Lady Wolf's Library

The Shape of Night

September 23, 2019

By Tess Gerritsen, Pub date 10/1/2019

4 Stars. Best enjoyed at night. Alone.

Tess Gerritsen has been one of my favorite authors for the last 15 years, so I was super excited to be approved for this one–thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for the below fair review!

Ava is a food writer who trades a few months in Boston for a new backdrop in Brodie’s Watch, a large, beautiful rental house on the coast of Maine. It’s the perfect place to finish her latest book on New England coastal cuisine, and also far enough away to try to escape the secrets that have haunted her since New Year’s Eve. However, it soon becomes clear that she is not the only resident haunting the stately home perched on the seaside cliff outside of Tucker’s Cove, Maine. It seems that the master of the house, Captain Jeremiah Brodie, also walks the halls of the historic home, and has his sights set on being more than just a spectral presence to Ava. However, it soon becomes apparent that there are dangerous forces at play both inside and outside of the cliffside estate…and that Ava is not the only person in Tucker’s Cove with deadly secrets.

The Shape of Night is a much different fare than I am used to coming from Gerritsen, but it was nonetheless a wonderful escapist read. It was part mystery/thriller, part paranormal romance. As always, she wrote characters that were well fleshed-out, places that I felt I could step into, and described smells and flavors that lifted themselves off the pages. I found my mouth watering at some of the descriptions of the food that Ava created for her book. There are other scenes that are delicious, hot, and completely unrelated to roasting meats and simmering soups. I also really felt for Ava. Her need for redemption for her heinous secret was palpable, and it was clear that no matter how much she tried to bury herself beneath empty wine bottles and distance herself from the place it happened, she couldn’t escape the pain on her own, and, not to give too much away, the house seemed to be well aware of that fact.

Gerritsen also proves that she remains a master of mystery–there were so many different questions that needed to be answered that it was enough to keep the reader guessing at every turn until the epilogue. The imagery lent a creepy, fall-worthy vibe to the entire story, absolutely perfect for the season.
In the Hall with the Knife: A Clue Mystery

September 16, 2019

By Diana Peterfreund. Pub Date 10/8/19

4 Stars. Best enjoyed wrapped in a blanket with cocoa and a lead pipe. Just in Case.

When a disastrous winter storm hits the remote Blackbrook prep school on the coast of Maine, most of the students and faculty are able to leave. However, eleven people find themselves stranded at the historic Tudor House, the only building on campus that doesn’t immediately flood in the ensuring storm surge, which also eliminates all paths to the main land. Of course, wet clothes and what little belongings they could grab aren’t the only baggage they brought with them. When the Headmaster is found in the conservatory the next morning with a knife through his chest, the students and faculty that are left in the dark, cold mansion start to suspect that someone amongst them might have secrets they would would kill to protect.

In the Hall with the Knife is told from the revolving perspectives of five of the seven students left in the house, Orchid McKee, Finn Plum, Scarlet Mistry, Samuel “Mustard” Maestor, and Beth “Peacock” Picach. Each of them have secrets that they would protect at any cost, but would they resort to murder to keep them under wraps?

That very question is what kept me reading late into the night. Usually I don’t enjoy changing perspectives because there is always at least one character I don’t care for or want to hear about. This wasn’t an exception to the latter, there were two characters I found myself rolling my eyes at because they were just insufferable, but regardless, I still desperately wanted to know what their secrets were and if they may have had something to do with the murder. There was also the atmosphere of the post-disaster campus, which was described so well that I found myself shivering with cold at the mention of the ice surroundings and frigid pools of water that frequently popped up. Tudor House was also enticing with its rumored hidden passages, marble staircase, and parquet floors from the 1890s. I could picture the fire-lit rooms, dusty book shelves, and worm furniture so perfectly. Peterfreund really stayed true to the mood that so often defines other media based on Clue, which keeps fans like me super happy–that’s why I love the movies, books, and games that base their premise on the classic board game.

