Review | The Mystery of the Moon Tower (The Pathfinders Society)

December 29, 2020December 29, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Viking has bought The Young Pathfinders, a middle-grade graphic novel series by Francesco Sedita and Prescott Seraydarian. The book will be illustrated by Steve Hamaker. The Young Pathfinders is an adventure story featuring a diverse group of kids thrown together in a summer camp project. Researching their town’s history leads to a mysterious, abandoned castle that was once home to an eccentric inventor, and may still be home to great treasure.

I had to pick this one up when I read the premise and thought it would be a fun read – I wasn’t wrong. I will definitely be picking up other volumes as this was just a joy to read. A fun, puzzle solving mystery with a group of new friends. The art style is fun and vibrant, and the story flows super fast. I can’t wait to see what else they find on their adventures.

Happy reading!

Review | Misfit City Vol 2 by Kirsten Smith

December 28, 2020December 28, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Wilder and her friends continue their adventures, exploring the secrets of their sleepy hometown.

Wilder, Macy, Dot, Karma and Ed continue their hunt for notorious pirate Black Mary’s secret treasure, and uncover their sleepy town’s hidden secrets. With tensions running high, and the smell of the sea (and unclaimed treasure) fresh on the breeze, the girls will have to work together to keep clear of the Denbys and Horace Shipp, not to mention Wilder’s increasingly suspicious sheriff mom, to get out of this without walking the plank!

I’ve been wanting to pick up the second volume of Misfit City for a while now and finally was able to – then made sure to devour it in one setting. Being a great lover of The Goonies I instantly give points to anything that references it and this one for sure does that. Sure, it plays on a lot of the same themes and tropes, but it was just a fun time. I loved the dive into Black Mary’s story that happened in this one and how the story wrapped up especially. There were some instances where I felt like some of the characters were hard to tell apart, so it might have been nice to have a slightly smaller group, or have more unique traits to them, but that didn’t decrease my enjoyment in the story as they had their adventure and discovered the truth.

Happy reading!

Review | When Sharks Attack with Kindness by Andrés J. Colmenares

December 25, 2020December 25, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Cute, clever, and comically ingenious, Andrés Colmenares’ popular shark comics are a sweet, sincere tonic for these anxious, troubled times

This hardcover collection features the cute, uplifting and ingenious aquatic cartoons of Andrés Colmenares, the creator of Wawawiwa Comics, followed by millions of fans around the globe. While sharks are one of the ocean’s deadliest predators, these sharks can smell insecurity, doubt, and gloom, and are quick to strike — with kindness, cuteness, and positivity!

After reading a number of the short form comic books that have come out in the last year, I was really excited to pick this one up, especially after reading the synopsis and seeing the art style. This would be the perfect book to flip through if you’re needing a quick laugh, smile or pick me up. I loved all the scenarios in this book and the little snippets of friendships and life between the different creatures features (one of my favorites involved penguins, but there were so many good ones!). I especially loved the continuing thread of the main shark and his fish friend as they interacted with other characters and lived their lives. All in all it was fun and heartwarming, sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.

Happy reading!

Review | Two Truths and a Lie by Sarah Pinkser

December 21, 2020December 21, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Stella thought she’d made up a lie on the spot, asking her childhood friend if he remembered the strange public broadcast TV show with the unsettling host she and all the neighborhood kids appeared on years ago. But he does remember. And so does her mom. So why doesn’t Stella? The more she investigates the show and the grip it has on her hometown, the eerier the mystery grows.

Most of this story I spent not really knowing where it was going, but I did enjoy how the different pieces fell into place. I didn’t quite feel the ending suited it, but I think that was the result of what often happens with short stories – you end up wanting more. Whether it be more background, more foundation or just more plot to the story. I would have liked to delve more into who the Uncle Bob character was and find out the why of how things were, but I understand the author’s motivation in leaving such things out. At its core this is a psychological story and some of the elements are left open for the reader’s interpretation.

Happy reading!

Blog Tour | Mine to Keep by Rhenna Morgan | Review

December 15, 2020December 15, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Bonnie Drummond is from the wrong side of the tracks, raised in a family of liars and criminals. No matter how hard she tries to stay on the straight and narrow, she always finds herself sucked back into the family drama, forced to sacrifice everything she’s earned to protect her family.

