Apidae by Lisa Borne Graves

January 29, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Apidae by Lisa Borne Graves
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (152 pages)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

What happens if bees go extinct?

In the not so distant future, scientifically modified Emlyn and Ace find themselves thrown into the role of saviors on a perilous mission where their tenuous relationship could save or destroy mankind. As the war between rebels and the corrupt government reaches a fever pitch, Ace is bent on self-sacrifice and revenge, while Emlyn must choose between her heart and the future of mankind.

If humans want to survive, they’ll need to find a way to save the bees.

The premise of this book grabbed my attention immediately. I appreciated the fact that the author spent so much time coming up with logical ways in which human society would change, and even start to disintegrate, once the bees began dying off and food supplies ran dangerously low. She went into the perfect amount of detail about how crucial pollinators like these are for the ecosystem and how devastating it would be to lose or nearly lose them.

While I wanted the two characters who developed feelings for each other to end up together, their potential relationship felt out of place in this story. There were so many other things going on in it, many of which were time-sensitive and incredibly dangerous, that I was confused by the inclusion of the romantic subplot. It didn’t seem like something that either of the participants should have had much energy to think about when their lives were in danger and humanity itself could be going extinct. It would have been really helpful for there to have been more scenes establishing why these characters decided to pursue their feelings so quickly and how they found the time to do so in the middle of what was basically a war.

Emlyn felt like a real person to me, flaws and all. There were times when she said or did things that annoyed me, but then there would be other scenes where her quick thinking and bravery made me cheer. I loved the many nuances of her personality, especially the fact that a few of her weaknesses were things that actually affected the course of the plot. She was perfectly imperfect, and that’s exactly what I want to see in a main character.

Apidae was one of the most creative dystopias I’ve read recently, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys that genre.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Bernard Beagle Kicks Off by Daniel Murphy

January 28, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Bernard Beagle Kicks Off by Daniel Murphy
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (165 pages)
Age Recommendation: 10+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Bernard Beagle dreams of playing soccer for his school team. There is just one problem – he is terrible at sports.

Cody Fisher, captain of the Bayview Primary Tidal Waves, is Bernard’s one-way ticket to the midfield.

But following his dream won’t be easy. There’s a savage dog on the loose in Woodland Bay and Sadie Button is wearing her hair in pig tails. Not to mention that witch across the road is doing magic tricks again.

As Bernard pushes for qualification it becomes obvious – he’s going to need a lot more than Cody’s friendship to make the squad.

Do you have to be naturally athletic in order to be a good athlete?

The conflicts were handled nicely. Not only was there the perfect amount of it, each conflict was so different from the others that they played off of each other beautifully. This is something I’d be equally comfortable recommending to kids who love sports as I would to the ones who have no interest in that topic at all. There were so many other things going on in the storyline that I think this will appeal to all sorts of middle grade readers.

It would have been helpful to have more detailed descriptions of the characters and settings. I had a lot of trouble picturing what any of them looked like because of how few of these descriptions I had to work with. While I enjoyed the plot itself, I would have liked it even more if I could have formed mental images of these characters and the places where they spent their time.

The dialogue was well written. There wasn’t quite as much of it as I’d normally expect to see in a book of this length due to all of the time Bernard and his friends spent playing soccer, but that was a good thing. Of course they’d be too busy and possibly out of breath to talk during their practices and games! It only made sense, and I liked the fact that the author seemed to take this into account when he was writing those scenes. When characters did talk to each other, I enjoyed the fact that the voices of the adults and kids were so distinct. Just like in real life, the way a grown-up in this universe spoke generally wasn’t exactly the same as how the main character would say it.

Bernard Beagle Kicks Off should be read by sports fans of all ages.

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Smoke & Mirrors by Eli Celata

January 21, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Smoke & Mirrors by Eli Celata
Publisher: Hidden Helm Press
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (246 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Death has come to Rochester. Saving the the lost children of Hamelin unleashes the most ruthless enemy Jon has ever faced. Blood saturates his nights, and demons stalk his every step. He might’ve gotten the children out of Shiloh’s void, but he put them in the cross-hairs of an old grudge.

