Review: "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly - 3/5 Stars

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly takes us back to the labor shortages of World War II in the United States and explores how events during that time opened previously-barred doors for black women mathematicians both in society and their careers. These brave souls shine on the pages as they take desperate risks (emotionally, financially, and often physically) for a shot at a better life and to show their patriotic duty. 

I found this story intriguing and appreciated that I was being able to read from the perspective of a black woman who grew up in Virginia and new many of these women we meet in the book. These were people who lived and breathed this life, and many assumptions I had about that time and how events progressed were challenged. Tremendous value can be gained by reading about history from multiple perspectives, especially if you choose a perspective that is quite different from your own.

As a woman, it was exciting to see women celebrated in the maths and sciences. Even now, some seventy-odd years later, we're still faced with antiquated paradigms that need to be challenged by saying "Yeah, girls can do math, too!" Fortunately, there are programs and organizations popping up every year to keep this movement going forward. One of which, springs to mind is the Girls Who Code program which has made tremendous progress in reversing the gender-gap in the technology world. For more information on Girls Who Code, click here.

There are also pages and pages of goodies for fans and students of the history of flight in this book. While I'd heard the term "test pilot" before, the ramifications of what that meant didn't really hit home until I read this book. This job was not for the faint of heart. Essentially, a test pilot was told, "Okay, this thing we built, we don't know if it will fly or kill you. So go take it up and we'll record what happens. Best of luck."

And then...if the miraculous happened and the thing didn't crash, the next step was, "Okay, glad you lived. Now, here are all the weakness of this thing we built, where we think this machine will fail. Go back, and push the aircraft to the brink of those weakness. Why? Oh, because we need to see what will happen."

Would you do it? Yeah, me neither.

But that's how the industry of flight got to where it is now. I don't think I can ever look at even a commercial airliner the same again.

Finally, a few comments about the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture released last year that was inspired by this book. I watched the film before reading this book (the film actually inspired me to want to read the book). The film is a very loose interpretation of the book, so if you're looking for more of the same, I would caution you that this is not what you'll get. Treat the two mediums as distinctly separate. If you just want a fun story that barely skims the surface of the history unfolding both on the domestic and international level, then stick with the film because a great deal of the book is focused on the history. If the film looks too watered-down for you, the book is absolutely something meatier you can sink your teeth into. The two work better as companions, and not carbon copies of one another.

Review: "Ashes of Twilight" by Kassy Tayler - 4/5 Stars

Wren lives underground beneath a city that has been completely encapsulated within a giant dome because - everyone is told - the world outside was destroyed in a fire that is...somehow...still burning hundreds of years later. The material the dome is made from is too opaque to see through, but Wren still climbs to the cities' rooftops each morning to watch the light come, even though she hasn't actually ever seen the sun. She constantly dreams of somehow escaping the way things are - because they are not good. Her caste system mines the coal needed to support the upper castes, which they exchange for food. But the coal is running out, and so is Wren's patience.

Ashes of Twilight by Kassy Tayler burns with the same intensity as Susan Collins' The Hunger Games. This is best classified as steampunk-dystopian, and while I'm not new to the dystopian genre, I haven't read too much steampunk (something I expect will change). I am a fan of The Hunger Games but there were a couple of things in "Ashes of Twilight" that made me like it even more.

First of all, there isn't really a love triangle, which usually rears its ugly head in most YA novels. The synopsis already kind of hints that there might be a love interest, and chapter 1 introduces us to a male lead that had me worried we were headed for romantic triad territory. Then that lead was removed. Quite effectively. And although we only know him for a few pages, it's heart-wrenching.

"The tallest buildings look over the fountain and the small businesses. They house the government of our world along with the great library and the museum, all places I'm not allowed to go but am expected to work my entire life to preserve. These are the rooftops I haunt every morning to watch the light come and wonder why."

The second thing I really appreciated about Wren's character is that, unlike many main characters of dystopian novels, she's questioning the rules and "how things work" almost from the very first page. She's not exactly surrounded by rebels, in fact, those around her a stunned when she starts voicing some of her questions and demanding answers.

"They look at me in shocked silence. Have they never thought of these things? Have they never wondered what it is like on the outside? Do they simply believe what they are told without question? If this is my future, then I do not want it."

Unlike many stories that are plot-driven, merely dragging the main characters along after it, this is truly a character-driven story, since Wren refuses to just sit by and watch life happen. She makes choices - sometimes ill-informed ones - and she owns up to her responsibility to those decisions she makes. In this book, it is Wren (not the plot) who is dragging everyone else along for the ride.

