Tread of Angels By: Rebecca Roanhorse Narrated by: Dion Graham Length: Not Yet Known Unabridged Audiobook Release date: 11-15-22 Language: English Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio Dion Graham could read me the phone book. Hell, he could read me any book, cereal box, or even Ikea instructions. The man's voice is liquid gold. He does an amazing job narrating Tread of Angels. So many different types of voices, angels, demons, elect, Virtues, Fallen, and the main characters. Mr. Graham creates them all. It was easy to know who was speaking because the voices he creates are unique. Now that I am done fangirling, let's discuss the book.
I have read two other fantastic books by Rebecca Roanhorse and this one did not disappoint. The world-building is amazing. This is not a long book but it manages to create a whole world, populated with unique characters, and leave me wanting more. The time period is 1883 and the location is the West. The ones who live there are descended from the Great Battle between the Angels and the Demons. Take that crazy world building and add a murder mystery, which I did not get until the book solved it. I came away from the book thinking about people I know like Celeste and feeling profoundly sad for them. I hope this is the start of a new series. There is so much richness in this short novel. I would like to see more. I received a copy of the audiobook from Simon & Schuster. After listening to it attentively, I wrote an honest review.
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Sins of the Fathers is the sequel to Morgan Brice's Kings of the Mountain. Sins accomplishes something sequels rarely do; it is as good as the first one. It picks up not long after the events of Kings of the Mountain. While Dawson and Grady have finally admitted their love for each other, the world around them seems to be trying to burn them down. The mysteries of Dawson's parents and Grady's parents deaths take center stage with attempts to kill individual family members. The action starts almost immediately and does not stop. There is more depth revealed in the characters. It made me more invested in the outcome of the story. I hope this series continues. There are so many possible plot bunnies to explore. I received a copy of the book from Story Origin. After reading the book, I wrote an honest review. If all your favorite friends from Haven Heart got together for a murder party . . . It is Halloween and everyone is jazzed for a night of fun at Joker's Sin. Atlas and his crew have pulled out all the stops in decorations, music, and drinks. Everybody has their costumes on and is enjoying the fun. But what's this? A dead body in the Men's Room? No one, me included, expected that. In the following days the Manos, Poe, and Black families (not blood but choice) struggle to find a connection between the multiple dead bodies and the method of their death. It was fun to see all my favorite Haven Heart characters ago, especially now that they have aged. Snow is just as sharp as ever. He never needs a weapon, his words are the killers. Eight and Rush are still "pinch your checks" sweet except that one of them is a murdery person. Fred makes a brief appearance. I would like more Fred, please. Maybe with a side of a big, possessive mobster? I enjoyed the book but it was short for all the action it contained. Law of Retaliation is a good read that left me wanting more. I must mention the cover which is exquisite. I received an Advance Review Copy which I read. I wrote an honest review. Blurb from Goodreads:
Humankind discovers intelligent life in an octopus species with its own language and culture, and sets off a high-stakes global competition to dominate the future. Rumors begin to spread of a species of hyperintelligent, dangerous octopus that may have developed its own language and culture. Marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen, who has spent her life researching cephalopod intelligence, will do anything for the chance to study them. The transnational tech corporation DIANIMA has sealed the remote Con Dao Archipelago, where the octopuses were discovered, off from the world. Dr. Nguyen joins DIANIMA’s team on the islands: a battle-scarred security agent and the world’s first android. The octopuses hold the key to unprecedented breakthroughs in extrahuman intelligence. The stakes are high: there are vast fortunes to be made by whoever can take advantage of the octopuses’ advancements, and as Dr. Nguyen struggles to communicate with the newly discovered species, forces larger than DIANIMA close in to seize the octopuses for themselves. But no one has yet asked the octopuses what they think. And what they might do about it. A near-future thriller about the nature of consciousness, Ray Nayler’s The Mountain in the Sea is a dazzling literary debut and a mind-blowing dive into the treasure and wreckage of humankind’s legacy. I chose A Mountain in the Sea from Netgalley because the blurb mentioned octopuses/octopi. I have been fascinated by octopi for years. Their intelligence and problem-solving capabilities are concepts I have surprised have not been mined in fiction more. Marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen is researching the octopi which seem to have language and culture. Many chapters begin with quotes from a book she wrote called How Oceans Think. The quotes from the book are interesting. I would read it if it was published. The author Ray Nayler presents the information in a way that I can understand. This information enriches the book. The story takes place in our future when there have been massive upheavals in the geopolitical sphere, and wars that caused environmental catastrophes in addition to killing large portions of the population. The main part of the book is about Dr. Ha and the two who are on the island with her. One is a woman who has been enhanced so she is as much a machine as a human. The other is an android whose perfection scared the population to the point where there were riots and social unrest. Now they are hidden on this island to help Dr. Ha with her research. There are several other strands that weave through the story and eventually meet in Dr. Ha’s story. Eunice Wong does an incredible job narrating. Each main character has a distinct voice. The narration is always clear even when describing actions like battles. I do not possess the words to describe how incredible and wonderful this book is. I have listened to it three times already. I am discovering new gems each time I listen. I have truly enjoyed this book. It took my imagination to new places and definitely new situations. It also made me think about what being human really means. @raynayler @Netgalley @EuniceWongActor Have mercy was a lovely romance but at times it made me so mad. The main characters Kerry and Julian are both men dealing with damage. Julian has serious PTSD from dealing with tours of duty in the army. A year after discharge and still, at loose ends, he accepts an invitation to go to his cousin's ranch in Wyoming to help with a building project. He's lived in New York City all his life but visited Wyoming several times as a child.