The best part is that this is the first book in an upcoming series, and I am super here for it! So many little questions left unanswered and enticing secrets yet to be revealed, like tendrils left trailing to tickle your curiousity. I can’t wait for the next!

Thanks to NetGalley and Amulet Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. As always, the opinions written here are fully my own!
The Widow of Rose House

September 13, 2019

by Diane Biller. Pub Date 10/08/2019

3 Stars. Best enjoyed with a hot cup of tea in a lavish sitting room. Beware of unexplained drafts.

Returning to New York, recently widowed Alva Webster finds herself in a hotbed of undeserved scandal at the hands of her less-than-kind late husband. Alva is bent on making her own small nest egg. She buys the abandoned–and notoriously haunted–Liefdehuis, planning to renovate it and write an accessible book about interior design for both the upper class and growing middle class. On her first outing with her publisher, Alva is approached by Professor Sam Moore, a famous inventor, who wishes to investigate the infamous paranormal goings-on in Liefdehuis. Alva is not one to fall prey to such superstition and–politely–declines the newly-smitten Professor Moore’s offer, unaware that Sam is not one to quit in his scientific pursuits. However, when Alva’s contractors flee Liefdehuis, refusing to return until something is done about the ghost, Sam’s offer seems to be the only way she will be able to pursue her dream of being published. As Alva and Sam search for the truth behind the haunting of Liefdehuis, they also find themselves falling in for one another. Unfortunately, Alva’s dark past comes back to haunt her in an entirely different way, and Sam finds that the fight for Alva’s heart is fraught with its own kind of ghosts.

Overall, I like this book. Not loved, but liked. There are definitely things I loved about it, and other things I was sore about, like the fact that the ghost doesn’t come into play as often as it should given the description (although other ‘ghosts’ certainly haunt the pages). There is also a section of about 30% of the book that felt drawn out to me. Way more than it had to be. Like to the point where I almost DNF’d. It was like a section of road under construction, like there was a struggle to provide some context and back story. It felt like a stretch of road under construction and it was rough, but I slowed down a bit until I worked through it.

Some of the things I loved most about it were Sam and the Moores. There’s something about fictional Sams that always has gotten to me. Not ‘real’ Sams, just fictional ones. Samwise Gamgee, Sam Winchester…now Sam Moore, the somewhat absent-minded professor trope that we all adore. Smart, sweet, somewhat socially naive, and protective Sam, who falls fiercely in love with Alva. He was so persistent yet also remained very aware of her autonomy and respected her wishes, no matter how much it broke his heart. I liked Alva as well, but moreover because I (like many people who have seen a bad past relationship) get where she came from with a lot of her decisions. She felt that being selfish with her problems rather than sharing them was the most selfless thing to do, even knowing how good they were together (spoiler: both in and out of the sheets).

And then the Moores! Remember that 30% of the book where I was getting so bored I almost DNF’d? Well, in those times of darkness and doubt, I thought of Sam’s family, the intelligent, scientific-minded, chaotic, loving, and fun Moores, and I needed…well…more! I truly hope that there is another book starring one of Sam’s family members, Maggie especially, although Henry and Benedict should also get their moment! They were honestly the highlight.

Overall, I did like The Widow of Rose House, especially the last half.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions written above are my own!
The Hollow Queen

September 4, 2019

By Sherry D. Ficklin, Pub date 9/23/2019. Stolen Empire #5

3 Stars. Best enjoyed with a…um, prior knowledge…of how noble relationships worked back in the day.

Let me start this off by saying that Sherry Ficklin is a very talented author for three very good reasons. One, this is my first book by her and it wasn’t exactly clear that I had jumped into the second half of the series a book too late until I was well into it. She provides enough backstory to catch the reader up on what is going on, though. Two, She is able to tackle what some might find to be very dry material in a way that makes it still pretty interesting. Then again, I love reading about political intrigue in historical fiction. Lastly, she is able to take some usually unpalatable material slightly less palatable.

