Book Reviews Archives - Page 12 of 16

Beginnings, Middles, & Ends by Nancy Kress

Beginnings, Middles, and Ends by Nancy Kress. A Book from the Elements of Fiction Writing Series published by Writers Digest

Introduction

This book is a how-to guide for common problems suffered by beginning writers. The author covers the ways writers develop problems and suggests ways to fix those problems. She noticed three main issues in her writing students work. The story drags at the beginning, the story flounders in the middle, or the resolution does not complete the story arc. She covers each of these cases and suggests solutions. Writing exercises follow each section of the book.

Summnary

Beginnings are covered first. The first scene is important to every story. The main character must be identified and established. It must show at least a hint of the conflict to come. It must set up a tone that follows throughout the whole story. The second scene can be one of three types. A backfill scene is one of expository background. A flashback scene goes back in time to illuminate the opening scene. The continuation of the storyline dramatizing whatever happens next to the viewpoint character. Do not be tempted to continuously revise the beginning of a story. The clarity of the ending will influence how the beginning starts, so better to have that ending before attempting a major revision.

Middles are next covered. The middle is everything after the introduction and before the climax. Three choices must be made by the writer to have a strong middle. Decide whose story the writing is about, the person who defines the book’s plot and its meaning. Decide the point of view character or characters. Then decide the throughline of the story, or what happens to the protagonist. The main character must also show four things in the middle of the story. The character must have a want, show the ability to change, a series of events push the character to change, and the character must switch to a new motivation.

Last is the ending. The climax must do four things. It must relate to the implicit promises raised at the beginning of the story, deliver emotion, deliver a level of emotion like the rest of the story, and be logical to the setup of the story. Everything after the climax must show the consequences of the climax and anything not addressed in the climax.

Recommendation

The definitions, examples, and exercises in this book were informative. I’m glad I read this book. It gives clear examples and solutions to a writer’s problems. One of the short stories referenced in the book was “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. I got a copy of the story and reading it helped illustrate the points made by the author of this book. This is the first book I have read of the eleven books I know of in the Elements of Writing Fiction Series. I intend to read more of them.

A Killer’s Mind by Mike Omer

Zoe Bentley Mystery Book #1

Introduction

Zoe Bentley is a profiler working with the FBI at Quantico. She is new to the area having worked in Massachusetts on high-profile cases. She has a dark past. Tatum Gray is an FBI special agent forcibly transferred from the Los Angeles office for disciplinary reasons. Tatum gets assigned to the Strangling Undertaker case in Chicago and requests that Zoe help him with the case. They fight the serial killer, the Chicago Police, the BAU Chief, and each other. Can they set aside their differences to catch the killer?

Summary

The first chapter of the novel is from the perspective of an unnamed killer who will become known as the Strangling Undertaker. The novel is set in the summer of 2016. The lead character is Zoe Bentley who is from Maynard, Massachusetts. She earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and a JD from Harvard. She assisted in cases in Boston but has moved to Dale City, Virginia to help the FBI at Quantico. Unit Chief Mancuso is the head of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) of the FBI who assigns Zoe a case about a Highway Serial Killer before Agent Tatum arrives at Quantico. They meet briefly before Mancuso sends Tatum to Chicago. Tatum’s life is complicated by caring for his recently widowed grandfather, Marvin, who lived with him in Los Angeles and came with him to Virginia.

Tatum leaves Marvin to watch his home and goes to Chicago. He works with Lieutenant Martinez of the Chicago PD and an ineffective profiler named Dr. Bernstein. Tatum requests that Mancuso send Zoe to help him. Zoe comes to Chicago and they investigate the case but their unorthodox methods alienate them from Lieutenant Martinez and he sends them away when they screw up. The reader learns Zoe’s backstory through flashback chapters set in Maynard in the fall of 1997 when she was a girl and a serial killer was operating in her hometown. Both cases intersect in unpredictable ways and resolve at the climax of the novel.

