Review: Lore

Lore by Alexandra Bracken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Agon is a punishment that occurs on a seven-year cycle.  This is when nine Greek gods are forced to return to earth as mortals and be hunted.  If they are killed, the person will take the divine power and the immortality that comes with it.  Lore decided not to participate in the ritual because her family had been brutally murdered by another bloodline.  As the next cycle begins, though, Caster (a childhood friend) and Athena (one of the last original gods) both ask Lore for help.  Will Lore take the chance to leave the Agon for good?  What costs will Lore need to pay to reenter the contest?

 

Lore is a stand-alone fantasy novel that is full of action and backstabbing.   Readers who are not familiar with the Greek gods can still enjoy this story because Bracken gives all the basic information needed to enjoy the storyline.  Events transpire primarily across New York City and those who have visited or watched movies about NYC will recognize many locations.  It is nice to read a good fantasy that isn’t part of a series.  I recommend Lore to all fans of Riordan and Hamilton.

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Review: Admission

Admission by Julie Buxbaum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Chloe thought she had a perfect life.  She is getting ready to go to college, she finally has a boyfriend and her best friend is always there for her.  But this perfect life comes crashing down when she answers the door and the FBI is there to arrest her mother.  Her mother is charged as part of a country-wide college admissions scandal and Chloe might end up facing charges too.  The public outcry is fierce and Chloe begins to lose everything she thought was hers.  Why couldn’t her mom just accept that she wasn’t destined for big things?  How much of the scandal was Chloe a part of?

 

Admission is a stand-alone novel that comes on the heels of a real-life scandal that rocked the United States.  Buxbaum takes a topic that we heard about in the news and lets readers delve into the lives of the people who participated in the deception.  Although there is no reason to ever cheat, this story does a good job of laying out the thoughts of the participants before, during, and after the events.  Admission is a good read that also will leave the reader with points to think about later.

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Review: The Cousins

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah have never met their grandmother and barely know each other.  She cut off their parents years before they were born with just a cryptic letter.  It is now the summer and they have been invited to work at the island resort their grandmother owns.  They don’t know why she invited them, but they are curious.  None of them jumped at the opportunity to give up their summer to work at the resort, but each of their parents talked them into it with the hope that whatever happened would be forgiven.  As the three teens explore the island and learn about their family, they wonder if they will be able to discover why their parents were disinherited.

 

The Cousins is a standalone mystery that is full of family drama.  There are a few side stories that are woven together within the larger story and it is also told from multiple points of view.  The changing viewpoints were not a problem, but occasionally the story would jump back to the previous generation and it would take my brain a moment to catch up.  This book is a great one-n-done and I believe most readers will be happy with the way it ended.  The big questions are all answered and just like in the real world, some things stayed a mystery.  Those who enjoyed McManus’ other novels will not be disappointed in this newest endeavor.

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Review: Bandits and Ball Gowns

Bandits and Ball Gowns by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elle and Alec are ready for their happily ever after, but someone doesn’t think they should have one.  Every day people are outside Elle’s place with signs against the union.  Elle’s stepmother and Alec’s parents were banished, yet they have united in their quest to break this couple up.  Jacoby is trying to stay alive and would love to win Elle to his side.  He doesn’t love Elle, but it isn’t good for a dark fae to form deep romantic attachments.   After Jacoby notices Agatha, though, his cold, dark heart begins to warm and he must face feelings he has never had before.  If Jacoby no longer wants Elle, what does that mean for Marchesa and Legend’s plan?

Bandits and Ball Gowns is the fifth book in the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series.  This story is told from four points of view, yet Bauer did a great job alternating the story and helping the reader keep the story straight.  This tale is classic Bauer with action, romance, and it is a short, quick read.  I love the chance to curl up with a fun book and finish it in one sitting.  Sometimes a quick escape is just what the librarian ordered.  Warning, please read the other stories first to fully understand all the backstabbing and drama.  I can’t wait for the next installment in early in 2021.

