I rarely read book reviews, I rarely read any sort of explanation of a book, I realize that this site is hypocritical.
I assumed that The Dark Net was about the Dark Net, and yes, in some parts it is, but it goes into a whole different place.
At first I was a bit confused because the author switches characters point of views and the first character we meet, we don't see again until about halfway through the book. So the entire time I'm thinking, Hannah? What's with that? When do we find out about that?? Don't worry, we find out.
The Dark Net is partially a cyber thriller, but also demons are involved. DEMONS, ya'll. I really, really enjoyed this book. It was fun and dark and I couldn't put it down.
The Dark Net comes out on August 1, and I really hope you treat yourself to a copy.
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Book Review: The Sixth Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
Anton returns in another installment of the Watch Series. Anton, having spent the last decade teaching light magicians instead of fighting dark magicians, is pulled back into the field to hunt a vampire who has been sending a message to him.
While Anton is hunting down information to find the vampire, the world's prophets all receive the same prophecy at the same time. The message is cryptic but foretells the end of all Others, and then end of people.
Sixth Watch digs deeper into the Others that haven't received a lot of attention in the series. We get an inside look at the dark magicians, witches, shape shifters, etc.
I actually, just now, while writing this review realized that this is the last book in the series, which is depressing, I've been reading these books for years and rejoice at the announcement of a new installment. There are some bits that are very Russian, and maybe I don't get all the references because of that, but this is a fantastic series. Its a great urban fantasy that isn't a YA urban fantasy. The vampires do not sparkle.
I highly suggest this series and must say that I will miss it dearly.
Book Review: The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Quentin felt different. He’s always felt different. Quentin grew up in Brooklyn, was a straight-A student, part of the gifted program in every school that he has attended. He had the makings for a happy teenager, but never was. His only solace was in his favorite childhood books (depicting the adventures of the Chatwin children in the fabled land of Fillory – think Narnia) and his dime a dozen magic tricks.
Quentin was on his way to a college interview when his life changed. The interviewer was dead. The paramedic found an envelope with his name written on the front, inside… the never published final book of the Fillory series. Quentin was mesmerized with his findings, on his way back to his home, a page from the manuscript flies out of his hand and into a garden. He was in hot pursuit in the cold New York winter until he found himself at the end of the garden, looking into the summer sky of Upstate New York.
This was Quentin’s invitation to his real college interview, at the academy of Brakebills. After an afternoon of grueling exams, he was given an offer. He could join Brakebills, a school that studied magical arts, or he could go home and his memory would be wiped clean, he would never remember this experience. He could go on to Ivy League, eventually end up in an office, shuffling paper and pretending that life was exciting.
He chose magic.
This is the first installment of a trilogy; I’m a bit behind the times on The Magicians. I picked this copy up at a library sale several years ago; I wish I had read it sooner. Grossman’s writing mixes the world of J.K. Rowling with that of C.S. Lewis. The beginning is a bit slow as we grow to understand the rules of this world that we’ve been introduced too. This is an adult book. Imagine Harry Potter with sex and drugs, but not exactly R-rated, yet. I found it very interesting and at times sharp the way that Grossman speaks to the routines of life, the monotony of life, even though you may get your hearts desire, happiness and contentment is a much harder quest.
Favorite Quote:
“I got my heart’s desire, he thought, and there my troubles began.”
Book Review: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
Deborah Harkness fans may rejoice, it’s finally pub day for The Book of Life, the conclusion of the All Souls Trilogy. Was it worth the wait? Oh, I think it was!
At the close of Shadow of Night, Diana and Matthew take the first step of their timewalk back from Elizabethan England. As The Book of Life opens, we see the pair emerge into current day Sept Tours, the de Clermont family home. Diana and Matthew catch-up on what has happened while they were gone and feel the impact that this has had to their families. Diana, lost a close family member. Matthew, must once again come to terms with the death of his father Philippe, whom he was able to visit during their travel to the 1500’s.
During their time with Philippe, he made Diana his daughter. Now, that Diana is back at Sept Tours, she meets her new brother and sister (Baldwin and Verin, respectively). The greeting is not altogether warm. Baldwin is the head of the de Clermont clan and immediately tries to force his dominance on Diana, which at this point the reader’s know that no one dominates Diana.
