Book Review: "Fool's Quest" by Robin Hobb

The harrowing adventures of FitzChivalry Farseer and his enigmatic friend the Fool continue in Robin Hobb’s triumphant follow-up to Fool’s Assassin. But Fool’s Quest is more than just a sequel. With the artistry and imagination her fans have come to expect, Hobb builds masterfully on all that has gone before, revealing devastating secrets and shocking conspiracies that cast a dark shadow over the history of Fitz and his world—a shadow that now stretches to darken all future hope.

Long ago, Fitz and the Fool changed the world, bringing back the magic of dragons and securing both the Farseer succession and the stability of the kingdom. Or so they thought. But now the Fool is near death, maimed by mysterious pale-skinned figures whose plans for world domination hinge upon the powers the Fool may share with Fitz’s own daughter. 

Distracted by the Fool’s perilous health, and swept up against his will in the intrigues of the royal court, Fitz lets down his guard . . . and in a horrible instant, his world is undone and his beloved daughter stolen away by those who would use her as they had once sought to use the Fool—as a weapon.

But FitzChivalry Farseer is not without weapons of his own. An ancient magic still lives in his veins. And though he may have let his skills as royal assassin diminish over the years, such things, once learned, are not so easily forgotten.

Now enemies and friends alike are about to learn that nothing is more dangerous than a man who has nothing left to lose. - from Amazon.com

I received a free ARC from the publishers Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey Spectra, through NetGalley.com, in exchange for a review.

Having read The Farseer series many years ago, and falling in love with Robin Hobb's writing style, picking up the next several series written by her was no major deal. But seeing another series with Fitz and the Fool in it come out .... Wow! I have read the first book, Fools's Assassin, awhile back, and seeing the next book come available through Netgalley.com, I anxiously awaited my request approval. I was not let down.

I don't want to waste time speaking about events int he story, as there is quite a bit of content in just this one novel. So much, in fact, at times I felt there was never going to be an end to the events that were happening - no conflict resolution. I know, in many ways, that could be a good thing .... But, back on topic. Hobb has written again of this world in such a fascinating way that draws the reader into the story completely. I felt drawn into the emotions of the characters, or of that particular spot of the plot, that I found myself drawn to tears easily and feeling the nervousness/anxiety of the heart beating faster at times.

I can easily say that there is going to be a third book - and I will openly admit I will hate having to spend months (hopefully only months) waiting for it to be available, either through an ARC as I got this one, or even if I have to go out and buy it. Robin Hobb writing is great!

Book Review: "The Darkling Child" by Terry Brooks

From New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks comes a thrilling stand-alone novel in his legendary Shannara series—the perfect place for new readers to begin.

After taking up his enchanted sword against the dark sorcerer Arcannen, Paxon Leah has become the sworn protector of the Druid order. Now a critical hour is at hand, as a beloved High Druid nears the end of her reign and prepares to pass from the mortal world to the one beyond. There is little time for Paxon to mourn his friend and benefactor before duty summons him. For in a distant corner of the Four Lands, the magic of the wishsong has been detected. Paxon must accompany a Druid emissary to find its source—and ensure the formidable power is not wielded by the wrong hands.

But danger is already afoot in the village of Portlow. Gentle traveling minstrel Reyn Frosch possesses the uncanny gift, and curse, of the wishsong. And now his coveted abilities have captured the malevolent interest of none other than Arcannen—whose quest for power is exceeded only by his thirst for vengeance. The lone survivor of a brutal assault on a notorious pirate city, the sorcerer is determined to retaliate against the Federation's elite military guard—and use the devastating power of the wishsong as his ultimate weapon. - from Netgalley.com

This is the second book in The Defenders of Shannara series by Terry Brooks, and continues the story of Paxon Leah as he works with the Druid Order to help locate magic in the land. Also, to find a way to help his sister learn to control/use the power of the wishsong. There isn't much more to add that the above narrative doesn't capture, without giving away spoilers.

Having grown up reading Brooks' Shannara series (all of them) each time he comes up with another story from that universe, I get a little crazy. I find it awesome how he is able to share these stories, and they are intermixed in a large timeline in Shannara, but are all inter-connected. Brooks' writing style, as always, is easy to read for adults and young readers, with little or no extra narrative needed to explain concepts. I really like the book cover art, too.

