Book Review: "Dead Man's Steel" by Luke Scull

As the “gripping”* epic from the author of Sword of the North continues, the Grim Company must battle a dangerous new enemy that is determined to destroy all of humanity...

In the City of Towers, former rebel Sasha and her comrade Davarus Cole struggle to keep the peace between the warring mages who vie for dominion. But when the White Lady sends Davarus south to the Shattered Realms to seek allies among the fallen kingdoms, he finds that his hardest battle may be one fought within. The godly essence now residing within him offers power that could be used against the Fade—but with every death that feeds It, Cole risks losing a part of himself.

An association with a Fade officer grants the Halfmage Eremul a position of privilege among Dorminia's new masters. He witnesses firsthand the fate that awaits humanity. But with his magic pitiful in the face of the Fade's advanced technology, the Halfmage must rely on his wits alone to save whom he can…

And in the frozen north, the legendary warrior Brodar Kayne fights a desperate battle for his people. He is running out of time: an ancient evil sealed beneath the mountains is about to break free, an evil that is older than humanity, older than the Fade, older even than the gods—and it will not stop until the entire world is drowned in blood… - from NetGalley.com

I received a free copy of this ebook through Netgalley.com, the author Luke Scull, and/or the publisher, Berkeley Publishing Group, in exchange for a review.

This is the third book in The Grim Company series. I really enjoyed this series, but unfortunately, this book pretty much ends the series. Not that I know how much further the story could have gone if it did continue. I was a bit miffed about the end results( I try not to give spoilers), but understand everyone doesn't always get a happily ever after. If you like sword and magic stories, this series is a must!

Books Review: "Blood of the Earth" and "Curse of the Land" by Faith Hunter

Blood of the Earth: Set in the same world as the New York Times bestselling Jane Yellowrock novels, an all-new series starring Nell Ingram, who wields powers as old as the earth.

When Nell Ingram met skinwalker Jane Yellowrock, she was almost alone in the world, exiled by both choice and fear from the cult she was raised in, defending herself with the magic she drew from her deep connection to the forest that surrounds her.

Now, Jane has referred Nell to PsyLED, a Homeland Security agency policing paranormals, and agent Rick LaFleur has shown up at Nell’s doorstep. His appearance forces her out of her isolated life into an investigation that leads to the vampire Blood Master of Nashville.

Nell has a team—and a mission. But to find the Master’s kidnapped vassal, Nell and the PsyLED team will be forced to go deep into the heart of the very cult Nell fears, infiltrating the cult and a humans-only terrorist group before time runs out… - from Netgalley.com

Curse on the Land: Set in the same world as Faith Hunter's New York Times bestselling Jane Yellowrock novels, the second Soulwood novel tells the story of a woman whose power comes from deep within the earth...

 
Before Nell Ingram met skinwalker Jane Yellowrock, she had no one to rely on, finding strength only in her arcane connection to the dark woods around her. But now she has friends in the newly formed PsyLED team to keep her grounded—even if being part of the agency responsible for policing paranormals comes with dangers of its own....
 
After training at the PsyLED academy, Nell returns home to her woods to find the land feeling sick and restless. And that sickness is spreading. With the help of her team, under the leadership of agent Rick LaFleur, Nell tries to determine the cause. But nothing can prepare them for the evil that awaits: an entity that feeds on death itself. And it wants more.... - from Netgalley.com

If you are not a Jane Yellowrock fan, then you may not enjoy these books as much as others. Since most of the story is derived from characters and events from the Yellowrock series, it could be hard to follow, but possible to read as a stand alone. Personally, being a fan, I had a hard time putting either of these down, and am doing them both together, and the praise is for the whole series and not just one book. I was kept entertained in both stories, bringing more depth to some characters that just pop in and out of the Yellowrock stories. There is the hanger as well, that there may be at least a third book, if not more coming for this new series! 

