Wasteland King

Today's post is on Wasteland King by Lilith Saintcrow. It is the third in her Gallow & Ragged series. It is  313 pages long and is published by Orbit. The cover has Gallow on it with his spear and magic flowing around him. The intended reader is someone who has read the first two books and likes gritty urban fantasy. There is some foul language, no sex, and violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close of many characters moving from chapter to chapter as the story goes. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The plague has broken loose, the Wild Hunt is riding, and the balance of power in the sidhe realms is still shifting. The Unseelie King has a grudge against Jeremiah Gallow, but it will have to wait. For he needs Gallow's services for a very delicate mission -- and the prize for success is survival itself.
In order to save both Robin Ragged and himself, Gallow will have to do the unspeakable...

Review- What a show this novel ends with. Saintcrow brings everything back around from the beginning and she ends the world in an interesting place. The characters have grown, the world is better (I think) than where we started, and everything is just nicely settled. I like that the characters were traveling very different paths and they ended up in every different places but their stories still touch. I think that this trilogy maybe the tightest plotting Saintcrow has done up to this point in my reading of her.  Gallow has the coolest moments in this novel and Ragged feels very secondary which was a weakest for me but in the  process of the story I understand but I still would have liked to feel that Ragged was more important to the end game. Still a solid ending to an interesting urban fantasy story.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this book with my own money.

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women

Today’s post is on The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore. It is 496 pages long is published by Sourcebooks. The cover is black with a neon green strip at the top. The intended reader is someone who is interested in history. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The incredible true story of the women who fought America's Undark danger.
The Curies' newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War.
Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" are the luckiest alive — until they begin to fall mysteriously ill.
But the factories that once offered golden opportunities are now ignoring all claims of the gruesome side effects, and the women's cries of corruption. And as the fatal poison of the radium takes hold, the brave shining girls find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America's early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights that will echo for centuries to come.
Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the "wonder" substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives...

Review- This is an interesting if hard to read book about a very dark subject. It is not hard to read in that is hard to engage with but hard because you are engaged with these young women, some little more than girls, as they encounter something so dangerous and deadly. My stomach would turn every time I read Lip…Dip…Paint as you do many times over the course of the book. Moore does a wonderful job making these women and their world very real. I wanted to stop them, to save them from their very horrible deaths 100 years later. Then we are with them as they start to die, start to fight the company that knowingly did this to them, and we watch them lose so many times. It is a hard book to read but so very important to remember what they fought and died for.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Ancient Magus' Bride, volume 2

Today's post is on The Ancient Magus' Bride, volume 2 by Kore Yamazaki. It is the first in her Ancient Magus' Bride series. It is 176 pages long and is published by Seven Seas. The cover has the two main characters, Chise and Elias, on it. The intended reader is someone who likes urban fantasy and shonen manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of Chise. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Great power comes at a price...
Chise Hatori's life has recently undergone shocking change. As a sleigh beggy--a person capable of generating and wielding tremendous magical power--she has transformed from an unwanted child to a magician's apprentice who has been introduced to fae royalty. But Chise's newly discovered abilities also mean a cruel fate awaits her.

Review- We pick up just where we left off with Chise being held by a stranger with a knife at her throat. In this volume we learn why Elias bought her to begin with. As a Sleigh Beggy she is a fount of magical power and that she would have a very short life. But Elias wants to try and save her, for reasons unknown. Chise helps the trapped spirits move on but she uses too much magic and hurts herself. Elias knows what to do and she recovers. The volume ends with a villain appearing, who seems to be the one pulling strings from the background and is pretty creepy. Chise is injured and Elias looks very scary in the last panel. The art is very lovely in this series. I look forward to seeing why Elias is called the Thorn Child in the next volume.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

The Bone Witch

Today's post is on The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco. It is the first in her Bone Witch series. It is 411 pages long and is published by Sourcebooks. The cover is dark purple with a lone girl sitting on a mountain. The intended reader is someone who likes epic fantasy. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this book. The story is told in ways from third person of the bard who is listening to Tea and from Tea's first person perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite. But the girl was fiercer.Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the living—and of the human.
Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha, learning to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force. And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very survival of those she loves.

