Monday, May 29, 2017

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley





The Bedlam Stacks


In 1859, ex-East India Company smuggler Merrick Tremayne is trapped at home in Cornwall after sustaining an injury that almost cost him his leg and something is wrong; a statue moves, his grandfather’s pines explode, and his brother accuses him of madness.

When the India Office recruits Merrick for an expedition to fetch quinine—essential for the treatment of malaria—from deep within Peru, he knows it’s a terrible idea. Nearly every able-bodied expeditionary who’s made the attempt has died, and he can barely walk. But Merrick is desperate to escape everything at home, so he sets off, against his better judgment, for a tiny mission colony on the edge of the Amazon where a salt line on the ground separates town from forest. Anyone who crosses is killed by something that watches from the trees, but somewhere beyond the salt are the quinine woods, and the way around is blocked.

Surrounded by local stories of lost time, cursed woods, and living rock, Merrick must separate truth from fairytale and find out what befell the last expeditions; why the villagers are forbidden to go into the forest; and what is happening to Raphael, the young priest who seems to have known Merrick’s grandfather, who visited Peru many decades before. The Bedlam Stacks is the story of a profound friendship that grows in a place that seems just this side of magical.






My Review:

Brilliant. Fantastical. Moving. All three words sum up 'The Bedlam Stacks' by the international bestselling author of 'The Watchmaker of Filigree Street', Natasha Pulley.
This new book, which I am sure will also become an international bestseller, is an absolute tour de force. A beautiful book about a friendship that spans across the years and generations, which not only exposes the soul of the characters, but also leaves the reader feeling like magic could still exist in the unknown and unexplored corners of this world (and science/medicine).

The author spent three months at a language school in Lima, which was funded by the Society of Authors. Not only did this school open up conversations with native Quechua speakers, but opened up a slew of historical resources and allowed the author a special insight into the religion, customs and traditions of the Incan people. A solid research builds the foundation of this book, upon which Ms. Pulley built her story.

The characters in this book are very mysterious at times, and it isn't always clear to discern their motives. This lends the story a greater feeling of mystery and suspense. The characters are extremely three dimensional, and the dialogue seems so authentic, that I felt like I was looking in through a window.

From the beginning pages in England, where a statue seemed to move when nobody was watching, to the final words in the book, I was utterly hooked and absolutely engrossed in this story. The author weaved historical facts and places with the absolute magical in such a way, that every word seemed utterly credible. The pacing of the story was never too slow or too fast. It never felt like there was dialogue or situations that did not contribute to this masterpiece.

A character from the author's previous book 'The Watchmaker of Filigree Street', made a few appearances to my great pleasure. It seems this character was also pivotal in how events turn out in this new book.

Natasha Pulley, in 'The Bedlam Stacks' has shown what an amazing author she truly is. The Bedlam Stacks is a wonderful story of friendship, ancient religion meeting modern times, magic, and the struggles that occur within us. Only absolutely outstanding books receive 5 stars from me, and 'The Bedlam Stacks' counts among one of the best and original stories I have ever read. I am quite certain that this book will reach international bestselling status shortly after being released, as I believe the majority of readers will see what an absolute treasure this book is.

A copy of this digital book was made available to me by the author/publisher and Netgalley. I wish to thank the author at this time for allowing me to read her book ahead of publication, and to thank her for all the hours of entertainment her story has given me.






Friday, May 19, 2017

Nyphron Rising (The Riyria Revelations #3) by Michael J. Sullivan




Nyphron Rising (The Riyria Revelations #3)




Librarian note: alternative cover (omnibus edition).



A PUPPET IS CROWNED. THE TRUE HEIR REMAINS HIDDEN. A ROGUE'S SECRET COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING.

War has come to Melengar and Princess Arista runs a desperate gamble when she defies her brother and hires Royce and Hadrian for a dangerous mission. As the power of the Nyphron Empire grows, so does Royce's suspicion that the wizard Esrahaddon is using the thieves as pawns in his own game. To find the truth, he must unravel the secret of Hadrian's past.
 





