REVIEW | Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews

Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews

Publication Year: 2013

Genre: Fantasy, Urban
Series: Kate Daniels #6

Awards: None
Format: Paperback

Narrator: NA

WHY?: This series just keeps getting better and better.

SYNOPSIS:  When shape-shifter children reach puberty and begin to be influenced by their animal side there is a chance that they will go Loup - the animal will take over and the child will become a violent murderous monster. It happens at a fairly high rate and in a relatively happy family-oriented pack like the one in Atlanta, Loupism is a constant heartbreak.  There is a cure but it is very rare and only produced by one European pack which hoards the stuff stingily.  When Curran is approached about receiving a barrel of this cure if he will arbitrate a dispute among three European packs, he can hardly say no though the assignment is not a safe one.  He, Kate and 10 others from the Atlanta pack set off to get the job done and secure the medicine but they are in for a surprise and the price is even steeper than they bargained for.  

Pack Road Trip!  And across the ocean to the Black Sea no less.  And loaded with all kinds of shape-shifter politics and dynamics PLUS throwing in Hugh D'Ambray. Just when I think, "This is the best book in the Kate Daniels series", another comes along to be better than the last.  This installment is particularly fun because it gets all the players outside of their regular setting and explores how other were-packs in the world work.  It makes you appreciate how civilized the Atlanta Pack is and how strong a leader they have in Curran.

Not only fun (there's a battle with were-dolphins for goodness' sake), this book was particularly funny and good with the one-liners.  All the books in the series have a good sense of humor but this one seemed particularly witty - perhaps it's just been too long since I read a Kate Daniels book?  Regardless, there was a lot of chortling.

It's not all fun and laughter however.  The stakes in this installment are particularly high and Andrews' throws seemingly everything and the kitchen sink at our heroine.  The way the author(s) (it's a husband wife team) are orchestrating the series  - building up to Kate's ultimate show-down with her dad  - is brilliantly paced and plotted.  This is a significant step along that road while also exploring the nuances of inter-pack politics and having a gripping plot of its own.  And as I mentioned in the synopsis - there is a big price to pay and it is heartbreaking.

Part of the drama of this installment is between Kate and Curran who are still the best couple ever.  Andrews should write a manual on how to develop a long-term romance and keep it interesting.  The situations they get put into would make the world's most well-adjusted couple question themselves and Kate and Curran actually handle it better than most.  I love how much they respect each other.  How both of them are so incredibly tough, confident and emotionally controlled except when it comes to each other.  And Curran includes himself as one of Kate's collection of misfits - SO sweet for the Beast Lord to think of himself like that. Sigh.... 

I also have to fan girl about Kate herself who is by far my favorite UF heroine.  She's such a complex and awesome character. In many ways the Pack is the perfect "family" for her, even though she's not a shapeshifter, and this book really hits that theme hard.  Kate is unsure about whether and/or where she belongs but the Pack works because of her affinity for violence and skill with killing.  Kate's thoughts after a fight with some were-dolphins while on board the ship, looking over the carnage:

What a waste of life.
And I'd loved it.  I loved every second of it: the blood, the rush, the heady satisfaction of striking ad seeing the cut or thrust find its target...Voron had succeeded.  I was raised and trained to be a killer, and nothing, not even happy, peaceful weeks in the Keep with the man I loved, could change that.  I'd come to terms with what I was a long time ago, but sometimes, like right now, looking over the deck strewn with corpses, I felt a quiet regret for the person I could've been.

At the same time she craves violence, she brims over with compassion which is so at odds with her bad assery that you wonder just how amazing she could have been if she hadn't been molded into a fighter and killer.  Also she is very clearly an introvert - from inclination and from practice  - and we see her loving the pack members but just wishing to be away by herself or holed up with Curran.  She points out several times early on that it is only for love of Curran that she has taken on the position of pack leader which causes her to almost constantly have to interact with others.  It's exhausting for her - much more so than a 2 hour workout.  I love her.  

