Book Review: 'The Fairest Poison' by Lauren Skidmore

Title: 'The Fairest Poison' 

Series: 'What is Hidden' Book 3 

Author: Lauren Skidmore 

Genre: Fantasy; Fairy Tale Retelling 

Age: Young Adult / Adult

I've really been enjoying the 'What is Hidden' series by Lauren Skidmore.  In the first book, 'What is Hidden', you have a mystery/fantasy retelling of Cinderella; with book two, 'What is Lost,' we were given a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.  And now, with 'The Fairest Poison' we have a Snow White retelling.  The series is all in the same world and does build off one-another so I will try and not give away too major of spoilers if you haven't read the previous two books.

The story follows Bianca whom you met (or will meet) in 'What is Lost' and picks up when she returns home to Venesia after the events of the previous book. Upon coming home, she finds her parents are dangerously (and suspiciously) ill.  Shortly afterwards, attempts are made on her life and her brother, the prince, starts going into over-protective mode. After arguing with her brother, she sets out to find the Chameleon (villain) from book one (who is also the focus of book two, and, no I will not tell you their name) to help them find out who is trying to kill her, and, of course, stop them before it's too late.

Now this is where I will stop telling you the plot-line and tell you what I thought of it. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but I didn't like it as much as the first two. Everything about book one grabbed my attention and held it.  It had all the right elements of its fairy-tale mixed with a beautiful blend of (light) romance and mystery. Book two, was surrounded with mystery.  Up until the very end, you had more questions than you had answers and, while you might have started to guess the reveal at the end, you still keenly felt the main characters shock.  Here though, that grab-and-hold you mystery isn't there.  Yes, there is a mystery of who is behind the attempts on Bianca's life, but it's just not as engaging as the previous two books.  There is also a measure of insta-love on the side of one character, and eventual reciprocation from the other that just wasn't as well developed as it should have been. I knew going into the book that those two would end up together, but I just didn't feel their connection as well as Evie's (the Cinderella character from the first book) in book one.  I also felt it came about too fast with very little detail given as to why they liked each other.  It was simply there.

So while I enjoyed it, for me, the story was a bit blasé.  However, I do really hope she continues this serious as I'd still love to read more!  I just don't think this was her best.

Series Review: 'Timeless Fairy Tales' by K.M.Shea

If you haven't noticed by now, I have a weakness for fairy tales and retellings. These stories are classics for a reason and I enjoy seeing how other reinterpret them.  The most recent series of retellings that I've read is K.M. Shea's series: 'Timeless Fairy Tales.'  So far, there are seven books available in this series with an eighth coming out in December of this year (I can't wait!). The series starts with the tale of 'Beauty and the Beast' and then starts moving its way through the other fairy tales, and while each story is a stand-alone book, the author has, ingeniously, woven them all together in the same world with a 'bigger picture' going on and each story giving you a little more information about a bigger plotline.  However, these fairy tales are not the ones you remember, yes, they are based upon them and the essence of the stories remain the same, but the details are very much different.  Being, technically, stand-alone books, you can read them out of order, however, I would not recommend doing so in as there is a deeper storyline going on than simply each fairy tale. As such, you will want to read them in order.  Series order is as follows:

1. Beauty and the Beast
2. The Wild Swans
3. Cinderella and the Colonel
4. Rumpelstiltskin
5. The Little Selkie
6. Puss and Boots
7. Swan Lake
8. Sleeping Beauty (expected publication: Dec. 2016)

There are also several mini-stories available on the author's website that tie-in to each of these books (and some of them into more than one.)  The books are available on Amazon as ebooks or as paperback copies.  However, although not all the books have been released as paperbacks, the author has told me that they will all be available that way eventually.  There's just a little back-log at the moment as she is re-editing some of the earlier books for re-release. 

I absolutely loved this series, and would definitely recommend it to anyone that enjoys fairy tales/retellings!

Book Review: Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley

I've seen mixed reviews from others about this book, but, personally, I really enjoyed it!  

The main characters of 'Worlds of Ink and Shadow' are the Bronte siblings (Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and their brother Branwell) and set while they are still in their teens.  Somehow, Charlotte and Branwell are able to cross-over into their written world, Verdopolis.  This 'how' is very important.  At first, the story is rather light-hearted with Charlotte and Branwell writing together and crossing-into into Verdopolis to interact with their characters (Branwell has written the villian, and Charlotte the hero), however, as the story progresses it starts to take a darker tone. More and more hints are dropped about just how it is that Charlotte and Branwell are able to cross-over, and eventually you learn the truth about it.  Things go from the siblings having fun with their written worlds/characters, to fighting to save each other.  I loved every minute of this transition!  

In the beginning, all the siblings have a lot of issues: Anne is too shy and is almost scared to speak up (even when she should), Emily is too reckless and bitter about something she doesn't understand, and Branwell and Charlotte are often bickering and envying each other; but they really do love each other, and as the story goes on they grow and come together in the end to make things right.  The ending is rather poignant, but there really is no other end fitting for it. 

I really, really enjoyed this book and love how the author actually used real worlds/characters that the Bronte's created when they were children.  The mixture of historical detail with the author's own imagination was just great! 

Book Review: The Falling Machine by Andrew P. Mayer

Just finished reading this one and thought I'd give a review of it here.  In a word?............... Lame!!

When I first found 'The Falling Machine' listed on GoodReads, I thought the premise of superhero organization meets Steampunk sounded really interesting.  The concept was great so I was really looking forward to a great story. Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed.  What could have been a marvelous story turned out to be an epic fail.

