The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel

Nothing like mystery, murder, daring feats, schemes and Sasquatch for a nice November read, right? I found this gem a little while ago and decided to give it a shot and I'm glad I did. Let's get right down to it, shall we?

Will Everett came from humble beginnings before a heroic act got his family money and prosperity. Now that his father has taken over the railroad he once worked for, Will has the chance to board the Boundless, a massive engine on her maiden voyage and dragging the funeral car of his father's predecessor...and his treasures if the rumor is to be believed. But a murder takes place and Will takes it upon himself to join a traveling circus to protect the train and his father and put a stop to the criminal's plot. But it soon becomes clear that Will's not too sure who to trust.

The thing that I kinda liked about the set up of this world is that it's not all realistic. While, for the most part, it could take place in the real world, but there's also a supernatural element to this book that takes it from real to surreal. I mentioned the existence of Sasquatches before, which are not only proven to be exist but are also attractions in a circus, but hags what lure unsuspecting victims into bogs exist as well and other magical creatures. This gives it a whimsical edge that makes long battles on the roof of a train and hidden treasure.

The key element of this story is the mystery and the race against time. Getting across a moving train while you're being chased and villains are trying to kill you gives this book the tight, claustrophobic edge that makes it feel more urgent, but it's also nicely paced so it doesn't feel too rushed. It's also a pretty easy read. Younger and older readers will appreciate the creativity in this book, as well as the visuals and unique characters.

Will is mostly a wide-eyed adventurer type of character with established wishes and desires, but he also has a strong moral compass. There are times in this book when he questions the people who seemed to be helping him, but rightfully so. He's not whining because he thinks what he has to do is too hard or doubting himself. His concerns are legitimately concerning. He don't know who to trust, he doesn't want to make a mistake. He just wants to do the right thing, protect the train, his father and himself (though maybe not in that order). The circus troupe is an interesting collection of characters and there's a real sense of community and camaraderie between them. They're pretty accepting of Will's joining up with them and, while it's unclear just how trustworthy they are, they're still a lot of fun to be around.

Now, one thing I was a little unsure of is that this book can get a little...controversial. Now, there's nothing explicit or anything in it, it's just...well, there's a scene where the main character needs a disguise and what they pick is...not good. You can probably figure it out from that. Race is brought up a couple of times in some not very PC ways. I never really felt it went too far or anything but certain people will probably come across it and get a little up-in-arms over it. While I'm not really one to climb on a high horse over every little thing, if I thought this might be pushing it then other people are probably really going to have a problem with it. Just food for thought.

Final Verdict
A good adventure, good characters, an interesting plot, I had a good time with this one. If you can put some of the less politically correct bits aside and judge the story for...well, the story, then you'll probably have a good time with this one. I'd definitely say read it but wait for it on paperback.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: Bedtime stories from the Wizarding World...

Puzzled by P.J. Nichols

Kindle recommendations have come as something of a blessing and curse to me in the past. I was looking for a challenge, hoping for one really, that was also quick and easy to read so I could get through it at a good pace. I've also said before that I don't mind reading books targeted for younger audiences, because they can be just as good as anything else so long as it doesn't talk down to its audience and respects there intelligence. This book...well, it wants to be more but doesn't exactly manage. Let's take a look.

Peter prides himself as being one of the smartest people in his hometown, despite only being twelve years old. This tends to earn him ridicule from classmates but all he wants to do is put together his puzzles and games in peace. One day, he comes across the mysterious Mr. Winchester who has a proposition for Peter: he and a few chosen friends must pass a test by the weather god Zoltan to keep him occupied enough not to destroy the world on a whim. Peter and his friends take one the challenge but can their wits match that of an ancient and tricky being?

So, this book really wants us to think that Peter is a genius. They constantly talk about how smart he is, they talk about the complex inner workings of his mind (which mainly consists of counting down the seconds are in a minute and how many minutes it takes to get out of class and things like that) and Peter himself goes on and on about how he's always right and how he can solve any kind of puzzle or figure any situation out. Well, wrong. Wrong. Just wrong. This kid is not smart! If anything he's just annoying! By thinking he's oh so smart and that he's always right, he jumps to conclusions that anyone could see through, he throws huge tantrums when he can't figure things out, and he's socially incompetent to the point of outright silliness! (and this is coming from someone who has a legit social disorder)

Okay, so Peter is annoying, that's bad. The other characters aren't that annoying...but there's not much there for them. You know exactly what type of person they are, what their role is, and what their place is going to be in the story. The quirky comic relief, the love interest, and the distant older brother who just doesn't understand his younger brother. Mr. Winchester is just a stereotypical mentor character. We never even see Zoltan, who isn't so much of an antagonist or villain as opposed to plot device. There's just nothing all that special about them. I just couldn't really get invested with them.

The plot of this story also kinda suffered. We spend way too long in this "practice" part of the story, which takes a kind of plot cul-de-sac involving a misunderstand that goes absolutely nowhere, a "liar revealed" cliche that I absolutely hate causing someone to leave just so they can serve as a deus ex machina at the end. This is where being a younger reader book causes the story to suffer. Even little kids have seen this kind of stuff a hundred times. It takes a safe route that guarantees conflict (albeit forced conflict) and doesn't try anything new.

Now, I'm not saying the entire thing was awful. The heart of the story is in the puzzles and the solutions that the characters work to find, which is where the best stuff is. The solutions are clever, everyone gets their moment to shine, and the situations are creative. This leads to the second half of the book being much more tolerable than the first. The plot is finally moving, we get to see the puzzles that we were promised, and while it plays out predictably we still get to see everything come together as planned.

Final Verdict
With a predictable plot and pretentious protagonist are big factors weighing this thing down, it's still a quick, easy read with interesting brain teasers. While younger readers might find it okay, anyone older than thirteen wanting to pick this up might want to save their cash and check it out at your local library.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: Murder on the....not Orient Express

Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco

So I was a big fan of the first book...not so big a fan of the second book...so now here's the third installment of Kerri Maniscalco's four book series. Even though I wasn't as crazy about the second book as I would like to have been, I wasn't ready to just give up on the series. I still like the concept, the ideas are still really clever and I wanted to see what the next book would be like. Well, let's not waste any more time and dive into the review.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth is on her way home from Romania on the luxury liner, the RMS Etruria, with her uncle, caretaker, and beau Thomas Cresswell. On the week long journey across the sea, the ships patrons are entertained by the Midnight Carnival, a pack of amazing performers including an up-and-coming illusionist named Houdini. But the performances take a disturbing turn for the worst when several female passengers start dying terribly, all with some odd connection to the tarot, a theme deeply utilized by the Carnival. Audrey Rose must use her skills as a forensic investigator to use and catch the killer before they arrive at land and disappear forever.