Conclusion

This novel is a tight thriller with enough surprises to keep the reader guessing. It’s almost like a written version of the television show Criminal Minds. If that intrigues you then I can recommend this novel to you. The television show is about the agents at the BAU investigating serial killer cases and that is what this novel does as well. The only weakness I can point out is about the points of view. The killer, Zoe, and Tatum are the main points of view and they work.

There are three other single chapter points of view that are not as successful. I can understand the viewpoint of a potential victim but I don’t want to get inside a character witness’s point of view. It doesn’t add to the narrative for me. Then there is one more point of view, follow me here. You know that scene at the beginning of Law and Order, the one where you know that the person doing whatever they are doing will stumble onto a murder victim. You know that scene, well that scene is a single chapter in this novel. It would have been better left unsaid. Other than that, this novel did what it set out to and did it well. I plan to follow Zoe Bentley on her next adventure for novel #2 IN THE DARKNESS due to be released on July 16, 2019.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of A Killer’s Mind by Mike Omer.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37647561-a-killer-s-mind

This is the link to my review of The Fourth Monkey by JD Barker, a similar book; combining mystery and thriller.

The Fourth Monkey by J. D. Barker

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Eye of the World by Robert Jordan, The Wheel of Time Book #1

Introduction

Rand and his father Tam are sheepherders near the village of Emond’s field. The Trollocs invade and threaten their world. Trollocs are minions of the Dark One. The Dark One longs to break out of his centuries-long imprisonment. The Dark One is threatened by three young men from Emond’s field, Rand and his two friends Matt and Perrin. Will they be killed by the Dark One’s minions or will they escape to the mythical city of Tar Valon?

Summary

Rand and his friends are helped by five people early in their journey to Tar Valon. Nynaeve, the Wisdom of Emond’s field, and her apprentice Egwene. A wisdom is a female healer and weather forecaster found in villages. The Aes Sedai, Moiraine and her Warder named Lan. The Aes Sedai are female magic users from Tar Valon who use the One Power to do their magic. The last helper is the gleeman, Thom Merrilin. Gleemen are traveling entertainers who are found infrequently in the villages. They try to avoid the Trollocs, their commanders called Myrddraal and other followers of the Dark One called Darkfriends. The group faces the dangers of Shadar Logoth and the Children of the Light. They are helped by Min, the Tinkers, the forest dweller and friend of wolves named Elyas Machera, and the Ogier Loial. The young men are named ta’veren, a person who the Wheel of Time revolves. The Wheel of Time is the pattern where the ages repeat again and again. They must find the Eye of the World to defeat the Dark One.

Recommendation

This novel is an epic that begins an epic series of fifteen books (fourteen novels and a short prequel novel). While inspired by the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, there is much more in this novel. Ran, Mat, and Perrin have different personalities and wants. The narrative pushes them to face the Dark One through dreams and increasing danger from his minions. The Dark One has an objective and a way to achieve it. This novel ends with a bigger world beckoning and a reluctant hero beginning to understand his place on the Wheel of Time. I have waited a long time to start this long journey of reading this series, but I am glad that I have chosen to start it now. This first book is great and I look forward to reading the last three novels which were completed by Brandon Sanderson, one of my current favorite authors. On to book number two, The Great Hunt.

Links

Goodreads link for The Eye of the World

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228665.The_Eye_of_the_World

Review of The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan. Rand searches for the Horn of Valere since he needs it for the Last Battle. Rand becomes the Dragon Reborn and Nynaeve learns how to use the One Power. Amazon Prime Video will adapt the first two novels of the series in 2020.

Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

The Fourth Monkey by J. D. Barker

Fourth Monkey by JD Barker

4MK Thriller Book #1

Introduction

Homicide detective Sam Porter knew it was going to be a bad day when he woke up to a call about a suspicious death. An apparent suicide, the case turns when Sam finds a diary in the man’s pocket. The diary is from an uncaught serial killer that Sam has searched for in the past. As Sam investigates the suicide and studies the diary, he enters the mind of a killer. Will he crack the case or will he become the serial killer’s next victim?

