residing on the top floor of the Gilbert Hotel.

Yakov is Madam Pomeroy’s bodyguard. He is a former Russian soldier with the ability to predict the future via dreams and visions. Madam Pomeroy refers to him as her golem.

Alice is the Gilberta Hotel’s gardener. As far as anyone can remember, she’s always been there, and has always been old.

Pullman is the McCauley Park warden. His family has fulfilled the job for generations.

Mister Reginald Diamond is the current owner of the Archer Museum. He doesn’t seem like a good or kind person.

Story & Thoughts

So, first things first, I chose to read this at this particular time, because various labeling claimed it is lighthearted. It is definitely not. I don’t know what peoples’ definition of lighthearted is, but all the main characters are in depressing or traumatic situations.

Giuseppe is basically enslaved. His own uncle sold him when he was only five. He works day in and day out to make money for Stephano, and he doesn’t get to keep any of it, nor does he get to eat enough to be content. It specifically says the kids only get fed enough to keep them half starved. On top of that, if the kids don’t make a daily quota, they get a beating or are thrown into the rat cellar. Giuseppe clearly states kids have died in that room.

Frederick is traumatized from his mother abandoning him at the orphanage when he was about six. The orphanage made him do dangerous slave labor working with machines. Punishment for mistakes or bad behavior was basically flogging. He had to endure this environment for four years, and now the memories haunt him.

Hanna’s father had a stroke and lost the use of his speech and legs. Her mother has to take care of him, and her sisters are too young to contribute anything to the family. Hannah had to drop out of school to work and support her whole family by herself. She’s only twelve. Part of the story involves her father’s condition worsening.

All of this is very depressing. On top of their situations, their city sounds like a huge disgusting mess. This is not the kind of book I would choose for something lighthearted.

As for the rest, the story is slow. Despite the depressing subject matter, it does have a happy ending. Well, sort of, it feels bittersweet. The kids achieve their goals, but it feels like they didn’t really have anything to do with the result. When I read a children’s book, or a book about kids, I want it to feel like the kids are the heroes, like they really did something. I don’t get that feeling from this book. It feels like the adults in their lives conveniently remedy all their problems for them. It’s like the kids show up to deal with the issue, but the adults involved swoop in and save the day.

I can’t say I liked it, but I didn’t hate it, either. The characters were enjoyable, but the story was weak. I think people who like this might also enjoy Liesl & Po. That one was also lackluster to me, but I kind of get similar vibes.

Black Ice

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Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Survival, Thriller
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7426-0
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn’t prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin and accept the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. Things get even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that took place on that very mountain—a discovery that may make her the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy or an ally?

Personal & Info

For my first read, I went into this blind. I had read the Hush, Hush Saga, and wanted to try something else by the same author. Honestly, the description kind of spoils chunks of the drama, so I’m glad I did it that way.

At the time I’m typing this review, it’s been approximately ten years since I first read the book. This is my second time reading it. Due to various circumstances, like getting sick for two weeks, it took far longer than I would have liked to get through it. To be fair, I will be using my original rating of four out of five from my first time through. The review itself will be a combination of my original thoughts combined with any new ones.

Content Warnings

-Abuse
-Guns
-Kidnapping
-Murder
-Suicide Attempt
-Violence

Characters

I think learning about the characters naturally throughout the story is the best and least spoilery way to learn who everyone is and what they are like, especially if you don’t read the book description. Because of this, I will keep the character descriptions as vague as possible.

Britt is the main character. The story is in her perspective. She is a senior in high school, and is still hung up on her ex-boyfriend who dumped her eight months ago. Britt has an older brother (Ian) and a single father. At the start of the story, Britt is known for heavily relying on the men in her life.

Korbie is Britt’s best friend. She comes from a rich family due to her mother being a divorce lawyer and her father a CPA.

Calvin is Korbie’s older brother, and Britt’s ex-boyfriend. He is supposed to chaperone their trip to the mountains.

Mason and Shaun are two guys Britt and Korbie encounter in an isolated cabin in the wilderness.

Story & Thoughts

This is a survival kidnapping story with a murder mystery going on in the background. There’s also a focus on romance with a constant debate on whether or not it’s Stockholm syndrome, while also pining after a romanticized ex. All of the characters are far from perfect, so don’t expect them to make the wisest decisions. Everything is overall messy as far as the social interactions and decisions go, but the main characters experience significant growth.