So, there were some things in this book that worked really well. The claustrophobic atmosphere of the cruise ship with the growing sense of hysteria with each murder was certainly a good thing. I liked the concept of the carnival and the designs of the acts and their relations to tarot cards, that kind of stuff I just eat up. The set up of the acts was interesting...if maybe dwelled on a little too much. Now, The Night Circus did this from time to time too, and that book I really liked. The descriptions tend to go past just telling the audience what they're seeing and into "wouldn't this look great as a Tim Burton movie?!" kind of thing. Again, I love this kinda junk, so it didn't really bother me as it didn't bother me in The Night Circus. But that book had good characters and an investing story and this one...well...let's discuss.

I've said in my previous reviews for this series that I really do like Audrey Rose, but this time I didn't want to make excuses for her. Her behavior in this book is...well, dumb. It's dumb. She's apparently going through this existential crisis and wanting...I dunno, she says "freedom" but she's a forensic investigator in the late 1800s! You can't get more free than that! It's like she's considering running away and joining the circus is "real" freedom but OH WAIT no she doesn't because that's what her cousin is trying to do and she makes this backwards deal with some shady guy to get her out of it. Oh, so you can dishonor your family and throw away everything you've worked to achieve on a whim because some guy who you've known for less than a week said it might be cool but she can't because...reasons. Yeah, this conflict came right out of the butt-crack of nowhere and I didn't care for it one bit.

But most of my issues with this book could be summed up in one word: Mephistopheles!!! And it's a suiting name because he is the devil! Last time when I talked about Thomas's inappropriate flirting getting on my nerves? Well, they switched all that crap over to this new guy who I don't care for and hope never to see again. I could deal with it when it was Thomas because I've had three books with Thomas now and I'm used to it, but Beelzebub here is just some random Phantom rip-off who happens to be rich and not ugly and just exists to throw in a frigging love triangle that we neither want nor need! He's the reason for Audrey Rose's spur of the moment change of heart and "is what I've always wanted really what I want or do I not want it anymore because I know I can have what I want so I don't want it anymore" crisis, and I won't forgive him for that!

Okay, this one is a serious nitpick but I have to shout it out or it will weigh on my soul for freaking ever and I just need to put it out there. So, each act in the Carnival is inspired by a tarot card, yeah? Mr. Hunky Mephisto claims that he's The Magician while Houdini...freaking Houdini...the most famous magician of all time...a man whose name is synonymous with magic and illusion...doesn't get a card name because he's not really part of the show. No! NO, SATAN! He's The Magician and you're The Devil! There. Fixed it.

Also, if you're going to put Houdini in your title...USE HIM! Mostly he's nothing more than a plot device for the story. You could almost remove him from the story and replace him with some other random performer and you'd get the same affect. Poor use of you're Houdini, book. Nope. Didn't like it.

Final Verdict
I had a lot to complain about with this one but, overall, I wasn't disappointed or hated this book or anything. I just seriously disliked Lucifer the Pointless Love Triangle Extra and felt the title character was underused. But the mystery was compelling, the imagery was impressive, the atmosphere was good...I'd say, if you were interested, go ahead and read it...but wait for it on paperback.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: Puzzles save the world from bad weather.....not kidding.

The Lake Crimes by Gemma Herrero Virto

Ever the sucker for good cover art, I went into this book pretty blind looking for a good, creepy book for this month. I'm always up for giving lesser known authors a chance as long as the premise is good and appeals to me one way or another. Let's get right to it and see how it did.

Eric Armstrong is haunted. While growing up in a small town of Swanton beside Lake Champlain, he witnessed the deaths of three children, one of them being his first crush, drowned in the dark lake by an unknown murderer. Wracked with guilt and nightmares of the drowned children, Eric and his family moved away, with Eric never truly recovering from the shock. But fifteen years after the murders and Eric still only just getting by, he comes across a children's book supposedly written by one of the drowned victims of his childhood. Eric must return to Swanton and confront his childhood terrors, lest even more children lose their lives in the dark waters of the lake.

This book was a little hot and cold for me, to be honest. There were things I liked about it and things that really annoyed me. The biggest gripe I'll get out of the way right now. This book was originally written in Spanish and I read the English translation (the only Spanish I know is Donde es el baño? and Ayúdame, estoy muriendo!) That being said, whoever translated this...did not do the best job. At times it really felt they just put the whole thing into Google Translate and hoped for the best. Too many times did things come out jumbled, are flat-out incorrect, or just come out as things people just don't say. Things like "she no longer had age to play dolls" or "without caring about the hatred look" or "I refuse with my head" (this one is repeated a lot). It's not the author's fault, per se, but it really does take away from the experience of reading the book.

Now, about the story itself. The concept of the story is a very good one. There's a lot of potential here. A murder mystery with supernatural elements with Ouija board sessions, prophetic dreams, ancient curses...I eat this stuff up. But the enjoyment of the these things is much easier to enjoy if you've got a good main character to go on the trip with you. Eric...tries. Now, he's not as bad as I've seen this character done before. Traumatized characters unable to cope with what happened in their childhoods can sometimes be the type of characters that throw huge fits with figures of authority, rave like lunatics so nobody believes them even when they're telling the truth, overreact at the slightest things...that kind of stuff. And Eric, while he does sometimes fall into this category, does manage to play it smart from time to time. He comes up with convincing stories to talk to people and earns the support and respect of the local police. This was refreshing to see. But we do have to see him yell at a publisher for almost no reason, act super paranoid, and he really obsesses over his first crush. Like SUPER obsesses over it. It got a bit unsettling at times for me.

Those things being said, the plot of the story does still come out pretty well. The origin of the evil was interesting and creepy, there were several plot twists that were refreshingly done, the ending was satisfying...there was stuff in here I really liked. It just took awhile to get to these good things because the pace was very slow at times, but picked up right when we needed it. There's good stuff in this book, but you have to dig through a lot to finally get there.

Final Verdict
I liked a lot of what they ended up doing but I just wish that it had been handled better. Great story but slow pace, competent characters...most of the time, fantastic elements but poor translation. If someone asked me if they should read this book, I'd tell them yeah if they were interested...but maybe read it in its original Spanish...and wait for it on paperback.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: Can you be free of the King of Cuffs?

House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker

Okay, here we go! This is what I'm talking about. A no-holds barred, honest-to-goodness horror novel, perfect for Halloween. No more vague novels that are loosely horror based or have concepts that dabble in the supernatural, but a real, gritty, horrifying, terrifying book....or so I had hoped.

The story is that of Jack and Stephanie Singleton, a bickering couple on the brink of divorce, traveling lost and confused on their way to a marriage counselor when their run off the road by metal spikes in the road. The two make their way to a dingy bed and breakfast in the woods, where they encounter another couple in the same predicament as they are and the creepy, possibly inbred caretakers of the building. As night falls, it becomes clear that the seven individuals in the house are being stalked by a terrifying killer with a strange set of rules to his demented game, the most important of which being you might survive...a the cost of someone else's life.

