Thursday, April 27, 2017

The Crown Conspiracy (The Riyria Revelations #1) by Michael J. Sullivan




The Crown Conspiracy (The Riyria Revelations #1)
  

Librarian note: alternative cover (omnibus edition).
 
 
THEY KILLED THE KING. THEY PINNED IT ON TWO MEN. THEY CHOSE POORLY.

The Crown Conspiracy is book one of the multi-book saga: The Riyria Revelations. The series is told through six novels conceived as a single epic tale. Across the entire chronicle, mysteries build, characters evolve, and plots thicken, but each is self-contained and can be read independent of one another.

In the first episode, the reader is introduced to Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, who make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in the murder of the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out...and so begins this epic tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.





 My Review:


The Riyria Revelations starts off with the first book in its series with 'The Crown Conspiracy'. A very original story that doesn't quite (yet) fit into the more classical type of Fantasy. We have some fantastical elements, but in this book the author is building up his world and characters first, before he delves into more fantasy elements in his second book titled, 'Avempartha'.
The main characters, namely two thieves, are well thought out characters which compliment each others personalities very well. I enjoyed their banter and friendly way of teasing each other. Other characters, such as the prince and princess along with various other supporting characters felt very real and thought out. Their actions and dialogue seemed very sincere and reflects thought out actions.
The story wasn't too slow at any one part, and moved along very well. Mr. Sullivan's way of writing causes no problems and the words seem to flow at a quick pace and is easy on the eyes.
I believe, it is not too easy anymore to come up with fresh new ideas in the fantasy genre (so it seems), but the author did a very good job of creating an interesting world with interesting characters and intriguing politics (with a combination of church, royalists, nationalists, imperialists, etc.).
The politics don't overburden the book and it still reads more like a fantasy or medieval story than a political intrigue book.
If you are looking for a fresh, new and exciting fantasy story, I think that Michael J. Sullivan's 'The Crown Conspiracy' is a good choice for you. I look forward to reading and reviewing the author's second book in this series/saga, titled 'Avempartha'.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Kasper Mützenmacher’s Cursed Hat (Life Indigo #1) by Keith Fentonmiller






Kasper Mützenmacher’s Cursed Hat (Life Indigo #1)



Kasper Mützenmacher keeps a divine “wishing hat”—a thought-operated teleportation device—locked in the wall safe of his Berlin hat shop. According to an old prophecy, after Kasper’s Greek ancestor stole the wishing hat from Hermes, Fate cursed his progeny to sell hats, on pain of mayhem or death. Kasper, however, doesn’t mind making hats, and he loves Berlin’s cabaret scene even more. But his carefree life of jazz and booze comes to a screeching halt when he must use the wishing hat to rescue his flapper girlfriend Isana from the shadowy Klaus, a veil-wearing Nazi who brainwashes his victims until they can’t see their own faces.

Isana and Kasper’s happiness proves fleeting. Years after her mysterious death, Kasper struggles as a lonely, single father of two until he meets Rosamund Lux, recently released from a political prison where Klaus took her face. Kasper soon suspects that Rosamund is no ordinary woman. According to the prophecy, certain Lux women descend from the water nymph Daphne, who, during Olympian times, transformed into a laurel tree to avoid Apollo’s sexual advances; they, too, suffer from an intergenerational curse connected to Hermes’ stolen hat. As Kasper falls deeper in love, Rosamund’s mental health deteriorates. She has nightmares and delusions about Klaus, and warns that he will launch a night of terror once he’s collected enough faces.

Kasper dismisses the growing Nazi threat until the government reclassifies him as a Jew in 1938. His plan to emigrate unravels when anti-Jewish riots erupt and the Nazis start loading Jews on boxcars to Dachau. Then Rosamund goes missing, and Klaus steals the wishing hat, the family’s only means of escape.

Kasper, however, will face his most difficult battle in America. He must convince his wayward son and indifferent grandson to break the curse that has trapped the family in the hat business for sixteen centuries. Their lives will depend on it.

Book One of the Life Indigo series, Kasper Mützenmacher’s Cursed Hat is a fantastical family saga about tradition, faith, and identity, set during the Jazz Age, Nazi Germany, and the Detroit race riots of 1943.





My Review:

Kasper Mützenmacher's Cursed Hat is the debut book from Keith Fentonmiller. A book that takes the reader on a challenging journey through Nazi Germany and the United States, where the story's characters face constant trials in what is a very emotional and original story. A mixture of alternate history and urban fantasy would be my guess. It is a book that explores the depths of human tragedy and misery - and even though it takes place in the past - it is something that I believe, many people will be able relate to on some level.

The book chronicles not only the life of Kasper Mützenmacher (through childhood to old age), but also tells the story of his father (to some extent), his mother, his children and his loves. It is a tale that speaks loudly of the human misery that took place in Nazi Germany and also the prejudices and racism that took place in Detroit during the time of the riots. The racial terms and stereotypes used throughout the book become 'heavy' and burdensome on the soul. It strikes the heart and opens the eyes to the misery that humans can afflict on other human beings. I believe the author brought across the feeling of racism and the pain and division that racism creates very well. Kasper Mützenmacher eventually escapes Nazi Germany but is unable to escape racism and hatred when he ends up in Detroit, where racism against Jews and African Americans runs rampant.

