Author: megs14malloy

Review: Those We Drown by Amy Goldsmith

~ megs14malloy

Those We DrownThose We Drown by Amy Goldsmith
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

During the Summer months I love reading campy-feeling, trope-filled Horror and Thriller stories. I call them Summer Screams, Summer Scares or Summer Chillers.

I’m sure you get what I mean by that type of story. It’s a vibe. A bonus is a setting near, in, or around a body of water.

With this in mind, you can probably guess my excitement level when I first hear about Those We Drown. All I needed to read was the first sentence of the synopsis, an ocean-drenched, atmospheric horror debut, and I was sold.

Unfortunately, no matter how much I wanted to love and connect with this story, it didn’t work for me at all.

In this one we follow Liv, who is setting out with her somewhat estranged-best friend, Will, for a semester-at-sea aboard a luxury cruise ship, the Eos.

Liv is in attendance after being awarded a scholarship. She didn’t think much about that at first, but once she arrives at the ship, it’s clear that the other students in the program are all very, very wealthy. Of particular note are a trio of stunning influencers. Basically, the Plastics of the sea.

Liv feels self-conscious now about her scholarship. She feels like she stands out because of it; like everyone knows her financial situation and is talking about it.

At least she has Will though. He doesn’t care about such things. That is until they have a big blowout fight in front of everyone opening night. How embarrassing!

The next day, after several attempts to reach Will, Liv finds out he has taken ill and is now in quarantine. She tries desperately to get the powers-that-be to let her see him, but she gets shot down at every try.

From there we follow Liv as she tries to figure out what has really happened to Will. Is he actually sick, or is something more sinister going on?

After reading 400-pages of Liv, perhaps he is just hiding from her? Something to think about…

I actually feel very similarly to this as I did to They’re Watching You earlier this year. I could almost cut and paste that review, but I won’t.

This started out slow and in my opinion, stayed that way. It never took off. It went from nothing happening, to the MC floundering around repeating the same concerns over and over for 300-pages.

As a main character, I found Liv to be, honestly, really annoying. Her whole character was one note, desperation, but not in a way that made you feel desperate too. More in a way that you just wanted to get away from her.

Additionally, I am an atmosphere-girlie. You could give me nothing else, but if a book has a dark, eerie, ominous atmosphere, I am going to like it. I don’t need to like characters, I don’t need to believe your plot, but I need to have a strong atmosphere.

Sadly, I did not get what I was looking for here in that regard. They could have been anywhere. I never felt that eerie sort of vibe I wanted. It just wasn’t there.

Overall, the story felt very repetitive and I didn’t enjoy the direction the plot went, as far as the reveals and the truth behind the Eos. It didn’t hit like I expected.

With all of this being said, this is 100% my personal opinion. I am by no means the end-all, know-all of YA Horror novels. If this synopsis sounds intriguing to you, absolutely give it a go. Just because I didn’t enjoy it, doesn’t mean you won’t.

There’s a Reader for every book and a book for every Reader. If you do read it and love it, feel free to stop back by and let me know. I would love to hear your opinion!

Even though this one didn’t quite fit my tastes, I am glad I picked it up and I would consider reading future work from this author.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I know a lot of Readers will have fun with this.

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Review: Best Served Cold (First Law #4) by Joe Abercrombie

~ megs14malloy

Best Served ColdBest Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

ALL THE STARS IN THE BLOODY UNIVERSE!!!

As many of us know, revenge is a dish best served cold and that’s exactly what we’re served in this stunning Grimdark Fantasy by beloved author, Joe Abercrombie.

I loved the initial trilogy in the First Law world, composed of The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings. I gave them all 5-stars and grew to love that set of characters with my whole heart.

In fact, I loved them so much, I was a little sad when I first learned that this book, Best Served Cold takes place many years after the end of Last Argument of Kings.

19-years have passed and this is a dangerous world, it would have to be following all new characters, right? I was going to miss my tried and trues.

Would I even enjoy it half as much?

I should have trusted Abercrombie. Of course this was going to be amazing. I feel sheepish looking back. How dareth I have questioned his prowess with a pen!!

In this story we follow Monza Murcatto, known as the Snake of Talins, she is the most feared mercenary in Duke Orso’s employ. Stories of her victories are told around every table, she’s hugely popular. A real woman of the people.

She’s a little too popular by Orso’s estimation. He can’t have it. It’s a threat to his rule. This thinking leads to a swift and bloody betrayal.