Kerry is a man who did the right things for the wrong reasons. He bowed to his family's demand that their ranch is the center of his life. Although he knew in high school that he was most probably gay, he hid himself because he did not want to disappoint his family. He married his high school sweetheart and they had one child Ainsley. When Kerry's wife Sienna found out he was gay, it was not a smooth, happy coming out. It was followed immediately by his family shutting him out. And then his daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. Through all of this and continuing throughout the story, he has carried such a burden of guilt. That burden affects him just as much as Julian's PTSD affects him. I enjoyed the characters. I enjoyed the setting. The story was lovely. It was a gentle reaching of two men for each other and recognizing in each other the damage. What I did not like and what made me so mad was the pressure that was put on Kerry that even though he came out he still needed to keep quiet. He still needed to not date anybody. He still needed to make his family's ranch and now his and Sienna's farm the center of everything. The pressure on him to carry the burden of guilt and anger from everybody else. I just wanted to go slap his family upside the head. Nick Russo did a nice job narrating. He has distinct voices for Kerry and Julian. I was somewhat surprised that Julian did not have a definite accent coming from New York. Other than that the voices were all very good and easy to understand. I received a copy of Have Mercy from Audible because I won a contest on Facebook run by the author. I listened to the book and then wrote an honest review. I am going to look for more from Christina Lee since I really enjoyed this story. The Ferryman is world-building at its best. Having read Mr. Cronin’s Passage trilogy I expected nothing less and this book blew me away. The story takes place in a rigid class society on the island nation of Prospera. Those who live on Prospera have all they need to live comfortably. They are educated. They do not have to worry about the necessities of food and shelter. Those that live on Annex serve those on Prospera. They are given only enough to do the manual and servant labor that Prospera needs. The final island is the Nursery and this is where the world-building tells you that this is a science fiction/fantasy story. All the islands exist within a veil that protects them from the catastrophes of the world. Proctor is the main narrator. His story is told in the first person. At times the story switches to a third-person view to illustrate what is happening beyond Proctor’s surroundings. The story begins when Proctor is forty-two and fifteen years into his marriage with Elise. He and his wife and their families all live on Prospera and are privileged. There are characters from the Annex who play a large part in the story. I am not sure what plot points I can discuss without giving away the majority of the twists and turns this book takes. And it does have some really big turns. Arrival at the end is satisfying and breathtaking. I needed to take a moment to just appreciate the journey The Ferryman took me on. I have already preordered the Audible version of the book which releases May 2, 2023. The Ferryman is on my list of the best books I have read or listened to in 2022. I received an advanced review copy of The Ferryman from NetGalley. I read the book, read it again, and then wrote an honest review. #TheFerryman #NetGalley Kings of the Mountain by Morgan Brice Kings of the mountain really was an excellent book. I love the main characters. Dawson is returning from two tours overseas during the war. Not all his injuries are apparent. He has some severe PTSD. He's coming home to take up the family business. The family business is killing monsters. Grady is two two years younger than him and a cousin but not by blood. Dawson and Grady have had feelings for each other for years but Dawson always stopped anything because Grady was younger. The relationship in the book is interesting. They both love each other. There is a back and forth caused by Dawson coming to accept it is ok to love Grady, his cousin, and grieving the traumatic death of his father. The world-building is terrific. A world where monsters exist but the public does not know. In the rural area surrounding the mountain where the King family lives, long-time residents know to call the Kings for help with unusual problems. Kings of the Mountain is the first book in a series. I am on board for the rest of the series. I received a copy of Kings of the Mountain from Story Origins. I read it and wrote an honest review. |
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