As most books, this ARC was given to me from the publisher, Random  House Publishing Group - Del Rey Spectra, in exchange for a review through Netgalley.com.

Book Review: "Zero World" by Jason M. Hough

Published in rapid succession, Jason M. Hough's first three novels, The Darwin Elevator, The Exodus Towers, and The Plague Forge, earned mountains of praise and comparisons to such authors as James S. A. Corey and John Scalzi. Now Hough returns with a riveting near-future spy thriller that combines the adrenaline of a high-octane James Bond adventure with mind-blowing sci-fi speculations worthy of Christopher Nolan's Inception.

Technologically enhanced superspy Peter Caswell has been dispatched on a top-secret assignment unlike any he's ever faced. A spaceship that vanished years ago has been found, along with the bodies of its murdered crew—save one. Peter's mission is to find the missing crew member, who fled through what appears to be a tear in the fabric of space. Beyond this mysterious doorway lies an even more confounding reality: a world that seems to be Earth's twin.

Peter discovers that this mirrored world is indeed different from his home, and far more dangerous. Cut off from all support, and with only days to complete his operation, Peter must track his quarry alone on an alien world. But he's unprepared for what awaits on the planet's surface, where his skills will be put to the ultimate test—and everything he knows about the universe will be challenged in ways he never could have imagined. - from NetGalley.com

I received an ARC for free from the the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey Spectra, in exchange for a review through NetGalley.com.

This was a bit of a hard read for me. Usually I am not into the science part of Sci-Fi, and books that tend to deal with space, or traveling between worlds by starship, etc, just do not interest me. However, the synopsis above captured my attention, as I do like stories dealing with parallel/alternate/mirrored earths. I know, weird, right? 

That all being said, I will admit that I was a bit let-down, and yet, not surprised with this story. The start was very good, opening with our main character Peter, finishing a mission for the IA. We find out what he does for a living, and the basics of how it works, why there are time frames to a mission. From there how he gets called back immediately for a new mission. This is where it got too "starshippy" for me, though I found it interesting in how he arrived to the "mirror world".

The adventure continues with Peter working to achieve his mission goals, and his interaction with one of the natives from this world, an actual spy that has similar goals to Peter's. Most of the book is the mission over a period of time ... I think it was like a week in Earth time. The ending was a nice twist to what I was expecting, though I wonder how would Hough write a second book to this one (not saying he plans to do so, but didn't have much interest if it continued from where it left off).

I have good and bad things about the book. I will admit to skimming through many pages at a time through most of the middle of the story. It just felt over detail-oriented and needless to me, and I would jump ahead to the next section of action, or dialogue. I could understand there being a difficulty in writing about a mirror world and working out how the similarities are there, yet different, not only in language, but technology. Hough did a good job with the science of how they talk a very nearly English as good as our planet (I don't want to give out spoilers). The book art was good - the character shown was the mental image I had of Peter. World description was done well, as noted maybe too much detail at times. For both being a spy/assassin types, I felt they were too trusting with each other, but then, one was a novice, and the other on a strange new world, so doing what they felt they needed to do would make sense I guess. 

Book Review: "Dave vs The Monsters: Ascendance" by John Birmingham

For fans of Jim Butcher and Kevin Hearne comes an exhilarating new urban fantasy series featuring monster-slayer Dave Hooper and his magical splitting maul.
 
Kids, there are no monsters under the bed. They're in the front yard.
 
As a hardworking monster-slayer, Dave Hooper tries not to bring his work home with him. But nowadays it's hard to keep them separate. Email, cellphones, empath daemons, they never let a guy rest.
 
The Horde has been raising hell and leveling cities from New York to Los Angeles, keeping Dave and his fellow monster-killer, Russian spy Karin Varatschevsky, very busy. But when the legions of hell invade the small seaside town his boys call home, Dave has to make a call. Save the world? Or save his family?
 
Not as easy a choice as you'd think, since Dave's ex-wife expects to be saved too. And there's no convincing her that the supersexy Russian spy isn't his girlfriend. She's just his sidekick—and an assassin. - from Netgalley.com

I received this ARC for free from the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey Spectra, through NetGalley.com in exchange for a review.

