Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo


Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Six of Crows 2
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full length (546 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

Kaz is not a man to be crossed.

Mast Mood oil and ordine cialis on line Booster capsule are the best herbal remedies to prevent and treat ED naturally. One of saddest things about people in abusive relationships is the way they use their counseling losses and therapy misses to lock themselves in their despair, until the lid pops and they end up in 100mg viagra for sale a domestic abuse divorce. Mehmet Oz, introduced an secretworldchronicle.com generic cialis levitra alternative herbal remedy that has been studied for its effects on erectile dysfunction is an inability of attaining erections. After the lapse of patent act, the first Indian company Ajanta Pharma made super active tadalafil Kamagra of their brand. First, I must say that it is imperative to read Six of Crows before reading Crooked Kingdom. This story picks up right where the previous book left off.

Kaz and his band of thieves have pulled off a nearly impossible heist only to be double-crossed by the man paying them, Jan Van Eck. Not only did he refuse to pay them the money they deserve from completing their mission, but he has the audacity to kidnap Inej. Van Eck couldn’t have made a graver mistake. Inej is the heart and soul of the team. Though the crew’s ties were fragile in the beginning,  they all rally without hesitation to come to her rescue. I absolutely loved seeing Kaz’s crew bond in this tale. They worked together well in the first book, but a few of them never completely clicked with the others for various reasons. However, they are truly united now. Not only do they have common goals, but they genuinely care for each other and will stop at nothing to rescue Inej.

Kaz continues to be an extremely compelling character. He manages to seem simultaneously unbreakable and incredibly fragile. The more I read, the more I could see the tiny cracks in his tough exterior. Despite his larger than life reputation, Kaz is an incredibly damaged young man who never got over the trauma of his brother’s death.

Kaz and Inej continue to inch toward a relationship, but they are both so wounded that the gap between them seems impassible at times. As I predicted after reading Six of Crows, their relationship is about to change. Kaz finally makes a powerful and moving declaration that puts to rest any doubts Inej might have about his feelings for her.

Ms. Bardugo has again outdone herself with the elaborate plot and quick pacing of this novel. Kaz’s gift for planning and scheming never ceases to amaze me! Even when I thought I knew what the plan was, Kaz was never completely reveals everything. At times his crew own is never entirely sure what his ultimate plan is. Even when things go horribly wrong for his team, Kaz is somehow able to spin it toward their advantage. I feel sorry for anyone who gets in Kaz’s way.

I must warn readers that one member of the crew does not survive. My heart was absolutely crushed, especially when this character’s death seemed so pointless and avoidable. I keep asking myself why this character died. Was it simply to prove that the team wasn’t invulnerable? Kaz and his crew have suffered so much, it broke my heart to see them lose one of their own.

Crooked Kingdom is an excellent sequel to Six of Crows. I highly recommend both books to anyone looking for a fast-paced tale with an intriguing cast of characters.

The High Lonesome Frontier by Rebecca Campbell


The High Lonesome Frontier by Rebecca Campbell
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (21 pages)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A meditation about the evolution and influence of a song written in 1902 over the next 150 plus years.

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This was the first time I’ve ever seen a song being treated like a character, much less the protagonist. I was impressed with Ms. Campbell’s creative approach this topic. Even though it wasn’t a sentient being, the song’s evolution over time were fascinating to watch. The identity of the person who originally sang it was forgotten by many fans which only made it more appealing and mysterious to future generations.

The only thing I wish had been done differently had to do with the non-chronological order of the scenes. As much as I adored seeing how the song was rediscovered by each new generation, in a few spots it was slightly confusing to jump around so much in the timeline. While I did soon figure out how to piece everything together, this is something I would have liked to see tweaked. It was the only thing holding this story back from a perfect rating from me.

One of the most magical things about music is how effortlessly it can evoke the same emotion in everyone who listens to it no matter who they are or how many years later they discover it. This was a theme that was explored in depth in this tale. Every single person who sang, heard, played, or was otherwise exposed to this song responded to it with the same mixture of feelings. I can’t say what those feelings were, exactly, without giving away spoilers, but I was amazed by how often this kept happening no matter how many generations had passed since it was originally written and recorded.

The High Lonesome Frontier was a beautiful piece of science fiction that I’d strongly recommend to anyone who has ever absent-mindedly hummed a tune that they could only half remember.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo


Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Six of Crows #1
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (462 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

Enter the Grishaverse with the #1 New York Times–bestselling Six of Crows.

