March 2020 - Novel Notions

Book Review: The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

March 31, 2020 Petrik Leo Comments 3 comments

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Series: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books (Book #1 of 4)

Genre: Historical fiction, Mystery

Pages: 506 pages (US Kindle edition)

Translated Edition Published: 2004 by Weidenfield & Nicholson, Orion Books (UK) & 2004 by Penguin Books (US)

An astonishingly engaging story within a story type of novel; the passion for books and reading introduced in the first chapter was just an appetizer before all the interconnecting twists and turns. …

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Audiobook Review: Blight Marked (Ethereal Earth, #3)

March 30, 2020 TS Chan Comments 0 Comment

Review copy of audiobook received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Blight Marked by Josh Erikson

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Ethereal Earth (Book #3)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Published: 11th March 2020 by Josh Erikson (self-published ebook) and Audible Studios

Josh Erikson has utterly upped his game in Blight Marked. A heady concoction of compelling character development, interesting worldbuilding, exhilarating action scenes and great humour, the only thing that made it even better was Erikson’s stellar self-narration. …

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Book Review: The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

March 29, 2020 TS Chan Comments 3 comments

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, magic realism, dystopian

Published: March 2016 by Gallery/Saga Press (US) and Head of Zeus (UK)

I’ve been meaning to read Ken Liu’s first collection of short stories for a quite a while. His translation for two of Cixin Liu’s books in the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy was excellent and I’ve heard a lot of great things about the titular short story of this collection.

In my opinion, the preface alone warrants at least a 5-star and an award. Liu’s writing is utterly beautiful and profound, and one can clearly see how talented and intelligent this author is just from reading his preface to the collection. I’ve highlighted at least half of it because it was so well-written. …

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Book Review: The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next, #1)

March 28, 2020 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This entire series has my name written all over it. A plucky, intelligent heroine. Literary references galore. Dry, sharp British humor. An alternate history where every single British citizen is obsessed with the written word to the point of religious zeal. Tongue-in-cheek character names that fit their eponymous charges perfectly. The essential involvement of one of my very favorite classics, Jane Eyre. And yet, for some reason, The Eyre Affair fell a bit flat for me. I still enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it as much as I had hoped. However, my hope is that my reading mood will have shifted by the time I continue with the series, and that Thursday’s series will become one of my favorites. It deserves to be.

“Take no heed of her…. She reads a lot of books.”

…

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Book Review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

March 27, 2020 Petrik Leo Comments 4 comments

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Historical fiction, Mythology, Retelling

Pages: 389 pages (UK Kindle edition)

Published: 5th September 2011 by Bloomsbury (UK) & 6th March 2012 by Ecco (US)

Beautifully heartbreaking and tragic, Madelline Miller’s first novel burst with palpable emotions. …

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Book Review: Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1) by Jim Butcher

March 25, 2020 Petrik Leo Comments 10 comments

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Dresden Files (Book #1 of 25)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Pages: 332 pages (UK paperback edition)

Published: 4^th March 2010 by Orbit (UK) & 1st April 2000 by Roc (US)

Storm Front is an introductory and page-turning installment to a beloved urban fantasy series.

I am not much of an expert on urban fantasy sub-genre, I certainly haven’t read as much urban fantasy compared to high fantasy, and almost all of the majority of urban fantasy series I’ve thoroughly loved has been UF series that took place in a fictional world rather than ours; The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee and The Divine Cities trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett are a great example of this. Many trusted readers and friends of mine who understands my reading taste, however, have convinced me that if there’s one urban fantasy series—with a contemporary setting—that I would end up loving, it’s The Dresden Files by Jim Bucher. Well, here I am, I’m officially starting my journey with this series.

“There is no truer gauge of a man’s character than the way in which he employs his strength, his power.”

…

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Book Review: The Copper Promise (The Copper Cat, #1) by Jen Williams

March 24, 2020 Petrik Leo Comments 2 comments

The Copper Promise by Jen Williams

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Copper Cat (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High fantasy

Pages: 544 pages (UK paperback edition)

Published: 13th February 2014 by Headline (UK) & 5th July 2016 by Angry Robot (US)

The Copper Promise should’ve been classified as a collection instead of a full novel. …

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Book Review: A Time of Courage (Of Blood and Bone, #3)

March 23, 2020 TS Chan Comments 5 comments

ARC provided by the publisher—Pan Macmillan—in exchange for an honest review.

A Time of Courage by John Gwynne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Of Blood and Bone (Book #3 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Published: 2nd April 2020 by Pan Macmillan (UK) & 7th April 2020 by Orbit (US)

A Time of Courage is a stunning masterpiece that proved yet again that John Gwynne is a force to be reckoned with; primed and poised to joined the ranks of the greatest fantasy authors.
…

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Book Review: The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, by Ken Liu

March 22, 2020 Celeste Comments 2 comments

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I chose to read The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories solely for the title story, which is one of Petrik’s most beloved short stories he’s ever read. Thankfully, Ken Liu proved to be an astonishingly gifted writer. I’ve heard his work referred to as graceful, and I can’t think of a more apt description. The man has a marvelous way with words. You can tell that every single sentence was crafted with care. This collection of stories is unlike anything else I’ve ever read in my life. While I didn’t love every single story, those I did love had a profound effect on me, and I honestly believe that I will still be thinking about them for months, if not years, to come. Below are my (very random) thoughts on each story. I’ve left said thoughts in their raw state. While I wanted to share quotes from the stories themselves, I highlighted far too many to sift through. I highly recommend this collection if you want something that will make you think deeply and treat others with greater kindness. More of Liu’s work is definitely in my future.

…

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Book Review: Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1) by James S. A. Corey

March 21, 2020 Petrik Leo Comments 4 comments

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Expanse (Book #1 of 9)

Genre: Science fiction, Space opera, mystery

Pages: 592 pages (UK paperback edition)

Published: 15th June 2011 by Orbit (UK) & 2nd June 2011 by Orbit (US)

Leviathan Wakes was so good; a character-driven space-opera that combines sci-fi, noir, mystery, and a slice of horror into one. …

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