Originally, going into this book completely in the dark, I was hooked at the beginning. I still feel that way. There’s something about the gas station scene that I absolutely love. Maybe it’s the fact a stranger flawlessly plays along with Britt’s shenanigans? I can’t really explain it, but it’s my favorite and most memorable scene in the whole book.

The writing is good. It feels like you’re right there with Britt the whole time. Becca has a way of hiding what is really important until things come together at the end. It leaves me with a smile every time i finish one of her books.

If the book ended on the last numbered chapter, I would have been so sad. I’m glad there is a one year later epilogue. It gives the story the closure it needs.

While I like the journey of the story, there are some things that bug me. The most notable that I remember is the use of the term “Subway sandwich shop.” We all know they are referring to the Subway restaurant chain, and everybody I’ve ever met just says “Subway.” I don’t know if the extra clarification is there to make sure the reader understands it was a restaurant and not a train station or what. That terminology sounds unnatural and rubs me the wrong way.

The other thing, which is very minor, is that someone left Korbie a canteen of water. I swear they said the cabin has running water. Why leave her a canteen if there is running water? I could be misremembering, but that detail bugs me.

Also, Korbie’s boyfriend is supposed to be going on this trip with them. His name is Bear, and he’s supposed to meet them at the family cabin. Nothing about him is ever mentioned after the drive up to the mountains. That feels like a bit of a loose end. I guess we’re supposed to assume he turned around and went home when the snow started.

The book is by no means perfect, but I like it. It’s one of the few non-fantasy books I actually enjoy, and that speaks volumes. It is a rare occurrence for me to read a standard fiction novel and not get bored with it.

Grand Passion

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Grand Passion by Jayne Ann Krentz
Genres: Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Pocket Books/ Simon & Schuster
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 0-671-77870-6
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

Cleopatra Robbins believes she’ll know when she meets the man of her dreams, a man worth the risk of trusting and loving again. She’s imagined the moment: a jolt of emotion, butterflies in her stomach, an intoxicating feeling. She’s even described her fantasy lover—under a pseudonym, of course—in a book of erotica called The Mirror. But when drop-dead handsome Max Fortune strides into the Robbins’ Nest Inn, a devastating sensation sweeps through her. She knows it’s him. And he’s all wrong!

Exuding a ruthlessness barely disguised by his polished manner, Max is a stark contrast to casual, sneaker-clad Cleo. The driving force behind the giant Curzon Hotel chain, a man whose only passion in life—so far—has been for rare works of art, Max is looking for the inheritance left to him by his mentor, Jason Curzon. Jason had bequeathed to Max five priceless paintings, and he made Max promise to go to the Robbins’ Nest Inn to claim the pictures and “everything else with them” that are his legacy—and his secret gift—to the hard-edged young man he viewed as a son.

For openhearted Cleo, nothing is more transparent than Max’s snobbish exterior. He may drive a Jaguar, but she decides that the man is emotionally starved. Max takes one long look at Cleo Robbins and feels desire, fierce and unexpected, sweep through him…a feeling so powerful that he almost forgets his search for the paintings Cleo claims she’s never seen. With his defenses down, Max lends a hand at fixing everything from the plumbing to the fractured lives of the inn’s quirky denizens: helping Trisha, the pregnant and ever-hopeful maid, to search for her errant lover; winning the trust of Daystar and Andromeda, chefs and New Age divorcées; and easing the loneliness of fatherless little Sammy, who idolizes Max on sight.

While Cleo is tempted to confide in Max about the tragedy that led her to seek shelter with this odd surrogate family, even to choose him to make the lush sensual fantasies of The Mirror come true, she senses that he doesn’t quite trust her. Max knows she’s hiding something—and by the time he realizes it’s not the paintings, it’s almost too late to save her form the danger rising out of her past.

Personal & Info

I’m pretty sure I got this book from a second hand sale as part of a large pile of novels. It’s been hard to decide what I’m in the mood to read lately, so I chose this one at random from my shelf of stand alone stories.

Content Warnings

-Death of a parent/family member

-Death

-Guns

Characters

Max Fortune is the male main character. He is about thirty-four, going on thirty-five. Max likes to collect things, such as books and art, and he has a special eye for judging the authenticity and value of paintings. His general background is that he grew up as an orphan since approximately six-years-old.

Cleopatra Robbins is the female main character. She is about twenty-seven, and she runs a hotel that she purchased with her inheritance. Her parents both died horrifically, and she’s been building a new found family for herself ever since.

Sylvia Gordon is part of Cleo’s family residing at the inn. She usually assists with people checking in or out or just watching the counter. Sylvia is also Sammy’s mother.