Monza’s beloved brother is slayed and she is attacked, beaten, thrown out a window to roll down the rocky cliff below and left for dead. Miraculously, she survives and through her dirty, painful recovery she has one thing on her mind. Vengeance.

Gobba, Mauthis, Prince Ario, General Granmark, Faithful Carpi, Prince Foscar and Grand Duke Orso of Talins.

Seven men were in the room when she was betrayed. They’ll all pay. The countdown begins.

Monza assembles a team and off they go. This was incredibly easy to read. At just over 600-pages, you may think you’ll get bogged down in it, but every moment was fascinating. My attention didn’t wane at all.

I loved this cast of characters so much. I was extremely nervous that Abercrombie was going to shatter me in the end, but you know, it’s hard not to walk away from such an incredible story a happy girl. Regardless of the outcome.

I’m now more in love with this world than ever and cannot wait to continue on.

If you’ve been curious about this series, love Grimdark Fantasy, or books with fascinating characters and top-tier world development in genreal, you absolutely have to give this series a go!!

I highly doubt you’ll regret it.

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Review: The Arm of the Sphinx (The Books of Babel #2) by Josiah Bancroft

~ megs14malloy

Arm of the Sphinx (The Books of Babel, #2)Arm of the Sphinx by Josiah Bancroft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Recently, I picked up Senlin Ascends as the 17th-selection for my TBR-Haul Project. I finished it towards the end of May and immediately began this second book.

Arm of the Sphinx is therefore officially the 18th-selection for my TBR-Haul Project, as I hauled this book the same month, February 2019, as Senlin Ascends.

I got to say, this project has been a raging success for me. Apparently, there were a ton of 5-star books lurking on my shelves. We love to see it!

I won’t say much about the plot of this, as I wouldn’t want to spoil anything, but I will just briefly ((yeah, right)) comment on my general thoughts and feelings.

Firstly, even though this took me a month to read, I just want to be clear, it’s not because it is a difficult read. It’s absolutely not. Bancroft’s writing is so fluid and accessible. I was just distracted with newer releases, etc., so didn’t devote as much time to it as I should have.

As second books go, Arm of the Sphinx is about as good as it gets. We learned so much in this book about the history and functioning of the Tower, as well as more intimate details on each of our main characters. I am now more attached to them, and this world, than ever.

Seriously, I’m obsessed. At this point, Thomas Senlin and his crew of the Storm Cloud are looking at me like…

This series is quite unique. At least in comparison to the Epic Fantasy I generally read. There are some light steampunk elements that are so interesting.

I also feel like it is completely unpredictable. I have no idea what’s coming next, ever! I’m continually left gagging over various reveals and plot developments.

Equally as astounding is the imagery Bancroft is able to conjure with his words. For example, Senlin descending into a web of yarn suspended in the sky off the side of the Tower to talk to a mystery, wise old woman.

I could picture exactly what that looked like. It’s so vivid.

I did find the pace of this one a lot quicker than the first book. The first book, as we began to learn about the Tower, it could be a little slow at times. This one was much more action-packed.

The overall story is getting, even though I didn’t think it was possible, more complex and twisted. I’m so worried about this group of characters that I have come to love.

The Tower is such a devious place, I’m just constantly hoping they all make it out alive. I need to know. It’s keeping me up at night. Luckily, I’m planning to continue with the third book in July. I’m so excited!

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Review: They Do It with Mirrors (Miss Marple #6) by Agatha Christie

~ megs14malloy

They Do It with Mirrors (Miss Marple, #6)They Do It with Mirrors by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Continuing along with my 2023-Reading Goal of reading all of the full-length novels in the Miss Marple series, in order, is the 6th-book, They Do It with Mirrors.

This is the 5th-installment that I have read. For those unaware, there is a collection of short stories that kicks off the series, which I didn’t read. I’m not crazy about mysteries in short story form, therefore, I chose to skip it.

In this one we follow Miss Marple as she travels to Stonygates, a rehabilitation center for young men with, shall we say, emotional and behavioral issues.

Caution: As this novel was penned in 1952, mental health issues are not discussed/handled as they would be in a novel of today. If you think that may be an issue for you, you might want to skip this one.

Anyway, Miss Marple goes there to visit her old school-friend, Carrie Louise, at the recommendation of another old friend, Ruth Van Rydock. Ruth believes something is going on at Stonygates that puts Carrie Louise in danger.

