What to Expect

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Welcome to The Bibliophile! I’ve been an avid reader since….well, since I learned to read in the first place.

Growing up in the age of Harry Potter has certainly left its mark on me. The idea of a secret, magical world lurking right alongside our own captured my imagination and never let it go. (And, incidentally, led to my pursuing a career in the STEM fields, but that’s a story for another day.)

So, what kinds of books can you expect to see on this blog? While I like to read a variety of genres, urban fantasy will make up the bulk of books I review. I also enjoy some fantasy, historical fiction, and nonfiction books. While I don’t do it on purpose, I tend to read a lot of female authors, so if you’re on a look out for new books by women, this blog is definitely the place for you.

“What the heck is urban fantasy?”, you might ask. Turns out Harry Potter is a great example. We’re talking some element of fantasy, but present here on earth. So Harry Potter counts as urban fantasy as opposed to pure fantasy like Game of Thrones because yes, it’s about wizards, but it also takes place in the UK.

Have a book you’d like me to review? Feel free to drop me a message in the contact form! I’m always on the lookout for new reading material.

Book Review: The Rook by Daniel O’Malley

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Overall Rating: 5 Stars

This book is so delightfully weird. The idea of a secret government organization and people with special powers sounds overdone, but O’Malley manages to make the entire concept seem fresh and new.

At the forefront of this is our introduction to the main character, Myfawny Thomas. Myfawny wakes up in a park with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She finds a letter in her pocket from the old Myfawny explaining a choice: to go off and live a new life or pursue the mystery of what happened to her. Unsurprisingly, the new Myfawny picks the second choice.

I’m normally not a fan of amnesia plot lines, but O’Malley managed to give away enough information to keep me invested in the mystery without getting frustrated. As the new, more assertive, Myfawny bluffs her way into the organization we learn about how the Checquy has protected the British Isles from supernatural threats for centuries and about Myfawny’s own unique powers. Their titles come from the names of chess pieces, which is where the book gets its name: she’s Rook Thomas. There are also Pawns, Chevaliers, Bishops, and the Lord and Lady. The Lady of the Checquy can enter people’s dreams, one of the Bishops is a vampire and Myfawny’s fellow Rook is a creature called Gestalt whose consciousness inhabits several bodies at once.

But now a new threat has emerged and it looks as though it may be an ancient enemy the Checquy thought it destroyed long ago. The Grafters are the opposite of the people who work for the Checquy. They gain their powers through extremely advanced surgical modifications that grant them advantages like extreme strength and speed. They consider the Checquy to be supernatural abominations. We learn about the world O’Malley has built as Myfawny attempts to lead her organization through a crisis 

This book kept me guessing right up until the last minute. I honestly never knew what would happen next. There was also an element of humor and absurdity to the plot that kept the book from getting too heavy. The result was a very engaging read and I didn’t even notice how long it was. I would definitely recommend it and look forward to continuing the series.

As an aside, I’ve just learned The Rook has been made into a TV show and is set to debut on Starz very soon. From the clip that I saw, I’m not overly impressed. They changed the letters Myfawny left behind into videos which, okay, I don’t love but understand is more TV-appropriate. But it seems like they missed the mark on some of the characters. I’m definitely going to watch it, though, so stay tuned for a review.

Updates

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My apologies for the long break between updates! In May, I found out I was hired for a summer position….two and half weeks before I was supposed to start. Cue panicked scrambling to find someplace to live, figure out how to move several states, etc. It’s been a chaotic few weeks while settling in to my new schedule, but I think I’ve finally gotten the hang of it. Hopefully this will be the first of many regular posts!

Currently Reading: A Natural History of Dragons

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I’m currently reading A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan. I came across it in an email from BookBub and scooped it up in the Kindle store for less than $2. If you aren’t familiar with BookBub, I reviewed the site here.

It’s a neat concept. The author approaches the writing of the story as though it’s a real memoir by the main character Isabella Trent, recounting her adventures as a naturalist studying dragons. I’m enjoying the pseudo-scientific writing when Isabella describes her discoveries and the honest way Isabella describes her personal life. She’s a tough character, chafing against the confines of her expected behavior and unafraid to stand up for herself.

The story is set in an approximation of the Victorian Era. I say approximation because I realized partway in that the book isn’t set in England. Instead, Isabella’s home country is called “Scirland.” Isabella frequently makes references to other made-up countries, some that sound like they may approximate Egypt and others that sound vaguely European. One thing I wish is that the author would devote slightly more time to laying out the details of her world. I kind of get the feeling the author made up names in order to avoid cultural insensitivity rather than out of a genuine desire to create a new environment.