Now, the concept of this book is what really drew me to this book. It's a solid set up. A verity of players, established yet horrific rules, a killer on the loose...let the games begin! Well, the problem is that the execution doesn't pan out too well and the resolution even worse so, but we'll come back to that. The thing is, the concept isn't the most original out there. Games, rules, doing horrific things in order to survive...this sounds familiar, doesn't it? Yeah, it's probably no surprise that Saw come out only two years before this book did and may have had a hand in inspiring it. But where Saw is just really popcorn horror at best and torture porn at worst, this story is neither mindless entertainment nor twisted and gory. It's just...kinda there.

The key elements to survival horror is the characters we're dealing with and their own arcs as they fight to not get murdered. It's too bad, therefore, that there's not much to like about these characters. They have the start of some interesting dilemmas: Jack and Stephanie handle loss in different ways, Randy and Leslie are both survivors of abuse...these can make for good characters, but we also have to like them. Jack is self-righteous, Randy is a control freak, Leslie thinks she's smarter than everyone  and Stephanie is unbearably annoying. I wasn't rooting for any of them to survive because I wanted some I wanted some of them to just die already.

Which brings me to my next problem. It takes forever for things to happen in this book. While it is divided between four people as central characters, leaving one story arc hanging while we're stuck with someone else for who knows how long. Heck, one characters is left sitting in a closet for four hours because they just had nothing to do but be scared and give exposition while never actually being in danger. The pacing throughout, even when it had the ticking-clock time frame of a single night, was handled poorly and just wasn't very well written.

Now...for the ending. I don't really want to do another spoiler alert, so I won't go into too much detail but...it was so disappointing. I just kinda quit caring towards the end. I was just so exhausted by this story (or lack thereof) to care about the message the authors were trying to get across. Even then, it's so odd that I just don't think I get it. Not that I don't understand the message (they hit you over the head with that) but it's that I don't see why the situation these people are put in is necessary to achieve this goal. Yeah, I wasn't crazy about it and it felt a little like a cop-out.

Final Verdict
Yeah, instead of keeping me awake, this one kind of lulled me to sleep. It wasn't scary, it tried too hard to be deep, the characters were annoying and unpleasant, I just didn't like this one. I guess I didn't exactly hate it and, if you wanted to read it for yourself, I wouldn't stop you but suggest you save your money and check it out at your local library.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: I don't think Champie's the culprit this time....

The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke

Lore is one of only two podcasts that have successfully gotten my attention and kept it (the other being My Favorite Murder). Author Aaron Mahnke does a spectacular job finding the oldest tales and finding the origins of stories that we've known our whole lives. So, when I heard he was putting several of the episodes into book version...shut up and take my money!

This volume of The world of Lore features on creatures and monsters. Now, these can be anything ranging from the first American vampire, Spring-Heeled Jack, ghosts, creatures in the dark forest, even the same cursed doll that inspired the Child's Play franchise. Each tale is full of historical facts along with legends, recognized formulas as well as inspirations behind those legends. In this book you learn that the line between reality and the supernatural is a whole lot thinner than you'd think and there may even be some cases where you can't find it at all.

I've always loved learning about the supernatural and myths and legends. This stuff is totally up my alley. Having read a lot about this stuff back in my school days, I was excited to see some familiar stories popping up as well as fresh new ones to inspire the imagination. This book is such a good Halloween read. It's not only creepy, but the research and actual historical fact makes it that much more unnerving. You learn about what it really was that inspired fear which, in turn, inspired the horror genre altogether. Also, these stories are creepy. He ends some of the stories on these gloriously, ominous notes that leave you double checking the dark corners of the room and wondering if you're too old to sleep with the light on (don't judge me....).

One thing I really liked in particular is that these stories have the feel of just a normal person talking. Mahnke's voice is very strong in the book, as is his sense of humor. He adds little quips and jibes that are perfectly timed throughout the story and makes it feel more relatable. It translates well in the podcast as well. It feels like these are lessons taught in class with that likable teacher all the kids hope they get at the beginning of the school year. You can feel his passion on these subjects and he wants his audience to have fun with it as he does. You learn and enjoy yourself all at once. It's just amazing.

Now, taking a quick trip to nitpick town before we wrap up. If there's any problem with the book it's that it is, really, word-for-word, the episodes of the podcast. Now, this didn't bother me any, personally. Having something material I can flip through to find my favorite story rather than sift through hours and hours of audio is nice for me. Someone already a fan of the podcast might be looking for more than just the same stories all over again, as well as the lack of atmospheric music and Mahnke's narration. But, as I said, super nitpick mode that really didn't bother me and, by all means, shouldn't bother you.

Final Verdict
I totally and completely love Mahnke's work on Lore and want to do my part, as a fan, to share it with the world. If you're interested in the books or the podcast, please do check them out, because these suckers are going straight onto the Shelf of Recommendation!

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: Worst...house party...ever.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Most people will probably be familiar with the movie based off this book (and for good reason it's a really well done movie) and I too was curious about its source material. When I learned that it was Neil Gaiman behind it originally, I couldn't get a hold of it fast enough. Let's dive into this modern children's tale and all the creeps and unease that comes with it.

Coraline Jones moves to a new house with her parents at the end of a particularly rainy and foggy summer. A naturally curious child who likes to explore, Coraline is quickly bored with the house and the weird and very old neighbors that share the building. But a formerly boarded up door suddenly opens to reveal a copy of her own world but where everything is better and controlled by a strange creature that calls itself her other mother. But this new world is not at all what it seems and Coraline must use her wits to save herself, and those she cares for, from a terrible fate.

Coraline, the character, is a great child character you don't find too often nowadays. While she's remarkably self-reliant and independent than most normal kids might be, she thinks and acts very much like a normal kid would. She gets frustrated, she cries, she thinks and behaves perfectly for a kid her age. She's also pretty smart. She hesitates and thinks things through and you know she's got the mentality of a horror survivor. She doesn't let emotions get the best of her and that makes her just great.

The world that Gaiman writes for this character is very much one out of a child's perspective. Kids can read this book no problem and completely understand and relate to this world and Coraline's reactions to both the usual world and the other world lies beyond the door. We all know people like the weird old ladies who revel in their glory days and live with ten or more dogs (or cats). We know what it is to have parents who have a ton of work to do and leave the kids bored or with nothing to do. He brilliantly captures the voice of a young child and their perspective of the world and wrote it so younger readers and older ones alike would understand it perfectly. This guy is quickly becoming a favorite of mine.

However, this does make for a good Halloween read because it is creepy. The sense of unease and dread brought on by the other mother and the world she creates is perfectly captured, making you spend a little too much time checking the corners of your room to make sure nothing is staring back at you. There's also a scene where Coraline goes through the door and feels something following her in the darkness that really sends chills down your spine. It all comes together as the mood switches from suspense, to isolation, to dread, and then real fear as Coraline realizes just what this other world is and what her potential fate could be. As such, while this book is the perfect reading level for young kids, the story might not be for little, little kids. Most kids I know might not have a problem with it, but parents might want to read it first then judge for themselves before handing it over to them.