Finally, these books are just cracking reads.  By chapter three I was sucked in and completely obsessed with reading this and only this until it was done.  I've actually been pacing myself in reading through the series because I like knowing I have one of these waiting for me when I need it.  They can cure many reading ills with their blend of action, mystery and romance and a plot that flies.  

FINAL VERDICT:  READ THEM ALL NOW! Ahem... I loved this installment in the brilliant Kate Daniels series which delves into pack politics and moves Kate's broader story further down the road. 4 out of 5 Stars!

Saturday in the Garden | Reading and Baking

OUTSIDE

Well, I've been avoiding the outdoors because it's been cold and snowy.  I also haven't yet done any garden planning but the itch to start that has started.

Instead of contemplating vegetables, I've been making cookies as the holiday season demands.  Today I made gingerbread owls, dinosaurs and bees.

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching 

Mostly been reading this week.  Tonight I am indulging in my annual re-watch of The Vicar of Dibley which makes me laugh like a hyena and is a total comfort watch.

Reading 

Finished Since the Last Time I Posted

• Avatar: The Last Airbender - Smoke and Shadow by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru:  The graphic novel continuation of my beloved Avatar The Last Airbender television series.  
• Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower:  A cozy mystery set in a magic bookshop in a charming New York Village minutes from Niagara Falls.  
• Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James:  This was a cracking good time!  St. James is becoming my go to author for Post World War I era, Gothic, atmospheric, supernatural mystery romances.  
• A Plain Disappearance (Appleseed Creek #3) by Amanda Flower:  I've strangely been obsessed with this mystery series in Amish country.  

Currently Reading:

Added to the TBR:

This is a list of books that I have added to my Goodreads TBR list this week.  It helps to burn the books I want to read a little more firmly into my mind, maybe get them on some other folks TBRs and gives me a chance to recognize a lot of the awesome bloggers that add stuff to my TBR!

• Nothing this Week

On the BLOG LAST WEEK:

Nothing this week.  Not sure why.   I really hope to knock out a ton of reviews and some end-of-year lists in the next couple weeks but I'll need to get my motivated!

Stay Warm!

Saturday in the Garden | Winter Says 'What the Hell' and Crashes the Party

OUTSIDE

Winter has finally punched jolly old Autumn in the face and made an appearance this week in Iowa.  We had temps under 10 degrees Fahrenheit this week and, as you see, a little snow.  I also had my first white knuckle drive last Monday morning as I made my pre-dawn way a couple hours to the west for work.

Here's the thing.  I appreciate winter. I'm glad I live somewhere with distinct seasons. I will even grudgingly admit that as long as I don't have to scoop it or drive anywhere - snow can be very nice and peaceful.  But other than that it just sucks. I know there are places way worse than Iowa  - way colder, way more snow but I DON'T KNOW WHY ANYONE WOULD LIVE THERE. 😳  Besides the two hour anxiety attack driving on a slippery road this week there was also the matter that it took me 15 minutes to get bundled up to go outside and walk the dogs every morning this week and once bundled up I feel like I'm encased in one of those Sumo wrestling suits.

Me, in Winter

I suppose I should be grateful.  Living in Iowa has introduced me to such exciting weather phenomena such as thunder snow (like a thunder storm but with a butt ton of snow instead of rain) and freezing fog (fog that not only renders visibility impossible but also freezes the road, the car and sometimes you).

Nope. Not grateful.

So help me stop being grumpy!  What do you like about winter?  I like this guy.  His name is Hans.

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching 

I finally bit the bullet and continued watching season 4 of Arrow and the bad thing happened and it was indeed awful and made me gnash my teeth in frustration.  It's one of those scenarios where they can't make the hero/main character of the show a jerk so they throw another character under the bus instead, even when it is not consistent with that character.  Then another terrible thing happened and now I've taken another break, lol.