But this time they’ve gone too far—crossed the wrong people—and to save them she’ll have to put her life on the line.

Roman Kozlov, enforcer for a New Orleans mafiya family, is the poster child for the life Bonnie is struggling to escape. But he’s also as alluring as he is dangerous, and it doesn’t take long for their lives to begin to mesh.

With Roman, Bonnie finds the family she never had.

As their race for answers heats up, so too does the budding romance between them. And with danger nipping at her heels and love threatening her heart, Bonnie must come face-to-face with her past if she wants to have a future.

After reading Hers to Tame I was excited to get the chance to read more from Rhenna Morgan and I have to say I wasn’t disappointed. I really enjoyed this story as well as the relationship between Roman and Bonnie. Bonnie of course was hesitant to some things because of her history with her family and Roman was definitely an alpha personality, but the way things came together was wonderful.

Though this one is part of a series you can definitely read it without reading the previous books. Morgan’s writing style is quick to read and has a ton of not only character development, but the plot is paced really well and constantly keeps you going forward.

A native Oklahoman, Rhenna Morgan is a certified romance junkie. Whether it’s contemporary, paranormal, or fantasy you’re after, Rhenna’s stories pack romantic escape full of new, exciting worlds, and strong, intuitive men who fight to keep the women they want. For advance release news and exclusive content, sign up for her newsletter at http://RhennaMorgan.com. You’ll also find all of her social links there, along with her smoking hot inspiration boards.

Happy reading!

Review | Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis

December 13, 2020December 13, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Things I know about Harrow Lake:
1.It’s where my father shot his most disturbing slasher film.
2.There’s something not right about this town.

Lola Nox is the daughter of a celebrated horror filmmaker–she thinks nothing can scare her.

But when her father is brutally attacked in their New York apartment, she’s quickly packed off to live with a grandmother she’s never met in Harrow Lake, the eerie town where her father’s most iconic horror movie was shot. The locals are weirdly obsessed with the film that put their town on the map–and there are strange disappearances, which the police seem determined to explain away.

And there’s someone–or something–stalking her every move.

The more Lola discovers about the town, the more terrifying it becomes. Because Lola’s got secrets of her own. And if she can’t find a way out of Harrow Lake, they might just be the death of her.

Harrow Lake is a book that will definitely have you doubting who is reliable and which way is up. There was a good chunk of the book where I was waffling between three or four stars, but the last 100 pages definitely pushed it up to four stars for me. Psychological horror is absolutely my favorite kind of horror and at first I wasn’t sure if this was where it was going. There are definitely some supernatural aspects as well.

I did really enjoy the story once it really got going. So many of the different characters seem either unreliable or like they are clearly holding information back. This sometimes is frustrating as I did find myself wanting more revealed about the town of Harrow Lake and the superstitions/legends that the townspeople had.

A also really enjoyed that as the story continued we found out that Lola herself might not be a reliable narrator as we followed her journey. There’s that constant question of whether or not she’s imagining everything or if there really is something supernatural, and that carried on through the book in its entirety.

If you like psychological horror that slowly unfolds throughout the story, definitely check out this one.

Happy reading!

Review | Beyond the Dragon’s Gate by Yoon Ha Lee

December 12, 2020December 12, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Former Academician Anna Kims research into AI cost her everything. Now, years later, the military has need of her expertise in order to prevent the destruction of their AI-powered fleet.

I wasn’t exactly sure what I was getting into with this story, but I knew I wanted to check out some of Yoon Ha Lee’s writing. I loved how we got dumped right into the middle of the story, and got little snippets of information about the ongoing conflict in the world from the main character’s perspective. I would definitely read more from this specific character’s view, but I did finish the story wanting a little bit more. Maybe a little more backstory, a little more fleshing out – but for a snapshot of a single concept/issue, this was a great read.

Happy reading!

Review | The Midwinter Witch by Molly Knox Ostertag

December 11, 2020December 11, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Magic has a dark side . . .

Aster always looks forward to the Midwinter Festival, a reunion of the entire Vanissen family that includes competitions in witchery and shapeshifting. This year, he’s especially excited to compete in the annual Jolrun tournament-as a witch. He’s determined to show everyone that he’s proud of who he is and what he’s learned, but he knows it won’t be easy to defy tradition.