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.
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A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

The fate of the world rests in the hands of one of Ketterdam’s most notorious criminals.

Kaz and his band of thieves are a motley crew, but they grew on me rather quickly. I couldn’t help but like them in spite of, or in some cases because of, their faults. Kaz is particularly interesting. He is dark, ruthless, and seemingly untouchable. He has an uncanny ability to predict people’s actions. It is extremely impressive. However, Kaz is very harsh, even to those closest to him. Despite his prickly attitude, Kaz does care about his odd crew. Unfortunately, Kaz views caring for others as a weakness. The more I learned about his devastating past, the more I understood why he thinks and behaves the way he does, including the tragic reason he never takes off his gloves.

Inej is definitely the character that binds the crew. She has a way of putting everyone at ease. Some members of the crew can barely stand each other, but everyone likes Inej. I especially enjoyed watching her friendship with Nina grow. Kaz and Inej have a strange chemistry. It is clear they both care for each other deeply, but have never been able to express it. There are so many emotionally charged moments between them. I held my breath wondering if this moment would be the one that changes everything. Unfortunately, Kaz lets these moments slip away. I couldn’t help but be a bit frustrated. However, I do believe their relationship is on the cusp of a change.

Nina and Matthias are also a very odd couple. Their personalities clash quite a bit. He is so serious and she is so vibrant and full of life. Despite the stark contrast in their natures, I actually think they could be very good for each other. They have a lot of good and bad history. Yet, underneath it all they have simmering chemistry. It is going to take a lot of work to overcome their differences, but I think it will be worth it in the end.

Aside from having wonderfully rounded characters, Six of Crows has excellent pacing. Once the crew is assembled and begins planning the heist, I couldn’t put the book down. Kaz’s plan is crazy and yet plausible given the talents of each member of the team. Of course, nothing goes quite how it was planned. I raced through the pages wondering what would happen next and was consistently amazed at how they improvised and adapted to each changing situation. Even when things looked bleak, they still managed to find a way. Sadly, there will be serious repercussions for a particular member of the crew.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Six of Crows. The ending is satisfying, but the story is definitely not over. Kaz and his crew have a new mission of a much more personal nature, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

The Three Lives of Sonata James by Lettie Prell


The Three Lives of Sonata James by Lettie Prell
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (33 pages)
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In a cyber-enhanced, futuristic Chicago, Sonata knows near-immortality is achievable through downloading her mind into a cyborg body after death. But this young artist wants to prove that living forever isn’t the same as living a beautiful life. The Three Lives of Sonata James, a Tor.com Original from science fiction author Lettie Prell.

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There were some well-done plot twists in this story. I didn’t see the first one coming, so I gasped when it arrived. It was surprising, wonderful, and just a little unnerving in a good way. The rest of the plot twists were easier to predict ahead of time, but I still enjoying watching them unfold as Sonata tried to figure out if she could avoid living forever and how her loved would react to such a controversial decision for their time.

Cyborgs faced a lot of conflict with the humans they were living alongside. I was fascinated by why the tension between them started and wondered if they’d find a solution to it. While Sonata did answer some of my questions, there were still many parts of this subplot that I didn’t fully understand. It would have been nice to have more details about it so I could better understand why she reacted the way she did to the thought of becoming a robot and living forever.

Sonata’s friendship with Dante was another highlight of the storyline for me. They knew each other so deeply that they could almost finish one another’s sentences. These are the sort of interactions I truly look forward to reading about because of how much depth they add to not only the characters but also to their friendships. Dante and Sonata felt like real people to me because of it, and their relationship felt genuine as well.

The Three Lives of Sonata James was a thought-provoking tale that should be read by anyone who has ever wished to live forever.

Henry and the Yeti by Russell Ayto


Henry and the Yeti by Russell Ayto
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Henry loves yetis.

Yes, yetis.

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Told through charming illustrations, this is a heart-warming and witty story about believing in yourself (and yetis).

If yetis are real, why hasn’t anyone found one yet?

Henry was such a brave kid. One of my favorite scenes in this story happened early on when his parents told him he could search for a yeti so long as he didn’t stay up late that evening. The descriptions of how far he travelled after that conversation were as humorous as they were exciting. I couldn’t wait to find out if he’d actually find a yeti before his time ran out.