The writing style was so dry and boring I almost quit during the first chapter. However, I hate not finishing a book so I stuck it out hoping it would get better............ it didn't.  I found the narrative cumbersome and difficult to follow. One moment you were following Sarah, the next you'd be off with someone else without any warning or indication of any kind. It does this throughout the whole book, switching back and forth following at least 5 different sets of characters and there is never any warning. The change could literally be the very next paragraph with no indication prior that you were finished following the previous character until suddenly you find yourself following someone else and seeing their thoughts.  There were also ending/grammar issues (missing words, etc.) that made the book even harder to get through.

The characters? I hated them all. The only two characters that were even remotely likable are killed off. I know Sarah was supposed to be a fiery, independent young woman, but I found her to be highly annoying, overly feminist, and a bit of a brat at times. Nathaniel, who I think is supposed to be in love with Sarah, is a huge chauvinistic jerk and her father is almost as bad.

As to the plot? I found it extremely vague and lacking. Even at the end you are still left guessing as to what exactly the story is all about. Sure you get bits of information here or there, but not enough to really make the plot make sense.

The only good thing for me about this book was the end. Not that I found it to be satisfactory, but that I was thrilled to be finished with it so I wouldn't have to suffer through any more of it. 

Book Review: Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

First of all let me start by saying that, ordinarilly, Rachel Caine is an author that I avidly avoid.  I don't read paranormal fiction, and, typically, I'm not a fan of dark fiction either.  However that being said, I just had to try this one!  A dystopian fantasy in which the Great Library of Alexandria not only still exists but controls the world? How could I not try it!?

The world of Ink and Bone is a world where it is illegal to own original copies of books. You are allowed to read the facsimile copies the Library puts out in the Codex (think ultimate/universal e-book library), but to own an original paper-and-ink copy of a book could be punishable by death.  It's a world where there is a thriving black market for books and weird anti-Library cults that would sooner destroy books than let the Library have them.  The Libraries are protected not just by guards, but also automatons that at first glance just look like giant, metal sculptures. 

This is the world that the main character Jess Blackwell lives in.  He's from a family of black market book dealers and finds himself being sent by his family to infiltrate the Library by basically entering into a training competition to enter into Library service in some position or other.  Quite the pickle he's in huh?  If caught stealing books or doing anything that the Library disapproves of, the punishment is a horrible death.  

You become aware that there is a whole lot more than simply this that's going on in the book  and Jess is stuck in the middle of all of it.  However, I'll leave you to discover the fullness of the intrigue and unrest of the book on your own.

I wasn't really sure what I was going to find when I started reading this, but once I got into it I absolutely loved it!!  The world Rachel Caine has created is believable, compelling, twisted, and absolutely fantastic!  Although the book is certainly a darkish fantasy, it isn't disturbingly dark.  Just dark in that kinda creepy, mysterious, intriguing kind of way.  The book has a great mix of characters, and even the most dislikable character you still can't help but love.  They are well-written and their interaction is believable and not stilted or forced.  They are also not static characters, and it is great to watch how they grow together with all they go through.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for book 2!  

Book Review: After Alice by Gregory Maguire

First off, I didn’t finish this book. I managed to suffer through 19 pages before I gave it up as a lost cause. However, I did take detailed notes on those 19 pages.

I really, really wanted to like this book! The premise sounded really interesting and it could have been great. Unfortunately, it was absolute rubbish!!! There can be no doubt about the author having a great vocabulary, however, great use of the vocabulary he does not have. I happen to love weird, obscure words and yet I couldn’t get more than 19 pages into this book. He needs to learn that you don’t need to spew every piece of interesting vocab onto the page. He over saturates his writing with words that 90% of people will not know nor have the inclination to find out what they mean. Besides that, he doesn’t take care to make sure the vocab is in keeping with the speaker using it!!! Ada is a child, she is not going to know even half of these words, yet alone be using them; the same can be said of the servants: it is highly unlikely that someone in their positions would know/use those kinds of words. He just pukes up every word he can think of onto the page without regard for who is supposed to be using it. Some of the words/phrasings he used were old-fashioned even for the time period the book is set in so there is no way they would have been used let alone by the person using them!! 

His narrative style is absolutely horrible!!! It’s not even clear whether this is a third person narrative or first person. Sometimes it sounds third person, but then it switches to sound like it’s first person. It’s just plain sloppy, you shouldn’t have to be guessing what the ‘voice’ of the writing is. In addition to this, the narrative is bogged down with too much, useless drivel. He describes useless things in ridiculous detail, and using the most obscure words possible. His phraseology is also extremely awkward and unnatural. While technically correct grammar, he ignores the other rules of grammar that say when there are more than one option of correct word order choose the least awkward one: he doesn’t, instead, he chooses the most awkward. He rambles, it took Ada 5 chapters to get from her house to Alice’s and we know they don’t live that far from each other as the house was close enough for her to walk to. He also has one chapter that is just two sentences, both dialog. No problem with the chapter being short, but there is no identification for either speakers, because they are talking about Alice you just assume it must be her parents, but nowhere does it tell you this. The way it is written also makes it stand out like a sore thumb because it is not consistent with the rest of his writing. He goes from boring, rambling narrative, to two short sentences of unknown dialog, and then back to the rambling.

There are also multiple examples of serious TMI. Do we really need to read about how bad the baby’s excrement/nappies smelled? Or have the author refer to the certain private body parts!?!??! Seriously! How is that necessary information?! Let alone appropriate information, especially since it was regarding an infant. That is beyond TMI and inappropriate, that is down right disgusting, disturbing, and verbal pedophilia. How did this get printed? 

And this was all just within the first 19 pages! I cringe at the thought of what the rest of this book was like. If you see this in a bookstore/library and think you might like to read it, for you I have this advice: put the book back on the shelf and walk away. It’s not worth the paper it’s printed on.