Sammy Gordon is Sylvia’s five-year-old son. He carries around a rubber duck by the name Lucky Ducky, and he idolizes Max.

Andromeda and Daystar are part of Cleo’s family, and the primary chefs for Robbins’ Nest Inn. Both have been though divorces and are now members of the Cosmic Harmony Women’s Retreat, which is about a mile and a half down the road from the hotel.

Trisha Briggs is part of Cleo’s family. She works as a maid, and she’s in a relationship with Benjy Atkins.

Benjy Atkins is part of Cleo’s family. He is similar in age to Trisha at around twenty-three. He is the general handyman and plumber for Robbin’s Nest Inn.

George is part of Cleo’s family. He works as the night man for Robbin’s Nest Inn, but he is not great at his job. George is usually sleeping whenever anyone checks on him. While he is part of the staff, which makes him part of Cleo’s family, he is never included in any important discussions or activities.

Nolan Hildebrand is the part-time mayor of Harmony Cove. He is casually dating Cleo, and has his eye on a future in higher politics.

Herbert T. Valence is a motivational speaker who frequently hosts his seminars at the Robbin’s Nest Inn. He’s a rather strange and neurotic man, but supposedly his seminars are successful and his methods work.

Jason Curzon is practically part of Cleo’s found family. He was also Max’s employer, and he thought of Max as the son he never had. Before Jason died, he was in charge of running Curzon International, which is a very successful hotel chain.

Dennison Curzon is Jason’s brother. He is less business savvy than Jason, but now that Jason is dead, Dennison is running the company.

Kimberly Curzon-Winston is Max’s ex-fiancee, and Jason Curzon’s niece.

Roark Winston is Kimberly’s husband. He comes from old money and has a successful business empire of his own as well as a seat on the board of Curzon International.

Compton O’Reilly is Max’s private investigator friend.

Adrian Forrester is a local unpublished writer who despises novels with women main characters or romantic themes.

Garrison Spark is a shady art dealer, who formerly employed Max about twelve years ago.

Story & Thoughts

I have to say, this book is a bit of a let down. Compared to the majority of the other books I’ve read by this author, this one is lackluster. I knew where the paintings were the whole time, but that didn’t bother me. I don’t care if parts of a story are predictable, as long as the journey is good. The journey in this case is not great.

My main issue is the writing feels lazy. Max has the right to claim five specific paintings, because they are given to him in a will. Right. Good. But what does he not bring with him at any point? A copy of the will or any physical proof that he has any right to them aside from the words out of his mouth. What kind of successful business person…It just seems like such an idiotic oversight. He would know he should have something to prove his legitimacy.

That’s just what bugs me at the beginning. The biggest problem with the plot is how dramatic information is delivered. People, mostly Kimberly, keep showing up out of the blue, just to drop dramatic info dumps that are supposed to make Cleo gasp and reconsider her interest in Max. There has to be a better way to handle inserting this information. I honestly got sick of it. The characters had basically no real reason to be there. They might have a question for a two second conversation, but they drag it out into what’s supposed to be a, “you should know who you’re getting involved with,” scene that has nothing to do with anything going on.

One more small thing on the negative side, why would Cleo publish a book she claims is so highly personal, even if it’s anonymous, if she didn’t want people to read it? Most pen names get found out eventually, so if she thought nobody would ever know, she is incredibly naive. This is one of the more minor things that bugged me, and might just be one of her character flaws. There are more things I could list, but they’re fairly minor.

Despite the negatives, the overall story itself is not bad. It follows a similar formula to other Castle/Krentz/Quick books. Reading this still feels comforting to me, like it does whenever I read anything by this author. The characters that matter are also enjoyable and engaging. It’s an instant attraction story, so if you don’t like those, it might not be for you.

Liesl & Po

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Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
Genres: Adventure, Alchemy, Fantasy, Ghosts, Magic, Paranormal, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Harper/ HarperCollins
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-201452-8
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost named Po appears from the darkness.

That same evening, an alchemist’s apprentice named Will makes an innocent mistake that has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

Personal & Info

I don’t remember where I got this. It might have been Ollie’s. Anyway, it’s one of many books I grabbed at one point or another for something to try. It’s the same author as The Spindlers, and I think I like that one better. Don’t get me wrong, this one is not bad, it’s just a bit less fantasy in comparison.

Content Warnings

-Death
-Death of a parent
-Child abuse

Characters

Liesl Morbower is one of the main characters. I think, going by the information throughout the novel, she’s about eleven. Liesl lives locked away in the attic. She spends most of her time drawing near her window. Her mother died four or so years ago, and her father remarried in hopes of giving Liesl a good female role model.