The language is this book is lovely and accessible, without going over the top, even if what the words are describing are pretty terrible or frightening. Warning: If you suffer from claustrophobia, there are multiple points in this book where you might have trouble. Wren's entire community exists deep underground in tunnels and caves for their entire lives and Kassy Tayler has no problem describing some of the "tight" places they have to wriggle through in very precise and vivid detail. She even had me holding my breath a couple of times.

I advise you if you get the chance to hold on, take a deep breath, and dive into the domed world of Wren to experience the shocking revelations she uncovers for yourself.

This story continues in Shadows of Glass book 2 of the Ashes Trilogy and I cannot wait.

Review: "Libriomancer" by Jim C. Hines - 4/5 Stars

Jim C. Hines' Libriomancer is the first book in a quartet of books following magical books and the people who can tap into that magic. 

Isaac is a libriomancer, someone who can use their magic to pull things out of books and make them real, a librarian, and fan of "Dr. Who" and "Firefly". That, alone, was more than enough to make me pick up this book; not to mention the pretty cover and the possibilities it hints at with a man pulling a magical sword out of a book.

Yes, this was a cover buy. I succumbed to the "shiny" of the cover. So much so, in fact, that I neglected to notice the tarantula perched on the shoulder of the main character pictured on the cover. That's right, it's not just a spider, it's a tarantula. Oh, and when he gets angry or anxious? He bursts into flames.

I hate spiders.....like, HAAAATE spiders. And they made this one pyrotechnic.

Despite that, by the end of this book, Jim Hines had me rooting for Smudge - that's little pryo-spidey's name - which is pretty miraculous. Convincing me to like spiders is about as likely to happen as someone convincing Voldemort to give up his life of villainy to open a chic pastry-shop. Never gonna happen.

Vampires are trying to start a war, someone is taking control of vampires, and the most powerful libriomancer they've got just up and disappeared, along with all his enforcers.

The tone of this book is light-hearted, filled with characters making quips at one another and cracking jokes - most of which are funny. Pretty much any magical creature you could think of is in this story. (No unicorns, yet, but I'm holding out hope for the rest of the series.) If you've ever read any of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, these are similar in tone and pacing. And although the story mostly takes place in modern-day Michigan (with a pit-stop on the moon), we're thrown into the magical pretty much from chapter 1.

"Normal?" she repeated. "Yesterday you fed me cake from Wonderland so we could ride your spider into a magical basement and fight a vampire."

By the way, that's Wonderland...as in Alice's Wonderland. Lovers of books will delight in seeing some of their beloved stories brought to life as Isaac, and other characters, pull objects from well-known and loved novels. It is completely obvious Jim Hines is a fan of books.

"This place...bookstores, libraries...they're the closest thing I have to a church."

Can I get an "A-men!"? Be still my beating heart. I think I fell in love with Isaac after reading that.

"By entering our territory, you acknowledge that you are leaving human law behind. Any act of aggression-"

"Can we get the short version please?" I asked.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Behave, or we eat you."

"Got it."

This is a book about book lovers, for book lovers. There are many books mentioned by title throughout this book and most of them are real. (There is a bibliography in the back of the book, indicating which titles were made up for the purposes of this book.) I've already picked up the next 3 books in the series, and each of them contain bibliographies, as well.

Hmmm....Maybe someone should create a reading challenge. We could call it The Libriomancer Reading Challenge. How many have you read?

Review: "Edgedancer" by Brandon Sanderson - 5/5 Stars

I loved this story. Originally intended to be a 17,000-word novella, at roughly 40,000 words, Brandon Sanderson's Edgedancer approaches novel-length, and I couldn't be more pleased. Edgedancer is expected to be released in Hardcover on October 3, 2017; no doubt to generate excitement and anticipation for the November 14th release of Oathbringer, the 3rd book in the Stormlight Archive series.

Lift was a charming character when she popped up in Words of Radiance, and though it was only briefly, I desperately wanted more. In Edgedancer, Lift gets to take center stage and I was more than happy to go along for the ride. Part of what I love so much about Lift is how well she's written. Her voice remains very distinct not only through her dialogue, but in the narration, as well. This was a fine example of how Sanderson excels at crafting unique and distinct characters. 

Lift's humor might be unintended, but it is equally unavoidable.

"People gave Darkness lots of space, moving away from him like they would a guy whose backside couldn't help but let everyone know what he'd been eating lately."