The story has just enough action so far to keep it interesting without being stressful, and I’m enjoying it enough to order the next two books in the series.

Site review: BookBub

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I wanted to take the time to review a great site for all you ebook readers out there: BookBub. (Note: even if you don’t own an e-reader, almost all ebook publishers out there offer free apps that allow you to read their books on your phone, tablet, or laptop.)

So, what is BookBub? It’s a free site that helps you find either free or deeply discounted ebooks on sale across the web. After you sign up with your email address, you select the genres of books you’re interested in to customize your preferences. I believe you can further refine your interests by rating books on the site. Then every day BookBub sends you an email with a list of ebooks currently on sale that match your preferences.

The pros: Ebook sellers like Amazon are constantly discounting ebooks and sometimes giving them away for free, but there are so many listings it would be impossible to search through them all yourself. I like that BookBub sends a of list of options alerting me to deals I would otherwise miss; I’ve found at least one favorite new author by picking up a Kindle freebie. I can refine my search options so I’m not getting bombarded by emails about books on sale that I don’t care about. Another benefit is BookBub links to sales across pretty much all ebook platforms, not just Amazon.

What’s not so great: BookBub is only for ebooks, so if you want to know when a regular book is on sale you’re out of luck. Sometimes their offerings can be a bit…lackluster. In general, don’t expect to see any bestsellers on the deep discount list. And, for example, I said I was interested in historical fiction and the number of emails I get with books about mail-order cowboy brides is ridiculous.

The verdict: Given that it costs you nothing to sign up and you can unsubscribe at any time, I’d say definitely give it a try. Just be prepared to have to read a lot of emails before you find a book you love.

Book Review: The Rook

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Overall Rating: 5 stars

Today I’m reviewing an old favorite, The Rook by Daniel O’Malley. It’s book one in a series called the The Checquy Files. Book two is called Stiletto, and I believe the author is currently working on book three.

The Rook is so delightfully weird. The idea of a secret government organization and people with special powers sounds overdone, but O’Malley manages to make the entire concept seem fresh and new.

At the forefront of this is our introduction to the main character, Myfawny Thomas. Myfawny wakes up in a park with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She finds a letter in her pocket from the old Myfawny explaining a choice: to go off and live a new life or pursue the mystery of what happened to her. Unsurprisingly, the new Myfawny picks the second choice.

I’m normally not a fan of amnesia plot lines, but O’Malley managed to give away enough information to keep me invested in the mystery without getting frustrated. As the new, more assertive, Myfawny bluffs her way into the organization we learn about how the Checquy has protected the British Isles from supernatural threats for centuries and about Myfawny’s own unique powers. Their titles come from the names of chess pieces, which is where the book gets its name: she’s Rook Thomas. There are also Pawns, Chevaliers, Bishops, and the Lord and Lady. The Lady of the Checquy can enter people’s dreams, one of the Bishops is a vampire and Myfawny’s fellow Rook is a creature called Gestalt whose consciousness inhabits several bodies at once.

But now a new threat has emerged and it looks as though it may be an ancient enemy the Checquy thought it destroyed long ago. The Grafters are the opposite of the people who work for the Checquy. They gain their powers through extremely advanced surgical modifications that grant them advantages like extreme strength and speed. They consider the Checquy to be supernatural abominations. We learn about the world O’Malley has built as Myfawny attempts to lead her organization through a crisis while concealing her amnesia. 

My only criticism would be that the author relies on the old “describing her body in the mirror” trick to introduce us to Myfawny, which is a bit clumsy given how good the rest of the book is. I’ve seen people complain about the author getting too bogged down in the details or slowing down the action, but given that Myfawny is an amnesiac who doesn’t actually know that much about the organization, I think we really need the flashbacks and expository dialogue for the story to make sense.

Fair warning, at nearly 500 pages this book is long. But I love myself a big book and The Rook kept me guessing right up until the last minute. I honestly never knew what would happen next. There was also an element of humor and absurdity to the plot that kept the book from getting too heavy. The result was a very engaging read and I was sad when it was over. I’ve read it a few times now, loved book two (called Stiletto), and can’t wait to read book three.

Books I can’t wait to read

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Today on the blog I’m highlighting a few books that are right at the top of my TBR pile. They are:

  • Middlegame, by Seanan McGuire
  • Brave the Tempest, by Karen Chance
  • Reticence, by Gail Carriger

First up is Middlegame by Seanan McGuire. Middlegame is out now and available pretty much anywhere books are sold. If you want to support a smaller bookseller, Borderlands in San Francisco does ship internationally.