Po is one of the main cahracters, and a ghost who likes seeing Liesl’s lamplight from the Other Side. Po has no gender, because it can’t remember who it was before, and its form is mostly shapeless with no visual details.

Bundle is Po’s pet who goes wherever Po goes. It is unclear whether Bundle is a cat or a dog and the difference ceases to matter to ghosts.

Augusta Hortense Varice Morbower is Liesl’s cruel stepmother. She was previously Liesl’s teacher, and even then, she did not like her.

Will is one of the main characters. He is the adopted assistant/apprentice to the alchemist, Merv. Will often sees Liesl drawing from his view on the street while running errands in the middle of the night.

Merv is the old, grouchy alchemist, who adopted WIll to be his assistant and apprentice. He seeks power and glory for his work.

Mo, short for Molasses, which is a nickname, is a guard for The Lady Pemiere. He is a big man, with a big heart, not known for his intelligence.

Lefty is Mo’s cat. Mo carries Lefty around in a sling, so they are always together.

The Lady Premiere is supposedly a princess in her home country of which nobody seems to know. She is considered beautiful, and a favorite of the Mayor.

Henry Morbower is Liesl’s father. He is dead from the start of the book.

Story & Thoughts

This is basically a story about a girl who escapes her evil stepmother to spread her father’s ashes at his preferred location. Various meetings, accidents, and motivations lead to a more convoluted adventure than necessary. All those things make it more book-worthy, though, because a normal story along those lines would be boring.

It’s pretty simple, despite having ghosts and alchemy, but I like how it all ties together. Several people end up pursuing the children, some to a ridiculous extent. Like, why would anyone chase a little girl across the countryside for being a little nutty? And why would a police officer bother to humor those demands when no crime has been committed?

Most of the characters are terrible. Almost every adult hates children and has no problem abusing them. There’s even a casual mention of kicking animals. I’m sure all of this is meant to drive home the point of how despicable these people are. There’s something about the setting with the world being generally gray and depressing with terrible people that reminds me of The Series of Unfortunate Events.

Overall, I find the book a bit lackluster. There’s nothing wrong with the story. I just think it’s a little bland for me, personally. There aren’t enough fantastical elements. The Alice in Wonderland-esque story for The Spindlers is much more interesting to me. This one is too close to normal to stand out, but it’s okay.

The Wish List

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The Wish List by Eoin Colfer
Genres: Adventure, Demons, Fantasy, Ghosts, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Hyperion
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 0-7868-1863-8
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Meg Finn is in trouble. Cast out of her home by her stepfather after her mom’s death, Meg is a wanderer, a troublemaker. But after her latest stunt, finding a place to sleep is the least of her worries. Belch, Meg’s partner in crime, has gotten her involved in the attempted robbery of an elderly man, Lowrie McCall. But things go horribly wrong. After an accidental explosion, Meg’s spirit is flung into limbo, and a race begins between the demonic and the divine to win Meg’s soul.

Meg’s really not a bad kid, but she hasn’t exactly been an angel either, so the tally of her good and evil deeds is dead even. Her only chance of tipping the scales to salvation is to go back to Earth and do good—specifically, to help Lowrie McCall. He’s got many regrets in his life to set right—a “wish list”— not much time left to do it. But even if Meg can persuade Lowrie to get mixed up with her, she’s going to have to deal with an even scarier, undead Belch—who’s now definitely on the side of the Devil.

A wild journey to the unexpected here-after, The Wish List is a heartwarming tale of a young girl’s last chance, and the love she will need to—quite literally—redeem herself.

Personal & Info

All I know about this book going into it is that it’s written by the same author as Artemis Fowl, which I have not read, but have heard good things about. This book seems almost out of print and is apparently not very popular, because it seems a little harder to find online. Barnes & Noble doesn’t even have it listed on their website as far as I can tell.

Characters

Meg Finn is the main character. The book has conflicting information about her age. She’s either twelve or fourteen. She has recently become known as a bit of a troublemaker.

Belch is kind of Meg’s associate or co-conspirator. He is sixteen, and a far worse troublemaker than she is, but he lacks intelligence. As the story progresses he becomes her enemy.

Franko Kelly is Meg’s step father. He reminds me a lot of “Smelly Gabe” from The Lightning Thief. If you’re not familiar with that, he’s basically a lazy mean slob.

Lowrie McCall is an old man with a heart condition with whom Meg must make amends with in order to save her soul.