Book Review: "The Purloined Poodle" by Kevin Hearne

Thanks to his relationship with the ancient Druid Atticus O’Sullivan, Oberon the Irish wolfhound knows trouble when he smells it—and furthermore, he knows he can handle it.
When he discovers that a prizewinning poodle has been abducted in Eugene, Oregon, he learns that it’s part of a rash of hound abductions all over the Pacific Northwest. Since the police aren’t too worried about dogs they assume have run away, Oberon knows it’s up to him to track down those hounds and reunite them with their humans. For justice! And gravy!
Engaging the services of his faithful Druid, Oberon must travel throughout Oregon and Washington to question a man with a huge salami, thwart the plans of diabolical squirrels, and avoid, at all costs, a fight with a great big bear.
But if he’s going to solve the case of the Purloined Poodle, Oberon will have to recruit the help of a Boston terrier named Starbuck, survive the vegetables in a hipster pot pie, and firmly refuse to be distracted by fire hydrants and rabbits hiding in the rose bushes.
At the end of the day, will it be a sad bowl of dry kibble for the world’s finest hound detective, or will everything be coming up sirloins?
The Purloined Poodle is another exciting novella entry in Kevin Hearne’s New York Times best-selling Iron Druid series. - from Netgalley.com

What a great short story! I am a big fan of Hearne's 'Iron Druid' series, and one of the supporting characters is Oberon, Atticus' wolf hound. This short is written mostly from Oberon's point of view, and his slightly skewed, if not mis-informed viewpoint and definitions of things. A possible insight to how dogs think as well ,.. 

Enjoyed the story, though it was short. Looking forward to possible other short tales (tails?) from Oneron!

Book Review: "Level Grind" by Annie Bellet

An omnibus of the first seven books in the USA TODAY bestselling fantasy series—collected together for the first time in one volume. Jade Crow is a sorceress hiding from the most powerful sorcerer in the world: her ex-boyfriend.

Gamer. Nerd. Sorceress.

Jade Crow lives a quiet life running her comic book and game store in Wylde, Idaho, hiding from a powerful sorcerer who wants to eat her heart and take her powers—her ex-boyfriend Samir. Yet when dark powers threaten her friends’ lives, Jade must save them by using magic. But as soon as she does, her nemesis will find her and she won’t be able to stand up against him when he comes.

This is the collection of the first seven volumes of the Hugo Award nominated series: Justice Calling; Murder of Crows; Pack of Lies; Hunting Season;Heartache; Thicker Than Blood; and Magic to the Bone. - from Netgalley.com

I received a free ARC through Netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

That being said, I requested this one without reading the description. I had started reading this series "The Twenty-Sided Sorceress" just a few weeks prior to coming across this book being available on Netgalley. Soooo, as I finished book seven, "Magic to the Bone", I was happy to see I had been approved for this book, thinking it was a new one to continue the series. Yes, I was a bit disappointed once I downloaded it, and began to read, to discover that it is an omnibus of the the series.

Needless to say, I found myself avidly reading each book of the series, and I doubt much of the story would be altered in this omnibus. I like how there is a mixture of magic and supernaturals, as well as the geek/nerd aspect of some of the characters. There is a bit of romance, but I don't think it got too overboard at anytime. Definitely awaiting further books to see how it all might end.

Book Review: "A City Dreaming" by Daniel Polansky

A powerful magician returns to New York City and reluctantly finds himself in the middle of a war between the city’s two most powerful witches.

“It would help if you did not think of it as magic. M certainly had long ceased to do so.” 

M is an ageless drifter with a sharp tongue, few scruples, and the ability to bend reality to his will, ever so slightly. He’s come back to New York City after a long absence, and though he’d much rather spend his days drinking artisanal beer in his favorite local bar, his old friends—and his enemies—have other plans for him. One night M might find himself squaring off against the pirates who cruise the Gowanus Canal; another night sees him at a fashionable uptown charity auction where the waitstaff are all zombies. A subway ride through the inner circles of hell? In M’s world, that’s practically a pleasant diversion.

Before too long, M realizes he’s landed in the middle of a power struggle between Celise, the elegant White Queen of Manhattan, and Abilene, Brooklyn’s hip, free-spirited Red Queen, a rivalry that threatens to make New York go the way of Atlantis. To stop it, M will have to call in every favor, waste every charm, and blow every spell he’s ever acquired—he might even have to get out of bed before noon.