Mrs. Van Rydock knows if anyone is going to be able to get to the bottom of it, it’s going to be Miss Marple. And spoiler alert: she’s right.

I thought this one was a lot of fun. It is quite short, but I like the way it was laid out. Additionally, I loved that Miss Marple was in this one from the very first chapter. That is a first for the series. She generally has been coming into the narrative a bit further along.

The only reason I rated this slightly lower than the others I’ve read was mainly related to the length. I feel like just as I was starting to get connected to it, it was over.

I also felt the reveal was a little rushed. It felt sort of like, yep, it was this person. Shame, shame. Moving on. I would have enjoyed some more time at the conclusion.

With this being said, I still had a blast with this. These books have such a nostalgic and comforting feel for me. I absolutely adore them.

I’m looking forward to continuing on with the next book in the series, A Pocket Full of Rye!!!

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Review: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

~ megs14malloy

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and TomorrowTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m going to keep this short and sweet for there is nothing I can say about this book that hasn’t be said before.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow first came onto my radar because of the stunning cover. It’s because of that cover it ended up on my shelves.

This book was everywhere you turned in 2022. There was a lot of hype and if fact, it won the Goodreads Award for Best Fiction. I avoided it initially. I didn’t want to be disappointed after hearing this was basically the best thing ever.

Additionally, Literary Fiction is not my comfort zone. It’s not my go-to, not even in my top-5, genres. This story spans over 30-years. Also, something that is definitely not my jam.

In spite of all that, this story succeeded in capturing my heart. It captivated me. It made me feel things I had no anticipation of, or desire to, feel.

It actually shocked me how connected I felt to these main characters; how much empathy and true emotion I felt for them throughout the various stages of their lives.

Dark Fiction, and I’m talking DARK, is my comfort place, but every once in a while it’s nice to read outside that lane.

This book is the perfect example of why. It’s the kind of story that reminds you of what it means to feel alive. Full of raw emotion and beautiful character work. This story made an impact on me.

The audiobook is fantastic. I definitely recommend that format. The final day I was reading it, I think I was around the 80% point and I was on my morning commute to work, this is actual footage of me:

Honestly, crying in the car that morning was not how I saw that day starting off. Thanks for the surprise, Gabrielle Zevin. I can’t wait to read more of your work!!

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Review: Danger at Dead Man’s Pass (Adventures on Trains #4) by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman

~ megs14malloy

Danger at Dead Man's Pass (Adventures on Trains, #4)Danger at Dead Man’s Pass by M.G. Leonard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

💞💜🖤💞💜🖤💞💜🖤💞💜🖤💞💜🖤💞

Danger at Dead Man’s Pass is the 4th-installment of my favorite Middle Grade series, Adventures on Trains.

This series follows Hal, a talented young artist with a talent for solving mysteries. Hal’s Uncle Nat is a travel writer, who specializes in trains and he takes Hal along with him on some of his journeys. Hence the name of the series.

In the first three books, Hal and Uncle Nat had adventures in their native-UK, in the United States and South Africa. This book takes them to Germany at the request of an old friend, Baron Essenbach.

The Kratzensteins are wealthy and powerful railway tycoons with a rich history and spooky mansion in the mountains. Essenbach’s wife is a Kratzenstein.

After the mysterious death of a family member, Uncle Nat and Hal are asked to travel to the funeral to investigate the death and an ominous witch’s curse.

Assuming fake identities in order to infiltrate the family’s funeral events, Hal and Uncle Nat immerse themselves in the world of the Kratzensteins.

With danger and warring motives at every junction, will Hal and Uncle Nat be able to crack the case before their time in Germany is up?

As always, I had an absolute blast with this story. I’ve grown quite attached to Hal and his Uncle Nat over the course of this series. I want our adventures to go on forever.

This was another successful mystery. There was a large cast of quirky characters, some believed Alexander died of natural causes, and others believed it was the curse rearing its ugly head. But could there be another answer?

This one is a bit different than the previous three in that, we aren’t on a train the whole time.

Uncle Nat and Hal do travel by train to get to Germany, and then the Kratzenstein’s do have a private funeral train that is used for Alexander’s services, but besides that, you are at the Kratzenstein’s gothic-feeling home.

I did miss being on the train the whole time, I feel like that always adds a nice closed circle, or even locked room element, to the mystery. However, I’m never one to turn down time at a creepy, gothic mansion, so this setting worked as well.

