“I’m so sick of this. Sick of scavenging and proves and scouting and caution and harvesting. I don’t care that we’re amazing at it. I don’t care that we can just dampen down every part of our curiousity which make us human. I’m sick of just wandering around and taking what we can find. I’m sick of being parasites.”

I started this book this morning and I easily finished in a couple of hours. Parasites by Matthew Samuels is an easily devourable YA science fiction and space odyssey novel. Our home-world is Lyra, which is rapidly declining. Our main characters, Alessia and Kael are best friends that explore other worlds to scavenge objects, food, and other means to keep their home and people from crumbling at an even faster rate. Alessia sets out on a mission with Kael and their friend/bodyguard/father figure, Basteel, to find a solution to the imminent danger to their planet. It happens to be that this is the same mission her father was on when he disappeared.

What I loved most about this book was the friendship between Lessie and Kael. I think it makes it easier to face dangers over and over when you have someone to trust. Eventually, they acquire a good little group of trusted individuals that make their mission easier. Also, Alessia was conflicted about her feelings towards her father when he disappeared and I think Samuels was very wise in doing that. I think it made her more human and relatable. Sometimes people die and you have unresolved feelings or you feel bad about the conflicted feelings you had. Part of this story was about finding peace within herself after her father disappeared.

I think that this is an especially fabulous introduction to the majesty that is science fiction and solar punk for YA. I felt like I was learning new things while reading an entertaining story and this is the type of story that you feel smarter after reading. At the same time, it’s completely marketable to readers of all ages. If you’re looking for an indie author to support, give Samuels a try. You’ll hardly believe this is an independent publication. Thank you, Matthew for sending me this delightful story.

“Two born of blood, dust and ashes shall champion the Choices, the Darkness and Light.”

Wow. First, I wanna thank Petrik for recommending this book to me. Malice by John Gwynne lives up to the recommendation. On goodreads, I rated it a 5/5 stars without a second thought. This first book revolves around a prophecy that the world will be divide into two sides, basically your classic fight between good and evil.

“Black Sun will drown the earth in bloodshed, Bright Star with the Treasures must unite.’ Again he stopped, carefully turned more pages, eventually continued his halting reading: ‘By their names you shall know them – Kin-Slayer, Kin-Avenger, Giant-Friend, Draig-Rider, Dark Power ’gainst Lightbringer.’ And so he went on: read, pause, search. Read again. ‘One shall be the Tide, one the Rock in the swirling sea. Before one, storm and shield shall stand; before the other, True-Heart and Black-Heart. Beside one rides the Beloved, beside the other, the Avenging Hand. Behind one, the Sons of the Mighty, the fair Ben-Elim, gathered ’neath the Great Tree. Behind the other, the Unholy, dread Kadoshim, who seek to cross the bridge, force the world to bended knee.”

What I found interesting about this book, is that while the characters are pretty easily distinguishable between good and bad, the concept of good and evil itself rides the grey line. I can only assume that this line will keep getting thinner. We have characters that we see committing heinous acts while truly believing they are doing things for the greater good. There’s supposed to be certain races of people/creatures that are servants of the sides of good and evil, but these aren’t always as they seem. There’s a lot of politicking going on in Malice and truly nobody is safe. I love that we get multiple POVs and most of the chapters are short because it keeps the story really fresh and fast moving. The way this book is written, it TRULY reminds me of A Song of Ice and Fire. What sets it apart is that John Gwynne is MUCH more straightforward in his writing. We don’t see long-winded passages filled with descriptions that don’t serve to advance the plot. It is much more palatable to the average fantasy reader, and this is coming from someone that loves ASOIAF with a passion. That being said, EVERY moment of this book served the greater objective. I raced through each chapter to get to the next POV because they were all interesting, though I will claim Corban’s as a favorite.

Speaking of, here’s a brief introduction to our POV characters:

•Corban: a wolven-raising, colt-loving boy with immense talent in the training field. He deals with bullying from another boy with kindness and grace. Okay, if you know me, you know I’m a sucker for a wolf-human bond in a story. This satisfies that craving for me. Corban loves animals and they love him.

“Your colt, Ban. He just raced past us, from nowhere, threw himself into the hound. He killed it, Ban, defending you. I’ve never seen the like before.”

•Cywen: a smart and hardworking girl, sister to Corban. She’s often found embarrassing him by protecting him (aka beating up) the bullies. Strong and capable, her mother taught her knife throwing at a young age.

“Cywen remembered her knives suddenly, fumbling one from her belt and hurled it at a face in a red cloak — saw him fall backwards, clutching at his throat.”

•Evnis: I don’t know much about this guy yet. From his first chapter, it makes it clear that he’s a two-faced, self-serving weasel. I’m not sure his motives yet for acting the way he does, but he’s one of the few that are easily put in the EVIL pile. He’s a mentor to King Brenin.