When a trio of Daughters brings their kill list into the Grith, magic users turn against one another. Allies become enemies. Safety counterbalances freedom, and everyone wants a piece of Jon.

Killing Gerhard, one of the Daughters sends Wilhelm running to Jon and Jordan for sanctuary, they must decide who to trust. The mage Jon pulled from the void, or a community of hunters prepared to slaughter children and level cities in the name of Greater Good.

Whether magic is used for good or evil depends on who is performing the spell.

Just like in earlier installments, I was blown away by the world building. Mr. Celata did an excellent job of creating a setting for his characters that feels every bit as real as our world. I could have sworn that I was seeing, hearing, and feeling the same things Jon was as he attempted to protect the children and keep his community from breaking out into war. There was so much attention to detail in these matters that I didn’t want to stop reading until I knew how it would all end for him.

At times I found it hard to keep track of the large cast of characters. It would have been quite helpful to either have a brief recap of who everyone was in the first chapter or to have a list of characters I could reference as I was reading. I’m saying this as someone who has really been enjoying this series so far. If not for my confusion about how everyone knew each other and who they were, I would have happily chosen a much higher rating for this tale. Everything else about it was fantastic.

One of the things I love about this universe is how complicated the rules of magic are in it. I still haven’t figured out all of them, but honestly I don’t think the audience is supposed to quite yet since many of the characters have had similar reactions to the complexity of them all. The author is playing the long game here, and I’m quite curious to see how it will all pan out in the end.

This is the third book in a series. I’d recommend finishing the first two installments, High Summons and Grimm Remains, before diving into this one.

Smoke & Mirrors should be read by anyone who loves wizards or the dark side of the urban fantasy genre.

Filed Under: Horror, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Fury’s Island by Sue Perkins

January 17, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Fury’s Island by Sue Perkins
Fury Series Book 2
Publisher: Caishel Books
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (101 pages)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

On holiday in Nelson, New Zealand, Fury meets Eion who offers to teach her to paddle board. Immediately attracted to him, she agrees. After basic instruction, he takes her out to Skull Island, a creepy looking rock some distance from the beach. No one has ever discovered a way up to the caves which look like eyes, but Fury finds a secret entrance and convinces Eion they should investigate. Their excitement rises as they discover tunnels and caves hidden beneath the ground, but neither is prepared for the arrival of ghostly pirates bringing their treasure chests to bury in one of the underground caves.

Some beach vacations involve more than just swimming or playing in the sand.

There was a fabulous plot twist that I didn’t see coming in advance. It had to do with the ghosts that Fury and Eion met in the cave after they’d visited it multiple times. While I can’t go into details about this portion of the storyline, I gasped out loud when I realized that some of my assumptions about those entities had been totally wrong. Ms. Perkins did an excellent job of both keeping this surprise hidden and revealing it at exactly the right moment.

Fury’s unusual behavior made it tricky for me to choose an age recommendation for this tale. She was sixteen years old in this sequel, but she behaved like someone much younger than her chronological age.This was especially noticeable when it came to her sometimes odd interactions with others. For example, she had lots of trouble noticing when someone was flirting with her and she misinterpreted what her mother was saying to her on more than one occasion. I’m still not sure if she was specifically written to be a neurodivergent character or if she was simply a little quirky. If the author wanted the audience to think of her as someone who might have medical reasons for her troubles with social cues, I sure wish there had been more hints about that! I was fascinated by this part of her personality while also being confused as to whether I was actually supposed to be labelling her at all.

I loved the fact that it took a long time for anything paranormal to happen in this tale. There was so much else going on in Fury’s life that it made total sense for the spirits to stay out of sight until later on in the plot. This also gave me the opportunity to get to know her even better than I did the first time I met her. I relished the opportunity to see how she’d changed over time and how she’d react to spending her summer vacation in a place that she never would have chosen on her own.

This is the second book in a series. It can be read on its own or out of order.

Fury’s Island should be read by anyone who enjoys ghost stories.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Fury’s Ghost by Sue Perkins

January 16, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Fury’s Ghost by Sue Perkins
Publisher: Caishel Books
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (114 pages)
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Fury’s family leave the city for a six month visit to rural New Zealand. They stay in an old house belonging to her mother’s family, but who is the ghostly figure in a hidden attic room and why is Fury the only one who can see her? She learns the ghost is the spirit of the original owner who has been trapped in the room for one hundred years.