Final Verdict
Ah, just what I was hoping for! Creepy, excellently written, and just the perfect little scary bedtime story where you can still fall asleep but might hesitate before turning off the lights. For this reason, this sweet little thing is going onto the Shelf of Recommendation!

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: I'm Michelle Beer and this...is an awesome podcast....

Holtur Stories by Cameron Wayne Smith

This is my third trip into the world of Cameron Wayne Smith and the horrors that plague this extremely unfortunate village and the slayers who rise up and keep them at bay. I've enjoyed the trips so far, as they're full of interesting characters, wonderfully creative and grotesque monsters, and epic feats of heroism. Let's see where this current trip to Holtur takes us.

Holtur Stories is a collection of short stories of the numerous horrors that have plagued the village prior to the events of The Holtur Enigma and The Holtur Curse. These tales feature the characters of the previous books, mostly Sonja and her band of slayers, and the new creatures they face and the horrors they battle on a mostly nightly basis, watching them grow and prepare for the events to come in the future.

This collection of short stories builds up the universe that Smith has created and allows for more hunts and monsters then the books didn't quite have time for. While most of the stories go to Sonja, there are several other protagonists through them. Kallum gets a story, Volk gets one, Rigst gets one...there are a lot of opportunities for some of the more minor characters to shine and develop more than they got to before. There's even a story from the perspective of a wyvern! Each story dives into their backstories, builds their characters, and gives us a bit of insight into what it's really like to be a citizen of Holtur.

While it is interesting to meet some of these new people, there is the unfortunate drawback of several of them just kind of being there for cannon fodder. Yeah, that's kinda the problem when writing prequels in general, but as death is a big theme in these books you had to have some casualties that excluded the people we know are in the later installments. But, honestly, that was just a bit of a nitpick. It's kind of like an episode of Supernatural where, if a new character is being introduced or doesn't contribute to the plot...well, the odds are not in their favor. In fact, this book really reminded me of the earlier episodes of that show. You discover a new monster, people die, the monster is defeated, we all go out for drinks afterward (btw, I would pay serious money to see the Bluwahlts and the Winchesters meet up for drinks).

Final Verdict
Kinda a short review, yes, but there's not much more I could say without going into spoilers so, with that said, this book was a ton of fun and a great way to kick off my month of monsters and mayhem! Any creature fan will like this book, it makes for a great companion to the other books in the series and it's very much worth your money at your local bookstore!

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: Beware button-eyed other mothers....

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

One person gets an idea that takes off, a lot of other people admire the idea and either want to jump on the bandwagon and cash in on the idea, or take the idea and remake it in their own way that they think is better. This is the difference between a rip off and an homage, at least in my book. Heart and passion are what makes an old concept still entertaining and not just playing the formula for your shot at fame. I've expressed my irritation with the "girl starts revolution" genre a couple of times now, but because there's not a lot of heart in a lot of those stories I've come across. Still, I keep turning to these books for a reason, so let's see how this latest piece holds up, shall we?

Theodosia witnessed her country overthrown, her people enslaved, and her mother murdered all before her eyes. Kept as her country's hostage, she's raised in the court of her enemies lead by the ruthless Kaiser, to be punished and humiliated for all to see as the trophy of her people's defeat. Theo must do everything she can to stay alive for her people's sake, but their moral is crumbling after the leader of the rebellion is defeated. But the rebellion soon finds her and Theo knows that it is time to bring life back to the remnants of her people and light the fires of war.

So, off the bat, while this story is familiar with today's dystopian, fantasy, rebellion type stories...I didn't hate this book. At all. In fact, I actually liked it pretty well. Now, here's why...while the story is familiar and we've heard a lot of stories like this in recent years, there's heart here. I can feel this being a passion project and the author trying to tell a good version of a story and not just the same story over and over again. While some of it was predictable, I didn't know where it was going every time. Each character brought something interesting to the story, the plot was full of intrigue, and world-building was well done too.

Theo is a character in an interesting predicament. She knows she's in a prison and her life is made up with defense mechanisms in order to survive this horrible world she's stuck in. As horrible as her prison is, it's what she's known ever since she was a little girl. That's her big struggle, to break out of her painful prison even after it's become comfortable for her. She's forbidden to know what the state of her people is and her captors are cleverly putting a wedge between her and them, making her no longer seem like one of them and, therefore, not a rallying point. However, when presented with the option to flee to anywhere that would have her, she refuses to just give up her title as her people's queen, making it her choice to stand and fight when others would just be happy to get her out of there.  It's not a bad idea. Little clever touches like that make this story work. There's a lot of thought put into this set up and that's what sets it apart.

Now, I'm not going to pretend it's flawless or just try to defend it too much. There are flaws in this story and I have every intention of addressing them. For instance, I have trouble believing that the Kaiser's son, the Prinz, would grow up in this conqueror's society and come out as the perfectly friendly, helpful, peace-loving person he's portrayed to be. That's a little forced. There's also the familiar "plan" set up that I've talked about before. Talking at length about the plan, going over the plan, figuring out the plan and then me checking my watch wondering when this perfect "plan" is just going to fall apart while the plan that actually works is kept a mystery. That's something I'm never going to excuse. There is also, of course, a romance subplot that's...kinda sorta a love triangle but isn't really. It isn't even a love angle, as most of them really are. It's not a lone girl pining over which perfect and handsome boy she should choose. Each have their own stories and flaws and reasons why she shouldn't consider either of them. It's handled better than I've seen before but, I still kinda wish we could have just scrapped it altogether.

Unlike books like The Hundredth Queen  or Reign of the Fallen or Red Queen, all of which were starting points of a new series that I had no interest in after reading the first, I actually kinda do want to see where things will go in the next book. I want to know what Theo's next move is, I want to see their enemies destroyed, I wanna see what the Prinz and Cress end up doing. Maybe it'll disappoint, maybe it'll be friggin' amazing, I have no idea. For whatever reason, this one got me and so you'll get my money for a least one more book.

Final Verdict
Despite a familiar set up and "girl starts revolution" burn out, I find myself actually enjoying this one. It's well written, the characters are interesting, the build up and pay off were well done. If you're still all for these types of books, I'd say check it out...but maybe wait for it on paperback

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: Monsters, danger, madness...it must be Halloween...in Holtur

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

I've been sorely tempted by Ms. Black's works in the past, but never actually managed to get to one of them considering my staggering To-Read list (and the one on goodreads is just the tip of the iceberg). But I was seeing this book everywhere since it came out. Everyone was talking about it. Everyone was promoting it. So I decided to see for myself. Let's see if this is worth all the hype. Let's see if it really is as good as people have been going on and on that it is.....and it is. Let's dive right in.