I also watched Hairspray Live which was pretty good! My one criticism was that I didn't love Harvey Fierstein as Edna (Tracy's Mom).  Maddie Baillio (Tracy) was a complete newcomer and she did a great job though I will always love Nikki Blonsky the best I think.  Did you watch Hairspray Live?  What did you think?

Reading 

Finished Since the Last Time I Posted

• Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1) by Ilona Andrews: The Kate Daniels series author is one of my very favoritest Urban Fantasy and this book was on sale at Audible.  It was great, of course and pretty original in its concept which is kind of a Sci-Fi, UF blend.
• The Case of the Left-handed Lady (Enola Holmes #2) by Nancy Springer: The second in a middle-grade series featuring Sherlock Holmes' 14 year old sister.  
• The President's Vampire (Nathaniel Cade #2) by Christopher Farsnworth: I read the first in this series ages ago and liked it enough that I wanted to continue but obviously wasn't in any hurry.  Anyway, this was very fun and the audio was narrated by Bronson Pinchot.  It's based on the premise that the U.S.  has a top secret Vampire that answers to the President and takes care of all the national security things no one else can.  I thought I'd post some scenarios from the book on Facebook and see if people believed them.

Currently Reading:

• Avatar: The Last Airbender - Smoke and Shadow by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru:  The graphic novel continuation of my beloved Avatar The Last Airbender television series.  
• Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower:  A cozy mystery set in a magic bookshop in a charming New York Village minutes from Niagara Falls.  
• Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James:  A historical, supposedly horror, novel (nothing creepy's happened yet) that takes place at an isolated mental hospital in England for soldiers suffering from PTSD after World War I.  

Added to the TBR:

This is a list of books that I have added to my Goodreads TBR list this week.  It helps to burn the books I want to read a little more firmly into my mind, maybe get them on some other folks TBRs and gives me a chance to recognize a lot of the awesome bloggers that add stuff to my TBR!

• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi:  This is one of the literary fiction titles that was Book Riot's best of list that looks really interesting to me.  It is the story of two half-sisters - one sold into slavery and the other married to a British slaver - and their descendants. 

On the BLOG LAST WEEK:

TUESDAY: Top Ten Tuesday | Favorite New-To-Me Authors in 2016
FRIDAY: REVIEW | The Palace Job (Rogues of the Republic #1) by Patrick Weekes

Creepy Ghost Dog Lurking in the Corner

Live Like You're in a Japanese Horror Film!

REVIEW | The Palace Job by Patrick Weekes

The Palace Job By Patrick Weekes

Publication Year: 2012

Genre: Fantasy
Series: Rogues of the Republic #1 

Awards: None
Format: eBook (Amazon Kindle Owner's Lending Library)

Narrator: NA

WHY?:  This series came highly recommended by a number of other book bloggers whose opinion I trust.  And, you know, it's a FLIPPIN' HEIST NOVEL IN A FANTASY SETTING.  No way am I missing that!

SYNOPSIS: The book starts with Loch and her army buddy Kail breaking out of jail.  In fact it is a jail which should be impossible to escape from but Loch is clever and this initial jail break sets her up as a natural heist planner.  They break out of jail because Loch has a score to settle and she knows where to find an old artifact that formerly belonged to her family and which will fetch a LOT of money.  With the lure of this money she assembles a rag-tag and highly talented team to break into the very heart of the government of The Republic (aka the Palace), causing mayhem wherever they strike.

Is there anyone that doesn't enjoy a story about a good heist?  The motley crew of specialists who are all so different but who end up becoming, at least for a brief period, the best of friends.  The perfect and clever plan that unfolds like a complex pattern of Dominoes falling but which always goes wrong at some crucial moment and is saved by the brilliance of the crew.  The double-crosses and triple crosses.  It's a little weird to be so fascinated with crime but weird or not, I see the word heist in a book or movie blurb and I'm interested.