Fury promises to help the spirit lady to end her earthly existence. Problems arise when Fury delves into the past to find the answers she needs.

The afterlife isn’t always a peaceful place.

At first I wasn’t sure if this tale was meant to be set in the past or the present. Eventually, I did make up my mind about this question, but I liked the fact that the storyline focused on all of the timeless elements of being a twelve-year-old whose family has just moved into a haunted house. Fury could have just as easily lived several decades ago and it wouldn’t have changed much about her adventures at all. There’s definitely something to be said for characters and plots that aren’t tied down to one specific era. This could be a modern-day classic in the making!

I would have liked to see a little more attention paid to character development. Fury went through some pretty memorable and spooky experiences, so I was surprised by how quickly she adapted to the idea that ghosts exists and that there was one living in her house. If a bit more attention had been paid to how she made that mental leap, I would have given this book a five star rating. Everything else about it was well done.

The plot related to who the ghost was and how she died was handled nicely. While I obviously can’t go into a lot of detail about it without giving away spoilers, I liked the fact that Fury had barely any information at all about this character in the beginning. Her lack of knowledge only made me more curious to find out who the spirit had been in life and why they’d hung around for so long.

Anyone who enjoys paranormal fiction should give Fury’s Ghost a try.

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Gay Love and Other Fairy Tales by Dylan James

January 11, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Gay Love and Other Fairy Tales by Dylan James
Publisher: Deep Hearts YA
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (275 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Jordan Ortiz decides he can no longer hide who he truly is. He’s gay. He comes out to his family, then he comes out to everyone, and it goes well. Like, way better than he thought possible. But that’s about where it ends. There aren’t enough out gay kids at school for him to build a queer social life or even consider the possibility of dating. For now, he’s happy to be the gay bestie for his BFF, Hannah.

Benjamin Cooper is the captain of the football team and has known Jordan for almost his whole life. And he has a secret. When they won an award at the science fair in grade nine, Jordan hugged him—and that’s when Ben realized he had feelings for Jordan. As he watches Jordan come out and flower into who he is, he can’t help but feel ashamed—ashamed at what a coward he is compared to Jordan.

When a broken leg and fair-weather friends leave Ben feeling lonely on Christmas break, he spends New Year’s Eve with Jordan, just hanging out in his basement like they used to years ago. But as the countdown to midnight happens and the ball is about to drop, Ben has something else in mind. At the stroke of midnight, he kisses Jordan.

What starts with a surprise kiss leads to a year of shared secrets, hidden love, relationship troubles, and broken hearts. Through it all, one fact holds true—Jordan loves Benjamin and Benjamin loves Jordan. But is that enough to carry them through when Ben wants to stay firmly in the closet, to the very point that this might destroy what hope they have of true love?

Falling in love isn’t always a simple process.

Bullying is a complicated subject, so I was glad to see the author take such a nuanced approach to why students bully each other, how bystanders affect this process, and what might persuade at least some the bullies to stop. Some of the most interesting scenes in this book were the ones that explored how this all works, especially when the adults aren’t paying attention and the bullies think they can get away with anything they’d like.

Jordan and Benjamin had very similar voices in this story. That is, when the point of view switched between them from one chapter to the next, I would have had some trouble telling who was narrating that part of the storyline if their sections hadn’t been marked. They had such similar personalities and speaking styles that it wasn’t always easy to tell who was who. If not for this, I would have chosen a much higher rating as I enjoyed everything else about the plot.

The romance between Jordan and Benjamin was nicely written. I liked the fact that they moved slowly at the beginning of it. Not only did that make sense for their personalities, it gave the audience plenty of time to come up with our own reasons why these two characters should end up together. I know that I started rooting for that ending very early on due to how well they got along and how much they had in common!