Enter a world of Wall Street wolves, slumming scenesters, desperate artists, drug-induced divinities, pocket steampunk universes, and demonic coffee shops. M’s New York, the infinite nexus of the universe, really is a city that never sleeps—but is always dreaming. - from Amazon.com

I received a free ebook ARC through Netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

I have been on a Polansky kick for awhile now, since picking up "Low Town". When I saw that this book was available through Netgalley.com, I jumped at it. However, I feel I was a bit let down. Instead of a fairly straight-forward storyline, it comes across more as a collection of happenings/events in the main character's forays through the city. I only finished the book out of determination rather than interest. I have a few other books by Polansky on my to read list, and hope they are not similar to this one.

Book Review: "Don't Breath A Word" by Jennifer McMahon

“Don’t Breathe a Word is a haunting page-turner that kept me up, spine shivering and enthralled, way past my bedtime.”
—Joshilyn Jackson, author of Gods in Alabama and Backseat Saints

“Jennifer McMahon never flinches and never fails to surprise…as [she] weaves a young couple into a perverse fairyland where Rosemary’s Baby could be at home.”
—Randy Susan Meyers, author of The Murderer’s Daughters

Two young lovers find themselves ensnared in a seemingly supernatural web that ties them to a young girl’s disappearance fifteen years earlier in this dark and twisty tale from the New York Times bestselling author of Island of Lost Girls and Promise Not to Tell. Jennifer NcMahon returns with a vengeance withDon’t Breathe a Word—an absolutely chilling and ingenious combination of psychological thriller, literary suspense, and paranormal page-turner that will enthrall a wildly diverse audience including, among others, avid fans of Keith Donohue (The Stolen Child), Laura Lippman (I’d Know You Anywhere), and Tana French.(In the Woods). - from Goodreads.com 

This was one heck of a creepy yet suspenseful story. Usually if I am not interested in the story within the first 50-100 pages, I won't finish it. This one started out slow, and somewhere in that page range, I was hooked. The story jumps back and forth over two summers, one at present day, the other fifteen years prior. The early one, a girl became missing: this girl was the sister and cousin of two of the characters.

I'm not going to go into detail, but that earlier summer, the sister, brother and cousin, were all mixed up in a make-believe of there being fairies. Up to the point when the girl comes up missing. Throughout the back and forth from that early summer and present day, the story goes flippin' weird. By the time I got to the last chapter, I had no idea what to think, except that this was a pretty creepy, ugly story, and certainly did not seem to have anything to do with the fantasy and fairies. Then I read that last chapter, and was like .... yeah.

Kudos to the author. I read the book in about two days because I couldn't put it down. Four stars ... only because the creep factor was too high.

Book Review: "The Shadowed Path" by Gail Z. Martin

These are the untold tales of Jonmarc Vahanian, hero of Gail Z. Martin’s best-selling Chronicles of the Necromancer series.

Jonmarc Vahanian was just a blacksmith’s son in a small fishing village before raiders killed his family. Wounded and left for dead in the attack, Jonmarc tries to rebuild his life. But when a dangerous bargain with a shadowy stranger goes wrong, Jonmarc finds himself on the run, with nothing ahead but vengeance, and nothing behind him but blood.

Soldier. Fight slave. Smuggler. Warrior. Brigand lord. If you’ve met Jonmarc Vahanian in the Chronicles of the Necromancer and Fallen Kings Cycle books, you don’t really know him until you walk in his footsteps. This is the first segment of his journey. - from Netgalley.com

I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

It has been several years since reading the Chronicles of the Necromancer, but remember Jonmarc. As I recall it, he attracted my attention more, because Martin never really got into his backstory. This collection of short stories are events in Jonmarc's history to explain some of his skills he has later in the Chronicles. For me it was pretty quick read, though I think there are about 8 of the short stories in all.

