Book Review – The House in the Cerulean Sea

29 Aug 2024 5 Comments

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , ,

I had heard of this book, but it hadn’t been on my to-be-read list until it was chosen by one of my book clubs. The House in the Cerulean Sea is the first book by T.J. Klune that I’ve read. Find out what I thought below (paid links).

I read the ebook edition.

Here is the blurb:

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

This was one of the best books that I’ve read so far this year. Linus is a wonderful character who has no real superpowers or strengths that would typically be found in a “hero” in any other story. He follows the rules and naively trusts that those rules help guide others to do what is right. When he is tasked with a secret assignment to investigate the orphanage on a distant island, he must challenge those beliefs.

The themes in this book were timely, with emphasis on family, discrimination, and being oneself. The book also contains a touch of romance, but this is not the main focus of the story. The setting was, I think, intentionally vague in terms of the level of technology and the exact location, but for the purposes of the story that it needed to tell, that was fine.

The children and their caretaker, Arthur, were all superbly drawn individuals, with their own quirks and secrets. While the plot features quiet interactions more than flashy action and conflict, I found that there were no dull parts in the story. By the time I reached the ending, I had no idea how Linus could salvage anything from his situation. Yet the conclusion was supremely satisfying and wrapped everything up neatly, while allowing for other stories from these characters in the future.

It looks like a second book in this series – Somewhere Beyond the Sea – is going to be released in a couple of weeks (September 10, 2024) (paid link).

Have you read any books by T.J. Klune? Which was your favorite? Which one should I read next? Let me know in the comments (above).

Find more of my reviews here.

Book Review – Iron Flame

27 Aug 2024 1 Comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I picked up the second book in The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros after I finished book #1 (Fourth Wing). The sequel – Iron Flame – picks up immediately after the events at the end of the first book. Read on below to see what I thought (paid links).

Here is my review of Fourth Wing (Empyrean Book #1).

I read the hardcover edition of this book.

Here is the blurb:

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

While the first book in this series ended with an exciting action sequence, the aftermath of the battle also led to the revelation of some long-held secrets that threw Violet’s world into chaos. As this book opens, she struggles to reconcile this new information, while wondering whether her relationship with Xaden can survive any more secrets.

If you liked the first book, you’ll probably like this second installment. If you weren’t a fan of the first book, then you probably won’t like this one either, since it features the same characters and style of story-telling.

The book takes us back to Basgiath, where Violet reunites with her friends and the dangers inherent to their education. However, the plot finds new twists that kept me engaged with the larger story. Like in the first book, not everyone survives. And also like the first book, the ending leaves the world and the characters changed, adding to my anticipation for the third and final book, Onyx Storm, due out in January 2025 (paid link).

Have you read any books in this series? Let me know in the comments (above).

Find more of my reviews here.

Book Review – Lord of Chaos

24 Aug 2024 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.

The opening of each book in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series is a variation on these same lines, followed by a description of wind passing across the land before settling into a more focused scene. Despite the length of each book, I found myself pulled into book 6, Lord of Chaos, immediately after finishing book 5 (paid links). Read on below to see what I thought.

Reviews of other books in the series:

I read the e-book edition of this.

Here is the blurb:

On the slopes of Shayol Ghul, the Myrddraal swords are forged, and the sky is not the sky of this world …

In Salidar the White Tower in exile prepares an embassy to Caemlyn, where Rand Al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, holds the throne — and where an unexpected visitor may change the world …

In Emond’s Field, Perrin Goldeneyes, Lord of the Two Rivers, feels the pull of ta’veren to ta’veren and prepares to march …

Morgase of Caemlyn finds a most unexpected, and quite unwelcome, ally …

And south lies Illian, where Sammael holds sway …

This book was a long one, with less action on the pages, or at least more spaced out action amongst those pages. Rand has established himself as the Dragon Reborn and, with the rediscovery of the ability to travel, he bounces between Cairhien and Caemlyn. He talks to people in each place but doesn’t do much himself.

