Category: Reviews

Review: Dewdrop

DeAnneLeave a comment

Title: Dewdrop
Author and Illustrator: Katie O’Neill
Publisher: Oni Press
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020

Synopsis: Dewdrop is an easygoing, gentle axolotl who enjoys naps, worm pie, and cheerleading. When the yearly sports fair nears, he and his friends—Mia the weightlifting turtle, Newman the musical newt, and three minnows who love to cook—get ready to showcase their skills to the whole pond! However, as the day of the fair gets closer, Dewdrop’s friends can’t help putting pressure on themselves to be the best. It’s up to Dewdrop to remind them how to be mindful, go at their own pace, and find joy in their own achievements.

As soon as I heard that Katie O’Neill was coming out with another book I had to read it. I absolutely love the messages she weaves into her books and her art style. The bright color palette and her adorable characters are sure to draw anyone in, but in all her works there are beautiful stories and messages that are great for all ages.

Dewdrop is an adorable little axolotl who loves being a cheerleader and encouraging his friends. As they are preparing for the sports festival each of his friends encounter setbacks with what they are trying to do, but Dewdrop is there to help them through their difficulties and offer support.

This was such as a wonderful read that will be amazing for younger children, I’ll definitely be picking up a copy for my niece once it comes out!

If it sounds like something that you or someone you know would like, be sure to pick up a copy when it comes out April 7th, 2020 from Oni Press. Happy reading!

Review: The Cold is in Her Bones

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When I first heard that this book was a take on Medusa, I was instantly intrigued and wanted to check it out. Things based on mythology always pique my interest as that’s one of my buzzwords/favorite concepts. This book did not disappoint on the Medusa aspect for sure.

After the prologue (which gives us a glimpse of events in the past) we follow Milla, who is sheltered and lives a quiet life outside of the village with her parents and brother. As the story unfolds we learn about the curse that the village lives under where young girls get afflicted by a “demon” and get taken away. We then continue to follow Milla as she does everything she can to learn more and to help those she cares about.

This book opens up great conversations about the extremes that some religious beliefs can go to and what happens when people react harshly out of their fear. In some ways you could draw some parallels to stories such as those written about the events that happened during the Salem witch hunts. There’s also a lot of talk about oppressing females if they don’t act the norm or perfectly obey. I felt that these concepts were subtle enough to not be overt, but still there.

Overall I really enjoyed this read and loved how the story unfolded. I would recommend picking it up if you’re looking for something mythology based or perfect for the spooky season.

Happy reading!

Review: Raven the Pirate Princess Vol 1

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I’ve heard of this graphic novel before, but the few things I’d heard of it didn’t tell me much about the synopsis. Still, when I saw it in my local comic shop I was intrigued enough to pick it up.

In this we follow Raven, whose been usurped by her greedy brothers and has the sole purpose of getting back what’s hers. This volume primarily focuses on her gathering a crew and starting her adventure. Though her main purpose remains the same throughout the volume we do see a lot of flashbacks that show what lead her to this place in her life. It’s also very diverse in respect to personalities, race and sexuality.

I loved the art style of this graphic novel, it was very realistic yet vibrant and dynamic. I look forward to reading more of this series and seeing where things go. It will be interesting to see if some of Raven’s motivation changes or not.

If you’re looking for a fun, feminine pirate adventure with tons of humor and a promising story line that is sure to lead to capers.

Happy reading!

Review: The Circle

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When I was offered this book I was immediately interested, anything with fairies immediately draws my interest, especially when they weave in some of the different aspects of fairies. The Circle introduces us to Calum who is living with guilt over the disappearance of his cousin and who is trying to figure out his place in not only the world of the Sidhe but also in the human world. The story really gets going when he meets Lauren, a human girl.

A lot of the first half is world building and setting the story and characters, but in a first book in a series that is understandable. The second half of the book moves pretty quickly as we discover that the different events in their lives are likely tied together.

I’m eager to see where the rest of the series takes these characters and could definitely see how seemingly minor characters could play a larger part in future books.

The Circle is out now from Vulpine Press. Thanks again to them for offering me a copy of this book. Happy reading!

Review: The Babysitters Coven

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Title: The Babysitters Coven
Author: Kate Williams
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: September 17th, 2019

When I first read the concept of this book, I wanted to read it immediately. Babysitter’s Club meets Buffy? Yes, please! While the book did meet that brief, there were some aspects that I didn’t love. I really enjoyed all of the great pop culture references (Labyrinth, Buffy, Harry Potter and more) as well as some of the discussion surrounding difficult issues such as Esme’s mom’s condition and how the town/school treated her because of it, as well as her internal dialogue about her worries and fears. Esme’s voice/point of view is rather harsh at times, which could be considered unlikable or polarizing, but for the age of the character it is understandable.

I do wish that some things had been a little more descriptive. At times the relationships between people didn’t seem to be as close as they were described. Also, a lot of the characters (granted, more minor characters) could have used more description to differentiate them from each other. That being said though, this was mostly with characters that only appeared a few times and I’m sure that if they show up in future books they will be fleshed out more.

The last half of the book was jam packed with action and went much faster than the 1st half, which I really enjoyed. There were definitely a lot of twists and turns that were surprising, but there were also many twists that were pretty predictable. There were times that I had a hard time liking Esme and Cassandra (mostly Cassandra) because of their decisions, but I could see some of those things being addressed in future books. In that respect this book set up future conflicts really well.

All in all I did enjoy this book and as I said the last half was really quick paced and enjoyable. If you’re looking for books that have great pop culture references, lots of mystical and paranormal content and babysitters who have to protect the world, then you’ll probably enjoy it. It was definitely a fun book with a lot of quirks and capers.