Part of it is the plan and watching it unfold - seeing the clever twists and how the gang achieves the impossible.  For me, it is equally about the gang itself - the quirky personalities and unconventional relationships that are formed.  The Palace Job takes that concept and ratchets it up several notches by including some unprecedented diversity: two army buddies, one the leader who has a personal score to settle (Loch) and the other who specializes in insulting people's mothers (Kail and I laughed at ALL his jokes), a death priestess and her sentient war hammer, an acrobat, a unicorn, a wizard, a safe-breaker and an exceedingly innocent young farm hand.  It's an interesting crew to say the least and most of the fun for me was getting to know all of these characters and watching who connects with whom.

As the gang is being brought together and the scene for the heist set, I have to admit I found the book a little slow (maybe the first quarter to third) but once the gang is all together and the heist begins in earnest, I defy anyone who loves a good heist not to love this book!  It provides everything one wants and expects; a plot with high stakes, impossible odds, an elaborate plan and more twists than you can shake a stick at.

The world the book is set in is also really fascinating and it feels like only the surface has been scratched in this first book of the series.  The Republic exists in a very tenuous but fractious state of peace with The Empire and this peace is threatened by complicated and corrupt political machinations in the government.  Loch and Kail have been the victims of this but unfortunately for the powers that be, Loch comes from a family with connections to old and ancient magic.  To complicate matters, a third enemy has wormed its way in to take advantage of unstable political situation.  There are well established societal structures in the book as well and the gang represents much of the diversity of the world.  Loch and Kail are of a race that is looked down upon, Ulelenia, the unicorn, and her old magic are looked on with suspicion, Icy, the contortionist, is from the Empire, and nobody likes to see a death priestess coming.  It's a fun world to explore, I so appreciate the diversity and I look forward to learning more about it all in future books!

This book kept me entertained and even with the large cast, I was eventually able to connect with all of them. There is a LOT going on and Weekes should be commended for pulling off a heist of his own and keeping it all organized and mapped out. I was frequently taken by surprise even while basking in the comforting glow of reliable tropes.  Weekes even threw in some humor to boot!

FINAL VERDICT: A fun, diverse and all around entertaining fantasy heist novel that lives up to all expectations.  4 out of 5 stars.

Other Opinions are Available: The Bibliosanctum - 1 | The Bibliosanctum - 2 | Fine Print

TOP TEN TUESDAY | Meet and Read | New Authors (to me) in 2016!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme for bloggers who like books and lists. It's awesome and is graciously hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

It's Best-of-the-Year-List Season, Ya'll!  The most wonderful time of the year!  And this week's particular Top Ten is one of my favorites and it is: 

December 6: Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read For The First Time In 2016

I love looking back and recognizing authors that I am thrilled to have been acquainted with in the past year! Without further ado...

************

1) Peter Clines

Genre: Science Fiction
Nationality: U.S.A.

I just read and loved Peter Clines' fun and exciting Science Fiction novel, The Fold and have already snapped up another novel of his, 14.  

2) Jaclyn Moriarty

Genre: Young Adult
Nationality: Australia

I read A Corner of White this year and was totally charmed by it.  I also found Moriarty's voice to be very original and interesting.  I will definitely be continuing with that series and checking out more of her backlist!

3) Jennifer Crusie

Genre: Romance
Nationality: U.S.A.

I thought I hated so-called Chick-lit and Contemporary Romance.  Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie convinced me that I don't know myself at all:).  

4) Melissa Lenhardt

Genre: Historical Fiction
Nationality: U.S.A.

I was smitten with Lenhardt's female-led western Sawbones this year and will definitely keep up with whatever she writes.  She also writes mysteries!

5) Claudia Gray

Genre: Science Fiction, Media Tie-in
Nationality: U.S.A.

Claudia Gray was my introduction to the Star Wars Universe novels with her brilliant book Lost Stars.  I think my second Star Wars book will be her second Star Wars novel Bloodline.  