The one thing I didn’t like about this tale was how abruptly it ended. There was a conflict happening between Henry and some of the other characters that was never resolved. Based on how much they teased him earlier on in the storyline, I was surprised by this. It felt like something that should have been addressed again not only for the sake of wrapping up the plot but also to show why it was wrong for them to treat him the way that they did.

There were a few fun plot twists that kept me coming back for more. I enjoyed Mr. Ayto’s tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, especially when it came to how the main character interacted with the various people he spent time with before, during, and after his adventures. The author’s humorous spin on all of the unexpected things that happened to Henry only made those twists even more amusing than they would have otherwise been.

Henry and the Yeti made me smile. It should be read by anyone who has ever wished that their favourite mythical creature wasn’t so mythical after all.

Rotham Race by Jordan Elizabeth


Rotham Race by Jordan Elizabeth
Publisher: CHBB Publishing
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (139 pages)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The United States is gone; in its place is a broken country struggling to survive. A lost microchip can turn the US back into the superpower it once was. Every year, racers head out into the desert to find the microchip, but they never return.

This year, Troy is going to change all that. He plans to win the Rotham Race.

Finding the microchip, though, might not be all the citizens think. Government secrets surround the race, and the one to win doesn’t receive just fame and glory. He or she gets death.

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Troy’s life at the orphanage was described in vivid detail. The woman who ran it had to keep quite a few children alive on a shoestring budget. She worked incredibly hard to make sure all of the kids were fed, educated, and loved. I was impressed with how much she accomplished, especially given how little she had to work with and how long she’d been doing this job without a break. Troy might have been the hero, but she was the person who made it possible for him to take on that role in the first place.

I would have liked to see more character development in this story, especially when it came to Troy. He was a fascinating guy, but he more or less remained the same person from the beginning to the end. This surprised me because of how many memorable things happened to him. He had plenty of opportunities to grow and change as a person, but I didn’t see a lot of evidence of him doing that.

As soon as I learned just how dangerous the Rotham Race was going to be for Troy, I couldn’t wait to see how he’d react to spending that much time out in the desert alone and with only a few supplies. He did know how to race, but he didn’t have any experience surviving in such a harsh and unforgiving environment. I worried about his safety from the beginning. It was impossible to stop reading until I knew how he’d fare in this race.

The romantic subplot felt completely out of place to me. While I liked the characters who were involved in it as individuals, things heated up between them so quickly that I had trouble understanding why and how they’d jumped into a non-platonic relationship so fast. The fact that both of them were struggling to solve some pretty important problems at the same time only made this storyline even more confusing to me. It simply didn’t make sense for their character arcs in my opinion.

One of the things I liked the most about the plot was how self-sufficient everyone was. They lived in a time and place where everything from medical care to food was rationed based on someone’s place in that society. There were many shortages, and ordinary people suffered terribly as a result of them. Everyone had to be resourceful with what little they were given, and that lead to some pretty inventive uses of the supplies they were able to grow, hunt, or trade for.

Anyone who loves the dystopian genre should give Rotham Race a try.

The Old Dispensation by Lavie Tidhar


The Old Dispensation by Lavie Tidhar
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror
Length: Short Story (31 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A space opera adventure set in a universe controlled and run by Jewish religious authorities. An enforcer is sent to a distant planet where he discovers an android who changes his mind about what is right and wrong

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There’s something to be said for a plot twist involving a major character that is only vaguely hinted at. While I did end up figuring out what it was probably going to be ahead of time, this in no way made it less interesting to see if my prediction was going to turn out to be the correct one. The fact that the characters involved in it were so surprised by what happened made me grin. I wish I could say more about this, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers about something that was a highlight of the storyline for me.

I found it confusing to jump back and forth in the timeline of this story so often. As interested as I was in the plot itself, it was hard to keep track of when everything happened due to certain key scenes appearing to being shared much sooner or later than they actually happened. There were several times when I had to stop and reread a previous scene due to all of the trouble I had placing it in the timeline, and I’m still not entirely sure I have all of them sorted out correctly.

The world building was well done. I originally wondered if this was part of a series due to all of the little details the author included about things that had happened in the distant past. When I found out it wasn’t, I was even more impressed by how much work had been put into creating such a detailed world in only a few dozen pages.

I’d recommend The Old Dispensation to anyone who loves dark and futuristic science fiction.

The Greenest Gecko by Ploy Pirapokin


The Greenest Gecko by Ploy Pirapokin
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (28 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

After an unusual public incident in which the frail, elderly president is revitalized, geckos are now considered to bring good luck. At the Ministry of Merit, Fon is secretly in charge of building the next Gecko Cannon for the family of president of Bankim’s eightieth birthday. She is honored to be assigned this duty and works diligently to create and deliver this extraordinary machine.