“You hide your greed behind a cloak of revenge, Evnis. Power is what you seek, and will grasp it where you can.”

•Nathair: the son of High King Aquilis. A warrior with a penchant for battle strategy. Fiercely ambitious and capable of charming leagues, he believes he is destined for greatness that even his father can not comprehend.

“I know who you are, what you will become. That is why I serve you.”

•Veradis: eager to prove himself as capable as his older brother, Veradis quickly becomes Nathair’s first-sword and best friend. Veradis believes that Nathair is the key to saving their realm and protects him at all costs.

“Then stand, brother, for that is what you are to me now, and let us seal this oath with our blood.”

•Kastell: orphaned from his immediate family, and caught in feud with his jealous cousin, Kastell is torn between serving his uncle or joining the Gadair, a group of prestigious sword-brothers. He is mentored and protected by his family friend, Maquin. Kastell is pure of heart and motive.

“You are like a son to me and I fear for you. Let me make one thing clear. The only thing that will part me from you is death.”

•Camlin: a brigand with morals, he refuses to harm women or children. He will play a major part on both sides of the war at certain points.

“No more innocent blood…

I am thankful for your coming, more than I can ever show, but I’d rather walk right back into my cell and face the headsman on the morrow than see their blood spilt.”

And that’s it for POVs. We truly have a wonderful cast of characters, good and bad. no one character‘s chapters are so lingering that you get bored of them. Before you know it, you’re reading the next character’s chapter and wanting to get back to the previous… IN A NEVER-ENDING, GLORIOUS CYCLE. I can say that the last 25 percent of the book gave me heart palpitations and probably more than a few gray hairs. Nobody is safe here. John Gwynne is good at making your heart tender towards his characters and then stabbing you in your perfectly primed, tender heart. If you like getting stabbed in the heart repeatedly because you’re a book masochist, like me, this is for you. I can only see the series getting better –and more heartbreaking– from here. Dare I say, this book/series is already primed to be in my top ten favorite fantasy books ever. By the end of this series, I won’t be surprised if John Gwynne joins the ranks of Rothfuss, Hobb, Martin, Sanderson, Abercrombie, and Lawrence in my favorite authors.

“Both the brave man and the coward feel the same. The only difference between them is the brave man faces his fear, does not run.”

“Look at your mistakes long enough to learn from them, then put them behind you.”

I finished listening to The Blood Mirror by Brent Weeks last week but just now got around to reviewing it. It was a 3.75 stars for me, which I rounded up to a 4 on goodreads.

Honestly, there’s not much to say about this one. Altogether pleasant storytelling and while we learned quite a few new things, I feel like the plot was a bit stagnant. Don’t get me wrong, I fully enjoy being immersed in this world. I just don’t feel like much was accomplished in this installment.

That being said, I don’t have much BAD to say about it. Kip is fully coming into his own and though he’s always going to have that shred of modesty and self-deprecation, he’s harnessing his power and fully taking on his leadership role. His marriage might not have been his initial choice, but in true Kip fashion, he’s making the best of it. Heck, by the end, he’s starting to thrive in it. No lingering in a wallowing state for him. I think it’s good that Kip has realized that he has an incredible woman in front of him and that his bond with Teia was something that would probably never have came fully to fruition.

“To realize in an instant that you aren’t going to have the life you’d hoped for, but not waste a moment complaining, instead acting instantly to save what good you can? That’s more guts than I’d have had.“

Gavin Guile is still as low as we have ever seen him and we start to learn some important and revealing things about him. He is looking at himself in the mirror and for the first time, really disliking what he sees. He’s always had an undercurrent of distaste for himself but with these revelations, he’s disgusted with himself. Yet, to the rest of the world, he’s still a god. He is the reason so many people keep fighting.

“With no small amount of swagger, Gavin Greyling said, “I remember Gavin fucking Guile, who won the False Prism’s War, who outwitted the Thorn Conspirators and ended the Red Cliff Uprising. Gavin Guile, who brought low pirate kings and bandit lords, who ended the Blood Wars with wits and one deadly wave of his hand, who brought justice to the Seven Satrapies. Gavin Guile, who hunted wights and criminals, who built Brightwater Wall in less than a week, who aborted the birth of gods, destroyed at least two bane, and killed a god full fledged at Ruic Head. Gavin Guile, who faced a sea demon and lived, saving all the people of Garriston and the Blackguard, too. Gavin Guile, who sank Pash vecchio’s great ship Gargantua with a rat. Gavin Guile, who armed us for war and gave the Blackguard the seas entire with our sea chariots and hull wreckers. Gavin Guile, heart of our heart, our Promachos, the one who goes before us in war, who came and conquered and will come again.”