I also liked the exploration of the family curse, its history and whether or not it was real. It brought a nice is it supernatural, is it not supernatural twist to it.

Hal did make some new friends in this one as well, which is often the case for him. Everyone loves Hal. They helped him a bit in his investigation. I particularly enjoyed Hilda, who had a penchant for mystery stories.

The conclusion of this one was quite exciting. A bit of a nail-biter for young Hal. I’m seriously so excited to continue on with this series.

I definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a solid, heart-warming, engaging Children’s Mystery.

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Review: A Murder is Announced (Miss Marple #5) by Agatha Christie

~ megs14malloy

A Murder is AnnouncedA Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

As some of you may know, one of my 2023-Reading Goals is to read all of the full-length novels in the Miss Marple series in order.

A Murder is Announced is the third novel in the series and generally considered one of the best. I had been greatly anticipating this one and had so much fun with it.

Christie’s stories are complete nostalgia for me. They’re comfort reads and this one, the classic set-up, it felt completely her.

This one is set in the village of Chipping Cleghorn and follows the events that occur after the local Gazette runs an advertisement stating, A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6.30 p.m.

No one knows what it means, but the village is a titter about it. Many locals decide there is only one way to find out, thus arriving at the stated destination at the appointed time.

As they gather in the residence, without warning the lights are extinguished and a gun is fired. As the lights come back on, a gruesome scene awaits them.

Who is the victim? Who is the killer and why?

As with the previous novels, Miss Marple wasn’t in the house at the time of the crime, but gets consulted after due to her expertise in such affairs.

This had a big cast of quirky characters and it was fun trying to work out all the connections and varied relationships. There is also talk of an inheritance of sorts and I always love that trope.

I wasn’t necessarily trying to figure out the whodunit whilst reading this, but I will say, the reveal did surprise me. I feel like Christie succeeded in pulling the wool over my eyes; a misdirection, if you will.

Overall, I loved it. It was such a great mystery, with intriguing twists that did ultimately surprise me.

Also, I feel like we got more face time with Miss Marple in this one and she was in more danger than ever before. It was tense and intriguing. Well done!

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Review: What Remains by Wendy Walker

~ megs14malloy

What RemainsWhat Remains by Wendy Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a violent incident in a department store, Detective Elise Sutton was hailed a hero in her community. The truth is though, Elise doesn’t feel like one.

She’s battling complicated and conflicting emotions about that day and the only person who seems to understand is the man she saved. A man she comes to know as Wade Austin. The two of them are now connected by the event.

Unfortunately for Elise, he’ll never let her go.

Elise quickly realizes she’s called a wolf to her door. This man is not who he says he is and soon he becomes an eminent threat to her and everyone she cares for.

Racing against the clock, Elise works to outsmart him and severe their tie before it’s too late. This guy has done his homework though and always seems two steps ahead.

Y,all! Wendy Walker has done it again. This was so gripping. The opening scene, oh my word, I was at the edge of my seat. 100% in it.

There were a lot of elements to this, like Wade’s interactions with Elise, that really got under my skin. The circumstances were playing off some of my own real-life fears. I always love when a narrative is actually able to raise my heart rate and that was certainly the case here.

I liked Elise as a main character. She was smart, resourceful and fiercely independent. I did get angry at her now and again for her secretiveness, but I understand her motivations for being that way.

I loved her partner, Rowan. I sort of wish we would get more Thrillers with them as a detective duo. I feel like there is more we could explore with them personally and since they specialize in cold cases, I am sure there is plenty of interesting mysteries for them to dig into.

Wishful thinking, I know. I’m sure this is a standalone, but this just gives you an idea of how much Walker sold me on this detective partnership.

In addition to the steady pace and tension throughout, the ending of this got nail-biting intense. I was at the edge of my seat, flying through the pages so fast, I think I saw sparks come from the end of my fingers.

I would absolutely recommend this to people who enjoy a taut, intense, well-plotted Thriller. I always enjoy Walker’s stories, but I think this is my favorite one yet!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’m sure you can tell by this review, but I’ll say it one more time, I loved it!!

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Review: Senlin Ascends (The Books of Babel #1) by Josiah Bancroft

~ megs14malloy

Senlin Ascends (The Books of Babel, #1)Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Years ago, after watching a few of my favorite BookTubers rave about The Books of Babel, I scurried out and bought the first three books in the series.

I did this, of course, without even reading this first book. Why did I buy all three of them without knowing if I would even like it, you may wonder?