Review- Chupeco's first foray into epic fantasy mostly hits the right notes with some minor flaws. The world building is solid but a lot is left unclear, I hope that in the next book Chupeco does more with this world. The magic is great and very mysterious but I wanted to understand more about how and why it works but unlike seeing more of the world I can live without. The characters are the best part of her story. Tea is a compelling main character, she is powerful, she is young, and she wants more than what her society thinks that she should have as a bone witch. Add in the unusual but very affective narrative style with the story being told in two ways and this book does so much right. Using a two fold narration style gives the reader a different way to see Tea and her mission, I liked it because when she is controlling the narration, Tea is overwhelming with her strong personality and her story but seeing her as a young woman with a lot power and a plan as the bard interviewing her does is very clever. I look forward to seeing where Tea's mission is going to take her.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World

I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.

Today’s Nonfiction post is on The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World by Simon Winchester. It is 416 pages long and is published by Harper Collins. The cover is blue and white with a gear on top and the universe on the bottom. The intended reader is someone who is interested in engineers and engineering. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The revered New York Times bestselling author traces the development of technology from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age to explore the single component crucial to advancement—precision—in a superb history that is both an homage and a warning for our future.
The rise of manufacturing could not have happened without an attention to precision. At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in eighteenth-century England, standards of measurement were established, giving way to the development of machine tools—machines that make machines. Eventually, the application of precision tools and methods resulted in the creation and mass production of items from guns and glass to mirrors, lenses, and cameras—and eventually gave way to further breakthroughs, including gene splicing, microchips, and the Hadron Collider.
Simon Winchester takes us back to origins of the Industrial Age, to England where he introduces the scientific minds that helped usher in modern production: John Wilkinson, Henry Maudslay, Joseph Bramah, Jesse Ramsden, and Joseph Whitworth. It was Thomas Jefferson who later exported their discoveries to the fledgling United States, setting the nation on its course to become a manufacturing titan. Winchester moves forward through time, to today’s cutting-edge developments occurring around the world, from America to Western Europe to Asia.
As he introduces the minds and methods that have changed the modern world, Winchester explores fundamental questions. Why is precision important? What are the different tools we use to measure it? Who has invented and perfected it? Has the pursuit of the ultra-precise in so many facets of human life blinded us to other things of equal value, such as an appreciation for the age-old traditions of craftsmanship, art, and high culture? Are we missing something that reflects the world as it is, rather than the world as we think we would wish it to be? And can the precise and the natural co-exist in society?

Review- This is a difficult book to read. Winchester has a potentially interesting student but it is weighted down by slow pacing and almost endless details that do not add to the narrative only make the story move slower. I wanted to like this book, the topic is interesting, the history of how the world became mechanical and so may interesting characters who helped make it so. But instead we get a slow, plodding story that is very difficult to engage with. Perhaps I just do not have the right mindset to read this book but I was so bored as I read it. I cannot recommend this book.

I give this book a Two out of Five stars.

Claymore volume 17: The Claws of Memory

Today's post is on Claymore volume 17: The Claws of Memory by Norihiro Yagi. It is the seventeenth the long running Claymore series, you need to have read the first sixteen volumes to understand the story. It is 189 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover has a close-up of Clare of it. The intended reader is someone who likes dark plots, high action, and strong female characters. There is mild foul language, no sexuality, and lots of violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- With the balance of power broken after Isley's defeat by the foreious Abyss Feeders, the Organization, central hub of the Claymores, deploys Alicia and Beth to the West to go after the renegade Riful. In turn, Riful continues her scheme to Awaken the remains of the powerful Rafaela. As these dire powers all finally collide, Clare and her comrades must fight for their lilves in the titanic battle that ensues.

Review- In this volume we truly get to see how terrible the Abyss Feeders are. They are sent after Riful and the fight with her is sickening. She is very powerful and has not been hounded by them like Isley was. But then the field of battle changes when Rafaela Awakens. She and her sister become something called the Destroyer. She does not move but is sending out spikes that will infect anyone it touches with some part of her new self. Everyone is just trying to get out of the way. I have no idea what Clare and Co. can do against her now but I will see soon even.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this volume with my own money.

And the Trees Crept In

Today's post is on  And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich. It is 355 pages long and is published by Little, Brown Books. The intended reader is someone who is young adult and likes horror. There is some mild foul language, implied sex, and some violence in this book. The story is told from the first person close of the main character Silla with some interludes from the other main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Stay away from the woods…
When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt’s home, it’s immediately clear that the manor is cursed. The endless creaking of the house at night and the eerie stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too—questions that Silla can’t ignore: Why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer? Who is the beautiful boy who’s appeared from the woods? And who is the tall man with no eyes who Nori plays with in the basement at night… a man no one else can see?