The Hollow Queen is the second book in the story of Princess Elizabeth, one of the last remaining Romanovs of the royal line. After the murder of her mother, Elizabeth wants to find out who is responsible. However, she is brutally stripped of her title and all its trappings when the throne is passed down to Elizabeth’s half nephew, Peter II. She is then sent to serve him at court, currently hosted by the brutal tyrant, Prince Meshikov. Expecting the worst of the new king, Elizabeth is pleasantly surprised by Peter’s disposition and character. Despite this revelation, her vengeance has yet to be satisfied, and as Peter and Elizabeth grow closer, it becomes clear the person behind her mother’s murder is closer than either of them think. As their feelings become stronger, so does the threat to their lives.

Although the story kept my attention, my interest was not exactly in the romance. Actually, the romance made me uncomfortable so I had to take a couple of stars off. I get it, though, this kind of thing happened pretty frequently back then. Everyone was pretty laissez-faire about it, which probably checks. However, for a modern reader who recognizes that this story is supposed to be a romantic historical retelling, I’m was not here for it and it literally made me squirm a few times. It just felt wrong.

Even if the romance was a little off putting, the overall story was still one that I wanted to finish and figure out. I probably will read the next one just to see Ficklin’s take on Elizabeth’s journey to the regency. I’m a fan of historic fiction, after all!

Thank you to Netgalley and Clean Teen Publishing for an advanced copy of The Hollow Queen in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Girl the Sea Gave Back

August 27, 2019

By Adrienne Young, Pub date September 3, 2019.

3 Stars. Best Enjoyed at Night by Firelight

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair and honest review–I had seriously been looking forward to this one and I could not wait. I absolutely loved Adrienne Young’s Sky in the Deep, so when I found out she was writing another in the same universe, I was stoked (to put it mildly).

The Girl the Sea Gave Back takes place 10 years after Sky in the Deep and focuses mainly on two people. The first is Halvard, the next chief in line to rule the Nādhir, the new tribe formed after the events in the previous book. The second is Tova, a young woman and Truthtongue (a type of seer) who washed up on the shores of a rival tribe, the Svell, to live in hostility and isolation outside of the chief’s village and protected only thinly by Jorrund, the Svell’s Tala (priest) and the brusque warrior, Gunther.

When the Svell chief’s brother decides to take it upon himself to enact war against the Nadhir against the wishes of the chief, they decide to ask the gods how to proceed. Hated by the Svell and seen only as a tool of inquiry into the future, Tova is brought in to cast her stones to and help determine what waging this war against the Nādhir would mean for them. Her cast reveals a dark future for the Svell if they decide to continue down this path…and the stones never lie. But will this prophecy be enough to stop the Svell from marching into Nadhir territory?

The book bounces not only jarringly between Halvard and Tova, but also back and forth in time. For roughly half the book, each alternating perspective rehashes what was shown in the last perspective, only from a different angle. Unfortunately, this drag was a huge downfall for the book. Eventually, it gets better and there is a ton of great information, but the best parts come far too late for this reader. There is also a massive cliffhanger that very clearly establishes this book as the first in a series. Given that, it does set a pretty strong precedence for the series itself. Unfortunately, for me, it wasn’t great as a standalone given all of the good stuff was concentrated near the end and although we get the story on Tova’s origins, we are left with massive and overarching questions.

Honestly, I had really been looking forward to this after reading Young’s debut. Although it was a bit of a let-down for me, that does not in any way mean that I will not be strongly anticipating the next book, nor that I do not recommend reading ALL OF HER WORK. Young is a very talented author and has definitely left me with some burning questions and has set us up for what I can only conclude will be a fantastic sequel.
Morbid Magic

August 27, 2019

By Tómas Prower. Pub Date September 8, 2019.

4.5 Stars. Best Enjoyed Anytime Your Morbid Curiosity Taps on the Glass

Tómas Prower takes us on an amazing journey into the one of the most important, yet seemingly taboo, parts of life: Death. I have been enjoying this one for a month now. This is the reference book I didn’t know I needed in my life and I have learned so much so far and will probably need to buy copies for my close friends and relatives. It has seriously opened my eyes to various religious practices, deities associated with it across cultures, and how people around the world grieve. It has also broadened how I, myself, see the subject matter. As a professional in the funerary arts (after reading this I feel like that’s kind of what it is: an art), Prower has first-hand experience handling the complicated relationship most westerners have with dying, death, and the grief that we experience when our loved ones pass on to the next plane of existence.