Jude, the twin sister Taryn, and their older half sister Vivienne were snatched from their home at a young age by Vivi's faerie father, the Red Cap Madoc. Madoc adopts Jude and Taryn and takes them into his home, raising them and caring for them, and giving them some semblance of a family. But Jude and Taryn are humans in a faerie world, where everything is riddles and tricks and the two of them are deeply unwelcome. Most especially by Prince Cardon, youngest son of the High King, whose seems to make it his goal in life to punish Jude for existing. But Jude soon gets hopelessly wrapped up in faerie politics and it's going to be up to her to secure the future of her home.

This book was a wonderful roller coaster full of witty characters, a good protagonist, twists and turns, beauty and brutality. Now more than ever I'm kicking myself for not looking into the works of Holly Black earlier then I might not have doubted so much. I mean dang, I had a great time with this. It's no surprise that Black knows her stuff about Celtic lore and stories of the fae, and the way she captures the magnificence and the danger is just expertly done. The faerie world lives and breathes with its own rules and dangers. It just feels so alive and so perfectly at ends with out own world (which we do occasionally see).

Jude, as the main character, could have gone into Mary Sue territory, but cleverly avoids it by being vulnerable and not always winning. That's Jude's frustration. She both wants to be a part of Faerie but also wants to beat it. She's not looking to blend in and survive, she wants to thrive and succeed. She wants to impress her foster father, she wants to stick it to Carden, she wants to be acknowledged...and the fact that she's mortal and easily bested by their powers is frustrating beyond belief. But she has an edge...she can lie. Faeries cannot. And boy does she use it to her advantage. You can look at a lot of things that Jude does in this book and see her as a terrible person, but she's relatable and sympathetic and has good intentions enough that you don't hold the things she does against her. She's marvelously complex.

The creatures and other characters make for an exquisite cast that is just a ton of fun and interesting to boot. Madoc who loves bloodshed but makes for a truly kind father figure, Locke who loves to see things in motion, Prince Dain who takes an interest in Jude and runs the mysterious Court of Shadows, Vivi who loves the human world and wants only to escape back and take her sisters with her, they're all really cool. The only one I had any problem with was the cruel prince himself, Carden, and that's mostly because...I saw through him. Before I even picked up the book, I saw it. Now, that's not a bad thing, exactly. It just wasn't the big reveal it probably wanted to be.

That being said, there are plenty of big reveals in this book that I didn't see coming at all. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor twice from this little baby. Good plot twists are getting harder to find and the fact that this book did it twice speaks to the level of talent this woman has. Kudos.

Final Verdict
This book was totally worth the hype. Great characters, a fast and intriguing plot, tension, drama, just a fantastical and wonderful time that I'd say is totally worth your money at your local bookstore.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: Out of the ashes, she will rise....

Royal Replicas by Micheal Pierce

I need to apologize to The Selection. I called it out as being too familiar to the TV reality show The Bachelor and not original enough and...well, it still is but this book here could probably give it a run for its money in how much we're relying on the dynamic of reality television to sell an idea. Let's just get this started.

Victoria Sandelwood was raised in the 24th ward with a spineless stepmother and an abusive stepfather who beats her. She's also stalked by a mysterious boy who says they have a history together but she doesn't remember it at all. One day a message arrives for her with revealing new information, that she's the surrogate daughter of the Queen and she is to travel to the 1st ward to become the new Princess Amelia and marry a prince...along with six other girls who look exactly like her. Victoria must compete with the other clones to win the affections of Prince Byron and also the crown of Westeria, but the competition is more than it seems and secrets are around every corner, threatening Victoria and the other girls with more than just a return trip home.

Okay, so when a book honestly tries to relate itself with Twilight, I'm going to have issues with it. (Seriously, there's a scene in here where she freaking reads Breaking Dawn and wishes her relationship could be like Bella and Edward's...I'm not kidding!) This book just lacked so much in originality. Color-coding the girls so we could tell them apart, having the catty mean one who is super possessive with the prince, the love triangle where the two guys involved have to be stupid for liking this devoid-of-personality-girl (OMGosh, it IS just like Twilight!). Even some little details of the book just so generic. Her favorite book is Pride and Prejudice...because of course it is. Her stepfather beats her with a switch, leaving marks, and being super creepy and possessive...despite the fact she knows he could one day be royalty and have his sorry behind executed because she freaking felt like it...naturally. There was nothing that said "original" or "new" about it and it just made me sad...and irritated.

Now, it's not like this book was devoid of hope from the very beginning, it wasn't. There was potential here, but I think the issue lies in the execution. It plays it's cards way too soon (I'll come back to this little tidbit) and the pacing was just...strange. Victoria has a terrible encounter with her stepfather...and in the next second we're admiring out pretty dresses and reading Pride and Freaking Prejudice for the billionth time. We find out the queen isn't what she seems and then we've discovered a horrible secret...then it's date night with our super handsome prince man! It just doesn't seem realistic. If I learned half the things that Victoria does, going on dates and having slumber parties with my new "sisters" would be the last thing on my mind!

Yeah, we need to talk about The Bachelor references in this book. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of the show (if I watch it then it's background noise while I do something else and still end up hating the final choice anyway). That being said, I've seen enough of it to know that what you find in this book is borderline copyright infringement. I'm serious, all the cheesy lines from the show are here. "I'm certain my future wife is in this room." "Can I steal him from you for a second?" "I'm looking for my one true love." Even the tacky date cards with the stupid puns are in here!

Now, the major stuff I want to talk about is going into some serious spoiler territory, so I'm putting up the alert and, if you wanna skip it, go down to the Final Verdict.

*SPOILER ALERT* So, there's a twist in the book that I kind of figured out right away. Each of these girls is a clone of the original princess, yes? So what happens to the ones who are not going to be picked to be the new princess? Well, they die of course. Now, one of the girls figures it out at about halfway into the book and rats out the Queen in front of everyone. Now, here's my problem...this is a horrible way to announce this kind of plot twist. If all the broads on the tv show were told they'd either win this guy's heart or die they would NOT be sitting around swimming and sowing and reading and whatever generic crap hobby they give each girl. They'd run for the freaking hills! They'd try to off themselves before the Queen can do it first. They'd...do something! These girls don't try anything. They just sit around and turn down escape attempts...nothing! It's implied that one of the girls tries something, but she freaking survives. What is the point of that!? You've set up all these dark implications and you're not using them! Plus, we sit around for four weeks with all of these pointless girls just sitting around and doing nothing. Hey! Here's an idea. If you want to be The Bachelor so much...why not have Rose Ceremonies!? It's the only thing they don't have. Have a girl eliminated every week only to find out that, instead of being sent home, she's actually eliminated! How much more impactful would that have been!? What a better way to discover this plot twist! Have your stupid date cards and your fantasy dates and find out the dark truth in such a horrible way! Missed opportunities all around in this thing and it just annoyed the crap out of me.*END OF SPOILERS*

Final Verdict
As much as I complained about this book, the truth is it's just not for me. I don't like reality dating shows, I'm sick of "girl-starts-revolution" plot lines, and I'm just tired of it all. If you're the type of person who does like those things, you might end up liking this book just fine...just check it out at your local library.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: Man, Faerie folk can be real jerks....