Dave Hooper, Monster Slayer and otherwise bad-ass, is back in his third book of demons coming out to take over the world. The demon attacks have become more abundant, and there is only the one man, Dave, to do it all ... or is there? The Russian spy, Karen, we met in the last book, we have found out is just as powerful as Dave, so maybe there are more? Dave heads back to NY to help protect his ex-wife and sons from the demons. I am sure you can imagine some of the issues going on there!

Character development was fine. Dave seems to get what I think we all would call a more appropriate conscience, well ... a little. It does seem to be getting a bit repetitious with all the demon killing, and only he knows how to talk to them. Though, new characters introduced will obviously have skill sets to help spread out the need to rely so heavy on Dave. Book ended with the day being saved, or at least Dave's family, and leaves an opening for more books to come. I don't know if I would so much recommend this to a more YA crowd due to language and some situations. Would continue reading the series just to find out how it all ends.

Book Reviews: "Emergence" and "Resistance" both by John Birmingham

EMERGENCE: For fans of Jim Butcher and Kevin Hearne comes an action-packed new urban fantasy series featuring a tough, bleakly funny, down-on-his luck oil rig worker with an unlikely destiny as a monster-slayer and savior of the planet.

 
“Monsters,” said Vince Martinelli. “There are monsters on the rig, Dave.”
 
Dave Hooper has a hangover from hell, a horrible ex-wife, and the fangs of the IRS deep in his side. The last thing he needs is an explosion at work. A real explosion. On his off-shore oil rig.
 
But this is no accident, and despite the news reports, Dave knows that terrorists aren’t to blame. He knows because he killed one of the thingsresponsible.
 
When he wakes up in a hospital bed guarded by Navy SEALs, he realizes this is more than just a bad acid trip. Yeah, Dave’s had a few. This trip is way weirder.
 
Killing a seven-foot-tall, tattooed demon has transformed the overweight, balding safety manager into something else entirely. A foul-mouthed, beer-loving monster slayer, and humanity’s least worthy Champion. - from GoodReads.com

RESISTANCE: For fans of Jim Butcher and Kevin Hearne comes a heart-pounding new urban fantasy series featuring monster slayerDave Hooper and his magical splitting maul.
 
When you drop a monster-killer on the Strip, all bets are off.
 
Holed up in Las Vegas after the tumultuous Battle of New Orleans, Dave is enjoying the VIP perks afforded a champion monster-slayer. He may be a superhero of swag and the toast of the town, but if some fire-breathing dragons have their way, odds are everyone will soon be toast. As the hordes from the UnderRealms regroup for their next attack, Dave parties with celebrities, lunches with A-listers, and gets his ass lawyered up—because his hellacious ex is looking for a piece of that sweet, sweet action.
 
It’s all good, until new monsters roll in, looking to parley with “the Dave.”
 
WTF, monsters. Do you think the Dave can’t spot a trap before he falls into it? And when things go to hell at warp 10, a suit from a shadow operation swoops in to offer Dave a deal he can’t refuse. Now Dave’s about to face off against an opponent who makes battling bloodthirsty behemoths look like child’s play—a ravishing Russian spy with a few superpowers of her own. - from GoodReads.com

I received these both free from the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey Spectra, in exchange for a review.

In EMEREGENCE, we are introduced to Dave Hooper. An oil rig safety worker, while returning to the rig, discovers it is under attack by supernatural beings. In fighting one, suddenly he takes on strange new powers, speech, and knowledge. the story continues with the Armed Forces doing their best to prevent the city of New Orleans being overrun by these new demons, which Dave can understand their caste systems, and how they operate. In helping the Armies of the US defeat the new threat, Dave becomes a new superhero. I found this a good start to a series and give it 4 stars.

In RESISTANCE, the fight continues, but it is on multiple fronts around the world. Dave is still the self-centered, "it's all about me" type person we were introduced to in the first book. Except now, he is supposedly starting to realize that his actions have consequences. By this point in the story, I was starting to get pretty tired of Dave and his narcissistic ways, but by the near end of this book, I think he is starting to change. Either that, or he is "into" the Russian spy chick that a secret dept of the US Govt wants him to kill. Funny how Dave never does quite what they want him to do. The story seemed to slow down a bit in this book, and not as action oriented as the first book. Wasn't sure if it was for character development, or the author had no idea where the story was going/trying to connect it up so I give it 3 stars.