Gail Z. Martin's books have always grabbed my attention with her ability to weave together characters with a good story line, and throw in some action as well. I look forward to her 'Ascendant Kingdoms' series to grab my attention just as well.

Book Review: "Dr. DOA" by Simon R. Green

From the New York Times bestselling author of From a Drood to a Kill comes the next Secret Histories adventure...
 
The name is Drood, Eddie Drood, also known as Shaman Bond. My family has been safeguarding humanity for generations, facing the hidden horrors of the world so you can sleep at night and remain oblivious to the existence of the monstrous nightmares that walk and stalk among us. 
 
Speaking of predatory night terrors, there is a man who gets away with murder. A man who specializes in removing the problems from other people’s lives, by killing the people who cause those problems. He operates from the darkest shadows of the hidden world, coming and going unseen. No-one knows who he is, just his nomme du muerte. Dr. DOA.
 
Somehow, this demented doc poisoned me. I don’t know how he did it, when or where, but whatever is coursing through my veins seems to be immune to magic cures and treatments. But that’s not going to stop me from finding him and whoever hired him and give them both a taste of their own medicine... - from Goodreads.com

I received a free ARC through Netgalley.com from the publisher, ROC, in exchange for a review.

This is book ten in the Secret Histories story, which is centered around one Eddie Drood, member of one of the most powerful, and secretive families in the world. As expected, the story is a continuation from the previous book, with just a short clip of time having passed in the story world. Eddie, and his girl, a most powerful witch, Molly, get pulled back into the family matters, only to discover that Eddie has been poisoned .... and the rest you can glean from the short synopsis above.

I have read this complete series (to-date) and though sometimes feels a bit predictable, is still entertaining to read due to the snarkiness and sarcasm the characters share with each other. Though there are links to another series by this author (Nightside) I haven't had the desire to try that series yet.I will say one spoiler ... they left a large opening for more books to follow this one.

Book Review: "The Sorcerer's Daughter" by Terry Brooks

The third stand-alone Shannara novel in the Defenders of Shannara series, following The High Druid’s Blade and The Darkling Child, easily accessible to new readers of epic fantasy.

The daughter of a reviled sorcerer, Leofur is nothing like her dreaded father. When her life-partner, Paxon Leah, leaves on a dangerous mission, Leofur protects Paxon’s sister. When she is abducted Leofur is forced to choose between saving Paxon from a mission gone badly awry, or hiring the services of the best tracker in the world to go after her life-partner’s sister. - from Goodreads.com

The Shannara series of books have been in my reading lists ever since I was a young teenager. I always loved how each trilogy were connected through the characters over different spans of time, using some of the same relics. This newest trilogy, "The Defenders of Shannara" has not dropped that love of this history.

Needless to say, I jumped on this book in a hurry when I found out I was approved for an ARC. I probably should have posted a review much sooner, but had to take some time to process my feelings about the characters. I don't want to throw out spoilers, but it just took me some time to process. Obviously being a third book, it concludes the storyline for this part of the series. Though it had a truly realistic ending, it just didn't fit what seemingly happens in 'fairy-tale' stories. I felt a bit like I was left to hang. Sometimes that is good though, as it leaves a space for the author to come back and fill ... hopefully soon.

Overall the story is one of Brooks typical Shannara tales, filled with quite a bit of action, self-discovery, and changes to the world. I look forward to the next peek into the world of Shannara Brooks brings about, and hope the new television series doesn't take all of his attention away from writing.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review from the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Del Rey, through Netgalley.com.

Book Review: "Burned" by Benedict Jacka

Mage Alex Verus is back in the seventh in the “gorgeously realized”* urban fantasy series from the national bestselling author of Veiled.

I’m used to people wanting me dead. But, this time, I’m not the only one on the hit list—and time is running out...

Diviner Alex Verus finally made one too many enemies on the Council of Mages, and now one of them is angry enough to have him executed. Fighting for his life is nothing new, but this kill order also calls for the death of Alex’s dependents—and there’s no way that he’ll let Luna, Anne, and Vari take the heat.

With only a week before he’s history, Alex will have to figure out how to disassociate himself from his friends, scrounge up allies on the Council, and hopefully keep his head attached to his body.