At that time, there were only three published so far, but you better believe your sweet rump that I then bought the fourth book upon its release, again without starting the series.

Last year I began a TBR-Haul Project, where I go back through my Reading Journals, and select one or two books that I hauled for each month and read them.

Senlin Ascends is the 17th-selection for that project. I hauled this book, and the next two, in February of 2019. I’d say it’s about time I got around to them.

I’m happy to report, this was absolutely amazing. I was blown away by how creative the world is, not to mention the overall story and characters.

I immediately picked up the second book, The Arm of the Sphinx, upon completion of this one and am now fully immersed in this series, fangirling all the way.

If you aren’t aware, this is an Epic Fantasy series, with some light steampunk elements. The world-building is very unique. I would classify it as a slow burn story, but it’s so rich and detailed that it makes sense that way.

We follow Thomas Senlin, a recently married headmaster, who takes his new bride on a honeymoon to the Tower a Babel. They’ve barely exited the train when Thomas and Marya, his wife, are separated in a busy marketplace.

No matter what tactic he takes, Senlin is unsuccessful in finding her in the market, but he can’t give up. He doesn’t care how long it takes, he is determined to find her. There’s no other choice. He will not leave the Tower without her.

And thus it begins…

Y’all, this made me anxious from the start. About 40-pages in and it was already making me sweat. The Skirts, which is what the outside level where the market is located is called, was giving me sort of Goblin Market vibes.

It was all very sinister, without knowing why I was feeling that way. There was just this feeling of dread and wickedness exuding out of it. Senlin had zero people he could trust to help him in his search. No where to turn. It was a very desperate feeling.

As he entered the Tower and began to progress through the ringdoms, circumstances do not get any easier. In fact, they get progressively more dangerous.

Along the way, Senlin does discover tiny clues as to where the missing Marya may be, but how to get there? Perhaps, if the once innocent headmaster transforms himself into a criminal mastermind, he’ll be able to reach her.

I love how Bancroft began to reveal the truth of the Tower itself. It’s certainly not at all the gleaming, idealized vacation spot that Senlin expected after reading his Everyman’s Guide to the Tower.

I also really enjoyed all the characters we meet along the way, the ones Senlin aligns himself with and the ones that are against him. Everyone is out for their own interests. It’s a dangerous place.

A bit Alice in Wonderland mixed with Hotel California, ‘you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.’

I’m super stoked to be continuing on with this series. We learn a lot about the Tower and how it functions in this one, but there are still SO MANY mysteries.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how this progresses and ultimately wraps up!

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Review: Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills

~ megs14malloy

Something Close to MagicSomething Close to Magic by Emma Mills
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Super cute, funny and comforting, reading Something Close to Magic feels like a warm hug. Mills has done well with her debut into the YA Cozy Fantasy space.

I’ve loved some of Emma Mills’ YA Contemporary stories and was so excited to see her explore YA Fantasy. Unsurprisingly, she was able to deliver her same heart-warming and humorous writing style to this tale.

In this story we follow 17-year old Aurelie, an overworked and underappreciated baker’s apprentice at Basil’s Bakery.

Nevertheless, Aurelie persists. She keeps her head down and does her work, trying not to attract the attention of the grouchy and miserable bakery owner.

Aurelie’s life is up-ended one day when a determined bounty hunter, Iliana, enters the bakery and asks Aurelie to assist her on a quest in the dangerous Underwood.

Iliana has Seeking Stones she would like Aurelie to use to help her to find a kidnapped Prince and she’s not taking no for an answer.

Seeking is a magical skill that Aurelie has, but it’s not one she utilizes often. Eventually though, Aurelie caves. Iliana is persuasive and as it turns out, she’s got some time off of work anyway, and oh yeah, thanks to her miserable boss, no place to stay during her break.

Might as well go on an adventure!

They set out on their quest, they make friends, they find the hapless Prince, aptly named Prince Hapless and charming hijinks and character growth ensues.

Mills nailed her transition to Fantasy. She delivered her signature witty banter, cutsey romance, cozy vibes, light magic, court intrigue and sweetly-charming characters.

The perfect potion for a fun story!

I would absolutely recommend this to Readers who have enjoyed Mills’ work in the past, or any Cozy Fantasy Readers in general, YA or Adult.

For example, if you loved My Lady Jane, A Far Wilder Magic, or Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, you should definitely check this one out.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I adored my time with this story and really hope Mills continues on in this space.

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