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It was easy to relate to Fon. She was so open about her hopes and dreams that I couldn’t help but to wish that some of them would come true for her. I also appreciated the fact that she was quietly willing to break certain rules she’d grown up with that her parents would have been a little horrified to hear she was no longer following. These moments brought depth to her personality and made me eager to find out what would happen to her next.

I had trouble keeping track of who all of the characters were. There were a lot of them, and the descriptions of who they were and how they were connected to Fon were so brief that it was hard to remember it all. It would have been nice to either be reminded of how everyone knew each other or to be told much more about what they looked like so I could picture everyone clearly.

Some of the most interesting scenes were the ones that explored the strict social structures of Bankim, Cameroon. Everyone in this society was expected to fulfill a specific role, and up until recently there was little room for deviation from that path. While I don’t know how similar this is to how things really are in Cameroon, I was intrigued by Fon’s reactions to the way her culture seemed to be shifting as her generation slowly became old enough to influence the social mores. These sections were as well-written as they were thought provoking.

I’d recommend The Greenest Gecko to anyone who enjoys humor in their science fiction.

Breed by Niki Cluff


Breed by Niki Cluff
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Genre: Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Full Length (191 pages)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

A comet is set to destroy Earth, but Kyle Singer is determined to survive. Tired of being treated like a second-class citizen thanks to her perfect brother, Kyle doesn’t think twice when offered the opportunity to attend an academy formed to stop the comet. It’s not like there’s going to be much left after the comet hits, anyway. She’s drugged, shipped off to the school, and thrown into a relationship with Ichiro Seung-hun, an exchange student from South Korea. The school isn’t just about stopping the comet. It’s a breeding program for after the comet hits and wipes out the human race. Terrified of becoming a baby-making factory, Kyle and Ichiro will do whatever it takes to escape. Even if that means dying.

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When several teens are collected in a desert facility Kyle wonders why she is one of them. I liked the way the story dwelt on her inner thoughts and self doubts. I would imagine many teenagers today feel as she does even though the end of the world is not about to happen – hopefully.

Ichiro a boy from South Korea, is assigned as her flatmate but is there more to the sharing than it seems at first?

I didn’t completely understand this story but thought it would resolve itself by the end. Maybe I missed something but I was still confused at the end of the story. The actual incidents that happened throughout the book were good but didn’t lend itself to leading me on to what was happening. The only thing I was sure of was the world was ending and these teens were supposed to be the salvation of mankind.

This is a good idea, it’s written proficiently and most of the characters were portrayed well: Kyle unsure, Ichiro withdrawn and Ms Hartmann cool and unfeeling with a hidden agenda. Good character building throughout.

The Virtual Swallows of Hog Island by Julianna Baggott


The Virtual Swallows of Hog Island by Julianna Baggott
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (23 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

In “The Virtual Swallows of Hog Island,” a programmer finds himself working for the self-proclaimed “Bad-Boy of Virtual-Reality Therapy.” While his boss is breaking new ground and breaking the rules and his coworkers are engaging in questionable uses of the latest technology, the lonely programmer is in a state of mourning over his deep personal losses and must figure out his own form of therapy.

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One of the things I enjoyed the most about this tale was what a good job it did at showing a wide variety of tragedies that someone might have trouble recovering from. All of the grieving characters in it were dealing with the same emotions, but the circumstances that lead to their fragile states couldn’t have come from a more diverse set of experiences based on the identities, ages, and even the species of the individuals they had lost. They covered the full gamut of various living beings that someone might mourn, and that was a very good thing.

There were a few mild pacing issues in the beginning. Archer, the narrator, spent so much time describing his work and the clients his programs helped that it took a little while for me to realize what the conflicts of this tale were going to be. I’m glad I stuck around through those sections, though, because the scenes that came after them were well worth the somewhat slow start.

The ending caught me by surprise in a wonderful and memorable way. While there were a few hints about how what was to come earlier on, I didn’t actually put them all together until after I knew how the final scene would be resolved. This isn’t something that happens to me very often, so it was fascinating to go back and see what I’d missed once I realized that the author had a few tricks up her sleeve.

I’d recommend The Virtual Swallows of Hog Island to anyone who has ever had to grieve over the loss of someone they really loved.