Satan is, well, Satan. He’s the ruler of a hell and all that jazz.

Beelzebub is one of Satan’s senior demons. He takes orders directly from the devil himself and is under threat of losing his job.

Myishi is Satan’s tech support person. He wears designer suits and has a goatee similarly to his boss.

Elph is a computer program created by Myishi. His name stands for EctoLink and Personal Help Program. He appears as a floating hologram.

Saint Peter is the attendant who guards the Pearly Gates of Heaven. He basically makes the final decision on who gets in as far as this story is concerned.

Flit is a creature called a tunnel scraper or a mite. Mites are spirits of creatures who get stuck in limbo and must work a tedious job collecting baskets of soul residue in the spiritual tunnel system to earn a chance at reevaluation for entry to Heaven.

Story & Thoughts

I don’t have any strong feelings about this book. I like it well enough. It has all the traits and vibes for the age group. It’s corny in all the ways you would expect.

There are a few memorable things that might be worth mentioning. The main one, I think, is Belch. He has some body horror things happen to him. It’s not scary in the format of this book, but if seen on screen, I can see how it might be a bit frightening to some kids. The book wants Belch to be considered scary, an abomination, but it also wants him to be comic relief. It wasn’t funny to me, but I can understand how it would be to the intended age group.

The inconsistent age thing for Meg bugs me, and not just because of the age itself. So, first of all, there are several instances in the book where something is explained to her, and she is asked if she understands. In all of these instances, she says she doesn’t understand because she’s only fourteen.

It’s like a cop out response to avoid trying to understand, and at the same time making it sound like she is incapable of understanding due to her age. At least, that’s how I choose to interpret it. But, it seems unrealistic to me. I don’t think kids would bother with that kind of response. I have never heard of kids ever trying to make themselves seem less intelligent or inferior just because they are young. Realistically, it’s always the exact opposite.

As for the number of her age itself, I can’t help wondering if maybe she was including the two years she has been dead. That wouldn’t be right, because she can’t age if she’s dead, but it might feel more natural because it’s the number accurate to her birth. The main reason it bugs me is because she was supposedly fourteen for the whole book, but then the information way later about her time of death only adds up to twelve. I just don’t know if it was her counting from her birth while dead, or if something was overlooked in editing.

Aside from these few things, the book is good. I don’t know if I’ll bother reading it again, but it seems like a good children’s/middle grade book. There are demons in the story, and Saint Peter, but you don’t have to know a lot about the bible or anything to enjoy or comprehend the story.

The Clockwork War

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The Clockwork War by Adam Kline, Dan Whisker
Genres: Fantasy
Intended Age Group: Children
Publisher: Insight Editions
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-68383-236-2
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Beast friends Karlheinz Indergarten and Leopold Croak clash in an epic, imaginary battle waged in the branches of an enormous, ancient oak tree. But when lightning strikes young Leopold, he loses his imagination, and with it, his sense of right and wrong. The damaged boy grows to adulthood, treading a sinister path of industrial conquest. And Leopold’s thirst for power soon threatens the tree, the village, and worst of all, the children within.

But humble Karl discovers a gift for clockwork—the magic of gears and cogs—and assembles a mechanical army to fight back. Joined by the children themselves, Karl endeavors to save the village, the ancient oak, and maybe—just maybe—something more besides.

Personal & Info

This book is from an overstock discount store. I go there occasionally to find some new things to try. It looks like a cute and short stand alone story, so as long as it’s not terrible, it’s worth the purchase.

Characters

Karl Indergarten is the main character. He has a gifted imagination and owns the business K. Indergarten Clock and Watch Repair.

Leopold Croak is Karl’s childhood best friend.

Miss Understood is a kind woman who runs the local Preparatory School and Home for Orphaned Children. She has a habit of saying things that are not quite right, mostly in the case of common expressions.

Dr. Pimpledink is the village doctor.

Pim is Karl’s best friend after the incident, and a clockwork mouse.

Agatha Croak is Leopold’s daughter, who is allergic to everything, and thus lives isolated in a room at the top of a tower.

Toby, Stuart, and William are some of the kids who live at the orphanage once Karl and Leopold are grown up.

There are a few other minor characters, like Madeline, her grandmother, and the clockmaker.

Story & Thoughts

I actually forgot to read the description on the inside of the book jacket, so I had a misunderstanding of what the story was like going into it. It’s labelled as fantasy, there is a clockwork mouse on the cover, and the excerpt on the back describes a clockwork dragon defending a tree. These three things led me to believe it was a lot more fantasy than it actually was.