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Seeing as this book's predecessor was my favorite book of last year, this one had a lot to live up to if it wanted to impress me. Unlike movie sequels, I have a bit more faith in book sequels and went into this one with optimism. Well, not only did I find this book as good as the first one...it might actually be better! Let's dive in.

A year has passed and Scythe Anastasia, formerly known as Citra Terranova, has made a name for herself with her unique way of gleaning. At the same time, the allusive Scythe Lucifer, who punishes unlawful scythes, evades capture. But there are plans laid out throughout the Scythdom with the intent to see the two junior scythes put in their place. A wicked scheme that threatens the lives of Citra's mentor, Honorable Scythe Curie, and all the while the all-powerful Thunderhead observes, forbidden to interfere, but finds a way regardless.

Boy, this book was a rush! It was jam packed with action and twists and surprises and I just loved it! The intelligence of these books never ceases to amaze me, not to mention Shusterman's brilliant writing. Not only is the plot creative and the characters well developed, but there's a wonderful cheekiness to his writing as well. An almost dry sense of humor that keeps even the exposition and descriptions fun to read. The world building is some of the most well done that I've seen in a long while, covering just about every aspect of this world that it is possible to explore and keeping it engaging.

While we get the much welcomed returns of Citra and Rowan, we also get a couple of new characters that we get to meet and follow in this story. Firstly is Greyson Tolliver, a very ordinary young man who was practically raised by the Thunderhead and finds himself at its whims. Greyson is a humble guy who only wants to do what's right and show his appreciation to the Thunderhead, but often finds himself in very strange and often dangerous circumstances. He's probably the most human of all the characters, at the whims of an uncontrollable force and just trying to find some clarity. The other big character introduced (kinda) in this book is the Thunderhead itself. We hear what it has to say about situations, how it deals with the humans it has sworn to protect, and find that it has a personality of its own. We get to know the Thunderhead and why and how it works. It is fascinating to see and I actually really enjoyed the bits with it.

The plot of this book is a massive roller coaster, throwing "unsavory" people, a revenge plot, a political take over, and many more. Each one finds our characters, mostly Rowan, Citra, and Greyson, using all the wits and determination they possess to protect the scythodom and mankind from an upcoming catastrophe. This book also includes the return of "new age" scythe idealists and perhaps one of the most heinous, jaw-dropping, horrific acts preformed by a villain I've seen in a Young Adult book in a long while. It is a really ballsy move and absolute kudos to the author for that. I won't give anything away, in fact, I can't go much further without giving anything away, including an ending that will make the wait for the third installment that much more painful.

Final Verdict
I love it, I love it, I love these books so much! Brilliant writing, amazing characters, a thrilling plot, just...just everything was awesome! Book three can't come any sooner but, in the mean time, this little baby is going right on the Shelf or Recommendation!

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: Will you accept this crown?

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch

I actually started this book a long time ago and never got around to finishing it. Seeing it again as I was browsing my many books, I figured it was time to give this another chance. Thank goodness I did because I've been missing out. This well-written little beauty has gotten a lot of acclaim that seems pretty well deserved. Let's dive right in.

In a tiny, Bavarian village in the year 1659, hangman Jakob Kuisl manages his job with an unusual amount of wisdom and empathy, earning him fear and respect among the people. But a day comes when a series of mysterious deaths befall young orphans littered about the city and the hysterical villagers are blaming witchcraft. While Jakob is convinced that the case's only suspect is innocent, his only ally is the young town physician and his own daughter, Magdalena, who happen to be smitten with each other. The trio must find the true killer and save an innocent life, but the town officials, the terrified villagers, and time itself are against them, as is a mysterious devil with a hand of bones.

This book does a marvelous job of balancing the realistic elements with those of the supernatural, bringing to life the feeling of living in a time when reality and the unknown often collide. You feel both the gritty realism of a time period where life is hard, plague is a very real and scary thing, and the unexplained is plausible. It's this wonderfully macabre style that the book has, feeling both historically accurate and fantastical at the same time. It's a very difficult balance to pull off and it was expertly pulled off.

The character of Jakob Kuisl is probably going onto my list of new heroes because this guy is awesome! Living the life of a man who kills for a living is no easy task and you feel for him as he finds the balance of being both an executioner and a good man. The passion with which he fights for what he knows is right is highly commendable. You want him to win, even when the odds are stacked firmly against him. The characters of Simon, the physician, and Magdalena are also really well done. Simon is one of those bright, ahead-of-his-time types of guys. He believes in science and the powers of deduction and so, when faced with a village screaming "witchcraft", he goes where no-one else is willing to and fight the truth of the situation. Ironically, the one with the least amount of time dedicated to her is the title character, Magdalena. Not that she doesn't have much to do in the book or isn't helpful because she is, it's just that she comes into the story a bit later and doesn't have as many opportunities as you'd think she would. Still, the three working together make for a great team.

I always enjoy a good mystery and I love it when I can't figure out exactly what's going on. And, once again, I was surprised with the outcome...even if it was pretty complex. You've got a scheme involving a leper sanctuary being built, you have corrupt politicians, a conspiracy involving the local orphans...there's a ton of stuff going on in here. Also, this is a long book. I'd felt I had reached the halfway point three times before realizing I wasn't even close. Not that long books are a problem or that I don't like them (I have the Everests including Battle Royale and Dune to look forward to in the future) but there aren't many times I feel the length of a book as much as I did in this one. The pace reads pretty quickly, so it's a bit alarming when you realize you haven't made much actual progress. But that's mostly just a personal problem and not necessarily a flaw.

Final Verdict
A great mystery, interesting characters, well-written plot, overall just a great book and a darkly, mysterious read. If this sounds like your cup of tea, then I'd say it's well worth your money at your local bookstore.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: The Scythes return....

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All

Ah, King Henry VIII. When I was a much younger nerd in history class, I did a report on this infamous king and his legacy for a report and since then the king and his six wives have always been a source of fascination for me. So when I found this recent treasure, a book written by seven different authors in the voices of Henry and the wives, I just had to dive in. Let's see what we found.

This is a collection of stories told from the points of view of the six wives of King Henry VIII. Hear their sides of the stories and understand where they're coming from as they're passed over and as they fight to keep their throne...and their lives. From the devout Catherine of Aragon, scheming Anne Boleyn, meek Jane Seymour, neglected Anne of Cleves, lusty Catherine Howard, and learned Catherine Parr tell their tales with interludes from the great King himself as he recalls his life and goals.