My Review:

The third installment of the Riyria Revelations, 'Nyphron Rising', is another well-written story in this series. As those of you who have read my reviews of the first two books in this series know, I'm very pleased at the originality that the author has brought to the fantasy genre. True, elves and dwarfs aren't original, but the world the author created is new, and I don't feel that I've seen it or read it all before. The world and political flavor the author created is also unique in many ways.
In this story, we concentrate more on Hadrian's past and the beginning of the Imperial Empire.
There isn't as much fantasy action in this book as there was in the previous book, 'Avempartha'. Unfortunately, magic and wizardry are kept at a minimum in this book, in favor of exploring Hadrian's past, hunting down the true heir, and the political maneuverings of the regents in the new Imperial Empire.
Characters once again, are well thought out, believable and entertaining.
The story begins slower than I would have wished, with the book picking up a bit more speed around page 200.
The book would have received 3 stars from me, but the ending (last 50 pages including cliffhanger) was very well done, and that's why I rate this book a solid 4 stars out of 5.
Again, an intriguing tale from author, Michael J. Sullivan. I recommend this book to those who have read the previous two books in the series, and I look forward to reading and reviewing book four in the series soon.
Happy Reading!!

Monday, May 15, 2017

A Lenten Journey with Jesus Christ and St. Paul of the Cross by Victor Hoagland






A Lenten Journey with Jesus Christ and St. Paul of the Cross



If St. Paul of the Cross, Paul Danei, founder of the Passionists, were to accompany you through Lent Im sure he would come to you as you are and the world you live in as it is. He was never afraid of darkness or dark places, so you may find him a helpful spiritual guide. He trusted in Jesus Christ and his cross, the wisdom and power of God. I'm sure he may bring some of that wisdom to you.

Accept the invitation to journey through Lent with Jesus Christ and one of the great spiritual writers of the Catholic Church, St. Paul of the Cross. Inside you will find an Invitation from St. Paul of the Cross, a short biography of St. Paul of the Cross, a description of the Writings and Spirituality of St. Paul of the Cross, and more. Each day of Lent, weekdays and Sundays, begins with: a Gospel Reading, a Reflection, a selection from the Writings of St. Paul of the Cross, and a Prayer.

May Jesus Christ and the wisdom of St. Paul of the Cross enrich your Lenten Journey, and lead you to God's Holy Easter of Peace, Love and Joy.







My Review:

Father Victor Hoagland C.P., has written a great Lenten companion that is meaningful and helps individuals to find stillness and reflection during Lent.

This book is set up with a short introduction and brief biography of the Passionist's founder, Saint Paul of the Cross. It will helps readers who aren't familiar with this particular saint, to gain a bit of insight into his life and also to experience a bit of the Passionist Order's charism. Following the introduction the book begins with the daily Gospel reading. The Gospel reading for the weekdays during Lent are same readings for each of the Liturgical Years and the only difference comes for the Sunday Gospel readings (A, B, C), in which the reader may choose the Gospel, meditation and prayer for the day.
The daily meditations include the above mentioned Gospel readings for each day, a brief meditation or excerpt from the writings or life of St. Paul of the Cross, and a concluding prayer. The meditations and prayers are also concise and leave a bit of room for pondering the message and to enter into dialogue with God.

This book is a great companion for those wishing to enter into a deeper prayer life and deeper spirituality during the Lenten period.











Friday, May 5, 2017

Nine Princes in Amber (The Chronicles of Amber #1) by Roger Zelazny







Nine Princes in Amber  (The Chronicles of Amber #1)






Amber, the one real world, wherein all others, including our own Earth, are but Shadows. Amber burns in Corwin's blood. Exiled on Shadow Earth for centuries, the prince is about to return to Amber to make a mad and desperate rush upon the throne. From Arden to the blood-slippery Stairway into the Sea, the air is electrified with the powers of Eric, Random, Bleys, Caine, and all the princes of Amber whom Corwin must overcome. Yet, his savage path is blocked and guarded by eerie structures beyond imagining; impossible realities forged by demonic assassins and staggering horrors to challenge the might of Corwin's superhuman fury.' to 'Awakening in an Earth hospital unable to remember who he is or where he came from, Corwin is amazed to learn that he is one of the sons of Oberon, King of Amber, and is the rightful successor to the crown in a parallel world.


 
 
 
My Review:

At the time of writing my review, Roger Zelazny's weird and trippy Fantasy/Sci-Fi book, titled 'Nine Princes in Amber' has a Goodreads review of 4.11 (out of 5) from almost 39,000 reviews. Can all these people be so wrong about a book? It turns out that I don't believe they are. I've rated this book with 4 stars, bringing down the Goodreads rating by a fraction of a fraction. I apologize to Mr. Zelazny's ghost. But, unfortunately, I wasn't able to give it the full 5 stars. Why not? Read on.