Nynaeve and Elayne sit in Salidar, reduced back to students and no longer given the freedom they once had. The intriguing events of the previous book had given Nynaeve a captive member of the Forsaken and Elayne an unusual Warder, but this book saw little progress in any resolution of these situations.

This is the point in the series where I feel that the author could have told and not shown every detail of every single thing that happens. When the events finally culminate in one exciting scene at the end of the book, the pace is much better.

I’m going to take a break from these books for a few months before I start the next one, A Crown of Swords.

Have you read The Wheel of Time series? How far have you read? Which books do you think were best?

Find more of my reviews here.

Book Review – Voyager

22 Aug 2024 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I’m still making progress reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. This review is for Voyager, book #3 (paid links), and you can find my reviews of the earlier books in the series here:

I listened to the audiobook edition.

Here is the blurb:

Their passionate encounter happened long ago by whatever measurement Claire Randall took. Two decades before, she had traveled back in time and into the arms of a gallant eighteenth-century Scot named Jamie Fraser. Then she returned to her own century to bear his child, believing him dead in the tragic battle of Culloden. Yet his memory has never lessened its hold on her… and her body still cries out for him in her dreams.

Then Claire discovers that Jamie survived. Torn between returning to him and staying with their daughter in her own era, Claire must choose her destiny. And as time and space come full circle, she must find the courage to face the passion and pain awaiting her…the deadly intrigues raging in a divided Scotland… and the daring voyage into the dark unknown that can reunite or forever doom her timeless love.

This series has certainly not followed my expectations in terms of the timeline and structure of the storytelling. This book starts off following Claire after she has returned to her present timeline and lived there for 20 years, raising her daughter. With Jamie left behind in the 1700s, the book details their separate lives. But with several more books ahead in this story, of course they must somehow reunite.

This book also brings the story to the New World, as the characters seek to rescue young Ian, Jamie’s nephew. The identity of who has kidnapped him and which other characters they meet makes this book resonate with the earlier volumes.

One part that dragged for me was the trans-Atlantic journey. While the author takes steps to fill this time with events, there is only so much to do on board a sailing ship. Overall, I enjoyed this installment a lot and I’m curious to see where the series goes next.

Have you read any of the Outlander books? How far along should I be before I start to watch the television series? Let me know in the comments (above).

Find more of my reviews here.

Book Review – The Fires of Heaven

07 Jun 2024 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

The Fires of Heaven is the fifth book in The Wheel of Time series by author Robert Jordan (paid links). I have been slowing working through this series and I’m determined to finish it this time. Read on to see what I thought of this one.

Here are my reviews of the other books in the series:

I read the e-book edition of this.

Here is the blurb:

Prophesized to defeat the Dark One, Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, has upset the balance of power across the land. Shaido Aiel are on the march, ravaging everything in their path. The White Tower’s Amyrlin has been deposed, turning the Aes Sedai against one another. The forbidden city of Rhuidean is overrun by Shadowspawn.

Despite the chaos swirling around him, Rand continues to learn how to harness his abilities, determined to wield the One Power–and ignoring the counsel of Moiraine Damodred at great cost.

This book picks up with our main characters still scattered around Randland (Note that I’m embracing the term Randland for the world of the Wheel of Time because I’m not sure that Robert Jordan ever gave a name to the world that he created). Siuan and Leane have fled the tower with Min and Logain and the two stilled Aes Sedai work to keep their focus on new goals to put off the despondency that usually follows the loss of the use of the One Power.

Rand has embraced his role as The Dragon Reborn, or the Car’a’carn by the Aiel legends. Yet, the Aiel are split and Rand must lead the Aiel out of the Waste in pursuit of the rebellious Shaido before they cause too much destruction. This theme of political strike and division continues throughout the book. The White Tower is divided, and the realms of Amadicia, Altara, and Andor are plagued by unrest and uncertain leadership. Rand is forced to work with his enemies as he continues to learn how to use his power and fight the Forsaken.