Summary

The Four Monkey Killer has operated in Chicago for the past five years before this story takes place. The killer has claimed seven victims. Three boxes per victim. See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil, Do no evil. An eye, an ear, a tongue, and a body. Sam was assigned to the 4MK task force to catch the killer but they have not been able to. The apparent suicide is assumed to be the killer but Sam figures out that he was just another victim since the man holds box number one.

Sam follows up the clues on the victim’s body, the clues in the diary, and the clues discovered by the task force. The points of view of the novel alternate between Sam and the diary until a third viewpoint is introduced. Fifteen-year-old Emory Conners is the third viewpoint character who appears to be the killer’s next victim. The readers follow Sam as he learns who she is and tries to save her. The task force reconvenes including detective Claire Norton. They help Sam’s quest to catch the killer.

Conclusion

This is a great thriller. The novel moves fast following many false leads and containing many surprises. What I liked the most was the diary sections because it was a puzzle of how much to believe the killer. Is the killer an unreliable narrator, telling the truth, or somewhere in between? Read the novel to find out. I plan to read the next novel in the series, The Fifth to Die. It is scheduled to be released on July 10, 2018.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Fourth Monkey by JD Barker.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31125554-the-fourth-monkey

This is the link to my review of The Dead Key by DM Pulley, a similar book; combining mystery and thriller.

The Dead Key by D. M. Pulley

Armada by Ernest Cline

Introduction

In Armada by Ernest Cline, Zack Lightman is facing a life crossroads during his last week as a high school senior. He fights a bully, Douglas Knotcher, he struggles with his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Ellen Adams, and he hangs out with his best friends, Cruz and Diehl, aka the Mikes. Zack tries to connect with his dead father by playing computer games, watching VCR tapes, and listening to music that his father liked. Zack’s favorite current game is a spaceship simulator called Armada. What happens if the game becomes real? That is the dilemma that Zack will face in this novel.

Summary

Zack’s mother is a single mom so Zack must work to earn the money to buy his games. He works at Starbase Ace, a used video game shop, for Ray, who is an older father figure to Zack. Ray is just as committed as Zack to sci-fi gaming, movies, and TV shows. Zack buys his gear from Ray. This book is set in 2018. In the book, a video game publisher called Chaos Terrain begins operations in 2010. A few years later they release Terra Firma, a first-person shooter video game. A year later they release Armada, a space combat simulator.

Zack has been playing Armada for the past few years. Zack is so accomplished in the game that he is #6 on the worldwide leaderboard. The plot is similar to the movies Iron Eagle, Ender’s Game, and The Last Starfighter. The movies all had a kid learning to train for real-life combat by using a video game simulation. At the end of Phase One of the novel, something unusual happens to change the novel from a high school drama to a military operation based on the video game Armada. In Phase Two, Zack meets many new people including Lex and goes on a dangerous mission. In Phase Three the book wraps up with a final battle where Zack must make a complicated and important decision.

Recommendation

I enjoyed this novel almost as much as Ready Player One also by Ernest Cline. Both novels had protagonists that looked back in time to the 80s and 90s to find the answers to the questions of their narratives. The references were familiar to me. I particularly liked the Raid the Arcade Mix tape that Zack’s dad had made and Zack found and liked listening to. There are 28 songs on the tape. Thirteen songs were in my collection and obtained 6 more from the library. I thought that Lex did not have enough conflict with Zack as his romantic interest. I also thought that the ending was too easy for Zack to solve and too open-ended. It will make a great movie.

Raid The Arcade Mix Tape

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Armada by Ernest Cline.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16278318-armada

This is the link to my review of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Wade Watts is poor. The year is 2044. The only way out is to win a contest for a billionaire’s fortune. The contest started five years ago but no one has won it yet, so Wade is determined to win it to secure his future.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

The Darknet by M. T. Bass

The Darknet by M T Bass

The Darknet by M T Bass, Murder by Munchausen Mysteries Book 2

Introduction

The Baron is back and hunting murder victims. Detectives Jack and Maddie are hunting him. Will they find him before he kills again?