Why I’m excited: I will own my bias up front: I love pretty much anything Seanan McGuire writes. Her brain is a creative, terrible wonderland and I think she is one of the great UF/paranormal/sci fi writers of our time. The author herself has said, roughly, this book couldn’t have come any sooner because she wasn’t yet skilled enough to write it (I’m paraphrasing here, please don’t take this as a direct quote/assertion on my part). Here is the Goodreads summary:

“Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story.

Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math.

Roger and Dodger aren’t exactly human, though they don’t realize it. They aren’t exactly gods, either. Not entirely. Not yet.

Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before him. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He’s not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascend with them and claim their authority as his own.

Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained

Need I say more? McGuire is a master of complex world-building. She excels at conveying an atmosphere. I am so into books that create this sense of something being slightly “off” even though they don’t come right out and say it. I love the feeling of anticipation that builds as you know the secrets you want are just a hair’s breadth out of reach. This is a book that promises to be delightfully bizarre and I am here for it.

Why you should read it: First and foremost, because Seanan McGuire is an amazing author and I think everyone should read her books. Secondly, Middlegame is a stand-alone (though I understand the author wants to write a sequel). You need not have read any of McGuire’s previous work, which makes Middlegame the perfect introduction to her style. And finally, Middlegame promises to be completely unique. How often to dedicated readers get to say they’ve come across something completely novel?

If you’re interested in reading an excerpt McGuire’s publisher has made samples of the book available on their website. Find the first sample here.

Next up is Brave the Tempest by Karen Chance. Warning: This discussion contains minor spoilers for previous books. Brave the Tempest is book nine in the author’s Cassandra Palmer series. My very first review for this blog was about the first book in the series, Touch the Dark. Both Amazon and Barnes and Noble say it will be available on July 30, 2019.

Why I’m excited: I’ve been following this series for several years now, and it’s one of my all time favorites. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve reread some of the books. Karen Chance has been skillfully weaving together multiple plot lines for several books, and things are finally starting to come together. Not to mention, the last book left us on a serious relationship cliffhanger. Cassie and her bodyguard turned best friend John Pritkin had been dancing around each other, kept apart by Pritkin’s deal/punishment with Rosier. But all that was swept aside in book 8, Ride the Storm. It ended with Pritkin giving Cassie a smile that she could only describe as “evil” and I, for one, cannot wait to see what happens next. Here is the Goodreads Summary:

Cassie Palmer has been chief seer of the supernatural world for a little over four months. In that time, she’s battled two gods, fallen in love with two men, and confronted the two sides of her own nature, both god and human. So it’s not surprising that she currently finds herself facing two adversaries, although they have a single purpose: to wipe out the supernatural community’s newest fighting force, leaving it vulnerable to enemies in this world and beyond.

To prevent catastrophe, the vamps, mages, and demons will have to do the one thing they’ve never managed before and come together as allies. Cassie has the difficult task of keeping the uneasy coalition intact, and of persuading her own two opposing forces, a powerful mage with a secret and a master vampire with a growing obsession, to fight at her side. She just hopes they can do it without tearing each other apart.

Why you should read it: Obviously, as the ninth book in the series this isn’t a great starting point for new readers. If any of what I’ve just talked about sounds interesting I implore you to go read book one, which I reviewed here. For more casual readers: I know fans had two chief gripes about the last two books. First, that the books felt unfinished and rushed somehow. And second, that Cassie still didn’t manage to resolve her relationship with Pritkin. Well, rest assured, I am here to assuage your concerns. The good news is Brave the Tempest was always meant to be one book, so the ending should be a lot more concrete and the plot resolution more satisfying. Karen Chance has had a long time to work on it and it she didn’t have to try and shove in an artificial break point. To the second: Cassie did manage to restore Pritkin’s soul in Ride the Storm, so her mad dash through time to rescue him is over. We finally get to see how Pritkin behaves without the threat of banishment hanging over his head. To the Mircea fans: Karen Chance has stated several times now that Mircea’s big plot arc is only just beginning. Aren’t you just a little bit curious? You owe it to yourself to find out what happens! And, finally: because I want to know what’s going to happen to Cassie, darn it! I want Karen Chance to be able to finish this series, and that’s only going to happen if people read her books. So there you have it.

Finally, we have Reticence by Gail Carriger. Reticence is set to be released on August 6, 2019 and is the fourth book in her Custard Protocol series. I believe you can order a personalized copy from Borderlands in San Francisco. (I have no relationship with the store whatsoever, I’m just very passionate about supporting independent booksellers and I think signed books are cool.)

