On Hiatus

We've had a long lack of updates for several reasons. Mostly, I did not realize the time factor involved in writing reviews and the effort to be fair to everyone can be difficult when you've signed up to read a book (or books) that you aren't having that much fun reading. Kydona was just the start.

That said, not everything I've signed up for is bad! I still have a number of books on my e-reader that I'm working through, but other obligations are taking priority. I plan to review them eventually. Hopefully by the end of the year.

1. Iron Bonds by Billy Wong
2. Kingsblood by J.L. Ficks and J.E. Dugue
3. Shadows on the School Grounds by B.C. Roger
4. After The Darkness: Episode One by SunHi Mistwalker

I like the idea in Iron Bonds - the God-touched warrior woman who just wants peace, but some of the characters are frustrating to read about due to their unreasonable expectations.

Kingsblood appears to be continuing the entertainingly over-the-top action of the previous book.

Despite being a YA book, Shadows on the School Grounds is the hardest to read of them all. Bullying is not pleasant to read about.

And I actually finished the last one, so I'll review it soon.

[Review] The Machine God

by MeiLin Miranda

Verdict: Outstanding - I loved almost everything about it.

A floating island's dark past is uncovered in this first contact adventure.

Synopsis

Professor Adewole has a knack for languages, living and dead. An expedition to visit the flying island of Inselmond is planned, and he is invited in the hopes that he will be able to communicate with its inhabitants. No one has ever been to this island before; only now has technology been able to make the journey, so no one is sure what to expect. And science has been unable to explain the island's origins, or how it is able to stay in the sky as it has for centuries.

In the end, Adewole seeks to uncover the island's secrets from its residents, especially their strange oath: "Magic and Metal No More."

Thoughts

I signed up for this story because of the exciting cover. I will admit I did not have high expectations--the author's website indicates the author tends to write romance novels. But I was greatly surprised as to how it turned out!

Adewole is a great protagonist because he is a normal man. He's a bit unsure of his place in society--he's a Jerian who lives in Eisenstadt because he was granted a position at the college, but he's never felt quite at home there. The Dean has taken an instant dislike to him, and his only friend is his roommate, Professor Deviatka, with whom he shares a great love for music.

It's quite a surprise to him, then, when he's specifially recruited into the expedition to Inselmond, but his love of languages becomes an important asset when the expedition meets the natives on the island. From there, his own natural curiosity drives the story.

I don't actually want to say much about the story because I don't want to spoil it. But I will say this: don't let the talking birds turn you away--there is a reason for them. I really enjoyed the story and recommend it to any who like the idea of "magic and metal" and macabre science.

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for a review.

[Semi-Review] Kydona

by Thomas Krug

Verdict: Not for me. I didn't finish it.

Marcus is the crown prince. On his mother's deathbed, he learns that there are dark plots afoot around him, and he should tread lightly and trust no one.

Synopsis

Since I didn't finish the book, what I've written above is the synopsis as I understood it from how far I read.

Thoughts

The story's synopsis was what made me sign up for this giveaway: the promise of a war-torn kingdom and a prince's struggles to overcome it. Unfortunately the book took a turn for the lewd and I did not want to continue reading it. I found Vernon a very distasteful character, and I stopped reading the book when he points to his groin and mentions how he missed having a "hard-on" when he was away at the Novitiate. Page 25/300, according to my e-reader.

It's disappointing that I'd drop it so soon, but I'd rather place my attention elsewhere.

Also, f-bombs are dropped far too often. Fantasy fictions allows for great variety in curse words and it's disappoining to me how fantasy authors seem to ends up using one or two common--and modern--curses.

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for a review.