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When a traumatic memory is unable to die, it learns how to become alive: Reviewing The Dawn Chorus (Book 2 of the Capherayna Chronicles) by Karen Menezes

Hi everyone! I’m back again and I am revisiting an indie author who I have reviewed previously. You are welcome to check out my review for the first book in this series, Safe Passage. I want to give a huge shout out to Karen for asking me to review her books. I will be linking all of her social media information below so you can show her your love and support. I absolutely love when authors reach out to me to review their books. If you are an aspiring author, then reach out to me! My contact info is listed on my blog. In the meantime, let’s talk about The Dawn Chorus.

Content Warning: Discussions of War, Explicit Sexual Content, Some Mild Language

Years ago, a terrible tragedy happened in the borderlands of Capherayna. Years later, its memory still haunts the Lightbender. He wanders the world, comforting the sick and dying, desperate to forget the ghosts of his past. He finally returns to Capherayna and makes peace with settled life. In the ancient city of Dorsfield, he rents a loft from a conspiracy theorist whose niece is rather gorgeous. She introduces him to a powerful man who knows too much about a terrible secret.

Where Safe Passage was more focused on the war itself, Dawn Chorus is a look at the aftermath of war on a personal scale and a public scale. The narrative here is a bit more of an intimate character study with slice of life moments that are peppered with details that almost feel too private for the reader. It made it all the more interesting, though. I liked Menezes took the time to develop all of the characters and make them feel like real people. All of the details add up into an interesting picture of different people dealing with the world around them. We also get an interesting range of characters, from a king to a nomad. The book cover quite a bit as it continues to explore the impact of war. Overall, Dawn Chorus was an interesting sequel and I am excited to see where the series goes.

Once again, thank you to Karen! You’re the best

Website: https://karenmenezes.com/the-chronicles-of-capherayna.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karen.menezes/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/50832081.Karen_Menezes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karen_menezes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechroniclesofcapherayna

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There is no glory in slaying the defeated: Reviewing The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Haywood

Hi everyone! I’m back and excited for spooky season! I have two other non-horror books to review and then I’ll get to the creepy stuff. For now, I just had to read another Greek Mythology related book. You all know that I love some Greek Mythology and I have been particularly hyperfixated as of late. I have plenty of other recommendations on my blogs so you are more than welcome to check those out. It is time to talk about my latest read. Let’s discuss The Shadow of Perseus.

Content Warning: Discussions of Misogyny, Sexual Assault, Violence and Gore, Abuse

From a young age, Perseus was obsessed with becoming a hero and fulfilling his destiny. His journey, though, comes at a cost. His mother Danae must watch her son grow from a sweet boy to a fiersome young man. Medusa, a woman trying to reclaim her life, comes face to face with the man who will be her undoing. Andromeda, his wife, is forced to leave behind the life she knows for a stranger. The three women are bound together by one man’s journey to greatness and it will cost them all dearly.

The Shadow of Perseus offers a different perspective on the classic tale of the young hero. Instead, we get a realistic take on the story through the eyes of the women who definitely suffered for the sake of revenge. It isn’t just a simple retelling. Haywood explores the mistreatment of women, nature versus nurture, and how famous myths often come from exaggerated tales. Haywood presents complicated characters who are all just trying to survive. She doesn’t praise Perseus, but she doesn’t allow for too much sympathy. Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda are all relatable as they struggles against oppressive gender roles. Haywood faces these issues head on and doesn’t dance around the reality of women during this particular time period. Overall, The Shadow of Perseus is a refreshing take on the male-dominated Greek hero myths and I would certainly recommend it.

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You must become king. Of Everything: Reviewing Words of Radiance (Book 2 of the Stormlight Archives) by Brandon Sanderson

Hi everyone! I’m back! I have had a bit of a busy month but I am not going to neglect this blog. I still have some other special reviews coming up and then I will finally get into the spooky stuff. Before you read thsi review, go ahead and check out my review for The Way of Kings. Anyways, let’s talk about Words of Radiance.