But saving himself is going to bring him into direct opposition with his former master and the Dark mages surrounding him. And, this time, escaping with his life might mean losing his soul...  - from Goodreads.com

I received a free copy of this ebook in exchange for a review.

I was so happy to find out that Benedict Jacka had written yet another book in this series! This one continues the same time-line, putting Verus in danger, as well as his friends. I fell right into the characters easily, and devoured the book fairly quickly. I really enojoy Jacka's writing style, and story telling ability.

Book Review: Ashley Bell" by Dean Koontz

THE MUST-READ THRILLER OF THE YEAR: Featuring the most exhilarating heroine in memory and a sophisticated, endlessly ingenious, brilliantly paced narrative through dark territory and deep mystery, this is a new milestone in literary suspense and a major new breakout book from the long acclaimed master.

At twenty-two, Bibi Blair’s doctors tell her that she’s dying. Two days later, she’s impossibly cured. Fierce, funny, dauntless, she becomes obsessed with the idea that she was spared because she is meant to save someone else. Someone named Ashley Bell. This proves to be a dangerous idea. Searching for Ashley Bell, ricocheting through a southern California landscape that proves strange and malevolent in the extreme, Bibi is plunged into a world of crime and conspiracy, following a trail of mysteries that become more sinister and tangled with every twisting turn.

Unprecedented in scope, infinite in heart, Ashley Bell is a magnificent achievement that will capture lovers of dark psychological suspense, literary thrillers, and modern classics of mystery and adventure. Beautifully written, at once lyrical and as fast as a bullet, here is the most irresistible novel of the decade.  - from Goodreads.com

Koontz, in my opinion, has always had a way with a psychological thrill-ride of a story, and this one was no exception. Fairly early on, I was a bit leery of reading to the end. I was on the verge of setting it aside when the mental ride hit the roller coaster hill, and dragged me along. 

Though I expected this to be more like his Frankenstein series (in regards to the writing style) I found this format made the story easier to follow. Characters were pretty detailed, some seem to be like personal people the author would know. 

Overall, was a good read, and one I would recommend to others.

Book Review: "The Chimera Vector" by Nathan M. Farrugia

The Fifth Column: the world's most powerful and secretive organization. They run our militaries. They run our governments. They run our terrorist cells.

Recruited as a child, Sophia is a deniable operative for the Fifth Column. Like all operatives, Sophia's DNA has been altered to augment her senses and her mind is splintered into programmed subsets.

On a routine mission in Iran something goes catastrophically wrong. Bugs are beginning to appear in Sophia's programming and the mission spins out of control.

High-speed chases, gun fights, helicopter battles, super soldiers and enhanced abilities are all in the mix in this edge-of-your-seat action-packed techno-thriller.
Perfect for fans of Matthew Reilly, THE CHIMERA VECTOR melds sci-fi with sizzling espionage action. - from Amazon.com

I received a free copy of this ebook from the author. 

Not a bad thriller/action story! I would say it is very similar to Matthew Reilly's Scarecrow series, and maybe even close to Boyd Morrison's Tyler Locke series. The action moves along at a fast pace, and even though our main characters seem to always have the luck of things on their side, it still kept my interest to read to the end. Lots of room to expand more on background history of the The Fifth Column and its' agents (good or bad). I see that there are two other novels int his series, so I am sure I will be checking out the next one soon!

Book Review: "Seven Forges" by James A. Moore

Captain Merros Dulver is the first in many lifetimes to find a path beyond the great mountains known as the Seven Forges and encounter, at last, the half-forgotten race who live there. And it would appear that they were expecting him. As he returns home, bringing an entourage of strangers with him, he starts to wonder whether his discovery has been such a good thing. For the gods of this lost race are the gods of war, and their memories of that far-off cataclysm have not faded.