Roger Zelazny certainly created one of the most memorable and unique Fantasy/Science Fiction books I have ever read. It differs from other books, by 1.) not being quite sure whether its more fantasy or sci-fi (but seeing as most folks put them into the same genre anyway, it won't bother me), 2.) the author most likely came up with this weird, trippy story while extremely high on some sort of drug, plant, or while at a VERY high altitude, 3.) The author must have dictated this to a six year old who didn't quite grasp the concepts of grammar or punctuation (please no mean comments, as I know, my grammar and punctuation are currently at a 3 year old level), and 4.) The story was so darn unique and original, and interesting!

The story is one of an exiled, amnesiac prince (from another world - or dimension if you please), who goes on a journey to rightfully claim what is his again. Along the way he must find out which of his siblings can be trusted, how to get back to the world he was thrown out of. He also needs to find out why he was exiled, all the while trying no to get killed in a very trippy landscape, where just using one's thoughts can influence events and make one travel long distances. As you'll find out, all roads lead to Amber. 

Elements of this story were confusing to me at times, as unlike the author, I was not drugging myself, smoking plants or reading this book at a VERY high altitude. This however, must be my own fault. I hate taking meds, most drugs are illegal and alas, no mountains in my area.
As I mentioned above, the grammar and punctuation caused me internal distress, as I'd have to read some sentences 5 times before I could decipher the meaning, or in order to place my imaginary punctuation in it, so that it would make some sort of sense. Or, as my punctuation is at the aforementioned 3yr old level, and seeing as the author must have had a 6yr old write this, perhaps it was just too advanced for me. That's the reason I gave this book 4 instead of the full 5 stars. Either way, rereading the sentences just made the book longer for me, and I was somewhat sad to end the book. Luckily for me/us, the author has written many more books in this series.

If you enjoy the genre, enjoy strange and trippy fiction, have no problems placing your own punctuation in books, and wish to read this while at a VERY high altitude, this book will definitely be for you. Happy reading!

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Avempartha (The Riyria Reveltaions ") by Michael J. Sullivan





Avempartha (The Riyria Revelations #2)
  

 
    
                                                       
     Librarian note: alternative cover (omnibus edition).


THE SECRET IS IN THE TOWER. THE PROBLEM IS THE BEAST. THE ANSWER IS TWO THIEVES.

When a destitute young woman hires two thieves to help save her remote village from nocturnal attacks, they are drawn into the schemes of the wizard Esrahaddon. While Royce struggles to breech the secrets of an ancient elven tower, Hadrian attempts to rally the villagers to defend themselves against the unseen killer. What begins with the simple theft of a sword places the two thieves at the center of a firestorm — that could change the future of Elan.





My Review:

Michael J. Sullivan's second book in the Riyria Revelations, titled 'Avempartha', certainly packs a punch in so many areas that the first book was missing. We've finally hit upon loads of fantasy elements, making this truly a fantasy book (my review of the first book, stated that there were lots of fantasy elements missing, making it feel more like a medieval novel than a fanstasy book. This book is where all that changes!!

The author's fantastic world-building and character building continues to a high degree in this book. We don't have all the characters in this book that appeared in the first, but that is a good thing: it allows us a chance to get a better insight into the two thieves and a few other characters, such as Princess Arista. True, we end up with a lot more *new* characters in this book, but they again, are all well thought out and believable (and necessary I'm sure to where the story is going).

The plot starts off at different points (the thieves - and princess Arista), but soon are brought together to form on ongoing story. We have a mysterious tower, a horrid magical beast, and that wizard (is he good or bad?) and naturally the hunt for the Heir continues. A pretty large amount of action and suspense in this book. Once it got started, it didn't let up and kept me interested in the story and wanting to know what happens next. I LOVE the fact, that our two thieves (they're supposed to be bad people - they're thieves, right!?), are doing more and more good and get sucked into something that is much, much bigger than the two of them. Will it end up good for them? Will the Wizard (I still don't trust him) be the ruin of them (and possibly the whole world)??

There's not too much I can write about here, because it just turns out to be one of those fantasy books that leaves you happy and craving for more. The 3rd book, Nyphron Rising, has been begun and I will certainly leave a review the moment I finish it. Happy reading!!