Having a different author as the voice of each character in this book is pretty clever and works greatly to this books advantage. Each one shares their own views and uses their own unique voices to really capture the character they are writing for. Even the set ups of each section are different from each other. Parr's story is the only one that uses chapter headings, Boleyn's uses poetry, Aragon and Cleves's stories is mostly told in flashback, and so on and so forth. The parts from the perspectives of Henry VIII himself are also very well done, making a misogynistic, philandering, pompous jerk seems almost (almost) sympathetic but at the very least understandable. The guy reads like the arrogant douche he really was, but you see how he was raised to be and how each wife, each death, and each divorce had an effect on him. You see just how miserable a life he lived alongside those of his wives and you do feel for him...kinda...sorta...just a bit...just barely. Kudos the the writer for that one.

Going into nitpick mode, the only thing that really bothered me was that changed the spelling on the names of some of the Queens to avoid there being confusion. Now, I understand why they did, it makes sense to me with three Catherines, two Annes and one Jane to work with. Still the grammar nazi in me just couldn't really get over seeing the changes to the names. The biggest grievance was probably the spelling of Catherine Parr's name as Kateryn. What kind of crazy, millenial spelling is that? Still, it served its purpose in trying to avoid confusion, but I just wish there was another way.

It's clear a lot of time and energy went into making these as nice and accurate as they could. Slipping in creative license from time to time but also keeping the timelines right and the events as they were. This is historical fiction done right. Keeping the real events as they are while expanding on the exciting details and using time gaps to come up with interesting filler. It keeps the book entertaining and educational, and difficult combo but perfectly possible if handled with care, and this book was handed with such care.

Final Verdict
I really liked this one and anyone with an interest in the life and loves of this most well known monarch will probably like it too. If this sound like something up your alley, then it's got my approval  as being worth your money at your local bookstore!

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: An executioner preventing an execution...sold!

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

I had a lot of expectations going into this book, having really liked Good Omens and hearing tons of praise about Pratchett's works, particularly the Discworld stories. When it finally came time to get to the first book of the series, I was braced for anything, whether it would be excitement or disappointment. So, let's just get to it.

Rincewind is a failed wizard merely trying to find his way in life when he comes across the strangest and most dangerous thing ever seen in Discworld...a tourist. A simple man named Twoflower has come from the Counterweight Continent looking to see the sights with a camera and Luggage full of gold...and teeth.  Rincewind soon finds himself Twoflower's unwilling guide and the two of them seek out all the exciting sights that Twoflower has longed to see...including bar fights, dangerous temples, and dragons. Of course.

If I was going to use one word to describe this book it would be...cheeky. The whole book has that wonderful, cheeky, British humor that I happen to love. It's remarkably dry humor that captures Rincewind's exasperation, Twoflower's naivety, and the confused and sometimes murder-y reactions of everyone they come across. One of my favorite gags was right in the beginning: Rincewind is trying to explain how the Twoflower's camera works and so just tells the people he wants to photograph that there's a little demon inside the box that paints their picture, while privately thinking that the box captures the image using light...only to discover that there actually is a tiny demon in the box that paints the photos. The tiny ways in which the book plays with your expectations is a ton of fun and I really enjoyed it.

The book is set up, not as one long story, but as four short stories with their own beginnings, middles, and ends. While they do come together to tell one long, cohesive story, it does mean that it starts over and re-explains things over again at the beginning of each segment. This didn't bother me too much, but some people might find it a bit repetitive. That seems to be something that most people aren't sure about when reading this book. The set-ups take a lot of time, but I found the pay off to be worth the wait. There's just a lot to get through until you get there.

This is the book that sets up the Discworld and it does so wonderfully. I found that I really liked this place. The characters are a ton of fun, the set up of the world and the logic on which it runs is incredibly imaginative, and, as I said earlier, the cheeky tone is just spot on. It was never really "laugh out loud" funny, but it's defiantly fun and will leave you smiling the whole time you're reading. There's a reason Discworld has become known for being one of the best developed literary universes and anyone looking to get into it has my seal of approval.

Final Verdict
This book was a lot of fun. While the set-up and pacing took there time, there was a lot of humor and character that I really enjoyed. If you feel like exploring Pratchett's world for yourself, than I'd say that it's definitely worth your money at your local bookstore.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: Desperate Castle Wives....

These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

Super powered beings? Good. Victorian England? Good. Clever writing and interesting ideas. Good. There's a formula here for a good story and just the type I like to read. Still, can too much of a good thing turn out to be a bad thing or does this only guarantee greatness? Let's begin.

Evelyn Windum is very bored with her life in society and the endless barrage of unsavory suitors, boring parties, and her mother's constant fussing in regards to Evelyn's "reputation". Her only joy is that she has her sister, Rose, with her for most of the dreadfully boring season. But when her sister suddenly goes missing, Evelyn throws propriety and reputation out the door in order to find her. The only souls willing to help her are the enigmatic "master detective" Mr. Kent, and the brooding Mr. Braddock, who believes that Evelyn and her sister possess some kind of extraordinary powers. Though she's skeptical at first, Evelyn soon discovers that Mr. Braddock's theory is not only accurate, but opens her eyes to a world lying just beneath the surface that she'd never encountered before.

Initially, I was a bit worried about Evelyn as a character. I feared her sarcasm and nonchalance would lead her into the "selfish, tragic Mary-Sue who complains about everything and hardly does any of the work but still gets the credit" territory. Thankfully, I was completely wrong. While she is sarcastic, she is successfully so and actually got some good laughs out of me while I was reading this.  And while her modern (perhaps too modern) mentality about Victorian society was brought up, it wasn't really focused on that much. And, wonderfully, she is proactive in this book. She does things, she fights, she helps others even if she isn't sure she can. She tries her best, even if she doesn't think she can do it. When something bad happens, she doesn't let it get to her. Her parents don't want to help her? Fine, she'll just leave without their permission. She's not allowed to stay in someone's house. Okay, then, I'll just find an inn. She's a strong character, without being cartoonishly silly or melodramatic and I appreciated that about her.

This was also a pretty fun book, even if it was a bit straightforward. It sticks pretty closely to a three act structure, so you can kind of figure out where it goes, even if you can't predict exactly what will happen. The plot is simple: solve the mystery. But there's definite love in this book, and I'm not talking about the relationships between the characters. A lot of thought went into this story, into the characters, the setting, and the mystery and so all the elements come together, even if it sticks to a formula that we're pretty familiar with. Each character was full of life and the powers were an interesting mix. Sometimes you couldn't even tell if what a person could do was a power or if it was just an exceptionally skilled person. It's a neat little touch and I liked that.