Each chapter and section covers a different culture, starting with the ancient and moving into the modern, extrapolating out the belief systems surrounding death, the gods and goddesses involved, practices related to both the preparation of the body of the deceased, and the rituals that are undertaken by the living to ensure a good afterlife for the person whom has passed, providing some first and second-hand stories on how others have used the rituals and knowledge related to their own cultures to help them with their own experiences. He also gives tips regarding things we can do now to strengthen our own relationship to the inevitable and also to help plan fot it so that our families and friends can focus on grieving so they can live their own lives again. Not only does this book feed your morbid curiosity, but it also silently builds coping mechanisms.

For those of us who live in this giant melting pot of western culture, this guide to the world of death and varying religions is super important. Most of us do not talk about death enough and do not have a healthy relationship with it, but it is something we will periodically be exposed to it as both those who experience the loss of another and our own inevitably. Death doesn’t always have to be seen as morbid and taboo, it can also be seen as the end of a marvelous journey that we have all had the privilege of undertaking. By building a healthier relationship with the end, we can learn to celebrate and relish the adventure leading up to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. for the advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!
The Blacksmith Queen

August 19, 2019

By G.A. Aiken. Pub Date August 27, 2019.

4 Stars. Best enjoyed when you need an adventure.

The Blacksmith Queen begins with a battle between brothers bent on slaying one another over the throne of their father. It’s a rather confusing, bloody scene with people getting slaughtered left and right. In the confusion, we find out that the kingdom’s witches, who are usually the ones to name the next king, have handed down an unlikely prophecy that states that the land will not be ruled by a king, but a queen. Not just any queen, but a peasant queen. Naturally, the brothers find it necessary to suss out the identity of this queen so that they can eliminate this threat to the throne that they are so willing to kill so many others for.

Of course, they think just because she’s a peasant it’s going to be easy. Spoiler Alert: it’s not. Especially not with Keeley, a talented, strong blacksmith and her scrappy family acting as a blockade to their success.

Without giving too much away–because there are plenty of unexpected twists and it would be SO EASY to spoil the heck out of this for you–there is a fantastic journey through Amichai lands (the mountainous area and home of dwarves, elves, centaurs, and barbarians which shares a border with the Hill Lands of the violent Old King), a bunch of fun characters and hilarity, as well as some visceral betrayal.

At first, I found it kind of hard to get into. I’m not usually into changing POVs, especially not ones that rapidly change like they did in this one which is why I gave it 3 stars initially, but I had to change that because the more I think about how much fun I had reading it, the less I felt confident that 3 was enough. The story gets so good that it starts to flow. Although I didn’t feel that happening until about 30% into it, it was worth sticking with it even with the few times when it seemed like editing was the last thought on the author’s mind. After that point I honestly could have read it in one sitting had I been given the chance. I literally laughed out loud a couple of times at some of the characters, like Keeley’s professional fighter cousin Keran, who was all about a good time and would have been 100% exasperating to actually travel with on this momentous adventure, but was definitely a point of comic relief for the reader. Plus, Kelley is so strong, good natured, and optimistic that I just wanted her to succeed in all of the things she did, which included the flirtations with the broody Caid. Also, the part with the dwarves? So great.

If you enjoy high fantasy, I strongly suggest you pick this one up. I can’t wait for the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!
Chase Darkness With Me

August 16, 2019

By Billy Jensen. Pub Date August 13, 2019

5 Stars. Best enjoyed in the dark.

I’d like to preface this review by saying I’m a Murderino, a term adopted by “My Favorite Murder” listeners and fans as a calling card of the subset of people in our society who are fascinated by true crime, mostly by the heinous act of murder, what leads to it, what makes a murderer tick, and finding justice for victims. As I sit here typing my thoughts–days after finishing Jensen’s book–I am watching season 2 of Mindhunter, with BAU agents Ford and Tensch (Jonathan Groff and Hold McCallany) questioning a rather convincing David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam”, played by a prosthetics-clad Oliver Cooper (whom– oddly enough–you won’t find credited in IMDB, even though he does a fantastic job).