The plot, at times, felt a bit meandering and I felt that the story was being bogged down by superfluous detail and dialogue which didn't help the story progress. At the same time, the author managed to create a realistic environment for his characters and the characters were all well developed.
As the title also suggests, there is a curse involved, but the author didn't spend too much time integrating this curse into the story's main events. The curse and the cursed hat, while playing a very important role in the decision making of some characters, deserved much more time in the spotlight than it did. Due to its chronicling nature, the book lacked some plot elements (or else they were obscured). I'm not sure where the exact climax in the book would have been. The resolution of the story also happened really quickly, and for me, left me wanting some more explanations.

In Kasper Mützenmacher's Cursed Hat, the author creating an original story with elements of alternate history and urban fantasy/myth. Keith Fentonmiller also did a superb job in showing the disgusting and misery-inflicting results of racism and prejudice. Kasper Mützenmacher's Cursed Hat, had originally given me the impression of being either a young adult or 'kid-friendly' book. The book does contain some sexual situations and due to it's use of language, drug use, racial terms and stereotypes, is probably not suited for our younger readers. Even though the book seemed slow and arduous at times, I look forward to reading the second installment of the series and finding out where this cursed/magical journey takes us.











Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Raisins and Almonds (Phryne Fischer #9) by Kerry Greenwood

Raisins and Almonds (Phryne Fischer #9)
by Kerry Greenwood



Phryne Fisher loves dancing, especially with gorgeous young Simon Abrahams. But Phrynes contentment at the Jewish Young Peoples Society Dance is cut short when Simons father asks her to investigate the strange death of a devout young student in Miss Sylvia Lees bookshop located in the Eastern Market.





My Review:

In Kerry Greenwood's ninth Phryne Fischer mystery, we delve deep into the world of Jewish traditions, Zionism, and Jewish mysticism. As seen in Ms. Greenwood's previous stories, Ms. Fischer is quite the murder and mystery solving lady. Think Miss Marple - just much younger, sexier, bolder, flirtatious, gun carrying and willing to take matters into her own hands (including dangerous stunts and breaking and entering)... Ok. Don't think Miss Marple!

This book starts of as most mystery books do with the murder/mystery and our heroine must start looking for clues in a community which is not very trusting of outsiders (non-Jews). The author gives the reader an extensive, and to my knowledge correct, description of Zionism and Jewish mysticism including the Kabbalah. This background information might not appeal to every reader, as it is much more than is needed for the storytelling of this book. But then again, we read books to learn new things as well, don't we?
At times, the descriptions do seem a bit superfluous, but at the same time, the authors use of heavy description can have the effect of immersing the reader into the story and being able to 'see' and 'taste' the surroundings and world better.

Miss Greenwood's character building is well done and at times I feel that she leaves no stone unturned. In this installment, we have some of Miss Fischer's regular crew show up again. The dialogue is fun and witty at times (something we naturally expect of Miss Fischer!).

Raisins and Almonds is a quick-paced (except for the above mentioned Jewish elements), fun read that should appeal to Miss Fischer fans and also to fans of the mystery genre. Well researched elements of Zionism, mysticism and the Jewish community make this book not only an exciting murder mystery, but also a learning experience in Jewish culture. I definitely recommend this book to readers of the genre! 


Monday, April 3, 2017

The Burning Page (The Invisible Library #3) by Genevieve Cogman






The Burning Page (Invisible Library #3)

Librarian spy Irene has professional standards to maintain. Standards that absolutely do not include making hasty, unplanned escapes through a burning besieged building. But when the gateway back to your headquarters dramatically malfunctions, one must improvise. And after fleeing a version of Revolutionary France astride a dragon (also known as her assistant, Kai), Irene soon discovers she's not the only one affected. Gates back to the Library are malfunctioning across a multitude of worlds, creating general havoc. She and Kai are tasked with a mission to St Petersburg's Winter Palace, to retrieve a book which will help restore order.

However, such plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy - particularly when the enemy is the traitor Alberich. A nightmare figure bent on the Library's destruction, Alberich gives Irene a tainted 'join me or die' job offer. Meanwhile, Irene's old friend Vale has been damaged by exposure to Chaotic forces and she has no idea how to save him. When another figure from her past appears, begging for help, Irene has to take a good hard look at her priorities. And of course try to save the Library from absolute annihilation. Saving herself would be a bonus.

Irene's adventures feature stolen books, secret agents and forbidden societies - think Doctor Who but with librarian spies!

 
 
 
 Our favorite villain, Alberich is back with a vengeance. Irene and the Library have a real challenge on their hands in this third book in Genevieve Cogman's Invisible Library series. Just like the previous book in this series, the events follow on the heels of previous novel, in this case "The Masked City". Irene and the Library have to deal with an old threat in new ways in this fast-paced and action-filled story.

Ms. Cogman doesn't introduce us to too many new characters in this story, but chooses rather to flesh out and build up her existing characters that we've been introduced to in her previous books. We find out a little more about Irene's parents and receive another good look into other character's motivations.
I'm very pleased how Ms. Cogman continues to work on her world building and this book teaches us more about alternate dimensions and gives us a better glimpse of how the relationship between Order and Chaos works.

The author's use of dry humor is spot on, and her similes (I think Irene at one point schools us in similes in the book) are certainly grin inducing. The book moves in a very fluid way and the author doesn't include any superfluous descriptions or dialogue that would slow the book down.

Ms. Cogman's third book, just as her previous novels, is a fun, action packed, nail-biting, fantastical story with wonderful fairy tale elements that will appeal both to young adults and to the older crowd.

Genevieve Cogman's 4th book in the Invisible Library series, titled "The Lost Plot" is expected this December 2017 from Pan Macmillan/Tor.