Review- An excellent introduction into horror for young adult readers. Kurtagich writes an interesting and creepy story that has all the hallmarks of a horror story without being too adult. She creates an atmosphere of slow dread and a sense of helpless doom but she keeps in mind that age of  her intended readers. So we have all the classic horror tropes but tastefully done with a younger audience in mind. I really had a great time with this book, Kurtagich is an excellent writer. Silla is a good narrator, very unreliable and Kurtagich uses that to her fullest. Silla does not know if what she is seeing or thinking is even real anymore and that plays so well with this plot. The twist at the end was just amazing and I really enjoyed seeing it play out to the fullest. If you are a  horror fan or want to try some, then give this one a go, you will not be disappointed. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Polygamist's Daughter: A Memior

Today's Nonfiction is on The Polygamist's Daughter: A Memior by Anna LeBaron. It is 320 pages long and is published by Tyndale House Publishers. The cover has a censored picture of the author as a child.  The intended reader is someone who is interested in the lives of those who grew up and lived in polygamist households. There is mild foul language, no sex, and talk of violence it in this memoir. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- My father had thirteen wives and more than fifty children . . .
This is the haunting memoir of Anna LeBaron, daughter of the notorious polygamist and murderer Ervil LeBaron. Ervil's criminal activity kept Anna and her siblings constantly on the run from the FBI. Often starving, the children lived in a perpetual state of fear--and despite their numbers, Anna always felt alone. Would she ever find a place she truly belonged? Would she ever be anything other than the polygamist's daughter?
Filled with murder, fear, and betrayal, The Polygamist's Daughter is the harrowing, heart-wrenching story of a fatherless girl and her unwavering search for love, faith, and a place to call home.

Review- A heart-rending account about growing-up in a polygamist household and all the dangers that brings with it. LaBaron grew up afraid and unloved by the family she was born into. Her mother was too rapped up in her father and his wishes, the other family members were just trying to survive, and her siblings did not have the emotional strength to give her what her parents should have. Most of this memoir is very her early childhood as she moved and tried to get enough to eat. It was very hard to read about hungry children, children being abused, and people being murdered. LaBaron finds and uses her faith to help over-come the trauma of her past to have better future. It is a moving memoir about surviving and finding life after trauma.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Ancient Magus' Bride, volume 1

Today's post is on The Ancient Magus' Bride, volume 1 by Kore Yamazaki. It is the first in her Ancient Magus' Bride series. It is 180 pages long and is published by Seven Seas. The cover has the two main character, Chise and Elias, on it. The intended reader is someone who likes urban fantasy and shonen manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of Chise. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Enter the Magician's Apprentice
Her name is Chise Hatori, a penniless orphan troubled by visions. Sold as a slave to an inhuman mage, she is about to begin a strange new life, filled with magic, fairies, and other beings of a fantastical nature.

Review- An unusual shonen series. Chise has no one, no family, no hope, and no reason to live. So in a fit of despair she sells herself into slavery. Elias Ainsworth buys her to be his apprentice and so the story begins. Chise is an interesting character and she changes so much just over the course of this volume. Elias is a bit of a mystery as to what he wants or why he choose her as his apprentice but he is kind. There are many adventures in this volume so we get to see a lot of the world with Chise. Her past is still mostly a mystery but she is learning to want to live again. I look forward to experiencing this world with her and I hope she sees that every life as value.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Roadside Magic

Today's post is on Roadside Magic by Lilith Saintcrow. It is the second in her Gallow and Ragged trilogy. It is 315 pages long and is published by Orbit. The cover has Gallow on a motorcycle with his tattoos and spear out and glowing. The intended reader is someone who likes urban fantasy and a new, darker spin on the Fae. There is foul language, sexuality, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the characters moving from one to the next per chapter. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Robin Ragged has revenge to wreak and redemption to steal. As for Jeremiah Gallow, the poison in his wound is slowly killing him, while old friends turn traitor and long-lost enemies return to haunt him.
In the dive bars and trailer parks, the sidhe are hunting. War looms, and on a rooftop in the heart of the city, the most dangerous sidhe of all is given new life. This new hunter has only one thought: Where is the Ragged?