Despite all the events of this book, I felt like the pace has slowed and several scenes could have been easily cut to make this a shorter book. We do see the main characters develop and grow – Rand, Mat, Egwene, and Nynaeve, in particular. Like in the earlier volumes, the end of this book concludes with conflict – both a larger battle and a smaller duel. I’ve already started the next book, Lord of Chaos.

Have you read The Wheel of Time? What do you think of the pacing? Let me know in the comments (above).

Find more of my reviews here.

Book Review – On Fragile Waves

10 May 2024 1 Comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , ,

I’ve been reading some long books lately. That means that I haven’t finished anything new to review this week, so I’m going to my dwindling backlog for this post.

I read On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu last year for one of my book clubs (paid link). It was described as magical realism, which is a sub-genre that I’m not terribly familiar with. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Jeed Saddy.

I listened to the audiobook edition.

Here is the blurb:

Firuzeh and her brother Nour are children of fire, born in an Afghanistan fractured by war. When their parents, their Atay and Abay, decide to leave, they spin fairy tales of their destination, the mythical land and opportunities of Australia.

As the family journeys from Pakistan to Indonesia to Nauru, heading toward a hope of home, they must rely on fragile and temporary shelters, strangers both mercenary and kind, and friends who vanish as quickly as they’re found.

When they arrive in Australia, what seemed like a stable shore gives way to treacherous currents. Neighbors, classmates, and the government seek their own ends, indifferent to the family’s fate. For Firuzeh, her fantasy worlds provide some relief, but as her family and home splinter, she must surface from these imaginings and find a new way.

The concept of this book sounded interesting enough, and I’m always open to reading diverse perspectives. However, the story told in this book never truly captured my interest and contained very little in the way of fantastical elements. The magical realism aspect comes in when Firuzeh’s friend dies on the journey, but continues to visit Firuzeh and speak to her. I was disappointed overall, and while I finished the book, I don’t even remember how it ended now.

The writing in the book was good and I’d consider reading a different book by the same author. The narrator was easy to listen to and I think that I might not have been able to finish a print or e-book version of this novel. Sometimes I do better finishing an audiobook when I’m struggling to stay engaged with the story.

Have you read any books with a similar setting or theme? Which ones would you recommend? Let me know in the comments (above).

Find more of my reviews here.

The Wheel of Time – Maps and Plot Reviews

06 May 2024 1 Comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , ,

I just started reading The Fires of Heaven, the fifth book of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series a few days ago, in my ongoing attempt to finally read all 14 books in the series (paid links). With so many other books on my to-be-read list, I have inevitably taken a break between books. For a series this long and complicated, that can sometimes create a challenge where I struggle to remember details between each book. For this blog post, I thought I’d share some of the interesting sites on the internet where a reader can review these details between books.

First off is this place – Wheel of Timelines. I discovered this site a few days ago when I was looking for a map of the Aiel Waste. The main feature of this page is a map that links to a timeline of all the books. You can click through and get a roughly chapter-by-chapter summary of each book (simplified, does not include every chapter). The map that links to this shows where each event takes place. As a life-long reader of fantasy, I always love to correlate the story with the places on the map.

The original map from The Wheel of Time, by Ellisa Mitchell.

If you would like a deeper dive into the creation of the maps for The Wheel of Time, this page tells about the expansion of the standard map found in the books.

This post also reminded me that I have this wonderful book about maps in writing and fantasy: The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands edited by Huw Lewis-Jones (paid link). While it doesn’t feature anything from The Wheel of Time, it is a great coffee table book or reference volume.

If maps aren’t enough to jog your memory between books, Reactor Magazine did a read-along of the entire series that started in 2018. You can find the entire collection of articles here.

The Wheel of Time also has a wiki that provides a ton of detailed information on the characters, places, and plot. That can be found at this site.

Be warned – all of these pages could contain spoilers!

Have you read all of The Wheel of Time? Do you have a favorite reference site? Let me know in the comments (above).