Summary

In the previous book in the series, we learned that a serial killer called the Baron has been recreating past serial killer murders by using androids to commit the crimes in a near future Cleveland, Ohio. Jake the previous book’s protagonist, a detective from the Android Crime Unit (ACU), consults with Cleveland homicide detective Madeline “Maddie” on their connected cases. They had a previous romantic relationship which complicates their investigation.

As the investigation continues, more bodies appear and Maddie must discover the identity of the Baron before more victims die. The first murder in this book is witnessed by Amy who is orphaned and homeless. Maddie takes her in to protect her. Amy’s fate becomes important to the investigation. Maddie is helped by Jake, Maddie’s homicide partner Sanchez, and the members of the Android Crime Unit nicknamed the Geek Squad by Jake.

Recommendation

The events of this story follow directly after book #1. It was a jarring experience starting book #2 because Jake is the first-person narrator in book #1 and Maddie is the first-person narrator in book #2. Jake has a distinctive voice. He is snarky and has a quip for every situation. Maddie is more in the background. It took me some time to understand her voice. This book ended up being good but not as good as the first book because of the change in narrator. The descriptions of Cleveland locations continue to be well researched and believable.

This series seems to be sections of about 150 pages of a novel with a thematic climax at the end. Book #1 is 134 pages and Book #2 is 146 pages. Book #3 is called the Invisible Mind due to be released on 08-25-18 and Book #4 is called Motherless Children with a release date to be determined. I will read these sections when they are released.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Murder by Munchausen by M. T. Bass.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36564272-the-darknet

This is the link to my review of Murder by Munchausen by M. T. Bass. Cleveland, Ohio detective Jake and his partner E. C. are searching for an Android Subject (AnSub) that has committed a murder. The AnSub leads him to a serial killer.

Murder by Munchausen by M. T. Bass

Head On by John Scalzi

Head On by John Scalzi, Book #2 of the Lock In Series

Introduction

Chris Shane witnesses the death of Duane Chapman, the first player killed in the new future violent sport of Hilketa. Years ago, in our future, an epidemic called Haden’s Syndrome affected millions of people who are now unable to control their own bodies. They interact with the outside world by using autonomous robots, called threeps, which are remotely connected to their brains. Chris and Duane have Haden’s Syndrome.

Duane plays in a team sport where the threeps battle on a sports field. The object of the game is to rip the head off the designated opponent’s threep and score a goal with it. Duane’s threep was destroyed and his body should not have died but it has. Chris is an FBI agent who must find out how and why Duane died. The case goes down unexpected paths and Chris must put together the clues to find the truth or risk Chris’s own life.

Summary

Chris is non-gender specific in the novel. Chris is at the Hilketa game because Chris’s father is interested in purchasing an expansion team based in Washington, D. C. Chris’s father is a famous championship-winning former basketball player and a real estate billionaire. Chris was the poster child for Haden’s rights but now wants to just solve cases for the FBI in relative anonymity. Chris’s partner in the FBI is Leslie Vann. She is the senior partner and helps Chris investigate the case. People keep dying in the novel as Chris gets closer to the truth. The criminals destroy Chris’s threeps and eventually threaten Chris’s life.

Recommendation

I enjoyed this novel very much. It is not necessary to read the first novel first though it helps with the background material. This novel reads fast, the action does not stop, and the revelations are valid. The police procedural part of the novel holds up well. The part of the novel dealing with Chris’s self-identity and struggle with being famous is the most interesting and the most frustrating. Keeping Chris gender-neutral has eliminated any romantic relationships. Duane is a Haden married to a non-Haden, Marla. Though that relationship does not end well, I wanted to see Chris struggle with a relationship in this novel. I think this might be what the author is building toward if there is a third novel in the series. I look forward to reading more about Chris Shane if there are more novels in the series.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Head On by John Scalzi.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35018901-head-on

This is a link to my review of Lock In by John Scalzi, Book #1 of the Lock In Series. FBI agent Chris Shane cannot physically examine a murder scene because Chris has Haden’s Syndrome. Chris interacts with the world with an android.