Don’t get me wrong, it is fantasy, just not the elves and spell casters kind. The world is a normal setting in an unspecified time. The fantasy aspect of the story comes from the fact the clockwork creations are fantastical to the point of actually being independently intelligent as if they have a heart or a soul.

Despite my misunderstanding, the story is cute. A little girl is afraid to go to Kindergarten, so her grandmother tells her a story about someone by the name of Karl Indergarten, which is supposed to be relevant to the origin of Kindergarten. But, the book is very clear, the story is not about the little girl. It’s about Karl Indergarten.

The book has the same feel as short stories kids would normally hear read aloud at a library. It even has the rhyming. The only differences are, it’s a bit longer and the vocabulary level might be a little higher. The recommended age group is closer to ten but I think kids around five might also enjoy it if read to them, and if they have a long enough attention span.

Overall, this book is not really my thing, but I think it’s a decent children’s book. My only issue with it is that Leopold’s logic has many flaws. The description says he loses his sense of right and wrong, though, so it makes sense. Children’s books don’t always have to make perfect sense anyway, either, so I don’t hold that against it.

Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha

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Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha by Dragongarow Lee
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/ Shonen Jump
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0371-5
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

A Dragon Ball fan’s Greatest dream is getting to live in the Dragon Ball universe and fight alongside Goku and his friends! One particular fan thinks he’s living the dream when he suddenly dies and is reborn in the Dragon Ball world, but he’s in for a rude awakening when he realizes he’s been reincarnated as everyone’s favorite punching bag, Yamcha!

Personal & Info

I grew up watching Dragon Ball religiously and playing all of the games I could get my hands on. It had a huge impact on my life, but these days I’m not interested in anything made after the release of GT. This book was given to me as a gift, and it was the first time I was excited about anything Dragon Ball related in a long time.

I think this manga is more likely to be enjoyed by people already familiar with the Dragon Ball universe. It would be more difficult to follow story elements if the reader doesn’t know anything about the series or the original plot.

Characters

Yamcha is the main character, or in this case, an unnamed protagonist in the body of Yamcha. A Dragon Ball superfan, to be more specific.

Several characters appear throughout the book, but most of them only have brief appearances since the story focuses on Yamcha. If you’re familiar with Dragon Ball, just think of the gang from the Saiyan Saga, and that pretty much covers it.

Story & Thoughts

This was actually more serious than I was expecting. I thought it was going to be a hard core comedy, and I would have been okay with that. It’s not super funny, but it does have some laughs. The focus is more about Yamcha crushing on Bulma and using his fan knowledge of the series to try hard not to die in any of the events that would normally threaten his life.

Part of me was hoping that Yamcha would overcome Goku’s level of power and steal the show somehow, but realistically, that’s not possible for a human. Wishful thinking, I guess. I was a little worried when I heard Yamcha’s intentions, at first. Trunks is one of my favorite characters in the series. If Yamcha succeeded in what he wanted, then my favorite character would no longer exist. I don’t know if I would like a Dragon Ball world where Trunks was never born.

I never read the manga for Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Z, but I get the feeling this uses the terms and names from that version. Some are spelled different than the TV versions or just completely different words (probably the Japanese ones).

Overall, I give this manga a soft three out of five. I like it enough to say that I enjoyed it. The story is so fast paced it covers Dragon Ball, the saiyan saga, AND the Cell saga, all in one tiny book. I think if it were longer, it could probably make a really good action drama romance series. That’s a spin on the series I would love to see. Regardless, the book is a fun and quick read that triggers all the right kinds of nostalgia. It almost makes me want to collect the manga for the parts of the Dragon Ball universe that I know I like.

The Wolf Princess

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The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable
Genres: Adventure, Mystery
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic/ Chicken House
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-545-52841-2
Rating: 1.5/5
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Description from the Book

Sophie always dreamed of winter…

…of sparkling snowflakes, silver birch forests, and air so crisp and cold it brought a blush to her cheeks. But Sophie’s days in London are filled with rain. Only the friendship of bookish Marianne and glamorous Delphine makes it better.

Then, as if by magic, the girls find themselves traveling deep into wintery Russia. Abruptly abandoned in a blinding blizzard, they fear for their lives. But just like in a fairy tale, a princess comes to their rescue: the beautiful, imperious Anna Volkonskaya, who brings them to a winter palace that was magnificent – once upon a time.

At first, Sophie is enchanted by Princess Anna’s tales of glittering gray diamonds and wild white wolves. But she soon grows concerned. What is her place in the sinister mystery that surrounds the place? Even as the wind and wolves howl outside, is Sophie in more danger now than she ever was lost in the snow?