Book Review – The Core

04 May 2024 1 Comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

The Core by Peter V. Brett is the last book of five in The Demon Cycle series (paid links). This is a pretty long review. I enjoyed this series a lot and would consider re-reading it in the future.

I did not formally review The Warded Man (book 1) or The Desert Spear (book 2) on this blog. These are my reviews of the other books (paid links):

I read the mass market paperback edition.

Here is the blurb:

For time out of mind, bloodthirsty demons have stalked the night, culling the human race to scattered remnants dependent on half-forgotten magics to protect them. Then two heroes arose—men as close as brothers, yet divided by bitter betrayal. Arlen Bales became known as the Warded Man, tattooed head to toe with powerful magic symbols that enable him to fight demons in hand-to-hand combat—and emerge victorious. Jardir, armed with magically warded weapons, called himself the Deliverer, a figure prophesied to unite humanity and lead them to triumph in Sharak Ka—the final war against demonkind.

But in their efforts to bring the war to the demons, Arlen and Jardir have set something in motion that may prove the end of everything they hold dear—a Swarm. Now the war is at hand and humanity cannot hope to win it unless Arlen and Jardir, with the help of Arlen’s wife, Renna, can bend a captured demon prince to their will and force the devious creature to lead them to the Core, where the Mother of Demons breeds an inexhaustible army.

Trusting their closest confidantes, Leesha, Inevera, Ragen and Elissa, to rally the fractious people of the Free Cities and lead them against the Swarm, Arlen, Renna, and Jardir set out on a desperate quest into the darkest depths of evil—from which none of them expects to return alive.

This book picks up in the immediate aftermath of the devastating events of book 4. Demons are no longer following their usual patterns of behavior as mind demons coordinate the demon forces. The story follows the characters we already know as they try to prepare humanity to stand against the increased threat. Meanwhile, Arlen launches his crazy plan to obtain intelligence on the demon hive so that he can try to take out the source of the demons. The plan is risky and he goes into it with Jardir, Renna, and others, knowing that they will all inevitably be betrayed. This adds tension as the book proceeds and their situation becomes more perilous.

One of the main themes of this series is that of prophecy. The first Deliverer, Kaji, defeated the demons many generations in the past. But humanity’s reprieve was only temporary. With the current rising threat, The Deliverer has been foretold to return to once again destroy the demons. The interesting part of this story is that it isn’t clear who that person will be. In the first book, it seems obvious that it will be Arlen. However, Jardir becomes known as this prophesied hero by the Krasian people in the second book. At one point, I thought that Leesha (herbalist, healer, sorcerer) would end up as the Deliverer. The characters themselves start to wonder about the prophecy and how it relates to their religion and the origin of magic in this world. I enjoy these types of twists on prophecy and the classic hero’s journey type of story, although I don’t think any book can ever top the ending of Tad Williams’ Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series in To Green Angel Tower in this respect (paid links).

This book was about 800 pages long, but even 100 pages from the end, I had to wonder how the author would manage to wrap everything up. He did accomplish this, as the point-of-view switched between specific characters to briefly show events that were spread across the world. My favorite scene near the ending occurred when Leesha led a small force to sneak into Fort Angiers and retake it from the demons.

I had forgotten about Ragen and Elissa because the last couple of books had not directly featured them. It took me a moment to reorient myself when the events of this book returned to Fort Miln. I think that I was not as invested in their part of the story because of this, but this was only a minor detraction from the excitement of the final events of this book.

This book also had an unusual number of births compared to other fantasy series I’ve read. Some of the children were primarily plot devices to increase political tensions, but their births also set up a new generation for future stories (see below).

I don’t want to put any spoilers in here for the ending. All I will say is that I cried a little. It was satisfying and answers the question of the central prophecy of the series.

Peter V. Brett does have another series set in the same world fifteen years after The Demon Cycle ends, called Nightfall Saga. I plan to read it, but I’m not going to start it yet. The second book was just published in March 2024, so I don’t expect the final book to be available until late 2025 or maybe 2026.

The Desert Prince (book 1), The Hidden Queen (book 2), and The Demon King (book 3) (paid links).