Lock In by John Scalzi

The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams

The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams, Book #0.5 of The Last King of Osten Ard

Introduction

The Storm King has been defeated at the end of the novel To Green Angel Tower (Book #3 Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn) and the Norns, long-lived humanoids called immortals, must retreat across the hostile lands of the mortals. This is the story of the Norns retreat and the mortal army that follows them looking to destroy their race forever. Will the Norns successfully defend their last mountain fortress of Nakkiga or will they perish?

Summary

This book serves as a bridge novel from the first trilogy to a soon to be published sequel trilogy. The author tells this story from four different perspectives. Duke Isgrimnur of Elvritshalla is the leader of the army pursuing the Norns. He wants vengeance for his son Isorn who was recently killed in the war. He leads the Rimmersman who are the mortals who live the closest to the Norns. Porto is from the southern island of Perdruin and is in the mercenary part of the army tracking the retreating Norns. He wants to finish the job of defeating the Norns and return home safely.

Viyeki is a Norn who is in Order of Builders. Builders do not fight but serve the military, called the Order of Sacrifices. He wants to help secure their retreat to Nakkiga and save his people from destruction. Lady Miga is a Norn of the Order of Chroniclers who writes a scholarly retelling of the events depicted by the other three narrators. She brings perspective to the events and illustrates how legends are created from real events.

The novel is divided into five parts. Part One. The Ruined Fortress is about the Norns defense of Tangleroot Castle which is on the road to the Norn Fells, the Norn homeland in Osten Ard. Part Two. Three Ravens Tower is about the Norns stand at the tower which is part of the fortifications surrounding the Norn Fells. Part Three. The Nakkiga Gate is about the battle outside of the mountain. Part Four. The Fatal Mountain is about the resolution of the conflict. Part Five. The Long Way Back is about the aftermath of the conflict.

Recommendation

I think this is a great book and makes me want to read the second trilogy. The Witchwood Crown (Book #1 The Last King of Osten Ard Book) was released on June 27, 2017, and the second book, Empire of Grass, will be released in 2019. There is a thirty-year time jump between trilogies. I would call The Heart of What Was Lost as Book 3.5 of the first trilogy because the events follow immediately after book #3. It could be called a coda to the first trilogy since it is 197 pages long. I liked how all four narrators showed different perspectives on the conflict and each arc was a complete and interrelated story.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28585686-the-heart-of-what-was-lost

Link to my review of Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson. Oathbringer is a fantasy novel like The Heart of What Was Lost.

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson

Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson, The Cosmere Collection (The Stormlight Archive 2.5)

Introduction

Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson is a collection that has nine stories that are part of the cosmere universe. Many of the author’s works are interrelated by an overarching plot which he calls the cosmere. The stories of the cosmere are set on a group of worlds that can be traveled to through magical means. Six stories are set on the worlds of his published novels and three stories are about worlds that have not had a novel-length story treatment. All the stories in this collection are excellent, but I will comment on each story starting with the one that I like the most.

The Emperor’s Soul Summary and Recommendation

The Emperor’s Soul is set on the planet Sel which is the setting of the novel Elantris, but the stories do not share any of the same characters. Shai is a master of the magic of soul stamps and she is called a Forger. She can use her soul stamps to rewrite the history of an object so that the object becomes the item that she wants it to become. Gaotona is an arbiter for the emperor and he has a problem where he needs a Forger to create a difficult Forgery. What he asks Shai to do will change them both. The story won the 2013 Hugo award for best novella.

Shai and Gaotona both have clear motivations and both must face an impossible decision. The story is perfectly constructed and it is no wonder that it earned an award. It is one of the three stories included in this collection that persuaded me to buy it. I had heard about this story before 2017 and was delighted that it was included in this collection.

Edgedancer Summary and Recommendation

Edgedancer is set on the planet Roshar which is the setting of the Stormlight Archive series. The story tells the story of a character named Lift. The events occur between Words of Radiance (Book #2) and Oathbringer (Book #3). Lift is a young girl who starts to display the powers of a Knight Radiant. A man who she calls Darkness is hunting her. She is protected by the Azish king but is bored. When Darkness starts hunting other potential Knights Radiant, Lift must decide to stay safe in Azir or to fight Darkness to help others like her.