Content Warning: Intense Battle Scenes, Violence and Gore, Scenes of Domestic Abuse, Some Disturbing Imagery

War is just on the horizon. Kaladin, formerly a slave, is now a captain in charge of protecting the king and Dalinar. The Assassin in White threatens both of these men and Kaladin is faced with a difficult choice. Meanwhile, Shallan has finally made her way to the Shattered Plains where she must find a way to stop the Voidbringers and face her own dark past. The Parshendi, however, are leading an effort against the Alethi with their leader Eshonai. The world will change as they all know it and their destinies will be irrevocably tied together.

It has been a while since I have been this invested in a series but The Stormlight Archives has me in a chokehold. Words of Radiance is a worthy sequel to its predecessor. I am kind of obsessed with these characters and love how Sanderson balances plot and character development. This book was also much funnier than I had anticipated, which made it all the more enjoyable to read. Every detail of this book (and the first one) is so carefully thought out. Even quotes at the beginning of the chapters are relevant to the movement of the plot. I can’t get enough of this series. I bought the third book before I even finished this one. Go and read The Stormlight Archives immediately.

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Even God can’t take this Heaven of you away from me: Reviewing Angels & Man by Rafael Nicolas

Hey everyone! Happy fall to all of you! I am so ready for the cozy and cool weather. I am also prepared to read some horror books for October. I still have other ones to work through, so I will be posting about those sooner than later. Before you read this review, though, check out my review for the first book in this trilogy, Angels Before Man. It’s time to talk about the sequel, Angels and Man.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Disturbing Imagery, Strong Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Traumatic Childbirth, Miscarriage, Animal Death, Sexual Assault, Religious Trauma, Domestic Abuse, War, Depictions of Misogyny and Sexism, Depictions of Homophobia

Heaven hasn’t been the same since the war. The remaining angels are suspicious of each other and have started lashing out. Azazel is lonely and miserable, having been labeled a sinner by his brothers. Samyaza, however, is perfectly fine with how Heaven has changed. He does, however, believe that the humans can be forgiven. Samyaza, Azazel, and the Watcher angels are sent to Earth to teach humans about God’s love. Soon, they find themselves fascinated with human life and become entangled with the tribes. There is a greater threat against the humans. Satan and his demons begin to destroy the local villages. War soon erupts and the Watcher angels must choose between their brothers or their new lives.

Angels and Man was much more intense and fast-paced than its predecessor. While the first book was a re-telling of Lucifer’s fall, this book is a re-telling of The Great Flood. You don’t have to be overly familiar with Biblical lore to appreciate what Rafael Nicolas accomplishes with this book. It was far more gritty and disturbing, with plenty of stomach-churning scenes of violence. I like how Nicolas challenges the preconceived notions of angels and demons as they are depicted in the Bible. They don’t hold back on the gruesome details, but there is sympathy through the characters throughout the narrative. It is a complicated re-telling, but that is done so intentionally. I especially love the prose in this book. Rafael Nicolas has plenty of gorgeous lines peppered throughout the novel. Overall, Angels and Man is a worthy follow-up to Angels Before Man and I will definitely keep my eye out for the third book in the trilogy.

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Love does that. It changes you in ways that cannot be undone: Reviewing The Mermaid by Christina Henry

Hi everyone! I am back much sooner than I anticipated. This is not the first book I have read by Christina Henry. Feel free to check out my review of Horseman, which I loved. I wanted to delve back into the world of “fairy tales for adults,” so to say. I also don’t see enough books about mermaids for adults so I grabbed this one immediately. I think mermaids are an underrated subject for fiction. I am definitely interested in reading more so leave any reccomendations in the comments below. Now, we can talk about The Mermaid.

Content Warning: Violence, Animal Abuse, Mild Sexual Content

Amelia was a mermaid who was curious about life on land. When she came to the land, she met a man named Jack and fell in love. Years later, Jack passed away and Amelia was left with nothing but her isolated cottage by the sea. One day, she recieved an offer from the famous P.T. Barnum to perform at his museum. With no other options, Amelia decided to take his offer. Thrown headfirst into the chaotic world of humanity, Amelia must find the courage to take control of her life before someone takes control for her.

The Mermaid is a nice mixture of romance and fantasy with just a hint of realism. Christina Henry weaves in conversations about autonomy, consent, and persepective into this romantic tale of a woman trying to find her place in a strange world. I liked how Henry crafted Amelia’s perspective, particularly in regards to the culture of “sideshows” that were popular during the 1800s. The romance was well-written and I liked how it became the focal point without taking away from the meaninful themes that are explored throughout the book. Overall, The Mermaid was a thoughtful and gripping novel with plenty of fantasy and romance to keep you from putting the book down.