Why I’m excited: Gail Carriger is another one of my favorite authors. I know when I pick up one of her books I’m almost guaranteed to laugh at least once. I’ve enjoyed all of her Parasolverse books and I have no reason to believe Reticence will be any different. I’m also really looking forward to getting inside the head of Percy, who has been lurking in the background of all the Custard Protocol books but never really been given his time to shine. Here is the Goodreads summary:

Bookish and proper Percival Tunstell finds himself out of his depth when floating cities, spirited plumbing, and soggy biscuits collide in this delightful conclusion to NYT bestselling author Gail Carriger’s Custard Protocol series.

Percival Tunstell loves that his sister and her best friend are building themselves a family of misfits aboard their airship, the Spotted Custard. Of course, he’d never admit that he belongs among them. He’s always been on the outside – dispassionate, aloof, and hatless. But accidental spies, a trip to Japan, and one smart and beautiful doctor may have him renegotiating his whole philosophy on life.

Except hats. He’s done with hats. Thank you very much

Why you should read it: If you’re already a fan of Gail Carriger’s Custard Protocol series, this is the conclusion to the series and I doubt I need to convince you to finish it! If you’re someone who doesn’t necessarily love Prudence and therefore stopped reading, believe me, I hear you. But the last book, Competence, was told from the point of view of Primrose and I very much enjoyed it. I think we’ll find Percy is an equally refreshing perspective. Finally, if you’ve never read anything by Gail Carriger before: she has several series out all set in the same universe. I would say you should consider reading the other Custard Protocol books before you jump into this one. Gail Carriger has created a rich, complex world and I fear you may be left hopelessly confused if you jump straight into Reticence. You can find the author’s guide to the proper reading order here.

Book Review: Touch the Dark

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For my first review I’m starting with the introduction to a favorite series of mine, Touch the Dark by Karen Chance.

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars
I can’t tell you the number of times I picked this book up in a store and put it back again because of the summary. The description from the publisher makes it sound like another typical vampire romance book. After enough times of passing it by I finally decided to buy it and ended up discovering one of my all time favorite urban fantasy (UF) writers. 

When we first meet Cassie Palmer, she’s working in a travel agency. Cassie comes back to a computer to see an obituary for a shooting that would take place later that night: her obituary. From that moment on, Cassie is on the run for her life and the book never really slows down. Over the course of the novel, Cassie has to figure out who exactly is out to get her and why, how to navigate dealing with very dangerous and powerful beings, and how to handle inheriting far more power than she ever thought she’d have. Straight UF fans will love the complex world-building. Mystery fans will love trying to unravel the complex plot. For people who like vampires/vampire romances: never fear, you will get your sexy vampire fix. 

What I love about this book, and the series in general:
1. The world building. From the intricacies of the politics with the vampire Senate, to the Silver Circle ruling over mages, to the way ghosts work: Karen Chance has covered it all. Even though this is only the first book, you get a real sense of the universe. It feels very fleshed-out.

2. The characters! What takes a good book to a great book, in my opinion, is the characterization. No matter how good the plot is, nothing will feel right without fully realized characters to carry the action. Even the side characters here have their own back stories. They feel like real people.

The heroine, Cassie, has a real soft spot in my heart. Cassie isn’t your typical UF heroine. She isn’t freakishly good at everything: Chance explores the implications of being saddled with powers you don’t know how to use and responsibilities you don’t understand. In other words, Cassie is allowed to be confused. And not be perfect. Cassie doesn’t develop miraculous combat abilities, and every man she meets isn’t instantly attracted to her. What Cassie does have: sheer determination, and insider knowledge. She grew up in the court of a vampire mob boss, and learned how to keep her head down and survive. Cassie faces an overwhelming number of obstacles, but she doesn’t give up or lose her compassion.

Tomas is a side character/possible love interest. At first he seems like another victim of the system Cassie grew up in, but there’s more to him than meets the eye. Vampire romance fans are going to love Mircea and his very dangerous charm, and his hidden motivations will keep you guessing. John Pritkin is the infuriating introduction to the ruling body of mages called the Silver Circle, but be patient because I promise he grows on you!

3. The plots, and yes, there are several. Honestly, I never have a clue how any of Karen Chance’s books are going to end. There’s the main overarching theme of Cassie inheriting these new powers, but that’s not all that’s going on. There is some political maneuvering happening that will have serious implications further down the line.

I know what you’re thinking: if this book is so great, why didn’t she give it 5 stars? This is the author’s first novel, and it’s a bit rough around the edges. There’s a bit of info-dumping at times. And a lot of action scenes take place in different time periods, which can get very confusing. However the other elements of the story are more than enough to compensate for these minor issues. I’m very passionate about this series and I definitely recommend giving it a chance!