Roger's Reads

Author & Book Reviewer

Review of The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

by Leave a Comment

Girl in the tower book coverThis is the second book in the Winternight Trilogy and takes place in the mid-fourteenth century.

The Story

The Girl in the Tower picks up shortly after the events of the first book, The Bear in the Nightingale. Vasya is on the run after being accused of being a witch and cast out by her village. Deciding against life in a convent or a life with a husband, Vasya takes off on her trusty stallion Solovey to see the world, a thirst for adventure in her blood.

Given that during this time period it is unheard of for a maiden to go off exploring on her own, Vasya disguises herself as a boy for protection. But she soon learns that the world is not without its cruelties as she stumbles upon village after village which has been burned down by Tartar bandits, many of the occupants murdered and their young daughters stolen away.

She eventually ends up in Moscow on the doorstep of her sister Olga and her brother Sasha, the monk. She plans to stay for a short visit in fear that her masquerade may endanger her siblings, but she inadvertently ends up catching the attention of her cousin Dmitrii, the Grand Prince of Moscow. Dmitrii is captivated by the brave and fearless young man named Vasilii he believes Vasya to be, which puts her, Olga’s and Sasha’s lives in danger as well as thrusts her in the midst of political intrigue and treachery. Then there’s the new mysterious lord, Kasyan Lutovich, who seems to have taken a particular interest in Vasya and she must now determine whether he’s friend or foe.

Soon she’s caught up in an intricate web of lies and deception, while carefully guarding the secret of her true gender and attempting to remain in Dmitrii’s good graces. This proves more difficult than she could have imagined once she learns that there’s a new evil force threatening her cousin’s kingdom and she is the only one who can stop it.

What I Liked

Like the first book, I adored Vasya’s character. I loved how she left her village with nothing and ended up falling in the good graces of the ruler of Moscow and becoming known to the people as a brave and fearless hero. Her strength, cunning, and bravery are truly admirable, and it was a treat watching her grow and develop into the strong, powerful, spirited and feisty woman she has become by the end of this second book.

I clearly got the feeling that Vasya was no longer a child and in this book, we’re introduced to Vasya the adult. This was especially evident in her reunion with Olga and Sasha. It was nice to see them together as adults, and it pleased me that after being alone and on her own for so long, Vasya was once again surrounded by the love and support of her family (even though they often didn’t see eye-to-eye).

What really resonated with me was the feminist statement the book made about the role of women in society. In this world, women had two choices: marriage or, if she couldn’t find anyone to marry her, a convent. This was a world in which women have no say, women did not ride horses, women did not go out on adventures, women did not dream of bettering themselves, women did not complain, and women often did not even leave the building. The role of the women was to bear her husband an heir and to manage the household. And here we have Vasya: a fiercely independent woman who ignores all of these societal conventions and decides to live life on her own terms, no matter what the ultimate cost to her. In this way, she is indeed a courageous and admirable character.

I also loved watching the evolution of Vasya’s relationship with Morozko and her sassy magical Bay Stallion Solovey. To my delight, Morozko the Frost Demon (AKA The Winter King or The Russian Death God) plays a much bigger part in this novel than in the first, and the scenes between him and Vasya were some of the most emotionally-intense and heart-wrenching in the book. We also learn quite a bit more about Morozko: his origins and his complicated role in Vasya’s life.

I once again enjoyed the supernatural aspect of the story and seeing Vasya’s interaction with the various spirits in the book, some of which help when things become dire. In addition to Morozko’s larger-than-life presence in certain scenes of the novel, we also have a tortured ghost, a sorcerer, a Firebird and several domovoi (local spirits/beings).

The world building in this book was phenomenal. I could almost taste the food the characters enjoyed at the feast and feel the frosty chill of the cruel Russian winter air upon my bare skin. The gorgeous descriptions and details in the book are vivid and lush, resulting in a truly atmospheric novel that’s moody, immersive and alive.

What I Didn’t Like

I am hard-pressed to come up with anything I disliked about this story. My only real niggle was that I would have liked to have learned more Koshchei the Deathless, who is the villain of our story. My knowledge in Russian folklore lacks in this department so a little more backstory on this character would have been helpful in understanding his role in the story. I would have liked to know more about his motivations and his reasons for doing what he did, which I felt were absent.