Have you read any of the books in the Demon Cycle series? Do you enjoy books that contain prophecies? Let me know in the comments (above).

Find more of my reviews here.

April 2024 Reading Wrap Up

01 May 2024 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I thought that I was over my reading slump from March, but then I only managed to read 3 more books in April. However, for this month I felt like I made more steady progress. When I looked at some of the details, it turns out that I read 2,409 pages for the month, making this my second highest page count per month so far in 2024!

These are the books that I finished in April:

I reviewed The Skull Throne here and Dragonfly in Amber here. I only finished reading The Core, the final book in Peter V. Brett’s Demon Cycle yesterday, but I should have a review up later this week (paid links).

I also read some of the shorter works nominated for the Nebula Awards, so that took more time. However, I’m glad that I did delve back into reading some short fiction, and I have more of that planned in the upcoming months.

I am part of the way into the third book in the Outlander series, Voyager, and I also started book 5 of The Wheel of Time, The Fires of Heaven (paid links).

For the upcoming month of May, I’m hoping to finish a couple of books that I started, but that were larger projects than I originally envisioned. These would be The Anatomy of Story and the Utopia Science Fiction Magazine Five Year Anthology. I need to find a day where I have few distractions so that I can focus more on these kinds of books.

What else is ahead in May? I’ve bumped a couple of the books I had planned for April into this next month, but pushed others back further. I’m still planning to read the 5th book in the Dune series, Heretics of Dune. I’m continuing with several series with The Sandman: Book 3 by Neil Gaiman, Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, and Jud by Michael Breen (paid links).

I also picked up a new book by one of my recent favorite authors – The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo. Then I have Deep Freeze by Michael C. Grumley planned for a book club (paid links).

How is your reading going for the year? What book are you most excited to read next? Let me know in the comments (above).

Book Review – Becoming Crone

23 Apr 2024 1 Comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , ,

This book was suggested for one of my book clubs and is another one that I read last year. Becoming Crone by Lydia M. Hawke is book 1 in The Crone Wars series (paid links).

I’m not going to have any other posts this week because I’m traveling to Salt Lake City for a fencing tournament and then some outdoor exploration. Look for my April reading update on either 4/29 or 4/30 to find out how many books I finished on both 4-hour flights!

I read this as an e-book.

Here is the blurb:

She wanted purpose. She found dark magick and war.

For Claire Emerson, there is nothing ordinary about turning sixty.

First, there are the crows. Then, a pendant that unlocks a gate to a house in the woods–which comes with a snarky gargoyle, an entirely too-sexy wolf shifter claiming to be Claire’s protector, and a legacy that turns her reality upside down.

Because divorced, menopausal grandmothers with creaky hips and hot flashes? They don’t just randomly discover they’re next in a long line of powerful women protecting the world from the dark magick of Mages.

Claire’s first instinct is to turn tail and run back to the safety of baking cookies and reading bedtime stories. But when it becomes clear the Mages have targeted her, she may have no choice but to accept her calling. There’s just one problem: she never got the lifetime of training she was supposed to have, and her magick is… well, unreliable would be an understatement.

With the Mages threatening everything she loves, can Claire learn what she needs to in time to become Crone? Or will she be the one to lose an ancient war—and her life?

The premise of this book was fun, with our heroine being a grandmother with a wealth of world experience, rather than the younger protagonist more common in genre fiction. This isn’t the first time I’ve come across an older hero though. The most memorable example that I have is the first book I read by one of my favorite authors: The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold (paid link).

In any case, this book was easy to read and follows some standard tropes. I felt bad for Claire because I think she had a very sheltered life prior to the events in this book. In some sense, she is also experiencing a “coming of age” tale like what is often encountered in stories about those younger protagonists.

The story was fun and kept me interested. I don’t know if I’ll read the other books in this series, but I did enjoy this one. I also really liked the cover artwork.

Have you read any stories that feature an older protagonist? Let me know in the comments (above).

Find more of my reviews here.

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