Ariel has darker things on her mind than the Festival-like the mysterious witch who’s been visiting her dreams, claiming to know the truth about Ariel’s past. She appreciates everything the Vanissens have done for her. But Ariel still craves a place where she truly belongs.

The Festival is a whirlwind of excitement and activity, but for Aster and Ariel, nothing goes according to plan. When a powerful and sinister force invades the reunion, threatening to destroy everything the young witches have fought for, can they find the courage to fight it together? Or will dark magic tear them apart?

I’ve been putting off reading this one for far too long, probably because I didn’t want it too end. Safe to say I loved it. It had continuing things found family, diversity and discrimination – especially when it can happen within families. I have loved seeing how all of the characters have grown, but even more so how Aster has come into their own. They’re still young and can still get hurt, but there’s maturity that is coming with growing up. I really enjoyed the very real portrayal of conflicts that other members within a family may have, and how their actions can be misunderstood. Seeing the very real conflicts, and then resolutions when they happen I think is very important. I loved this series and highly recommend picking it up.

Happy reading!

Review | The Night Cyclist by Stephen Graham Jones

December 8, 2020December 8, 2020 DeAnne3 Comments

I have really been enjoying the Tor.com original short stories that are available and was super happy to see a couple by Stephen Graham Jones out there. Make sure you check out some of the short stories available as so far they are wonderful!

“The Night Cyclist” by Stephen Graham Jones is a horror novelette about a middle-aged chef whose nightly bicycle ride home is interrupted by an unexpected encounter.

After loving previous works by Stephen Graham Jones, I was thrilled to find some of his short stories available. I picked up a couple of them but The Night Cyclist was the first one I decided to read. Since the synopsis was very brief I didn’t know just what to expect, but as always I really enjoyed his writing style. It was really atmospheric especially when he was describing the scenes while the main character was cycling. There was just enough darkness to keep me in suspense until the climax of the story.

Happy reading!

Blog Tour | A Wolf For a Spell by Karah Sutton | Review

December 7, 2020December 6, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

The Girl Who Drank the Moon meets Pax in this fantastical tale of a wolf who forms an unlikely alliance with Baba Yaga to save the forest from a wicked tsar.

Since she was a pup, Zima has been taught to fear humans—especially witches—but when her family is threatened, she has no choice but to seek help from the witch Baba Yaga.

Baba Yaga never does magic for free, but it just so happens that she needs a wolf’s keen nose for a secret plan she’s brewing… Before Zima knows what’s happening, the witch has cast a switching spell and run off into the woods, while Zima is left behind in Baba Yaga’s hut—and Baba Yaga’s body!

Meanwhile, a young village girl named Nadya is also seeking the witch’s help, and when she meets Zima (in Baba Yaga’s form), they discover that they face a common enemy. With danger closing in, Zima must unite the wolves, the witches and the villagers against an evil that threatens them all.

While I knew a little about Baba Yaga and some of her attributes, I have never really read a story involving her and I’m so glad this was my first. We follow a few different perspectives in this story with Baba Yaga being one of them, the others being Zima (a wolf) and Nadya (a young girl). At the surface this could certainly be framed as a fairy tale, but I felt it went much deeper than that. The three characters we follow as well as other characters go through transformations. There’s a lot of narrative about not taking things at face value and forming their own opinions/decisions. There’s also a lot about learning to face your fears or rise above fear when you feel it.

I absolutely flew through this story and was engrossed the entire time I was reading it. I did not want to put it down since I was so absorbed. The style of writing was easy to read and just kept me hooked the whole time.

Karah Sutton has loved Baba Yaga, ballet, and blini ever since she had to do a research project on her Russian heritage in the third grade. Her hunger for adventure inspired her to move from Kentucky to New Zealand, where it was rumored she would find talking trees and the occasional wood elf. Karah spent four years as a bookseller before she turned to writing her own fiction. A Wolf For a A Spell is her first novel.

Author Links | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Make sure you check out the rest of the exciting posts on the blog tour! You can locate the tour scheduled on the TBR and Beyond Tours page.

Happy reading!