There were also a couple of scenes when Vasya acted way more immature than her years, and her treatment of others often had a bit to be desired, especially in regards to Morozko. I felt that her excessive harshness towards the frost demon was mostly unwarranted and undeserved, especially considering everything he did for her and how many times he saved her life.

Verdict

The vivid descriptions and thrilling storytelling resulted in an immersive and enchanting story. Arden managed to expertly infuse fascinating historical facts with fantastic elements giving us a spellbinding tale of political intrigue and uprisings, dark magic, deadly bandits, fantastical creatures, religious extremism, adventure, deception, betrayal and the dangers of hubris.

But moreover, the author gives us a brave, kick-ass and undoubtedly flawed heroine to save the day — a character you can’t help but fall in love with. We see how the fate of an entire country rests in the hands of a young girl who, without even realizing it, steps into the boots of a warrior.

All in all, The Girl in the Tower is an enthralling tale of folklore and magic with characters that are vivid and wonderfully rendered, and I absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to read the final book in this bewitching series.

Purchase The Girl in the Tower on Amazon

Purchase The Girl in the Tower on The Book Depository

Review of Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks by Nathan Burgoine

by Leave a Comment

Exit plans for teenage freaks book coverExit Plans for Teenage Freaks follows a 17-year-old gay high school boy named Cole who, after pushing open the front door to his high school, suddenly finds himself many miles away at the museum that he was thinking about. When he’s finally able to gather his thoughts, he can come to no other conclusion other than that he somehow had just teleported from his high school to the museum. His suspicion is confirmed when it happens again though this time he’s placed in a much more precarious situation.

From there, we follow a string of one awkward situation after another as Cole unwillingly “pops in” all over the place, even ending up outside of a glass shower door in which a boy from his school is showering. Cole pretty quickly figures out that any time he touches or walks through a door, he risks “poofing” to somewhere else.

Cole then notices that creepy people are staring at him whenever he teleports and it doesn’t take him long to figure out that they people may not have his best interest in mind. Eventually, he learns that these people plan to put a stop to his teleporting — by any means necessary.

What I Liked

This novel was so much fun that I ended up reading it in its entirety in just one sitting. This story gripped me to such an extent that I could not put it down. It was original and unique, and I couldn’t wait to see where the author was going to take us next. I loved the premise of Cole’s teleporting, especially once we discover the reason behind it.

I also really loved Cole’s character. He was sweet, bumbling, goofy and overall a likable and relatable guy who won me over right from the start. His bullet journaling and nerdy obsessive planning endeared him even more so to me. I enjoyed seeing his reaction as he discovered his new powers and figured out how to manage them on his own.

Additionally, I loved the representation in this novel in which our main character is gay, and his friends fall somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum: bisexual, pansexual, asexual and transgender. Additionally, Cole’s father is deaf, so it was also nice seeing the inclusion of the deaf community as well. I thought the author did an excellent job of representing the diverse characters in this story.

I also enjoyed how rich, well-developed and irresistible the secondary characters were. They were engaging, fully realized and super-relatable and I found myself ruminating over them well after I finished the novel.

Lastly, I thought the romance was perfect. I liked how it unfolded slowly and naturally and wasn’t at all rushed. The buildup was sweet and playful, and their relationship developed exactly as it should have.

What I Didn’t Like

Though we find out the reason that Cole has demonstrated his sudden talent for teleporting, I wish the author would have gone into a little more detail about it. I would have liked to know why Cole possessed this talent, its purpose and what is ultimately expected of Cole and others like him. I’m hoping that the reason this wasn’t explained is that the author plans on exploring these topics further in future books.

There were also so many themes running through this story, and I wished that the author had explored them more fully; so in this way, the book definitely could have been longer. I would have enjoyed a little more backstory, especially in regards to the past history of the secondary characters and the other teleporters.