Although the stand-alone novel isn't set to be published until October 3, 2017, you can find this story in Arcanum Unbounded, both in hardcover an audio. I listened to this on audio, and the narrator, Kate Reading, is the same narrator used for the audio books of the previous Stormlight books; Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. The audible performance was a solid 4 stars and I think Kate Reading did a much better job reading Lift's voice than she has some of the other female characters in the Stormlight series.

If you read the story in Arcanum Unbounded, you'll enjoy a couple of extra "treats". There is an illustration at the beginning of the story of Lift running to the city where this story takes place. Sanderson's descriptions are always inclusive and complete, but if you're struggling to picture the bizarre layout of the city (which is commented upon multiple times throughout the story), having this illustration can really help. At the end, there is also a brief blurb by Sanderson, explaining his goals and motivations behind writing this story. I won't go into detail, here, because that would reveal spoilers.

And speaking of spoilers...if you have not yet read The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance, be forewarned that Edgedancer does contains spoilers for those books. My suggestion is you start reading those books immediately, as you should have just enough time to finish them before the November release of Oathbringer.

Finally, be sure to order a stack of pancakes to have at the ready while you read this. Trust me.

Review: "Sinful Cinderella" by Anita Valle - 5/5 stars

"That prince is mine.

Not yet, of course. But I'll get him. And his castle. And his kingdom! Mine. Then I'll flaunt my victory in my stepsisters' faces, rub their crooked noses in it. But they won't get to taste my wealth, not a crumb.

Trouble is, I can't do it until I've saved enough white magic. And to do that, I have to be good.

I hate being good."

Wow! This book stunned me and took me completely by surprise. Anita Valle's Sinful Cinderella is a dark and sinister re-imagining of the Cinderella story. Admittedly, I wasn't expecting much from this short novella, but I was curious because I haven't met a Cinderella re-telling I didn't like yet. I figured I'd breeze through it.

If you're a fan of stories chronicling a character's decent to evil, this one will not disappoint. For such a short story, Anita Valle packs a lot of drama and complicated issues into the story. Cinderella's victory grows nearer, which the hope of any sort of redemption for her soul drifts further away. In the end, I think the only heroes that are left to actually root for...are the rats.

Sinful Cinderella is the first book in the Dark Fairy Tale Queen series. I will absolutely be continuing with this series. What a gem!

"My chores mounted, my beauty blossomed, but hate curled like briars around my heart."

At the time of writing this review, Sinful Cinderella was available FREE to download on your Nook or Kindle.

Click here to download on Nook.

Click here to download on Kindle.

The next book in the series is Sneaky Snow White and I cannot wait to read it!

Review: "The End of the Day" by Claire North - 4/5 stars

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Claire North's The End of the Day follows Charlie who is an average British man, completely normal in every aspect, apart from the fact that his boss is Death. Charlie is the harbinger - the one who goes before death - and this book takes us through 4-5 years of Charlie at his "job". For anyone who has read Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens or Neil Gaiman's American Gods, the tone will probably sound familiar. The story winds through all the "snapshots" of the people Charlie meets as he goes about fulfilling his duties as a harbinger.

Almost as fascinating as the people's stories and lives were that Charlie meets, were the varied way people reacted to Charlie. For the most part, he stuck to the truth when questioned about who he was and what he was doing. "I'm the harbinger of death." Oh, okay, no problem, sir. Welcome to our city.

At first, you think this is going to be a collection of almost short stories where you get to meet these people and see how they respond to the possibility that they're going to die soon (or heed the warning - Charlie doesn't always show up as a promise of death, sometimes he's just a warning). Then there are glimpses that some of these stories might be connected, and there's something larger happening. And Charlie - who really starts off just wanting to do his job and be a good employee - cannot help but be affected in profound ways by some of the beauty (and ugliness) of humanity he is bound to witness. I could see this being a novel that would benefit from re-reading because I'm sure there are many more clues and "Easter eggs" that I missed.

Don't be fooled into thinking Charlie is the only one affected by these stories. Some of the people in here are still with me, even though it's been nearly a week since I finished the book. Like the woman who died, and since she was the last person on the planet who spoke her native tongue, took her language with her. Or the lesbian comedian in Africa whose life on the stage was as bright as the terror of her personal life was dark. And Sven, in the land of ice....I just don't think I will ever be the same after reading about him. Then the middle-eastern freedom fighter who began life wanting only to be a poet. I love this quote from him: 

"Until you have not been free, you cannot understand what freedom means."