Lift is a fun and whimsical character. She turns energy from food into her powers which she calls being awesome. She is always hungry and relates everything in her life to eating. I liked reading about another corner of Roshar that we haven’t seen before in this story. This long novella was only available in this collection at the time that it was released, just before Oathbringer was released. I wanted to read this story before Oathbringer came out so this was the main reason that I purchased this collection. I read this story as soon as a received the book and read the rest of the collection later. The decision to purchase it was easy because The Emperor’s Soul and Mistborn: Secret History were also in this collection They were both stories that I wanted to read.

Mistborn: Secret History Summary and Recommendation

Mistborn: Secret History is set on the planet Scadrial which is the setting for the Mistborn series. This story is set on the edges of the Mistborn trilogy. Telling any more about the plot is a major spoiler for the Mistborn series so I will not explain anything further here. This story includes references to all three books so it should be read after reading them first.

I remember almost buying the e-book for this story when it came out on January 26, 2016. When I heard about Arcanum Unbounded collection, I learned that this story was included. I decided to wait until the collection was released on November 22, 2016, and bought it on December 26, 2016.

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell Summary and Recommendation

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell is the only story set on the planet Threnody. The main character is a woman named Silence. She runs an inn and trading post in the middle of a haunted forest. The dangers of the forest are real, shades and an elusive bounty hunter called the White Fox. Silence must protect herself and her daughter from the dangers of the forest.

I liked the story of Silence. There were a number of twists at the end that made the story great. I remember first reading this story in the anthology called Dangerous Women. It was just as good on the second reading. I borrowed the book to read The Princess and the Queen by George R. R. Martin but was glad that I decided to read this story also.

Sixth of Dusk Summary and Recommendation

Sixth of Dusk is the only story set on the planet called First of the Sun. Dusk’s people are the caretakers of the islands in his world. He is a trapper who brings sentient bird-like creatures called Aviars for sale to a more technically advanced people. In the story, Dusk arrives at the dangerous island of Patji. Dusk’s skill is that he can visualize his many possible deaths on the island and can avoid that fate. The technologically advanced people come to the island and threaten his way of life. Dusk must discover the hidden truths about the island to drive away the invaders.

This was another very good story. Dusk was an interesting character. His inner dialogue makes him different. Some of his attitudes are based on Polynesian culture. The solution to what was going on the island was a good twist. The ending might have been too easy.

White Sand Summary and Recommendation

White Sand is the only story set on the planet Taldain. Kenton is the son of Praxton, Lord Mastrell of the sand masters. He wants to be accepted into the Diem, the group that teaches the magical art of sand mastery. Kenton is weak in the art but is accepted. He learns what he can and is ready to face a test which will determine if he can join the group as a full member or will be banished.

First, there is an excerpt from the graphic novel. It visually depicts the test well. The prologue and first chapter of the unpublished novel follows. It is interesting to compare the graphic novel and the written novel. I can see why the story is best told with a graphic novel. The plot is very visual.

Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Elantia Summary and Reccomendation

Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Elantia is set on the planet Scadrial like the other stories of the Mistborn series. Jak gives his first-person account of his adventures. The story has been transcribed and annotated by his faithful steward Handerwym. Jak must defeat the koloss, find the lost treasure of the survivor, and save the fair Elizandra.

This story reads like an adventure pulp magazine account. That was the intent and it delivers. It was used in the role-playing game supplement to the Mistborn series based on the novel Alloy of Law (Mistborn Book #4). A fun but silly read.

The Eleventh Metal Summary and Recommendation

The Eleventh Metal is set on the planet Scadrial like the other stories of the Mistborn series. Kelsier learns allomancy from his teacher Gemmel in this story set before Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1).

It was interesting to see how Kelsier learned his craft but the story was short. It was first published for a role-playing game based on the Mistborn trilogy.