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We are a curse of the shadows; we are a secret. We are eternal: Reviewing The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well! We are returning to form with another vampire novel. I am currently rewatching the Interview with the Vampire TV show and foaming at the mouth for the next season. Until then, I am going to dabble in Anne Rice novels. Before you read this one, feel free to check out my review for Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat. Let’s talk about The Vampire Armand.

Content Warning: Child Abuse, Slavery, Explicit Sexual Content, Sexual Assault, Religious Trauma, Violence and Gore, Disturbing Imagery

The vampire Armand was not always the powerful and ruthless leader of the Children of Darkness. He began his life as Andrei, a young man from Kiev Rus who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He is taken to Vienna and taken under the care of Marius, an ancient and powerful vampire. Andrei becomes Amadeo under his master’s tutelage, which involves exploring the darkest parts of the dazzling Vienna. When Armand is given the dark gift, he finds himself a target of a cult of vampires who worship Satan. Alone and unfamiliar with the vampiric world, Armand must fight to save his immortal soul.

The Vampire Armand is a dark and disturbing look at one of Anne Rice’s most iconic characters. Anne Rice does such an incredible job creating these unique character voices and being able to alter her writing depending on which point of view she is writing about. Armand is a fascinating character who is a throwback to the classic Byronic heroes. The book deals heavily with religion and philosophy, which can be intriguing but is sometimes a bit long-winded. This particular book dealt a bit more with mysticism and magic, which I liked as an element of world-building. I honestly wished I saved his book for October because it would have been far more appropriate for the Halloween season, but I am glad I read it now. I can see why this is one of Anne Rice’s most iconic novels and I am going to recommend it with the addendum to heed my content warnings.

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Welcome to the universe, from which there is no escape: Reviewing Safe Passage by Karen Menezes

Hi everyone! I am super excited today because I have a review by another indie author! It is always a treat to get to do these kinds of reviews. I will link all of Karen’s socials at the very end of this review so you can send her your love and support. Thank you for reaching out to me, Karen! Now, let’s talk about her novel, Safe Passage.

Content Warning: Violence, Graphic Descriptions of Injuries, Discussions and Depictions of War.

The old-growth forest and the borderlands of Capherayna are a mystery. So are its people, the Xaeltik community. They live in a pre-industrial time warp, unable to defend themselves from the dark forces of the modern world. In the heart of the forest, a vortex of death is rumored to swallow the living, chew on them, and spit out the pieces. The Lightbender stumbles into Xaeltik territory after days of wandering the forest. He is welcomed by a macabre sight that changes the course of his destiny. To save lives, he must let them die.

What I loved about Safe Passage was the mixture of grounded social issues and fantastical sci-fi/fantasy elements that are used to build the narrative. It was as funny in a cheeky way as it was emotional and profound. Menezes doesn’t hold back when it comes to discussing war and the aftermath of it. I loved her use of descriptive language, the minute details, and the overall sympathetic tone that the novel takes. War is never an easy topic to tackle but Menezes shows every facet, from the people fighting the war to the people caught in the middle of the crossfire. Overall, Safe Passage is a refreshing and introspective novel with plenty of fun and interesting science fiction elements

Website: https://karenmenezes.com/the-chronicles-of-capherayna.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karen.menezes/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/50832081.Karen_Menezes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karen_menezes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechroniclesofcapherayna

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Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination: Revewing The Way of Kings (Book 1 of The Stormlight Archive Series) by Brandon Sanderson

Hi all! I’m back! I put aside all of my other books so I could finish this one. I thought it would take me much longer to read this one. I promise that I have more reviews for shorter books coming up soon. I have a couple of weird/spooky books coming up so get excited for that. I need to yap ramble about this book, though, so let’s talk about The Way of Kings

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Intense Battle Scenes, Graphic Descriptions of Injuries

Centuries ago, the Knights Radiant fell in Roshar, a world of storms. They left behind their magical weapons known as Shardplates and Shardblades. Those who wield these weapons have the power of gods and rule as kings. Wars are fought for theses weapons. One such war currently wages on. Kaladin, a surgeon turned soldier turned slave, must fight for his survival and the survival of his man. Brightlord Dalinar Kholin, who leads the armies of Kholinar, begins to recieve visions of the Knights Radiant. Across the sea, a young woman named Shallan plans to steal a powerful artifact from Dalinar’s niece to save her family. Something much bigger and more dangerous lies in wait for all. No one will be ready to learn the true cause of the war.