6) Loretta Chase

Genre: Historical Romance
Nationality: U.S.A.

Considering how fond I am of Regency Romances, it is shocking that it was only this year that I picked up Lord of Scoundrels AND that this was my first Loretta Chase.  Perhaps the best Regency Romance I've ever read.  Way to go Ms. Chase - glad to have met you!

7) Louise Erdrich

Genre: Fiction
Nationality: U.S.A. 

Her novel The Round House is probably (spoiler alert!) my very favorite book I read this year.  Really powerful and engrossing coming of age story on an Indian Reservation.  I've already a couple of her other books and plan on checking out anything she writes.

8) Dorothy L. Sayers

Genre: Mystery
Nationality: British

An oldie but SO good.  I dived into her Lord Peter Wimsey series this year and have loved them to pieces.  

9) Eowyn Ivey

Genre: Fiction
Nationality: U.S.A. 

The Snow Child was such a lovely novel, set in the Alaska Wilderness.  It's fighting a duel in my heart with The Round House for favorite book I read this year.  

10) Rick Riordan

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Nationality: U.S.A.

I am the original Greek Mythology nerd so I should have been all over Riordan years ago but only picked up (and finished) the Percy Jackson series this year.  It was a lot of fun and I see why he is such a phenomenon.

***********

I included nationality mostly because I'm trying to keep better track of how diversely I've read.  As you can tell I'm not doing to well!  Only two favorite new-to-me authors from outside the U.S. and none in translation.  Good to know. I was also curious about the genre spread and it is predictably pretty diverse.   

So who are the authors that wormed their way into your heart this year?

Saturday in the Garden | Sleep Like No One Is Watching

OUTSIDE

The first of the seed catalogs have arrived YIPPEEEEEE! 💕 My Favorite:

GAK

Light alarm clock update (this is an alarm clock that wakes you up by slowly getting brighter over a 30  minute period):  I'm reserving judgment.  The first couple mornings this really helped me get up right when I should but since then not so much.  My brain adapts to these types of things quickly.  However, I did feel a little more alert and energetic once I was up so it may be having a positive effect even if I don't spring out of bed right on time like I'd like to.   

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching 

Nothing.  I've been obsessed with reading this week and haven't really watched any TV.

Reading 

Finished Since the Last Time I Posted

• A Plain Death (Appleseed Creek #1) by Amanda Flower:  This is an Amish, Christian Fiction, Mystery Romance. Say that 5 times fast:).  It annoyed me a lot but I also read it fast and have already borrowed and finished reading book 2. *shrugs*
• A Plain Scandal (Appleseed Creek #2) by Amanda Flower: This improves on the first book I think and I am increasingly liking that the author gives her heroine a lot of agency and the ability to take care of herself. I was disappointed to find book 3 was checked out:(.  
• The Old Fox Deceiv'd (Richard Jury #2) by Martha Grimes:  The second in this classic British mystery series.  Centers around interestingly name British pubs.
• H is for Hawk by Helen McDonald: A non-fiction book, primarily memoir, about the authors training of a Goshawk for falconry in an effort to heal after her father's sudden death.  Really lovely!

Currently Reading:

• Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1) by Ilona Andrews: The Kate Daniels series author is one of my very favoritest Urban Fantasy and this book was on sale at Audible.  I'm flying through it - so good!
• The Case of the Left-handed Lady (Enola Holmes #2) by Nancy Springer: The second in a middle-grade series featuring Sherlock Holmes' 14 year old sister.  
• Avatar: The Last Airbender - Smoke and Shadow by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru:  The graphic novel continuation of my beloved Avatar The Last Airbender television series.  

Added to the TBR:

This is a list of books that I have added to my Goodreads TBR list this week.  It helps to burn the books I want to read a little more firmly into my mind, maybe get them on some other folks TBRs and gives me a chance to recognize a lot of the awesome bloggers that add stuff to my TBR!