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Review: Tsarina

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It is 1725 and Peter the Great is dying.  He doesn’t want his son to be his heir and is writing out a decree to announce the next ruler of Russia.  Fate has other plans when he dies without finishing the sentence.  In steps his second wife, Catherine Alexeyevna.  Catherine may be ambitious and ruthless in her maturity, but she wasn’t always that way.  She was born into poverty and had to overcome many challenges on her way into the good graces of the Tsar himself.  She knows that as a woman, her role in any home is on shaky ground, but with Peter’s attention constantly roving, Catherine has had plenty of practice designing schemes to get what she wants.

Tsarina is a historical fiction story that is not for the faint of heart.  The events described are violent and sensual and readers won’t know which is coming next.  Although the violence of war and the graphic nature of violence against women during this time are understandable, I did not like how Alpsten took every opportunity to graphically describe sex scenes in the middle of an otherwise appropriate storyline.  I didn’t care that the characters were having sex; it was the details of the acts that were not needed in this novel.  Tsarina is a good historical fiction story with a different spin on the backstory of Catherine Alexeyevna.  

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Review: The Camelot Betrayal

The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Guinevere may be the queen of Camelot, but it doesn’t feel real for her. She is still trying to balance being the wife of Arthur, the queen protected by the Knight Lancelot and a friend to those she holds dear. Part of her problem is she doesn’t remember who she was before she became Guinevere. As she is trying to push herself to accept her role as queen, she always has the voice of Mordred in the back of her mind telling her she isn’t worthy. As if that is not enough, when the real Guinevere’s younger sister turns up at Camelot, Guinevere begins to wonder if the charade is about to fall to pieces.

The Camelot Betrayal is the second book in the Camelot Rising series. This series continues to break the mold of Arthurian tales with a female Lancelot and a changeling Guinevere. Readers will still enjoy having the foundation characters in their places, even if their roles are slightly skewed. White was able to introduce a few more twists in the storyline while also answering a few questions that were left unresolved in the first book. I can’t say it is one of my favorite Camelot retellings, but it was still a fun read.

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Review: Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story

Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story by Lauren Myracle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Victor has protected his heart from loss by being cold and distant.  He feels he is responsible for his brother’s death in a house fire a decade earlier and has dedicated himself to science.  Nora wants nothing more than to live her life fully, but since she has an illness that will end her life in short order, she plans to be in control of her death, even if that means taking her own life.  When these two young people meet in the cemetery, a budding friendship makes each of them question the path their life has taken.  Will Nora be able to thaw Victor’s cold heart?  Will Victor help Nora see the truth about her life choices?

Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story is a graphic novel with broad-ranging reader appeal.  There is science fiction with the techniques that Victor is studying and there are parallel scenes that will be easily recognized from classic stories and movies.  Although it is a love story, that is not all that this book is about.  Myracle and Goodhart take the topic of planned suicide and make the reader think about the trauma to the people left behind without diminishing the feelings of the person.  This story gives history and backstory to the DC character Mr. Freeze and even readers who love to hate this villain will begin to understand his plight.  

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Review: Mind the Gap, Dash & Lily

Mind the Gap, Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dash and Lily are now living in different countries.  Dash went to England to attend Oxford University and Lily took a gap year to take care of her dogwalking business in New York.  Lily decides to surprise Dash by visiting London for Christmas after getting the news that he would not be coming to the US.  Lily thinks it is a fun, romantic gesture, but everything keeps going sideways.  Even though they are now in the same city, it still feels as if they are an ocean apart.  Will this trip bring them closer together or will it be the straw that breaks the relationship apart?

Mind the Gap, Dash and Lily is the third book in the Dash & Lily series.  These fun, short and romantic reads are great escapes and this installment was just as fun.  Since this couple is in a new city there are many more tourist stops for the reader to explore with the characters.  Netflix is about to release a series based on these characters and I know that those who look for the books to get a preview will be happy with them.  I hope the series is as good as the books, but if it isn’t … we still have these pages to re-read.

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