Verdict

I loved this quirky and fun story! In Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks, the author has demonstrated a clear talent for writing a unique and compelling LGBTQ+ story and has proven that he can go beyond usual boundaries to create something truly unique and stunning. This is an offbeat, wonderfully weird, immersive book with an adorable cast of characters. The intrigue and excitement grow steadily throughout the novel resulting in a story that is difficult to put down.

By the end of the book, I was head over heels in love with the two main characters, and I really hope the author continues this story in future books.

A huge thank you to Net Galley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks at Amazon

Purchase Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks at The Book Depository

Review of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book 2: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

by Leave a Comment

Sea of monsters book coverFamilies are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we’re related, for better or worse … and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum. Hermes

This is the second book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and I enjoyed this book as much as the first.

The Sea of Monsters opens a few months after the events of the first novel with our favorite half-blood making an admirable attempt to fit in as school — or at least, not to destroy the school. He ends up befriending a massive, unpopular teenager named Tyson. He’s feeling pretty smug about making it almost through the entire school year without getting expelled when cannibalistic monsters attack Percy during gym class, and the whole school ends up pretty much destroyed.

Then Percy gets word that there’s big trouble at Camp Half-blood so against his mother’s wishes, he, along with Tyson, (who is actually a Cyclops as it turns out) and Annabeth, rush to the camp to help. There, Percy learns of a diabolical plan to destroy the camp. Someone has poisoned the pine tree which strengthens the magical boundary surrounding the camp and with the boundary weakened, monsters are at the borders attempting to break in. There is only one possible way to reverse the poisoning and restore the boundary, and that is to obtain the Golden Fleece.

After being encouraged by one of the gods (who has an ulterior motive), Percy among with Annabeth, the daughter of Athena and Tyson our friendly Cyclops, head off on a quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece from an evil creature named Polyphemus who, as it so happens, is also holding Grover (a satyr and Percy’s friend) hostage. It’s also worth mentioning that it’s very likely that Polyphemus will end up eating our poor Grover in the coming days.

Of course, there are those who don’t want them to succeed, so the trio has to overcome all sorts of obstacles before finding the fleece, including new enemies and an old arch nemesis.

What I Liked

I loved Percy Jackson’s character, and I enjoy how he grows and matures in each book. He’s now much more confident than he was in the first book though his insecurities do come through occasionally. But in spite of his uncertainties, I find him delightfully sarcastic, witty and humorous, all of which comes through in his narrative. He’s also a flawed character who does his fair share of screwing-up during the story. He’s often gullible and seems to fall for almost every trap placed in front of him, but somehow, he always manages to redeem himself at the end. In this book, we see an internal struggle as Percy reconciles his reputation and his need to be respected by his peers against his need for family, specifically his unpopular newly-found sibling.

I also loved Tyson, the newest character in the series. He comes across as being utterly innocent and sweet, yet also resourceful. By the end of the novel, I couldn’t help but love this sympathetic character. His character also helped deliver one of the more powerful messages of the book: how it’s important to accept other people no matter who or what they are, and how we cannot always judge by appearances alone.

Like the first novel, this book consisted of non-stop action which I loved! Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson, our resilient trio, ended up in one challenging situation after another, each time using their wits and talents to overcome and get back on track.

I also enjoy meeting all the new gods and creatures that are presented in each book. In this book, for instance, we get introduced to a new mythological creature, the adorable hippocampi who has the upper body of a horse and the lower body of a dolphin, the deadly Sirens, the three taxi-driving eyeball-sharing Fates, and the witch, Circe who has an unusual penchant for guinea pigs. Of course, old enemies appear as well. Reading these novels is an excellent way to learn about mythology. I also felt that this novel added a lot more depth to the characters to whom we were introduced in the first book.

What I Didn’t Like

One thing I can think of that wasn’t quite up to par in this book was Luke’s character. He could have been built up a little more, given a little more depth perhaps. I’m also not entirely sure that I’m buying into his motivations which do seem a tad on the weak side. That being said, I look forward to seeing more of Luke’s puppet master in upcoming books — the big bad Chronos.

Another thing that I noticed while reading this book was that Annabeth’s character reminds me way too much of Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. It seems she has that same “little-miss-know-it-all” attitude which I find a touch annoying. I think I might have enjoyed a little more depth to and a little different spin on her character.