I understand the hype now. I am now aboard the Brandon Sanderson hype train. I bought book two of this series when I was about halfway through this book. The Way of Kings is an incredible start to such a well-crafted and detailed series. Acoording to what I have read, this book took ten years to plan and it shows. I loved all of the characters and the way the plot fell into place just felt right. This is a super long book (coming in at 1,252 pages) but every single chapter is so well written. In a rare turn for fantasy books, I liked every character’s POV that I read. Sometimes, when it comes to fantasy books that switch character POVs, I get bored with certain characters and skip or skim a bit. Every one felt interesing and crucial, even the interludes. The Way of Kings fully lives up to the hype and I cannot wait to keep reading this series.

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Whatever it costs to achieve that goal, I will pay it: Reviewing Star Wars: Lesser Evil (Book 3 of the Ascendancy Trilogy) by Timothy Zahn

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well! I’m finally wrapping up the Thrawn: Ascendancy Trilogy. Feel free to go back and read the rest of my reviews of any and all Star Wars-related books. I read way more than I anticipated and have enjoyed all of them in their own ways. It’s time to talk about my latest read, Lesser Evil.

The Chiss Ascendancy is starting to fall apart. A clever foe has turned the Nine Ruling families and the Forty against each other. Alliances are tested and trust is breached among the Chiss. Civil war is on the horizon and it will cost the Ascendancy thousands of years of peace and stability. There is one thing, one mythical thing, that could save the Chiss. Thrawn must delve deep into the Ascendancy’s dark history to find the key to saving his people. The only way to save the Chiss will be to make the ultimate sacrifice and only Thrawn can be the one to make that sacrifice.

In hindsight, I am glad that I read the Thrawn trilogy before this one. Timothy Zahn has done a thorough job of creating such an interesting character as Thrawn and illustrating this tangled drama of espionage and war. It felt like a soap opera, but I say that with love. It was a bit tricky to keep up with, but all of the plot points come together nicely in the end. I liked the pacing of this one significantly better as you could see the build-up to the final battle throughout the book. I was so excited about the action because Zahn always delivers on space battles. All in all, the Ascendancy Trilogy was a super fun read and any Star Wars fan will have fun with these books.

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Love is never wrong: Reviewing A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock

Hi everyone! I’m trying to get these reviews out as fast as I can. My TBR pile has gotten out of control but that is my own fault. I have so many thoughts and opinions I want to share with all of you. It feels like a lot of pressure having over 500 people who want to know what I think about books. It’s really fun, though, and I thank you for your interest in this blog. I think I should stop rambling and start talking about A Botanical Daughter, don’t you?

Content Warning: Violence, Graphic Bodily Injury, Animal Death, Sexual Content

Gregor Sandys is a botanist who specializes in exotic plants. Simon Rievaulx is a skilled taxidermist. The gentlemen make an unusual pair but a pair, nonetheless. In their estate of Grimfern, the men can live as they want and practice their strange hobbies. Gregor’s newest specimen, a fungus, changes everything they know when it begins to show signs of intelligence. Inspired by this shocking development, Gregor hatches a plan that will launch him into fame. The only problem is that he needs a corpse. Gregor and Simon quickly learn that they cannot control nature, especially not when it has a mind of its own.

Imagine if Frankenstein was actually kind of cute and you get A Botanical Daughter. Noah Medlock’s unique take on the story of the “manmade monster” is strangely tender and romantic. It’s a story of a group of strange people who love each other for their strangeness when the rest of the world has rejected them. While it is certainly gory in parts, it doesn’t take away from the romances that are at the heart of this novel. The character development was great to read too. Tt is nice to have a queer story where there is hope for the characters at the end. It can be difficult to find LGBTQ+ literature that isn’t depressing but Noah Medlock delivers a breath of fresh air. I wish I had finished this for Pride Month because it would have been perfect for that, but we can celebrate Pride all year round. With all of this being said, go read A Botanical Daughter as soon as you can.