Shortly after returning to Sept Tours, Diana and Matthew (along with a few family members) decide to return to the Bishop family home in the US to focus their search of the missing pages of Ashmole 782, aka the Book of Life. Meanwhile, Matthew regains his focus on a cure for blood rage, an “illness” that he inherited from his vampire mother and passed down to his children.
While all of this is going on, Diana is heavily pregnant with twins; which, is a visible assault against the Covenant, put in place hundreds of years prior by the Congregation, in order to keep the creatures (vampires, witches and daemons) separate. News of Diana’s pregnancy has reached one of Matthew’s children, Benjamin, who is controlled by pure blood rage.
I loved this book. I thought the ending was great. Its packed full of adventure and alchemy and libraries, all things that really make me happy. It was refreshing to see a strong female character in Urban Fantasy.
The Book of Life is on sale TODAY!!
Favorite quote:
“You will find me … altered.”
Book Review: New Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
New Watch is the fifth installment of Lukyanenko’s Night Watch series – if you haven’t read the Night Watch series, stop right now and go read it, it’s amazing. Russian science fiction, what more could you ask for?
While at the airport, Anton, sees a young prophet who says that the plane he is about to fly on will crash. Anton uses his abilities to persuade the child’s mother to skip the trip so that the prophet will survive. When the prophet meets Anton, he says, “You are Anton Gorodetsky, because of you, all of us…all of us…”
Anton reports back to Gesar, and finds that the plane did not crash though the probability of it crashing was almost certain. Something is protecting the boy. Gesar sends the Night Watch to find the boy and protect him until he can make his first prophecy. However, the Twilight sends out a creature, referred to as the Tiger, to kill the boy, ensuring that the prophecy is never heard by humans. If the prophecy is heard by humans, it will come to fruition.
Gesear brings the prophet to the Night Watch headquarters in Moscow. They try to speed up the boys prophecy, but they cannot kill the Tiger. If they fight the Tiger, they will die. The only thing that will stop the Tiger, is the utterance of the prophecy.
Anton recruits his daughter, Nadya (an absolute enchantress), to assist in getting the boy to speak his prophecy. She does her best then leaves just as the Tiger arrives at Night Watch headquarters. When the boy comes out of his room, he has spoken his first prophecy and no one has heard it, so the Tiger leaves.
However, the prophecy was recorded and only Anton knows this.
Now Anton must decide if he should listen to the prophecy, if so, he will be hunted by the Tiger. But because of the first experience with the prophet, Anton knows that the prophecy may have to do with him.
This was a fantastic read. The story is highly narrative, we spend a lot of time in Anton's head. We watch Anton struggle to understand his part in this world. He knows that in the end good and evil cancel each other out. Given this, really, why do we need Others?
Book Review Quickie: By Blood We Live by Glen Duncan
Another amazing installment in The Last Werewolf Series. As the book opens, we are narrated by Remshi (vampire from book 2). Remshi has been in hibernation for 2 years, unknown to him. His human mate, Justine, is explaining what has happened in the past 2 years when they are attacked by Militi Christi, a new organization which replaced the now defunct WOCOP. Remshi kills the attackers, but Justine is fatally wounded. This allows us to see a vampiric transformation in Duncan's world.
Meanwhile, Talulla is living with her pack. Her twins are 3 year olds now, and she remains with Walker. The day we are reconnected with Talulla, she receives a call from a vampire, Olek, and receives a package (Quinn's journals - which you may recall have been sought after since book 1). Olek promises Talulla a cure, if not for her, for her children. But she isn't sure that she wants to be cured. Wulf, though it torments, has given her life.
The remainder of the story seems to be the trials of Remshi and Talulla to come together. Remshi believes that Talulla is the reincarnation of his lost love. Talulla doesn't understand the connection she has to Remshi but dreams of him, nightly -- to Walker's dismay.
Narration switches back and forth a bit in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the concept of Jake's narration through journals, but its not true to the characters to expect the story to be continued in this fashion. I went into the book expecting this to wrap up the trilogy, it doesn't. I think Mr Duncan has been coy with us. This is obviously leading to a continued saga.