Mostly, however, there was not a lot that I disliked about this novel.

Verdict

Like the first book, The Sea of Monsters was a fun, exhilarating, fast-paced story with witty dialog and non-stop action, and I love the world that Rick Riordan has created here. The action is unrelenting, and the characters never lose their endearing humanity. There was a strong theme of friendship and family that ran throughout the novel which really resonated with me. All in all, this was a playful and rollicking book populated with lovable, memorable characters that kept me turning the page until the stunning ending. I can’t wait to read the third book!

Purchase the Sea of Monsters on Amazon

Purchase the Sea of Monsters on The Book Depository

Review of City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

by Leave a Comment

City of heavenly fire book coverI finally did it – I finished the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare by completing City of Heavenly Fire this month, the last and final book in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed delving into this series though there was a little bit of drag in the middle of it. But boy, what an ending!

As usual, I can’t say too much about this particular book without spoiling it for those who haven’t read the series and wish to. I will say that the fascinating tale of the Shadowhunters vs the ultimate evil comes to a conclusion in this book in an explosive showdown of which there is somewhat of a bittersweet feeling. It is war after all and people die. Even beloved characters. But I shan’t say more about that.

This final story in the series was one hell of an action-packed roller coaster ride with a satisfying ending, tragic deaths notwithstanding. I also really loved the original premise of the Heavenly Fire and how it worked in this book. Truly impressive.

And this story had the best villain ever. All in all, The City of Heavenly fire was a book with plenty of adventure, action and yes, heartbreak and I’m so glad stuck it out with this series.

Given that I already have the books in the next series, the Infernal Devices, I definitely will be continuing on with the Shadowhunter world.

Purchase City of Heavenly Fire at Amazon

Purchase City Heavenly Fire at The Book Depository

Review of The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay

by Leave a Comment

The far field book coverThis was a Book of the Month club selection for this month, and the synopsis sounded fascinating so I thought I’d pick it up. I was not disappointed.

The Story

The Far Field follows a young, fairly well-off Indian woman from Bangalore named Shalini, whose mother had recently passed away and Shalini is having a difficult time with her mother’s death. She recalls a Kashmiri clothes salesman named Bashir Ahmed who would visit her childhood home and with whom her misanthropic mother struck up a friendship, which in and of itself was unusual, given that her mother was hot-tempered, sarcastic, critical, brutal and mocking of pretty much everyone around her. She definitely was not a pleasant person to be around though Shalini was quite loyal to her. But regardless, Bashir would come to their house every couple of months and spend the afternoon with Shalini and her mother, and it was during those times that her mother appeared happy and joyful, something Shalini usually didn’t see in her mother. Bashir’s visits came to a sudden halt two decades earlier, however, and it was shortly after that when her mother’s mental health went downhill.

Shalini decides to head out to Kashmir find her mother’s long-lost friend, convinced that finding the man and telling him about her mother’s death will somehow bring her closure with her mother’s passing. It is a risky journey on her part given that Kashmir is wracked by war and unrest and that’s precisely what Shalini discovers in the remote Himalayan village where she finds herself. There, she’s immediately integrated into the lives of a generous family who not only offer her shelter and friendship but also protection. But the more her relationship with the local villagers and the family deepens, the more she unknowingly threatens their safety, especially when uncertainty and old hatreds resurface.

What I Liked

First off, I loved how real this story felt to me. I often forgot that I was reading fiction as it felt that I was hearing a memoir from the mouth of someone who had just gone through a challenging time in her life. The attention to detail and the rich descriptions of place in the story made me feel as though I were in the village right along with our protagonist.

I also enjoyed the manner in which the story slowly unfolded, in which the author switches, using alternating timelines, from Shalini’s childhood where we learn about her and her parents, to the present day where we are transported to her time in Kashmir. So we’re allowed to see how Shalini’s past shaped her into the person she is today, for both good and ill. I thought she was a fascinating character and I enjoyed getting to know her as her story evolved. I also loved seeing the evolution of her complicated and often heart-wrenching relationship with her mother and how that relationship — and Shalini herself — changed after Bashir’s final visit.