Personal & Info

This is one of the many books I purchased at a large pre-owned book sale. There’s finally snow on the ground, so I thought it would make a good winter read. The book itself mentions a blizzard, so, fitting enough, right?

There is a small glossary of Russian words and expressions in the back of the book. I don’t think it’s necessary to reference it. The story tells you the meaning of pretty much all of the words that come up or gives enough context to figure them out.

I’m not very familiar with Russian words or names, so if I make any typos or misuse any words, I apologize.

Content Warnings

-Death. A person dies “on-screen” and one seemingly “off-screen.”

-Animal hunting/abuse. One or more animals gets hurt and there is a description of a cruel way to hunt for sport.

Characters

Sophie Smith is the main character. She is an orphan, and attends school at the New Bloomsbury College for Young Ladies in London. Her current guardian travels frequently, and tends to be stingy with her money, so Sophie’s clothes are old and full of holes.

Marianne is Sophie’s smart friend. She’s the type with good grades, scholarly interests, and logical thinking. It’s clear early on that she has no interest in trying to look more feminine.

Delphine is Sophie’s fashionable friend. She loves clothes, grooming, and meeting important people. She can also be a bit selfish at times, if the situation involves any of those three things.

Princess Anna Feodorovna Volkonskaya is the sole survivor of her family lineage. She has an alluringly charming quality about her that makes people want to be around her and make her happy.

Ivan Ivanovich is a former military man who works for the princess. He is grateful to her, because she took him in when he had nowhere else to go.

Dmitri and Masha are siblings whose family works for the Volkonsky family. Their family has been loyal to the Volkonskys for generations.

Story & Thoughts

This book feels like it starts slow. It’s only 309 pages, so when I say slow, I mean it feels like nothing significant is happening until about halfway through. The entire first half of the book is introducing the characters, their lifestyles, their personalities, and setting up the plot. The gist of that being that the girls are going on a school trip to Russia.

Some unusual events happen to the girls after arriving in Russia. The description covers most of it, but it had been months since I read the description, so I was going into it blind. The series of events after arriving in Russia were just barely intriguing enough to keep me reading. I picked up the book three times, and the only reason I actually finished it was because it’s so short that I was close to the end, anyway.

The girls meet the princess halfway through, and that’s where the real meat of the story starts. Unfortunately, I still didn’t find it very interesting after that, either. I wasn’t invested in the story, just mildly curious about the end result. I was hoping for something more paranormal, like one of the characters turning out to be a shifter, but that didn’t happen.

In regards to the mystery, it’s simple. It’s probably a little more quizzical for people of the intended age group. I’m not the intended age group, so the answer was obvious to me. So obvious, in fact, that I can’t help thinking that Sophie is a little dense. She’s clueless for basically the entire book, and most of her thoughts and actions are based on some instinctual reaction.

This is not something I would recommend to anyone, nor is it something I think I would read again. It’s so mediocre to me that I’m surprised I even finished it. I really didn’t think I would.

Deception

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Deception by Amanda Quick
Genres: Historical, Mystery, Regency, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Bantam
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 0-553-56506-0
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Once Olympia Wingfield had been free to devote all her time to her true passion: the study of ancient legends and long-lost treasure. But now, with three hellion nephews to raise, the absentminded beauty has very little time for research. Which makes it seem all the more serendipitous when a handsome stranger strides into Olympia’s library unannounced and proceeds to set her world to rights…

Tall and dark, with long, windswept black hair, Jared Chillhurst is the embodiment of Olympia’s most exotic dreams…a daring pirate, masquerading in teacher’s garb, whose plundering kisses and traveler’s tales quickly win her heart. Yet all too soon innocent Olympia will discover that the enigmatic and wickedly sensual Mr. Chillhurst is no lowly tutor but a future earl with a wealth of secrets – the kind that will lead them both on a perilous quest for a hidden fortune and a love worth more than gold.

Personal & Info

I found this book in pre-owned condition very cheap. I buy and read pretty much any Krentz/Quick/Castle novels I can find. They have a consistent story formula, and for some reason I always find the stories and writing style to be my comfort reads. Whenever I don’t know what to read or what I’m in the mood for, I grab a book by this/these author(s) and it always helps.

This is an older novel from the early to mid 90’s, so it’s going to be more common to find used copies, but it looks like Amazon and Barnes & Noble have reprints for newer copies.

