Monthly Archives: January 2019

Too Many Faery Princes

Book Review of Too Many Faery Princes, by Alex Beecroft

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I picked up a copy of Too Many Faery Princes (by Alex Beecroft) on Amazon.

Description from Goodreads: 
Kjartan’s family is royally dysfunctional. He’d prefer to ignore the lot of them, but can’t since his father has set him and his brothers on a quest to win a throne Kjartan doesn’t even want. Worse, his younger brother resorts to murder and forces Kjartan to teleport—without looking where he’s going. 

Art gallery worker Joel Wilson’s day has gone from hopeless, to hopeful, then straight to hell. One minute he’s sure his boss has found a way to save the floundering business, the next he’s scrambling to sell everything to pay off a loan shark. If anyone needs a fairy godmother right now, it’s Joel. What he gets is a fugitive elven prince in a trash bin. 

They’ll both have to make the best of it, because fairy tales run roughshod over reluctant heroes. Particularly when there aren’t enough happy endings to go around. 

Review:

I thought this was a very sweet, low heat MM romance. I appreciated the diversity in the small cast and the happy for now ending. The writing was perfectly serviceable, but there wasn’t anything particularly stand-out in the plot (other than it being about a prince, instead of a princess). It was pretty much exactly what you would expect it to be, nothing more/nothing less. There’s not much more to say on the matter.

The Emperor's Soul

Book Review of The Emperor’s Soul, by Brandon Sanderson

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I borrowed a copy of Brandon Sanderson‘s The Emperor’s Soul from my local library.

Description from Goodreads:

Shai is a Forger, a foreigner who can flawlessly copy and re-create any item by rewriting its history with skillful magic. Condemned to death after trying to steal the emperor’s scepter, she is given one opportunity to save herself. Though her skill as a Forger is considered an abomination by her captors, Shai will attempt to create a new soul for the emperor, who is almost dead. 

Probing deeply into his life, she discovers Emperor Ashravan’s truest nature—and the opportunity to exploit it. Her only possible ally is one who is truly loyal to the emperor, but councilor Gaotona must overcome his prejudices to understand that Shai’s forgery is as much artistry as it is deception. 

Review:

This was an interesting little stand-alone novella (though it’s apparently set in the same universe as others of Sanderson’s books). I liked the writing and the way we got to know the few characters we got to know. Considering how short it is, I thought some of the explanations a bit too lecture-like. But all in all I enjoyed this. It lasted just long enough for me to sup a rather large latte, and exactly what I was looking for.

The Passage

Book Review of The Passage, by Justin Cronin

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I borrowed an audio copy of The Passage (by Justin Cronin) through my local library.

Description from Goodreads:

“It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born.” 

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.

Review:

When I finished this 800 page (37 hour audio) book and came upstairs to rant, “You will never believe…” at my husband, his response was that my review should read only, “Justin Cronin, fuck that guy.” And while that’s going a bit far, considering the book is pretty good, writing an 800 page epic that ends on a cliffhanger deserves at least an adjacent “fuck you.” For real! Yeah, I’m lookin’ at you Cronin. 

Outside of the lack of ending, the book has an interesting zombie/vampire blend going on and an engaging cast (just don’t get too attached to anyone), and a thought provoking plot. It also has an unexpected (by me) religious undertone. The thing is all a fairly blunt Noah/Floodesque purging of evil for the betterment of man parable. 

I do think it’s far too long. There just isn’t any reason it needs to be almost 800 pages long. It wanders and wends too much. While I’m interested in finishing the story, I’m not up for two more tomes of this length to get it. I’m stepping away. Maybe I’ll come back to it. Maybe. 

On a side note, the narrators (Scott Brick, Adenrele Ojo, and Abby Craden) did an excellent job.