This book wasn't perfect, and I really struggled with some of the choices Claire North made in telling her story. Every other chapter is nothing more than a litany of dialogue lines with no speech tags, and no hint as to who is speaking. Imagine if you had a radio that could tune in to every conversation around the world and you were just channel-surfing. That's what it was like reading, and I didn't understand the point to those sections; by the last third of the book, I was just skipping over them.

Also, when Charlie speaks with the people in his personal life, he speaks in broken or unfinished sentences, and it got really annoying after a while. Granted, everyone does that occasionally, but it seemed to be the way he spoke all the time, like he wasn't capable of finishing a single thought. Maybe that's what made him such a good harbinger, since part of his job required being a good listener. Either way, it definitely didn't work for me.

What DID work for me, were the gifts.

Each person Death sends Charlie to visit, receives a gift. The gift is selected by Death, and Charlie's task is to find the gift and present it to that person. Charlie never knows the meaning or significance behind the gift, but a lot of the times, the recipient does; and those answers were enjoyable to discover along with Charlie. Charlie's own unique sense of humor was sometimes refreshing, and other times baffling, but it kept me reading on to get more, and I saw her personality changing as we moved through the book. In the beginning, he mistakenly believes that since he works for Death, nothing bad can happen to him. As he finds himself in a situation that directly challenges that belief, his internal reflection shows us the pragmatic side of him that must have been a requirement for someone to do a job such as his.

Perhaps, if he was a more experienced kind of man, the kind of man who knew how to fire a gun or build a bomb out of glue and a tin of tomatoes, he'd have kept track of the seconds since his kidnapping, the turns of the car, orientating himself by some...

...some cunning technique...

...that he simply didn't know.

He was a stranger in a strange land, at the mercy of the strangers he met, and so far the strangers he'd met had all been kind, considerate, generous people, and tonight they'd kidnapped him at gunpoint, and all things considered, it had probably needed to happen some day.

Claire North is also the author of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, a book that has been on my radar since its publication. I still plan to read that, as I enjoyed North's style and prose. I just hope the characters in The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August are a bit better at conversation.

The End of the Day was published in hardcover April 4, 2017.
It will be released in trade paperback August 22, 2017

Review: "In Too Deep" by Brandy L Rivers - 2/5 Stars

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

In Too Deep by Brandy L. Rivers sounded like it would be right up my alley. The main character, Fallon, is a magical tattoo artist and the love interest, Brody, is a hunky werewolf motorcycle mechanic. I'd also heard that Fallon is portrayed as actually tougher than Brody, and thought the idea refreshing of not following the typical weak-female meets strong magical male trope. The author is also local to my area (love supporting local authors!) and her story takes place in the Pacific Northwest. Unlike another popular YA series, though, Edenton is no Forks. There is no Edenton, WA but there is an Edenton in North Carolina and it looks lovely.

Despite all this had going for it, I was disappointed in the execution. Normally, YA novels are written in first person - sometimes third person - and tend to stick to one or two view points. This one was written in third person, but with omniscient tones, and followed at least half a dozen view points! If not for the synopsis on the back of the book, there were many times I caught myself wondering, Who's story is this, anyway? Not only do we get yanked back and forth between points of view (sometimes on the same page), but there were several times where we'd finish a scene, only to be thrown backward to repeat the scene in someone else's viewpoint. I didn't feel like there was a good reason to repeat these scenes, and it stalled the pacing of the book and was, frankly, annoying.

I'm not against books following multiple points of view, but if that's the route you're going to go, it's important that your characters be so distinct, the reader is never confused about whose viewpoint they're following. Rivers failed at this, as well. I was constantly confused by who was speaking when multiple characters started talking. Sometimes a character would say something, and before that, I had no idea they were even in the room. Probably the worst example of this is when I realized that for several pages a character I thought was female was actually male. Flipping back to earlier in the book, I realized that we were told this information, but the cast in this book is so huge and the characters all have the same voice, so I'd forgotten who this character was.

I'm certainly not in the majority of my opinion on this book, which is fine, and I suspect the higher reviews are coming from younger readers. I get it. The magic in this book has some really cool moments! And the variety is everywhere! There's druid magic, shaman magic, mages, werewolves, vampires, and even pixies. The problem the characters had to face was also interesting, and I appreciated that the roots of the problem began before this story did, so you got the sense this world had existed before the beginning of the book, which shows the author did think about her world before writing this. I expect this series to perform very well with younger audiences (though, be warned, there are explicit "sexy-times" in the second half of this book, and definite trigger-warnings for rape).

Rivers clearly took a chance with her choice of writing style that seems to be paying off for her, but personally, I'll pass on the rest of the series. Such a shame.