Characters

Artemis Wingfield is Olympia Wingfield’s uncle. He is an older man with preference for fine manners, like dressing up for dinner and proper etiquette.

Jared Ryder, Viscount Chillhurst, is the thirty-four year old male lead of the story. He has an eyepatch and prefers to dress more like a pirate than follow any fashion fads. His family owns the Flamecrest fleet, and his father is the Earl of Flamecrest. Jared is the oddball in his family, because all his relatives are eccentrically proud of their buccaneer heritage, but Jared himself has a preference for schedules and economics.

Olympia Wingfield is the twenty-five year old female lead. She was raised and educated by her two eccentric aunts, only one of which was a blood relative. Olympia has a fascination of foreign lands and their cultures. Due to her interests, she is a member of the Society for Travel and Exploration.

Magnus Ryder, the Earl of Flamecrest, is Jared’s father. He is more like a pirate than what you would expect of an Earl.

Thaddeus Ryder is Jared’s uncle and Magnus’ brother. He is also a pirate type.

Mrs. Bird is Olympia’s housekeeper. She worked for Olympia’s aunts before her, and she is a strongly opinionated woman.

Ethan and Hugh are Olympia’s eight year old twin nephews.

Robert is Olympia’s ten year old nephew. He is the most civilized of the three nephews that Olympia is raising.

Demetria Seaton is Jared’s beautiful ex-fiancee. She now goes by Lady Beaumont after marrying a wealthy man.

Felix Hartwell is Jared’s man of business. He takes care of all business related affairs for Jared in London, and Jared considers him to be a good friend and very much like himself.

Gifford Seaton is Demetria’s brother. He is emotional and tends to have a hot temper, but cares deeply for what little family he has.

Constance Kirkdale is a good friend of Demetria’s. She is described as Demetria’s opposite in every physical way, but still pretty.

There are a significant number of other characters with names in the book, but these ones make up the starting families and the people important to them. Whether or not the culprit for the mystery is someone else or one of these, I will not say one way or the other.

Story & Thoughts

The prologue sets up the entire premise. Artemis Wingfield hires Jared Ryder to escort goods, one of which is a diary significant to the story, to his niece in Upper Tudway in Dorset. Artemis has a loose tongue, because he spills a ton of information that no cautious person would ever bother sharing. He practically gives Olympia’s entire life story to a man he hardly knows. Not only that, but he provides enough information to make it known that she can’t seem to hold down a tutor for her nephews, which is just what Jared needs to be able to insert himself into her household later.

Despite the lack of caution, it does do a good job setting things up. Both leads get an introduction in a way that explains their personalities and interests. It also provides the motive for Jared to go meet Olympia in the first place, while setting up the story point about the diary in the process.

I actually really like Jared’s character concept and presentation. He is born and raised a buccaneer, but prefers to be a skilled businessman with a schedule and personal set of rules. It basically makes him a businessman with a unique set of skills, because he is trained in the pirate-like skillset, even though he prefers not to have to use any of them. On top of that, he knows when to make use of them, and when to take the benefit from people’s assumptions regarding his appearance.

The story takes the instant attraction angle. Jared and Olympia both fall for each other from the moment they meet, but neither says anything about it for a long time. The only thing that prolongs it is respect for propriety and reputation. If they both would just be open about it from the beginning, it would be an entirely different kind of book. Honestly, I find stories where lack of communication is the only thing holding it back to be a bit frustrating.

The subject of marriage comes up about halfway through the book. It’s an interesting twist the way it happens. But at the same time, if you don’t know how Olympia feels, it comes off as entrapment. I was not satisfied with how the characters navigated this part of the story.

This is probably a good time to say Olympia’s character bothers me a bit. Her interests are fine, and most of her personality is fine, but there are little things. She is absent minded, like to the point she neglects to say the things that matter at the actual time when they matter. This tends to cause unnecessary emotional turmoil. But, what bothers me more is relevant to her interests. She could be taken aback or surprised by something, but as soon as she hears it’s a foreign custom somewhere she immediately changes her mind about it and is gung-ho about doing or trying whatever it is. She doesn’t even require any proof. In my opinion, this makes her far too gullible.

All in all, I like the book well enough. It’s a good comfort read to get me back on track after a small hiatus. The story is good enough to be interesting, but not amazing. I figured out the culprit almost immediately, so the mystery part is not difficult. The best parts are the character interactions, despite how frustrating some of them might be due to lack of communication. I’ll likely hold onto this one.

Surprisingly, this book aged well. I think the terminology it uses for describing characters has come full circle in a way that makes it mostly correct according to modern standards.