REVIEW: 2015 Reading Review Challenge Parts 4 & 5
It has been a few months since the challenge was issued by Mark Lawrence and I am finally able to report that I have finished reading all 26 books that were assigned to me. Shortly following this review I will post my favorite read of the challenge and then await part 2 of the challenge where all 10 of the reviewers will submit their favorite book and have the other 9 reviewers read their choice and with luck, proclaim a winner. But before that can happen, I have to let you know about the last books that I read:
PART 4
17. Disciple by L. Blankenship
The saints favor her, else-wise a peasant girl like Kate Carpenter would never be apprenticed to the kingdom’s master healer. But her patron saint also marks her ready for the duty of tending to a mission that must cross the ice-bound mountains. Their little kingdom faces invasion by a vast empire and desperately needs allies; across the snow-filled pass, through the deathly thin air, is a country that’s held off the empire and may be willing to lend an army. Kate knows about frostbite and the everyday injuries of wilderness travel. She can heal those.
She’s not ready for the attentions of a ne’er-do-well knight and the kingdom’s only prince, though.
And she isn’t ready for the monsters that harry them night and day, picking off their archers first, wearing the party to exhaustion, pushing Kate beyond the limits her healing abilities.
She must keep them alive, or her blood will be on the snow too.
THOUGHTS- This was a decent read, female protagonist that can handle her own even if she is thrown into the deep end at the beginning of the book. The reason that I didn't pick this one is that it was a little bit on the light side of fantasy, which isn't a bad thing but if it were grittier it might have had my vote.
18. The London Project by Mark J. Maxwell
Portal has transformed the lives of London's residents. From communications to entertainment,
Detective Sergeant Louisa Bennett is assigned to investigate the death of a young girl. The autopsy is inconclusive, revealing an unidentifiable cellular structure permeating the victim’s brain. Louisa’s case is further complicated when no trace of the girl can be found within Portal. It’s as if she doesn’t exist.
Following an attack on Portal’s network, private data on every London resident is leaked. In the ensuing chaos, three high-ranking members of a criminal syndicate are assassinated. It becomes clear to Louisa that the perpetrators have used Portal’s systems to coordinate the killings. When she uncovers a connection between her own case and the Portal breach, Louisa becomes a target herself.
To save her own life Louisa must uncover the truth behind the girl’s death — a truth which leads her deep into the heart of The London Project.
THOUGHTS- This one was my favorite out of the five books in this batch. It is a futuristic CSI set against a neo-London setting. Louisa Bennett is a pretty well written character to boot.
19. Blame the Bearer by Francis Pauli
THOUGHTS- I had a hard time getting into this one and for that reason alone I just couldn't advance it any further.
20. Synchronicity by William Dooling
Everyone inside, no matter how trivial, prestigious, or eccentric, is a suspect.
No one has the foggiest idea why in the hell someone would threaten to bomb a library.
Whatever the explanation, our heroes have to work fast. They have until the end of the semester to find the truth and stop the mad bomber…if either even exists at all.
THOUGHTS- Another book I just had a hard time getting into.
21. The Violet Fox by Clare C. Marshall
That’s what instinct told me.
But in order to save the secrets of my people
and to protect my brother
I have to become the enemy.
There are two kinds of people in the land of Marlenia.
The Marlenians, who live on the surface,
and the Freetors, who are forced to live underground.
The war between them ended two hundred years ago, but the Freetors still fight for the right to live under the sun. Fifteen-year-old Kiera Driscoll embodies the Freetors’ hopes as the Violet Fox. In a violet cape and mask, she sneaks around Marlenia City stealing food and freeing her people from slavery.
Then the Elders task her with a secret mission: retrieve a stolen tome that contains the secrets of Freetor magic, something the Marlenians both fear and covet. Kiera must disguise herself as a noblewoman and infiltrate the Marlenian castle before the Freetor-hating Advisor finds out her real identity, before her brother is imprisoned because of the secrets he hides, and before she falls any more in love with the prince she’s supposed to hate.
More is happening in the castle than she realizes, and Kiera is faced with a difficult choice. Will she be loyal to her people and their fight for freedom, or will she be loyal to her heart?
THOUGHTS- World building is great and the characters have flashes of brilliance but in the end the story just didn't grab me.
The books that were in the fourth group of books were a mixed bag but in the end I had to go with The London Underground as the character was interesting and the setting unique.
PART 5
22. Black Redneck versus The Space Zombies by Steven Roy
Those worlds didn't have a Black Redneck.