• Dark Matter by Blake Crouch: On Mogsy's (of The Bibliosanctum) Top Ten Sci-Fi of 2016 list.  Need I say more?:0)
• After Atlas by Emma Newman:  Ditto the above!

Blogging

On the BLOG LAST WEEK:

TUESDAY: Top Ten Tuesday | Holiday Gift Guide For...
WEDNESDAY: REVIEW | Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott
FRIDAY: REVIEW | The Olympians Comic Series - Zeus, Athena and Hera by George O'Connor

Sleep like no one is Watching!

REVIEW | Zeus, Athena, and Hera - The Olympians Comic Series by George O'Connor

The Olympians Series: Zeus, Athena and Hera (Vols 1,2 and 3) by George O'Connor

Publication Year: 2010, 2011

Genre: Middle-Grade, Graphic Novel, Mythology
Series: The Olympians

Awards: None
Format: Hardcover (from Library)

Narrator: NA

WHY?:  I'm a Greek mythology nerd, hard core yo.  

SYNOPSIS: Each volume is a pretty straight-up presentation of the main myths surrounding each of the featured deities.  For example with Zeus, it's mostly about how he became King of the Gods (overthrew his dad and the rest of the Titans), with Hera it's mostly about Heracles (Hercules if you're Roman). 

These are the first three volumes in this series of graphic novels featuring Greek Mythology.  The intended audience, by the writing and the content emphasized, is middle grade but that didn't stop me from enjoying them.  

One of my very favorite books when I was a kid was D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Mythology and these comics reminded me of that beloved volume very much.  The format is of course different though D'Aulaires also included a lot of art and was very visual.  A lot of the mythology presented is very similar and it is kept mostly PG - considering the way the Greek Gods carried on that is quite a feat.

To be honest, I mildly enjoyed the first volume Zeus but wasn't wowed or too impressed.  The visuals are great and O'Connors imagining of how the Gods and Goddesses look is a lot of fun to discover.  The myth telling is relatively bland and not terribly unique, at least that's how it appeared at first in Zeus.  

It wasn't until the volume on Hera when I really developed some special appreciation for O'Connor's vision and where this series sets itself apart from classics like D'Aulaires.  First of all, O'Connor forthrightly takes on the inherent sexism in the myths.  As he points out in his really awesome notes sections that he includes at the end of each volume, most of what was written and passed down is the men's story told by the men.  Case in point is the depiction of Hera which is problematic at best.  Hera has always been portrayed as a petty, insanely jealous and generally unpleasant harpy of wife. A harridan. She does do some really cruel and petty things BUT the fact of the matter is that Zeus is a TERRIBLE husband.  He is constantly cheating on her and in fact ate his first queen (Metis - mother of Athena).  O'Connor deliberately interprets many of the myths surrounding Hera in a different and fairer way, using some scraps of evidence and stories that suggest that the Queen of the Gods was not historically seen in such a purely negative light.  His take on things is very cool and depicts Hera, the Goddess of Marriage and Childbirth, as she is meant to be, I think.  He also fixes some other more modern biases like drawing Andromeda, an Ethiopian princess, as African.  

Along with his explanatory notes and informal footnotes at the end of the volumes, which are a very cool addition, he also does some fun things to connect the volumes. For example in Athena he has a panel or two that shows a conversation between Zeus and Metis in the foreground and Demeter and Hera walking by in the background seeming to whisper to each other.  In Hera, we see this same scene but with the focus reversed - we hear what Hera and Demeter were whispering about.  Cool!

FINAL VERDICT:  I think this would make a nice introduction to Greek Mythology for a kid, especially a kid who loved the Percy Jackson series and is curious about the base myths that those books play with.  It was also fun for me as an adult Greek Mythology nerd and I especially appreciated the more feminist slant of the tales while maintaining the myth's integrity. Overall for these first three volumes: 3.5 out of 5 stars.