Book Review: "Sword of the North" by Luke Scull

In The Grim Company, Luke Scull introduced a formidable and forbidding band of anti-heroes battling against ruthless Magelords and monstrous terrors. The adventure continues as the company—now broken—face new dangers on personal quests…  
 
As Davarus Cole and his former companions were quick to discover, the White Lady’s victorious liberation of Dorminia has not resulted in the freedom they once imagined. Anyone perceived as a threat has been seized and imprisoned—or exiled to darker regions—leaving the White Lady’s rule unchallenged and absolute. But the White Lady would be wiser not to spurn her former supporters: Eremul the Halfmage has learned of a race of immortals known as the Fade, and if he cannot convince the White Lady of their existence, all of humanity will be in danger.
 
Far to the north, Brodar Kayne and Jerek the Wolf continue their odyssey to the High Fangs only to find themselves caught in a war between a demon horde and their enemy of old, the Shaman. And in the wondrous city of Thelassa, Sasha must overcome demons of her own.
 
Because the Fade are coming… - from Netgalley.com

I received a free ARC from the publisher, Penguin Group Berkeley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW through Netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Spoilers ahead!

This is the second novel by Scull in 'THE GRIM COMPANY" series, and there looks to be a third. This continues the story of the band of misfits that were pushed together by circumstance in the first novel. In the first novel, I entirely disliked a few of the characters, like Davarus Cole, as being too whiny, brattish, conceited, and just a regular pain int he ass. Sasha wasn't much better, coming across as a self-centered bitch. Kayne and Jerek, who seem to be the main characters, though that could be disputed, are back, heading home to the North to find Kayne's wife, now believed to be alive still.

Obviously, I got pulled into this story more ... even with some of the story going off in tangents. Maybe I don't see the necessity of some of the tangents, but I know others show just a small bit of stuff going on, that will affect characters later ... just seemed a bit long for detail. Character development  - wow! I am sure I am the only one surprised that some of those characters I hated in the first novel, have changed somewhat. Scull definitely tricked me in that regard. Cole now seems to have some new purpose (and skills), Sasha seems to have gotten a bit less self-centered (though the drug addiction .... eh). Kayne and Jerek - oh man, learn some history about them, and they make some history - no they ain't gay, at least I don't think so.

Overall, I love the direction the story is going, with demons in the North, the Fehd coming from across the seas, and the regular mess of human tyranny of power-hungry mortals. Definitely will be waiting anxiously for the next installment!

Book Review: "The Last Quarrel: Complete Edition" by Duncan Lay

Gaelland is a nation gripped by fear.

In the country, fishing boats return with their crews mysteriously vanished, while farms are left empty, their owners gone into the night, meals still on the table. In the cities, children disappear from the streets or even out of their own beds. The King tells his people that it is the work of selkies – mythical creatures who can turn from seals into men and back again – and witches. But no matter how many women he burns at the stake, the children are still being taken.

Fallon is a man who has always dreamed of being a hero. His wife Bridgit just wants to live in peace and quiet, and to escape the tragedies that have filled her life. His greatest wish and her worst nightmare are about to collide.

When an empty ship sails into their village, he begins to follow the trail towards the truth behind the evil stalking their land. But it is a journey that will take them both into a dark, dark place and nobody can tell them where it might end ... - from NetGalley.com

I received this copy from the publisher, Momentum Books (Pan Macmillan) in exchange for a review, through Netgalley.com.

This title had crossed my path before, and I had not jumped at it, but this time around it was different. Previously, there were five parts, I believe, and I was not interested in reading a serial series, so did not look twice. However, this selection was the five parts combined into one, and I was intrigued by the story description.

I openly admit I did not read the whole book. The beginning was fine. My attention was grabbed, the characters were being introduced, the on-going conflict beginning to be formed. All that was fine .... until about halfway. By that point, I was struggling to understand what was going on among all the <my opinion> whining the characters seemed to be doing. I started skimming, hoping that this was just a "slow part" that would resolve itself shortly, and get back to the story it had started out to be. I could not find that spot. I skipped a couple pages, then a couple more. I could tell the story was still on-going, but just couldn't tolerate the writing.

That being said, it truly felt like five separate sections/serials were lashed together to form this novel. Unfortunately, the writing style seemed to suffer, as once about halfway, I am not sure if the author's tone while writing the story changed (be it from life events, tiredness, etc) or what happened, but it felt completely different than the start of the story. I would still recommend the book to one that likes YA.