The Babysitters Coven is out now from Delacorte Press, so be sure to pick up a copy if it’s something that is up your alley, Happy reading!

Review: The Girl the Sea Gave Back

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By Adrienne Young
Rating – 4 stars

While this book is set in the same world as Sky in the Deep, I believe it can be read as a stand alone and as its own story. It follows Tova and Halvard primarily, as well as their respective peoples. I loved the world building and the rich lore/mythology that has been woven in, but did find some plot points pretty predictable (not in a bad way, just I pretty much knew certain things that would happen).

Tova’s struggle to find her place and to know who she really is was well flushed out, as was Halvard’s doubt of himself and other’s faith in him. Watching them grow and come into their own throughout the story was wonderful to see, as were the frequent flashbacks that provided glimpses into their respective childhoods.

I did feel the ending was a little abrupt and would have loved there to be an epilogue. When I reached the end of the book I really though there would be at least a few pages more, something solid about what came to pass. Can you assume what happened after the end? Yes, you absolutely can – but I would have loved something more final.

All in all I did enjoy the book and it made me want to pick up more similarly themed books. It was an action packed adventure that I really had fun reading and would definitely recommend to others.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back is out now, so be sure to check it out if it’s something you would like. Happy reading!

Review: The Days of Guns and Roses

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If you’re looking for a first book in a series that features a rag tag group of adventurers against what seem like impossible odds, you should definitely check this book out. It follows our main character, Emily, who is a gifted fighter graduating from school with no real direction. The one job she wants doesn’t seem to be available, until she received a strange request from a representative of the organization she wishes to work for.

While the world building in this book was really good, I found myself wanting even more. The author does a really good job of explaining the core concepts and constructs of the world, but when he delved into background and history I just wanted it to be expanded even more. Hopefully the future books will have even more expansion of the world.

I really enjoyed Emily’s adventures and her blunders in creating meaningful relationships. She a little unpolished and quick to rush to judgements, but the book shows her growth as she learns to interact and work with others.

All in all a fun adventure that is definitely looking to shape up into an epic series. The Days of Guns and Roses is out now, so be sure to pick it up now. Thanks again to Vulpine Press for sending me a copy.

Happy reading!

Review: Mercenary’s Child

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In Mercenary’s Child we mainly follow Janus, a young man from the slums of Cerberus Corporation. No one knows where he came from, as another girl in the slums, Clara, found him and raised him by herself. From the very beginning you can tell that Janus has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He does come off as arrogant rather than just being sure of himself and pretty early on we can see this getting him into trouble. Pretty early on in the book he is sold by the higher ups of the corporation he lives in to the ODIN mercenaries.

The world building in this book is superb, though it does take up a good chunk of the book. You can really understand what has happened in this sci fi/dystopian world to get it where it is today. Once he is with ODIN, there is even more layering of the world. The usage of references to mythologies (especially Norse in the case of ODIN) was also a great touch.

A good portion of the book is also Janus and his fellow cadets training and learning the ways of ODIN, but it’s a great way for them to build relationships and to figure out what each is good at. We see more of Janus being arrogant and over confident, and being warned about what such attitudes could do. 

There is definite growth in Janus and his fellow cadets as they go through training and their first mission, where things far larger than them are revealed. The way the story ends, you know some things that will probably happen in the following book, but it’s also a good ending that leaves the reader anticipating what will be coming.

Thanks to Vulpine Press for giving me a copy of this book. It’s out now, so be sure to pick up a copy of it sounds like something you would enjoy. Happy reading!

Review: Case of the Shinigami by KC Hunter

DeAnneLeave a comment

When I saw this book available to me on Book Sirens I was immediately intrigued and excited to pick it up.

Case of the Shinigami is a prequel novella to the Kana Cold series and it a great introduction to the characters. Though it is short it is a great setup for what will be a paranormal series. This book is about Kana and her partner AJ as they tackle a case where a small child is being terrorized by an unseen force.

Glimpses of Kana’s personality and references to her past are few at first, but as the story goes on you start to learn some of the things that have shaped her and motivate her. She’s not the most likable person, doesn’t deal well with people and has a quick temper, but there are reasons that are slowly revealed.

I will definitely be picking up the first full book in the series as I feel like things that happened in this prequel will be playing a part in the series as a whole. This is creating a beginning to what looks to be an interesting and thrilling series full of adventure.

Be sure to check out this prequel and the series as it comes out if it sounds like it is up your alley, happy reading!

Review: Moonlocket by Peter Bunzl

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After reading Cogheart and loving it I was super excited to get a chance to read Moonlocket. Moonlocket picks up about six months after the end of Cogheart. Though this is a new adventure for Lily and Robert, it still deal with a lot of the fallout (mostly emotional) from the first book. Lily is dealing with not only feeling like she’s different than everyone else, but also feels a little smothered by the people around her. Robert on the other hand is trying to figure out what his place in the world is while also dealing with grief.

Bunzl’s writing is descriptive while also being easy to relate to. I love the world he’s created and the soul that he gives to the mechanicals. This story really delves into the past and reveals more about not only the central characters, but the world that they live in. 

This is a great coming of age story (or on the way to coming of age) that discusses things such as family and found family and how different or alike each can be. Subjects such as grief and those family ties can be hard subjects to adequately express and explain, but Bunzl does it perfectly. Each character has depth and personal stories that make them real to the reader and relatable. The adventure has a ton of twists and turns that make the story just fly by. I can’t wait to see what else Lily and Robert get themselves into in Skycircus.

If you’re interested in this series, be sure to pick up the first book Cogheart as well. Moonlocket is available now from Jolly Fish Press.

Happy reading!