Wintersong - Review

Title:   Wintersong

Author:   S.  Jae - Jones

Series:   Wintersong #1

Synopsis:  “Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

     “All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King.  He is the Lord of Mischief the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed.  Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

     “But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above.  The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go – for a price.  The life a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says.  Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow.  Without death, there can be no rebirth.  In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King.  He accepts.

     “Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her – musically, physically, emotionally.  Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride.  A the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.”

Review:  I loved the idea of this book more than the book itself.  Wintersong was marketed as a retelling of The Labyrinth, and it falls far short of that.  The only similarity between Wintersong and The Labyrinth that I could find is that there are goblins and a Goblin King and a girl who is trying to rescue someone from them.

     The characterization is well done.  The characters are fully fleshed out, and the world building is very well done.  However the story itself is terribly boring and predictable.  Here’s the story in a nutshell: boy and girl were childhood playmates.  Boy turns out to be Goblin King.  He kidnaps her sister.  Girl exchanges herself for her sister.  Girl and Goblin King resist their feelings for each other.  Then they have sex.  Girl is suddenly more than she was before.  He falls in love with her and lets her go.  Seriously?  Surely we can come up with better stories?  Aside from how boring I thought it was I think what bothers me the most is the use of sex as the catalyst to Liesl’s sudden “awakening”.  This is a book meant for young adults and we are telling them that having sex with your kidnapper will change your life?  Sex is great, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not life changing; and having sex with someone who is holding you captive is just disturbing.  I recommend skipping this one and reading something else instead.

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Skip this one and check these out instead:

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas

Unfiction - Review

Title:  Unfiction

Author:  Gene Doucette

Synopsis:  “When Oliver Naughton joins the Tenth Avenue Writers Underground, headed by literary wunderkind Wilson Knight, Oliver figures he’ll finally get some of his imaginings out of his head an onto paper.

     “But when Wilson takes an intense interest in Oliver’s writing and his genre stories of dragons, aliens, and spies, things get weird.  Oliver’s stories don’t just need to finished: they insist on it.

     “With the help of Minerva, Wilson’s girlfriend, Oliver has to find the connection between reality, fiction, the mythical Cydonian Kingdom, and the non-mythical nightclub called M Pallas.  That is, if he can survive the alien invasion, the ghosts, and the fact that he thinks he might be in love with Minerva.

     “Unfiction is a wild ride through the collision of science fiction, fantasy, thriller, horror and romance.  It’s what happens when one writer’s fiction interferes with everyone’s reality.”

Review:  Unfiction is a silly, fun read.  It didn’t require a lot of brain power to follow the plot and I was able to read it fairly quickly.  Even though this is a self published novel don’t be afraid. This is not your stereotypical self published novel.  The writing is strong.  World building is complete, the characters make sense (where they are supposed to), and the plot, while imaginative and silly, is complete.  I enjoyed the blend of genres and styles in Unfiction.  The idea behind the novel is kind of “what would happen if your writing came to life” and it was fun to read.  I’m planning to read more novels by Gene Doucette. 

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review via NetGalley.**

Publisher:  Gene Doucette

If you like this book you may want to read:

The Spaceship Next Door by Gene Doucette

Junkers by Benjamin Wallace

The Asylum of Dr. Caligari by James Morrow

The Roanoke Girls - Review

Title:  The Roanoke Girls

Author:  Amy Engel

Synopsis:  “After her mother’s suicide, fifteen year-old Lane Roanoke came to live with her grandparents and fireball cousin, Allegra, on their vast estate in rural Kansas.  Lane knew little of her mother’s mysterious family, but she quickly embraced life as one of the rich and beautiful Roanoke girls.  But when she discovered the dark truth at the heart of the family, she ran fast and far away.

     “Eleven years later, Lane is adrift in Los Angeles when her grandfather calls to tell her Allegra has gone missing.  Did she run too?  Or something worse?  Unable to resist his please, Lane returns to help search, and to ease her guilt at having left Allegra behind.  Her homecoming may mean a second chance with the boyfriend whose heart she broke that long ago summer.  But it also means facing the devastating secret that made her flee, one she may not be strong enough to run from again.

     “As it weaves between Lane’s first Roanoke summer and her return, The Roanoke Girls shocks and tantalizes, twisting its way through revelation after mesmerizing revelation, exploring the secrets families keep and the fierce and terrible love that both binds them together and rips them apart.”

Review:  This review will be short because with this type of book I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to ruin any surprises.  I was captivated by The Roanoke Girls after the first few pages.  It was creepy, terrifying, and disgusting.  I loved it.  I sort of had it figured out before we found out what the family secret was, but that didn’t make it any less horrifying.  There is the potential for some confusion as the story jumps back and forth in time, but after the first couple of times I became more comfortable with it and stopped being confused.  I highly recommend The Roanoke Girls for fans of psychological thrillers. 

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review via NetGalley.**

Publisher:  Crown

If you like this book you may want to read:

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

H2O - Review

Title: H2O

Author:   Virginia Bergin

Series:  The Rain #1

Synopsis:  “They don’t believe it at first.  Crowded in Zach’s kitchen, Ruby and the rest of the partygoers laugh at Zach’s parents’ frenzied push to get them all inside as it starts to drizzle.  But then the radio comes on with the warning, “It’s in the rain!  It’s fatal, it’s contagious, and there’s no cure.”

    “Two weeks later, Ruby is alone.  Anyone who’s been touched by rain or washed their hands with tap water is dead.  The only drinkable water is quickly running out.  Ruby’s only chance for survival is a treacherous hike across the country to find her father – if he’s even still alive”

Review:  This book was a very different take on the classic apocalypse story.  There have been stories of stuff in the rain before, but not quite like this.  I felt a connection with Ruby; I would be very concerned with trapped and helpless pets as well. I’ve wondered before, when contemplating apocalyptic scenarios, what would happen to people’s pets when so many people die in such a short time frame. 

H2O made me laugh, and it made me cry.  I became very emotionally involved in Ruby’s struggle to find her father.  I’ve read some other reviews that complained about Ruby pushing people away and about her changing moods.  Ummm… She’s a teenager who has just been through an extremely traumatic event.  I would like to see you remain level headed and emotionally stable after losing everyone and everything you loved.  Ignore those reviews; the reviewers clearly aren’t thinking clearly themselves.  I highly recommend H2O for fans of YA dystopian and apocalyptic novels. 

Publisher:   Sourcebooks Fire

If you like this book you may want to read:

The Storm (The Rain #2) by Virginia Bergin

The 5^th Wave (read BookGirlR’s review here) by Rick Yancey