The people of Fellein have live with legends for many centuries. To their far north, the Blasted Lands, a legacy of an ancient time of cataclysm, are vast, desolate and impassable, but that doesn't stop the occasional expedition into their fringes in search of any trace of the ancients who had once lived there... and oft-rumored riches. - from Amazon.com

The book description does not do this one justice. The story starts with an expedition in to a harsh land created by a great cataclysmic war hundreds of years before. They 'discover' a race of peoples from the area that they were sent to investigate. The party is welcomed in, and discover the wonders hidden on the other side of this divided land, and return to the empire with a small delegation of these new people.

That is just the start. The new people claim to have seven gods that tell them what to do, and they expected the Capt on the original expedition, and another that they trek to the Empire to meet, Andovar. I don't want to get to into details and spoil it, but events then lead us into the start of a war, with an un-yet known enemy.

This is a great start to what is appearing to me to be a great series. I am already half way through the next book, and see that there is a third, and soon to be a fourth. Definitely worth checking out!

Book Review: "Staked" by Kevin Hearne

When a Druid has lived for two thousand years like Atticus, he’s bound to run afoul of a few vampires. Make that legions of them. Even his former friend and legal counsel turned out to be a bloodsucking backstabber. Now the toothy troublemakers—led by power-mad pain-in-the-neck Theophilus—have become a huge problem requiring a solution. It’s time to make a stand.
 
As always, Atticus wouldn’t mind a little backup. But his allies have problems of their own. Ornery archdruid Owen Kennedy is having a wee bit of troll trouble: Turns out when you stiff a troll, it’s not water under the bridge. Meanwhile, Granuaile is desperate to free herself of the Norse god Loki’s mark and elude his powers of divination—a quest that will bring her face-to-face with several Slavic nightmares.
 
As Atticus globetrots to stop his nemesis Theophilus, the journey leads to Rome. What better place to end an immortal than the Eternal City? But poetic justice won’t come without a price: In order to defeat Theophilus, Atticus may have to lose an old friend. - from Amazon.com

This is the eighth book in the Iron Druid series from Hearne, and I am just really enjoy them. Hearne writes with quite a bit of humor, from Shakespeare, to Star Wars references, that truly make this an enjoyable urban fantasy series. Drag in a bunch of gods from many different parts of history/myth, through some vampires, werewolves and witches, and you have yourself this series. Again Hearne has kept my interest, and brought me another chapter in this tale he has embarked on.

Book Review: "Revisionary" by Jim Hines

When Isaac Vainio helped to reveal magic to the world, he dreamed of a utopian future, a new millennium of magical prosperity. One year later, things aren't going quite as he'd hoped. 

An organization known as Vanguard, made up of magical creatures and ex-Porters, wants open war with the mundane world. Isaac's own government is incarcerating "potential supernatural enemies" in prisons and internment camps. And Isaac finds himself targeted by all sides.
 
It's a war that will soon envelop the world, and the key to victory may lie with Isaac himself, as he struggles to incorporate everything he's learned into a new, more powerful form of libriomancy. Surrounded by betrayal and political intrigue, Isaac and a ragtag group of allies must evade pursuit both magical and mundane, expose a conspiracy by some of the most powerful people in the world, and find a path to a better future. 

But what will that future cost Isaac and the ones he loves? - from Amazon.com

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, Berkeley Publishing Group DAW, in exchange for a review, through Netgalley.com.

This is book four of the the Magic Ex Libris series, and I have anxiously awaited it's coming. Isaac and many of the other regular characters are back, taking on 'the World' as countries try to gain military superiority using magic/magical creatures. All while trying to run New Millenium, a facility to help introduce the good aspects of magic use into the world.

Hines has done a wonderful job continuing this story line. Main character development as he gains more responsibilities, and the after-effects of his actions, are good things that the readers should learn for use in their own lives. That whole cause and effect thing.

I have no idea if there will be more to this series, but it would be nice to maybe see some small stories spun from the same line.

Book Review: "Javelin Rain" by Myke Cole

The fast-paced, adrenaline-filled sequel to Gemini Cell, set in the same magical and militaristic world of the acclaimed Shadow Ops series.
 
Javelin: A code denoting the loss of a national security asset with strategic impact.
 
Rain: A code indicating a crisis of existential proportions.
 