That said, as a Murderino, I’m naturally inclined toward a morbid curiosity, one which so often draws me to stories of true crime. I’m also a fan of supporting the interests of our niche community, of which Billy Jensen is a part. However, that does not in any way mean that this book does not fully earn the 5 stars that I have given it, nor that I let that influence me–matter of fact, it made me extra critical. What it does mean is that my interests in it are driven by my own aforementioned inclinations and, quite frankly, whenever I had the chance to pick this up it was often difficult to set it back down.

Chase Darkness With Me is one part memoir, one part true crime anthology, one heaping scoop of how-to manual, and a dash of in memoriam for a fallen friend. It covers pieces of Jensen’s young life, including how he became interested in true crime and his beginnings as a journalist, eventually moving into the convergence of the two halves. As he progresses, it becomes clear how entwined these two pieces became as he tells us bits of his personal life in between descriptions of the murder and missing persons cases he worked on. Some of these cases were rather high-profile. Not just the GSK, but also the Allentown Murders investigation (known by some as the Bear Creek case) and the Pulse Nightclub mass shooting (which happened while he was on vacation in Orlando), among others. However, he mostly wanted to help with the less high-profile cases, the ones that weren’t getting media exposure and were, therefore, less likely to be solved without some help. He described the way in which he was involved and the techniques he used to bring attention and much-needed tips for finding the identity of perpetrators and information on where missing persons were last seen.

It also talks about his relationship with his friend and professional partner, the late Michelle McNamara, the brilliant mind whose interest and in-depth investigation into the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker–whom she coined the “Golden State Killer”–eventually helped to catch the serial offender behind these crimes. Although her partial victory was posthumous, through Jensen we get some insight into who McNamara was to her friends and family and how massively important her legacy was. We get the chance to witness the excitement on the night GSK was captured and justice could finally be served for so many victims and their families.

There is a lot of information within these pages and Jensen does not hide his reasoning behind writing it. As a front-lines champion of crowd source criminal investigation and a forefather of social media tip campaigns, his main interest is the recruitment of the right kind of people to help along investigations in the same way that he has done. It’s too much for one man to take on and too many people are getting away with literal murder every year. The homicide detectives charged with investigating these murders are often so buried that they don’t always have the time or manpower required to do so, especially as crime doesn’t take a day off. However, the victims and their families need justice, and there are things that civilians can do to help, even if it feels like something small. Jensen provides a step by step guide to those who wish to contribute in the same way he has, which has proven successful on more than one occasion, but definitely isn’t for the undedicated or faint of heart.

Chase Darkness With Me is a not necessarily a window into Jensen’s life and passion, it is more like a sliding glass door. He beckons us towards it, allowing us to see not only the things he has experienced and been involved in, but also the details into his methodology–the ways in which he has accomplished the things he’s done. He then asks those who are brave enough to come out of their comfort zone–to grip the handle of this door, slide it open, and follow his lead–and help him chase the darkness.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for providing an advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!
Song of the Abyss

August 8, 2019

By Makiia Lucier, Pub Date August 27, 2019.