***
Jefferson Balladeer is an African American who was adopted as an infant by the Balladeer family of Picayune, MS. When Ma and Pa Balladeer die in a car crash, it’s left to Jefferson’s older brother, Big Beau Balladeer, to raise Jefferson.
While Big Beau is large of heart and body, he’s not the ideal caregiver for the naturally intellectual Jefferson. Big Beau teaches young Jefferson the only thing he knows, how to be the ultimate redneck.
Jefferson grows up to be a rodeo star and an expert marksman, and, as Big Beau would say, a certified, grade A ass-kicker. Jefferson becomes known as the Black-Redneck.
When Jefferson is seventeen, he begins to question what he wants to do and who he really is. To further complicate matters, he finds out Pa-Balladeer told everyone that he adopted Jefferson so he could haul watermelons and cut wood.
Jefferson puts Picayune in his rear view mirror and doesn’t plan on ever stepping foot in Mississippi again.
Twelve years later, Big Beau gets himself killed in a drunk driving accident, and Jefferson learns he is the sole heir of Balladeer farm.
Jefferson decides to turn the massive plot of land into a huge subdivision. The people of Picayune are not happy.
Jefferson’s plan is going great until a creature known as the Devourer falls from the sky and begins turning the good people of Picayune into Space-Zombies. (Don’t you hate when that happens?)
What Jefferson thought of as a major inconvenience turns into a struggle for survival against a creature that has destroyed countless worlds.
Now, if Jefferson hopes to survive and save the world, he’ll have to remember all his rodeo and shooting skills. He’ll have to take one last ride as the Black-Redneck.
THOUGHTS- This books gets the original title award hands down. The book was decent and the set up worth it. Some of the jokes didn't work all that well for me. They were all hit or miss, but it does get runner up in this group.
23. Stone and Blood by Robert Michael
When four protectors of the King are accused of treason, the strings that bind the kingdom of
The Grey Guards are known for their loyalty and fealty to the crown of Avignon. They come from all walks of life but have one thing in common: they are sworn to protect the king. The accusation of treason is just one indication that something in the kingdom is amiss.
The lives of Lysander, Emilianno, Berry, and Moliere depend upon the word of the High Priest. The problem is, the priest has been tainted. The friends are left with a choice. Do they accept their fate or die defending their innocence?
Stone & Blood is the first book in The Four Grey Guards of Avignon series. Stone & Blood is a tale of betrayal and redemption, vengeance and friendship.
THOUGHTS- Another strong contender as we have a ragtag band of warriors looking to clear their name and set things right.
24. Crooks and Straights by Masha du Toit
None of this concerns Gia, until the Special Branch— police who investigate the illegal use of magic— come knocking at her door, looking for Nico. When Gia turns to her parents for help, she finds only more secrets. Then she realises that she was the one who put her brother in danger.
THOUGHTS- It was nice to have a new setting for urban fantasy and Cape Town comes alive in this book. The setting alone is worth the read but when you mix in the plot and characters the book comes alive and is very impressive.
25. Cauyuyé by Nicholas Mena
Tomas is a young man with no prospects or aspirations for his future in his modern, Caribbean town. A mishap during a fishing trip transports him to a secluded island utopia in a tribal village with a beautiful girl named Cayuyé who claims that his name is Bori and he is her husband. Tomas struggles with this new world and identity but soon accepts the peace and love he finds living as Bori. His life among these tribal people is filled with friends, family, and personal discovery, but it is all threatened when the Spirits offer him a choice in his destiny. Will he choose the people and this island village he holds so dear in his heart or will he pick Cayuyé, the love which has come to define his life in this paradise? The Spirits won’t let Bori rest easy until he finally accepts that the fate he set in motion is inescapable.
THOUGHTS- One of the shortest stories on my list for the challenge. I could easily see it being read in the classroom and deconstructed to enhance the story's meaning. Also has a great setting and while the ending was a bit predictable, still made for an enjoyable read.
26. Conqueror's Law by Steve S. Grant
Thoughts- this is without a doubt the grittiest book of the bunch. Strong characters and a decent adventure. Only complaint was that the formatting was a bit troublesome and there were some spelling/grammatical errors early on in the book.
OVERALL
The fifth and final group was a tough one as they ran the gambit and made things interesting. With that said, I have to go with Crooks and Straights as my favorite book in this group. Only because it was very easy to get into and had a setting that was unique.
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