I loved the many themes that run throughout the story: loss of one’s parent, loss of one’s spouse, grief, family, privilege, suicide, depression, reconnecting with those we have lost, trust, empathy, and politics. Though it is a relatively slow-moving character-driven story, there is so much going on throughout Shalini’s narrative, including numerous twists and turns, which managed to hold my attention throughout the book.

Along with the evocative sense of place, I also adored the secondary characters, all of whom really came to life in this story. They were so vivid, so real even raw at times. Though the rich storytelling, we were able to see and understand the motivations of these characters, with each and every one of them adding essential elements to the story.

I loved the manner in which the culture, the political strife and the unrest of the region were explained to us through the opinions of the locals, also providing us a first-hand account of their challenging everyday lives. I liked how dark and frequently grim situations in the story are lightened by realistic dialogue and genuineness of feeling on the part of the characters. Character development is undoubtedly among the Far Field’s list of shining accomplishments.

What I Didn’t Like

For the most part, I found very little to dislike with this book. There are certain aspects of Shalini’s character, however, that I didn’t particularly care for such as her rudeness and self-centeredness, her sense of entitlement as well as her immaturity. I also felt that her excessive naïveté was a bit over the top for a woman of her age and I had a difficult time buying into it. Though she did mature in several ways by the end of the book, I felt that she didn’t quite reach the level of maturity and empathy for the plight of others that she should have by the story’s end.

It’s also worth mentioning that this is a character-driven story, so there isn’t a lot of action going on in the beginning of the book. As such, the story does take a while to get going.

Verdict

The Far Field is an extremely rich and moving coming of age story that deals with many loaded issues, including class prejudice, guilt, coming to terms with one’s identity, forgiving ourself, regret, taking a good hard look at our beliefs and choices and learning how to live with and accept the terrible decisions we make in life. The author also manages to humanize and provide compassionate insight into the conflict between India and Pakistan that’s plagued the area for so long and in so doing, manages to hit the reader right in the heart.

Though unsettling at times, I felt that this book was also an extraordinary story of a young woman’s passage to self-discovery as she tries to make sense of the chaos around her. This was a subtle blow-me-away kind of book on so many levels, and I’m still mulling it over many days later. I ended up loving this hauntingly beautiful novel and look forward to reading more by this author.

Purchase The Far Field from Amazon

Purchase The Far Field from The Book Depository

Review of Spells and Scones by Bailey Cates

by Leave a Comment

Spells and scones book coverSpells and Scones by is another cozy mystery that I heard about on my library’s podcast, and it sounded like fun.

It takes place in Savannah and follows magical baker Katie Lightfoot who is catering a book signing by a famous self-help author at the bookstore next door to her bakery. A huge crowd gathers for the event, and as the author, Dr. Dana arrives, a few people loudly protest and heckle this self-help Guru, primarily because of her “Radical Trust” philosophy which has proven detrimental to many relationships and something that I found quite creepy. Some of the people there to protest were very, very angry, as some of their marriages were ruined due to Dr. Dana’s advice.

After the reading, the author is ushered to the back of the store to sign some books. Not long afterward, she is found laying on the floor, dead with a scent of almonds in the air. Murder by cyanide, as it turns out. A woman, who was standing over the body when it was discovered, becomes the prime suspect.

As it turns out, the woman accused of the murder is a former witch named Angie Kissel who had stopped practicing magic. She was also divorced after having followed the relationship advice of Dr. Dana. Quinn, the detective assigned to the case, considers it and he is confident that Angie did it.

But Katie’s canine familiar, a little dog named Mungo who once belonged to Angie, convinces Katie that Angie is innocent and urges her to investigate. Deciding to help the woman, Katie delves into the mystery and as she does so, discovers that there are several possible suspects.

Spells and Scones was a light, fun, witchy cozy mystery and, as it turns out, book 6 in the Magical Bakery series. Though it wasn’t an overly complex or twisty mystery, it was a satisfying read with whimsical characters and I may read more books in this series in the future. There are also some delicious-sounding recipes at the end of the book.

Purchase Spells and Scones at Amazon