The only real problems I have is, once again, the inclusion of the love triangle. Evelyn, for her part, makes it clear that her priorities are on her sister and she's not interested in romance at the moment, but that doesn't stop Kent and Braddock from getting into these really ridiculous cock-fights that just make you want to slap yourself in the forehead and roll your eyes. They're just shoved into theses arm-candy stereotypes but, thankfully, they do have personalities that develop them a bit more than you might find elsewhere. Kent is really funny and charismatic and Braddock has some good reasons for his brooding and deals with a power that is no benefit to him and makes him harmful to others. I didn't dislike either of them, thankfully. I didn't wish ill on anyone, so that's something. The villain of the book, while formidable, didn't leave that much of an impact either. We don't see him very often and, when he did show up, he just kind of came off as the mad-scientist-with-superiority-complex type that we see a lot. Other than those two things, I did have fun with this book and think anyone with an interest in it would find it amusing.

Final Verdict
A fun, quick, and interesting read. Good characters, an easy to follow story, and great humor and dialogue make for a nice, chill read. If you have an interest in it, defiantly give it a shot because, in my opinion it is worth your money at your local bookstore.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: You might be cool, but you'll never be flat-planet-balanced-on-the-backs-of-four-elephants-riding-on-the-back-of-a-giant-turtle-floating-through-space cool.

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Having put Stalking Jack the Ripper on my Best of the Shelf list last year, I was as eager as anyone to get my hands on the sequel. The characters I enjoyed from the first book going after another ancient, blood thirsty monster of history...sign me up! Did the book deliver as well as the first one? Well, let's see for ourselves.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth, fresh of the Ripper case, is on her way to Transylvania with the mysterious Thomas Cresswell. Together, they intend to enter into an academy of forensic sciences to master their skills as investigators. While the prospect of autopsies and forensic science has always been a great delight for Audrey Rose, she enters the program with some trepidation due to a venomous Headmaster, sexist classmates, being pitted against Thomas for a spot in the academy...and several horrific murders taking place in the school. People from the nearby village and even some visitors at the school are being impaled with wooden stakes, attacked by bats, and drained of blood. The village fears the return of Vlad the Impaler, horrific tyrant of old, said to have risen from the dead to devour blood. Audrey Rose and Thomas must get to the bottom of this case, lest their own lives be lost next to this mysterious, bloodthirsty fiend.

As I was a big fan of the first book, I did have some pretty high expectations for this one. In essence, this was everything I was expecting it to be. A whodunnit murder mystery, much like the first, with ties to history and real-life places. Once again, creative liberties were taken with much of the historical facts in order to tell a good story, but I didn't mind them so much this time around. Probably because there weren't as many and, aside from the fact that Bran Castle has never really been a forensic academy, nothing too major was changed. Plus, much like the first, there was a lot of great depictions of gothic architecture and atmosphere that I really appreciated.

Now, most people who have read these books will go on and on about how Thomas is their favorite character and how much they loved him and how charming he is and yada yada yada. Okay, I don't dislike Thomas as a character but...I'm sorry, but his flirting starting to get real annoying. She's obviously trying to go for a will-they-won't-they thing with Audrey Rose and Thomas but his flirting just got super old super fast in this book. Not only was every other thing he said hinting about how badly he wants to get with Audrey Rose but, at times, it just seemed inappropriate. Now, I don't mean inappropriate as in what he said was patriarchy or rude or anything, but that he says stuff after finding a person's dead body or when they are in eminent danger! Time and place, buddy. Time and place.

Another problem I had with this book was that the pacing was much slower than the previous book. I had a hard time finishing it, not because it was poorly written or the characters were unlikable or anything, but because it was drag on and on in certain places. It got the point where I think I zoned out and missed some important details. My only major nitpick about Stalking was that I figured out who was behind everything fairly quickly. This time, I was genuinely surprised....then really confused. Even after the usual "get the villain monologuing to save ourselves" scene we can sometimes get with these stories, I still didn't really get what was going on. We're supposed to be impressed by the intelligence of this character but the way they go about their plan...seriously didn't make a lick of sense. I think it just needed to be thought out a bit better because that was seriously the most flawed part of the book.

Final Verdict
Not as good as the first, but still enjoyable enough. The writing is still good, I still like Audrey Rose, and the mystery was a good one but the conclusion was confusing and didn't make a whole lot of sense, Thomas got annoying, and so I'm going to say to maybe wait for it on paperback.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time:  Victorian England needs more superheroes...

The Thirteenth Princess by Nina Clare

Need a book where you can just kind of sit back and enjoy the ride? A book that's not trying to hard or attempting to cash in on popular tropes? It's always nice to find a book such as that and this, I must say, was a refreshing read. Going back to reviewing a fairy tale retelling, and having it actually be a positive experience, was just what the doctor ordered. Let's dive in.

The thirteenth princess of the kingdom of Cataluna has always been looked on like a curse, to the point where she doesn't even have a name other than Princess. Surrounded by her beautiful and talented sisters, Princess dreams of adventure and freedom from the home that looks on her like an unwanted problem. When whispers of rebellion force the princesses' uncle, the current ruler, to find them husbands, Princess isn't so sure at the prospect. With her sisters longing for love, her uncle scheming against them, and a long line of princes arriving from all over the world, Princess must step out of the shadows and be the hero she longs to be.

For a retelling of the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, this story takes things to a different level and balances the line of staying true to the story and adding enough details to make it more three-dimensional. It breathes life and personality into the existing characters and creates interesting new ones to build the world and enrich the story. Princess (who could totally be a Time Lord with that name, that would have been awesome) is a fairly spunky character without trying too hard and making her overly tough or willowy. She felt like a real person, the youngest child in a large family with successful siblings...yeah, her feelings in this story are pretty genuine and realistic and I appreciated that about this story.

Now, the story is a fairy tale and it knows it. That being said, we were allowed to have things like magic and faeries and spells, none of which I remember the actual story having. However, it doesn't feel forced given the story and established world that we're given. Even when the characters themselves are surprised that magic exists, the reader isn't. We could sense it from the beginning, because we're reading through the eyes of an intuitive character. The inclusion of a villain character also fits snugly and he had such personality and funny moments that he was probably one of my favorite parts. It kind of made me think that if Disney were to make a movie around the Twelve Dancing Princesses, it might look something like this.

If I had to nitpick, and I do, I will admit that the story does drag at times. Mostly this is due to the fact that the story is trying to establish twelve princesses and give them personalities. Yeah, the title characters of the fairy tale that we're basing this story off of are ironically the Achilles Heel in this story. There's a great deal of time to naming the sisters, naming their hobbies and interests, describing their dresses, meeting their princes, going to their parities, making their rings and on and on and on. I can appreciate it was trying to turn them into characters and not bland or uninteresting but I don't think it worked too well. At the end of the day....there's still twelve of them. I'm just not going to remember each and every one of them. It was a valiant effort, but the sisters probably had a bit too much time devoted to making them stand out.

Final Verdict
It was fun, it was light, it was interesting...yeah, I liked this book. Was it the best book I'd ever read in my life...probably not, but I did appreciate it and what it was going for and trying to do. The protagonist was good, the ideas were clever and I'd say this book is worth your money at your local bookstore!

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: From the Ripper to the Impaler...this chick has her work cut out for her....