Review- Another fast paced story into the dark world of the Fae and the Halfs that try to survive them. The story picks up just hours after the ending of Trailer Park Fae with Puck not dead but not alive either. Robin still doesn't believe that Jeremiah can withstand the pull of the Fae Queen of Summer. She thinks that he will betray her to Summer. Jeremiah just wants to protect her and to understand what Puck has on Robin. Add in everyone from both sides hunting for both of them and we get our plot. Some character growth happens in this volume by way of a new character that  Jeremiah had been friends with many years before so we get to see more of Jeremiah before he knew what he is. But the picture on the cover does not come to be as it is not Jeremiah on the bike. But that is a small matter. In the end our heroes are separated and war is coming to the Fae lands.

I give this book a Four out Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this book with my own money.

Home Sweet Murder

Today’s Nonfiction post is on Home Sweet Murder by James Patterson. It is 304 pages long and is published by Grand Central Publishing. The cover is grey with a rocky beach and a bridge in the distance. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime. There is mild foul language, no sex, and descriptions of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Two true-crime thrillers as seen on Discovery's Murder is Forever TV series
HOME SWEET MURDER: Lawyer Leo Fisher and his wife Sue are a sixty-one-year-old couple enjoying a quiet Sunday dinner at home. Until a man in a suit rings their front door claiming to be an SEC agent. By the end of the evening, two people will be shot, stabbed, and tortured. And two others will fare worse . . .
MURDER ON THE RUN: The middle-aged housekeeper found dead with a knife in her throat was bad. But the little boy was worse. After a bloody double homicide that puts Omaha, Nebraska, on the map, Detective Derek Mois promises the boy's parents he will catch the killer, no matter how long or far he runs . . .

Review- I knew nothing about either of these cases and that made reading this book very anxious for me. I was very worried about the couple in the first story because I was not sure if they were going to survive their night of terror. In the second story I was worried about the killer being found and why he was doing it. The story telling is very good in this volume and I was on the edge of my seat for both stories. Patterson did a good job with handling both cases with care and tack because the first is very terrifying and the second a nightmare for all involved. We get details and insight into the minds of all the players but I never felt overwhelmed by what I was reading. If you like true crime and survival stories, then you should look this book up.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library

Punch! volume 2

Today's post is on Punch! volume 2 by Rie Takada. It is the second volume in her Punch! series. It is 179 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has the main female character Elle looking very cute. The intended reader is someone who likes shojo manga and funny characters. The story is told from third person close of the main character, Elle. There is no foul language, mild sexual content, and mild violence in this manga. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Elle has first date with the scrappy young street fighter named Kazuki, who has recently started training at  her grandfather's renowned gym,  but the date may be ruined when she burned her face while cooking. Meanwhile, Elle's fiancé has secretly been dating Kazuki's blind sister in a twisted attempt to get revenge. With his first real boxing match on the line, how will Kazuki react when he finds out?

Review- Elle realizes to herself that she really likes Kazuki. She likes everything about him including his boxing. But of course Ruo is not going to stand by and give up the girl he loves but he is just a jerk about it.  He gets one of his crew to investigate Kazuki and discovers his sister. Then when Kazuki finds out Ruo says that he will pay for her surgery if Kazuki will leave Elle and the gym for good. I am pulling for Elle and Kazuki all the way. Kazuki cares about what Elle thinks and how his actions impact her and her life. Ruo is being very childish and when Kazuki's sister punches him in the face, that was nice. Only one more volume left and I am very curious about how Elle is going to end up.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Coming Up for Air

Today's post is on Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally. It is part of her Hundred Oaks series but you do not have to have read any of the other books to enjoy this one. It is 285 pages long and is published by Sourcebooks Fire. The cover has the two main characters standing in front of a pool about to kiss. The intended reader is young adult, likes realistic romance and real life issues. There is mild foul language, sexuality, and no violence in this book. The story is told from forst person close of the main character Maggie. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swim. Swim. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat.
All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships—she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic tryout, so Maggie feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool.
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to sacrifice in the water to win at love?

Review- A sweet realistic teen romance that is honest about sexuality without being overly graphic. Maggie wants to live a little before she goes away to college. She wants to learn about her body and she doesn't want to be embarrassed about not knowing anything about how to be sexy. So she asks her best friend Levi to help her learn. Of course they are more than friends without knowing it but that is part of the plot. I really enjoyed this book for many reasons from the good writing, the characters who feel real but I think that I like the honest look at sexuality the best. It is not romanticized, it is not seen as some end all be all; it is something that it just part of normal life. Kenneally does talk about how feelings can get hurt when sex is mixed into relationships but it is seen as something to learn from not to fear. This is a very positive book about older teen sexuality. I recommend it.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.