Gay Love and Other Fairy Tales should be read by anyone who loves the romance genre.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Corruption by Nick Wilford

January 7, 2019 By 1 Comment


Corruption by Nick Wilford
Publisher: Superstar Peanut Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery, YA
Length: Full Length (182 pages)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

Wellesbury Noon and Ezmerelda Dontible have found themselves in a position where they can make their native land somewhere that lives up to its name: Harmonia. However, they’re setting their sights further afield for their number one task: eradicating the disease that has plagued the neighbouring country of Loretania for generations and allowed the privileged Harmonians to live in a sterile environment.

After dispatching a team of scientists to Loretania, armed with cratefuls of an antidote and vaccine and headed up by their friend, Dr George Tindleson, Welles, Ez, and Welles’s brother Mal – who grew up in that benighted nation – start to worry when they hear nothing back, despite what they had agreed. Commandeering a fishing boat to follow the science team over the sea, they soon find that, while the disease may be on the way out, a new kind of infection has set in – the corruption they thought they had stamped out in Harmonia.

Can they get to the root of the problem and eradicate it before even more damage is done to an innocent people?

This book is aptly titled Corruption. The people of Harmonia have found their white, sterile world is at the expense of Loretania who get all the nasty stuff that Harmonia syphons out of their country. Scientists from Harmonia travel to Loretania to help get rid of the disease and make their ecology grow and sustain the population. Good intentions are all very well, but human greed interferes.

I like that it’s the teenagers who follow up on this intention when their queries are met by silence. The corruption of the older generation shows that no matter how much people want to help those less fortunate than themselves, there are others who are only interested in themselves.

The story does allude to rape, the act is mentioned but no actual rape scene is described. This is a young adult book as the main characters are teenagers and the story is their story. Good book, interesting reading.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

TV Review of: Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia – a Netflix Original Series

January 3, 2019 By 5 Comments

Review of: Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia – a Netflix Original Series
Created by Guillermo del Toro in conjunction with DreamWorks Animation and Double Dare You Productions.

Review by Xeranthemum

My youngest is the one responsible for this Netflix obsession. He was watching it while we were busy making plans for New Year’s Eve and, instead of focusing on what needed to be done, my husband and I were both sucked into the story. Three hours went by without notice. We finished this particular story loop about Merlin and Morgana, and good versus evil trolls, the next day.

What made this series so compelling? The characters, the plot and its intelligence. Yes, it’s a cartoon but computer generated or not, the presentation is filled with action, battles, lessons, growth in maturity and fantastical creatures, and the most compelling aspect, friendship. There are so many elements to take in that I more than likely will re-watch it from the beginning. It’s that detailed and good.

There are so many characters that flavor this series; good and bad trolls, regular humans and humans on a quest with a destiny, namely Jim. He’s not comfortable with the burden he will bear but with his friends at his side, he is forced to stand tall and accept his role. The troll hunter’s mom does not come across as dumb or disrespected. She has strength, she loves her son and she acts like a grownup should. Her unconditional love is a joy to behold. Jim’s respect for his mom and his clear love for her garners my respect.

Morgana was presented as convincingly evil but Merlin isn’t exactly a benign character. He’s more acerbic, canny, and Machiavellian. Actually, there were tried and true fantasy tropes sprinkled throughout the episodes and yet, they were made fresh and riveting within Jim’s role in the series. All 52 installments are amazing. Each show ends with a cliffhanger or a shocking revelation, or a threat from which there seems to be no chance of escape. That is how easy it is to keep watching show after show after show. The hours effortlessly fly by. It must be magic, LOL.

Today I started the new plot thread which actually corresponds with Jim’s quest, overlapping from a different character’s point of view. Even the series title is different, 3 Below. I think I’m lucky that I didn’t discover the Troll Hunter series, through my youngest, until after all episodes were aired. It was a marvelous experience because I didn’t have to wait week to week for the next part. Of course, now 3 Below is just starting and I know I’ll get to the point where I have no choice but to wait with baited breath until the next episode airs. If the story is made with the same high quality as the Troll Hunters, then I’m eager to see what further adventures develop in Arcadia Oaks. One thing is for sure, they certainly won’t be boring.

For fantasy lovers this series is like candy, or potato chips – you can’t watch only one episode. I certainly couldn’t.

If you’re not sure yet, watch the trailer and be amazed.