The Hope of Elantris Summary and Recommendation

The Hope of Elantris is set on the planet Sel which is the setting of the novel Elantris. Matisse must protect the children when the Dakhor attacked Elantris.

This story clears up a question about the novel Elantris. What happened to the children when Elantris was attacked? The question was answered but that was all.

Links

Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson.

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28595941-arcanum-unbounded

Link to my review of Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson. The story Edgedancer in this collection tells the story of a character named Lift. The events of the story occur between Words of Radiance, Stormlight Archive Book #2 and Oathbringer, Stormlight Archive Book #3.

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Blood and Tempest by Jon Skovron

Blood and Tempest by Jon Skovron, Book #3 of Empire of Storms

Introduction

Red has been a pirate, a gangster, and a tool of the Biomancers. Hope has been a Vinchen warrior, a pirate captain, and has now sworn to an oath of non-violence. When they come together will they topple the Empire of Storms or will they perish in the attempt?

Summary

Red begins the novel in the capital of the Empire of Storms, Stonepeak. The emperor is dying, his heir Prince Leston is not ready to assume power, and the Biomancers are attempting to gain control of the empire. Red is caught in the middle. He is friends with the emperor’s heir. He does not like how the Biomancers have manipulated him. Lady Merivale Hempist gives him a mission. She is Red’s boss and she is the spymaster of the empire working for Prince Leston’s mother. She wants him to recruit Hope and the rogue Biomancer Bigga Lin to aid in their cause against the Biomancers. Red is eager to comply.

Hope has gone back to the site of her destroyed hometown looking for answers. She has sworn an oath of non-violence and strives to understand what that means to her. Hope searches nearby islands and encounters a strange boy called Uter who has powers over life and death. She takes Uter with her to Galemoor, the island of the Vinchen warriors. Wentu is the only Vinchen left on the island because grand teacher Racklock has spurned the past and has taken all the warriors to serve the Biomancers.

Summary Continued

Stephen is a young Vinchen warrior following the orders of grand teacher Racklock. He is conflicted by the things he has seen and by what Racklock expects him to do. The Vinchen search for Brigga Lin who they think will lead them to Hope.

Brigga Lin has stayed with the pirates that were left of Hope’s pirate fleet as a member of the pirate crew and the lover of pirate captain Gavish Gray.

Jilly is Brigga Lin’s apprentice. She wants to become the world’s first Vinchen Biomancer trained by Brigga Lin and Hope.

Hope, Uter, Brigga Lin, and Jilly head to Stonepeak with the help of Gavish Gray, his pirates, the Black Rose of Paradise Circle, and her gangsters. They are aligned against the Biomancers and the Vinchen warriors. Blood and Tempest concludes as the final volume of the Empire of Storms trilogy.

Recommendation

This was a great novel. It is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy. The best elements from the previous two novels have been expanded and enlarged to give a sweeping end to the saga. The Kraken arrives and is not a disappointment. It was perfectly executed until a disappointing ending. Does an unsatisfying ending spoil an otherwise superior novel? It doesn’t for me in this case. I enjoyed the journey.

My first minor quibble is that Uter’s unusual power was not featured in the conclusion. He does complete one minor task but it was not necessary for the protagonist’s plan. I suspect that Uter was put in this novel for possible use in further volumes of the series. So, I can understand the addition of him and I will delay by criticism until that proves out.

My major problem with the ending, without giving it away, is not so easily deferred. Hope and Red have been striving since the beginning of the series to topple the Empire of Storms. I expected them to topple it themselves. Unfortunately, something happens and the conclusion is taken out of their hands. They set up the action but it wasn’t by their efforts that brought the novel to its conclusion. That was my problem with the ending.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Blood and Tempest by Jon Skovron.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34523154-blood-and-tempest

This is the link to my review of Bane and Shadow by Jon Skovron, Book #2 of Empire of Storms

Bane and Shadow by Jon Skovron

This is the link to my review of Hope and Red by Jon Skovron, Book #1 of Empire of Storms

Hope and Red by Jon Skovron