Javelin Rain incidents must be resolved immediately, by any and all means necessary, no matter what the cost...

Being a US Navy SEAL was Jim Schweitzer’s life right up until the day he was killed. Now, his escape from the government who raised him from the dead has been coded "Javelin Rain." Schweitzer and his family are on the run from his former unit, the Gemini Cell, and while he may be immortal, his wife and son are not.

Jim must use all of his strength to keep his family safe, while convincing his wife he’s still the same man she once loved. Only what his former allies have planned to bring him down could mean disaster not only for Jim and his family, but for the entire nation...  - from NetGalley.com

I received an ARC through NetGalley.com, from the publisher, Berkely Publishing Group - ACE, in exchange for a review.

It is good to once again immerse myself in this magical world that Cole has created with this series, and the Shadow Ops series! Here we continue from book one with Jim finding his wife and son, and beginning to run from those that want to control him. I don't want to throw out any spoilers, but there are some climatic shifts, and help from the unlikeliest people. Cole seems to pack more action in each newer part of the tale, and I enjoyed reading it.

Book Review: "Cauldron of Secrets" by Thomas K. Carpenter

Ignorance is bliss, unless the world is out to kill you... 

An investigation into a strange cauldron and a dead thief in Ben Franklin's parlor leaves Katerina Dashkova, Russian princess in exile, as the main suspect. With her memory damaged and Ben Franklin missing, Kat must navigate the treacherous waters of American politics to solve the mystery while ominous rumblings threaten to drag the country into a new war.  - from Goodreads.com

This is turning into a somewhat interesting series for me. The books are pretty quickly read, and continue (so far) the storyline without a large amount of time passing between books. In book two, sometime (I think it was close to a year I believe) has passed since Franklin disappeared. Kat has been trying to be in the printing press business and seems to have basically forgotten the recent memories, at least a period of time going back just over a year. Through the local constable, and a local banker's wife, she ends up getting pulled into an large Presidential assassination attempt on Pres. Washington, to try to force America into a war with Russia.

I enjoy how the story line has continued from the first book, without a large amount of time passing (multiple years), and is able to quickly summarize that not much has happened in that time. I am not into the steam-punk variety that much, but enjoy how inventions are brought into the story long before they were invented (in our time). There are many historical facts and characters that link throughout that make it fun to imagine this all in a parallel world's past.

Book Review: "The Mad Apprentice" by Django Wexler

When Alice's mysterious Uncle Geryon sends her to help capture a rogue apprentice--a boy who has the same ability Alice has to Read himself into stories--she knows to expect a wild and unpredictable trip. But even though Alice has visited the magical realms inside libraries before, this adventure is far more dangerous. Because Torment, the magic creature holding thislibrary together, has gone mad.

But he might also have information about Alice's missing father. - from Goodreads.com

This is book two of Wexler's "The Forbidden Library" series. It has been quite some time since I read the first, and I know I have enjoyed Wexler's "The Shadow Campaigns" series, that I grabbed this one up when I found it. Having been so long since reading the first book, I didn't remember all the details from the opening of the story. However, in good style, this tale took off leaving my doubts behind as to the exact details I need to remember from earlier.

There may be a few spoilers here ...

Alice has grown in her use of reading herself into stories. She has 'tapped' some additional powers she did not have access to before. She is sent on a combined mission with 5 other apprentices to apprehend another apprentice, that has supposedly killed his Reader (Master). Things take a large turn for the worse, when the group realizes, due to Alice's insight, that madness has gripped the situation. Needless to say, some new powers come about, some new facts that will lead to future stories, and some answers Alice herself was seeking.

Overall I felt it had an easy to read story line. Definitely written for a younger audience, though as I did enjoy it, I am sure there are other adults that will as well. I liked how the story basically continued on, not spending so much time recapturing what has happened in book one, but periodically making a reference to a previous part of the tale. In thaat sense, I practically read this as a stand-alone since I have forgotten/over-lapped most of the first book. Hopefully in future installments, Wexler will expand on the Labyrithine (sp?) and who really is in charge ....