If you are curious about 3 Below, the sci-fi fantasy sequel, then this trailer is for you:

Jim reminds me of Johnny Quest, but instead of his best friend being Hadji, it’s a troll with 6 eyes named Blinky, short for Blinkous Galadrigal, and humans Claire and Toby. Their friendship is a huge asset to the story. I heartily recommend watching the Troll Hunter series. It’s like a great epic YA fantasy book come to ‘life’.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Television Show, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , ,

January Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ One Taste Too Many by Debra H Goldstein

December 31, 2018 By 1 Comment


One Taste Too Many by Debra H Goldstein
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (323 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

For culinary challenged Sarah Blair, there’s only one thing scarier than cooking from scratch—murder!

Married at eighteen, divorced at twenty‑eight, Sarah Blair reluctantly swaps her luxury lifestyle for a cramped studio apartment and a law firm receptionist job in the tired hometown she never left. With nothing much to show for the last decade but her feisty Siamese cat, RahRah, and some clumsy domestic skills, she’s the polar opposite of her bubbly twin, Emily—an ambitious chef determined to take her culinary ambitions to the top at a local gourmet restaurant . . .

Sarah knew starting over would be messy. But things fall apart completely when her ex drops dead, seemingly poisoned by Emily’s award-winning rhubarb crisp. Now, with RahRah wanted by the woman who broke up her marriage and Emily wanted by the police for murder, Sarah needs to figure out the right recipe to crack the case before time runs out. Unfortunately, for a gal whose idea of good china is floral paper plates, catching the real killer and living to tell about it could mean facing a fate worse than death—being in the kitchen!

Includes quick and easy recipes!

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Horror, Mainstream Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Non-Fiction, Other, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: ,

The Bagel King by Andrew Larsen

December 19, 2018 By Leave a Comment


The Bagel King by Andrew Larsen
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Every Sunday morning, no matter the weather, Eli could count on Zaida to bring bagels from Merv’s Bakery. Eli loved the time they spent together enjoying their favorite treats. Warm. Chewy. Salty, Eli thought. Bagels were the best thing about Sunday. But one Sunday, Zaida didn’t come. He had fallen at Merv’s and hurt his tuches, and the doctor said Zaida had to rest at home for two whole weeks. This meant Eli had no Sunday morning bagels. And neither did Zaida’s friends, who had been receiving their own weekly deliveries from Zaida. Will they all go hungry for bagels on Sunday? Or is there something Eli can do? Award-winning author Andrew Larsen’s picture book story offers a gently humorous take on the special bond between a boy and his grandfather and the simple ritual that looms so large in their lives. It also highlights a terrific character education lesson about how a young child can take responsibility and, with a little initiative, help a family member in need. With a blend of retro and contemporary styles, Sandy Nichols’s softly colored illustrations cleverly convey the story’s timelessness and capture Eli’s diverse neighborhood. This book will spark wonderful discussions about family traditions and community. A mini glossary and pronunciation guide for the Yiddish words that are sprinkled throughout the story (like mensch and oy) provides an opportunity to learn about the many words we use in English that come from other languages, and to explore the connections between culture and language.

Sundays without bagels just aren’t the same.

The relationship between Eli and Zaida, his grandfather, was such a sweet one. Not only did they love each other quite a bit, they also enjoyed spending time together as buddies. It made me smile to see them try to figure out how to change their routines after Zaida was injured and couldn’t do the things he normally did with his grandson.

There was a pretty big plot hole in this story that none of the characters seemed to notice. As much as I liked watching Eli gradually come up with a plan to help his grandfather after the accident, I was distracted by the fact that no one was talking about the easier and more obvious solution to their problem. I would have chosen a much higher rating if this hadn’t happened.

One of the things I liked the most about this tale were the warm and friendly relationships Eli had obviously developed with everyone in his community. While he wasn’t biologically related to everyone who lived nearby, they did treat him like he was a member of their families. He was watched over and encouraged by all of the adults in his life no matter where he went or what he did. That strong sense of community and protectiveness over the youngest members of a society was such a lovely thing to read about.

I’d recommend The Bagel King to anyone who has developed a close bond with someone much older or younger than them or who wonders what this sort of relationship could be like.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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