3.5 Stars. Best enjoyed on a beach or on a boat and with a sense of adventure.

I’d like to preface this review by stating that although this book is a sequel t0 the Tower of Winds, it is not necessary to read the first book prior to this one. Although the del Marians often elude to events that happened in the first book, the storytelling in this one is not dependent on that and the story does truly stand on its own. Reyna is a mapmaker for the kingdom of St. John del Mar. During one of her adventures, her ship is overtaken by a mysterious group led by a distinctive leader with an interesting sword topped by a chrysanthemum. The men aboard her ship, seemingly in a trance, transfer themselves to the ships of the ruffians that had overtaken them and Reyna escapes into the unforgiving sea. She finds her way to the kingdom of Lunes where she meets a handsome stranger, Levi. This young man invariably turns out to be a Lunesian prince, and he at first distrusts this strange girl who washed up in his harbor and tries to hold her for questioning. After a small coup, she escapes her hospitable captors and returns to St. John del Mar where she puzzles out who could have possibly taken her crew. While home, Lord Elias and her childhood friend, Jaime–two very important people in Reyna’s life–take a ship of their own to investigate the maritime kidnappers…and fail to return. It is up to Reyna to band together with Prince Levi, whose own brother, Asher, also disappears while on his way back to Lunes. They must search for their lost loved ones in the distant, isolated, and lush kingdom that was once thought to be legend, and figure out what this leader did with the people they care about before they are lost forever.

Overall, Song of the Abyss was pretty good. The first half of it is where most of my issues stem from, and it’s mostly just because it’s super slow up until Levi and Reyna travel. I admittedly struggled to get into it because it seemed like there was a lot of people judging Reyna as only being ‘pretty’ and not recognizing her value as a scholar. Although this is kind of how the world worked in any other time setting, it was nonetheless a bit of a distraction from the adventure itself. There was also a little bit of insta-love, will they/won’t they, which I can take or leave that could have been written better. Maybe that’s a little nitpick-y, but I just wasn’t into it.

However, the last half of the book really started to amp up and the totality of the story was completely redeemed for me, starting with the maelstrom, which caught my attention and made me snap to attention and took my imagination for a ride. The remainder of the book took place in a once-mythical kingdom and their culture, which seemed to be a mix of Egyptian, Ancient Chinese, and Ancient Central American cultures. This is where palace intrigue, and world building sunk its teeth into me and I couldn’t put the book down until I was done.

The world, the characters, and the various locations are all described in detail and the main characters are fleshed out nicely. If you need to top off your summer reading list, I recommend this satisfying fantasy that will take you on an interesting adventure.

Thank you to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!
Fledgling: Sorcery and Society Book 2

August 8, 2019

By Molly Harper

4 Stars, best with a cup of tea and a sense of wonder.

Fledgling is the second book in the Changeling series by Molly Harper and tackles ~~Sarah Smith~~ Cassandra Reed’s second year at Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies in an alternative Victorian England where the magical ruling class, or the Guardians, rule the non-magical servant class, or the Snipes. Although I did not have the chance to read and review the first book in the series, I was nonetheless sucked into this book and it gave me enough background to feel like I could understand the world that Harper built within the confines of the previous story.

Cassandra Reed, known by only her closest confidants for who she really is, Sarah Smith, is back at Miss Castwell’s navigating the society in which she has been thrust. Between her duties as a student, the Translator (the chosen keeper of the Mother Book, a tome that contains all of the history of the magical world), a new member of Guardian society, and what looks like the start of a courtship between her and Gavin McCray, her plate is overflowing and her secret mission to find more Changelings like herself has to take the shelf for the time being–something that the Mother Book itself resents. However, when the girls decide to try a divination spell during their study group, Cassandra is hit with a horrible vision of things to come if she isn’t able to find the other Changelings she is supposed to be looking for. Cassandra and her best friends Ivy and Alicia take it upon themselves to search out the rumored changeling school situated in Scotland where Alicia’s family summers. It’s a secret and dangerous mission, but the girls are running out of time, and if the visions are correct, the very world they know depends on them.

I really enjoyed this book a ton. It reminded me of Harry Potter meets A Great and Terrible Beauty. I love stories that are set in Victorian England and I also love stories involving magic. Although this is for a younger group of readers, it really was a fantastic read for any age and I have every intention of going back and reading the first. It had me from get-go. There is also a classist political element to it that I thought was an interesting take, namely the Snipes vs Guardians and the balance on their relationship, and also how Cassandra wanted to find a way to blur the lines and make life better for both sides.

Fledgling was a great book and I highly recommend you pick up a copy for that preteen in your life.

Thank you Netgalley & NYLA for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair & honest review!