That moment gave me chills and brought a tear to my eye. I love the goodness in Gavin Greyling and I don’t think Gavin Guile even realizes the positive effect he’s had on people. I think he knows people idolize him but he doesn’t know that he makes people want to be GOOD and strive for better. Brent Weeks definitely knows how to pull a heartstring here and there.

I don’t have much more to say about this story, but I can say that I hope it sets us up for a great finale. I’m ready to see the conclusion of this all!

Simon and Schuster sent me this uncorrected galley of The Roxy Letters by Mary Pauline Lowry in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, it was a 5 out of 5 stars for me. I loved the style of the book. Roxy is a flawed, love-able, passionate over-sharer. She has let her ex-boyfriend-turned-close-friend, Everett, move into her house to help pay the mortgage. Everett is a bit of a slacker, a hippy, and doesn’t use a cell phone so Roxy leaves him letters, partly to keep him informed on her daily life (and grievances towards living with him) and partly as a therapeutic release for herself. Through her letters, we learn about her sex life and relationships, her desires and plans to topple the corporations taking over her beloved neighborhood in Texas, her (sometimes failed) veganism, and money issues stemming from being underemployed and overqualified as a Whole Foods employee.

Something about this book and Roxy reminded me of an adult version of Georgia from Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. I mean that in the best way, it was one of my favorite series when I was younger. Roxy is earnest, charming, smart, talented… and an absolute chaotic mess at times. She has hilarious encounters with men that will leave you laughing and cringing. In her letters, she’s constantly detailing her crazy antics. A feud with her boss, Dirty Steve, featuring laxative brownies. An ongoing battle between herself and her neighbor, Captain Tweaker, involving a meth van in front of his house. Taking on Lululemon using her artistic abilities to create protest signs. An immediate regret after venturing into OMing (meditation featuring clitoral stimulation). Lots of laughs and fun in this book.

Roxy’s voice really makes this book, she’s full of passion in every regard of her life. Her messiness makes her more of a realistic character. She’s also a woman’s woman, a tarot card lover, lover of the goddess Venus. She has two female friends, Annie and Artemis, that are complete contrast to one another while still encouraging her to make the most of her life. Together, they face Roxy’s problems and get into a bit of trouble while doing it. There’s a few men that come in and out of Roxy’s life that are wholly entertaining, as well. I loved that all of these characters have their flaws: alcoholism, addiction, mental illness, chronic unemployment, simple irresponsibility.

This was a completely delightful read. If you’re looking for a lighthearted book filled with laughs, this is your book! The Roxy Letters will be released on April 7th, 2020. Thanks Simon and Schuster and Mary Pauline Lowry for the opportunity to read and review this!

I didn’t realize until the end of the month that this month seemed so long! Maybe a time lord is out there jumping through the passages of time and extending our days longer, or maybe it was the sheer amount of events that happened this month (impeachment trials, earthquakes, viruses, Kobe, the ever lingering doom of war)… but damn, January has seen a lot.

On the upside, I had a pretty good reading month ending at 13 books finished. Here’s what I read and how they rated out of 5 stars

1. Room to Breathe, Liz Talley⭐️ (it’s just fluff… and not even of the entertaining, beach read fluff variety)

2. Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (enthralling, sweet, with a diverse cast of characters)

3. 4. & 5. The Folk of the Air Trilogy, Holly Black, overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (if you’re open to YA fantasy romance, you’ll probably like it. Otherwise you’ll hate it)

6. We Met in December, Rose Curtis ⭐️⭐️ (not awful but nothing special or original)

7. Trick Mirror, Jia Tolentino ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (probably the best book I’ve read this month and the most stimulating, only knocked off a star because it can be a bit hard to read)

8. My Sister, The Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaithe ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (easy to read, unlikable characters)

9. 10. & 11. A Court of Thorns and Roses Trilogy, Sarah J Maas ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 75 overall (some were phenomenal, but a lot of cheesiness. Another YA fantasy romance, so I think that comes with the territory)

12. Esemtu Vol 1: A Graphic Novel, Karin Springer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Unique subject for a graphic novel, mythology, and a quick read)

13. The Broken Eye, Brent Weeks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (the most ME book out of the lot. Adult fantasy: ahhhh, that’s the good stuff)

I’m excited to get into more adult fantasy in February. I think I’ve had my fill of branching out for the next few months, unless some library holds come through. I would also like to read more memoirs this month!

Currently reading/listening to:

The Unspoken Name, A.K. Larkwood

Malice, John Gwynne

The Blood Mirror, Brent Weeks

The only other book I know for sure that I’ll be getting to is Parasites by Matthew Samuels.

Happy reading, everyone! Is everyone else happy with their reading this month?