Book Title: Only Bad Options Book Series: Galactic Bonds Author: Jennifer Estep Stars: 5 / 5
Spoilers Ahead!
Book cover for Only Bad Options by Jennifer Estep. Image from the internet.
It is summer vacation time and I read a book: Only Bad Options. Jennifer Estep’s new series, Galactic Bonds, has two books at the time of writing this post. Book one is called Only Bad Options and book two is Only Good Enemies. This post will quickly review book one so I can get back to reading book two!
Only Bad Options has a great title. It is so relatable. Some days you are faced with only bad options and that is the premise for our female protagonist: Vesper Quill. In attempting to reveal a fatal flaw in the design of Kent Corps’ latest spaceship, Vesper angers the head of the corporation (her employer). Vesper is a disposable research and development grunt worker, whose report gets her unwillingly conscripted into the military and shipped off planet to die in battle.
Vesper is a minor Seer, an ability that helps her figure out how things work or need to be fixed. This talent comes to her aid, allowing Vesper to survive the battle and collect one of the most feared warriors during her exit. Kyrion Caldaren is an Imperium Arrow, an elite weapon used by the leader of the Archipelago Galaxy, Lord Callus Holloway, to kill his enemies. Despite their personal feelings, a Galactic Bond or Truebond forms between the pair. What many see as a great blessing, Vesper and Kyrion see as a curse, a dangerous curse.
Of course surviving the truebond is complicated by the enemies that come after Vesper – her former employer wants Vesper dead and she will use any method possible to ensure that happens. Kyrion may be bonded to her, but his loathing for truebonds means that he is just as likely to kill Vesper as help her (at least initially). Besides, Kyrion comes with even more baggage and enemies for Vesper to navigate.
While many issues are resolved at the end of book one, there are many more problems still around for book two. Sure, Vesper doesn’t need to worry about Kent Corp coming after her. And yes, she has finally gotten over her last boyfriend. But the Techwave rebels are supported by Regal families (the nobles of this galaxy) and they want to tear down the current government. At least they want to dethrone Lord Holloway. Of course, Vesper and Kyrion would also like to take down Lord Holloway – without anyone discovering they are bonded.
Book cover for Only Bad Options and Only Good Enemies by Jennifer Estep. Image from the internet.
I like this rollicking space opera romance. It is great fun. There is lots of action, some great character building, solid bad guys and a perfect blend of magic and technology. This fits right along with writing by T.A. White (featuring elves in space), Jessie Mihalik (featuring nanobots), and Ilona Andrews (featuring gene manipulation).
Book Title: Chasing Down Her Highness Book Series: Rocky Royal Romance Book 1 Author: Fiona West Stars: 3.5 out 5
Spoilers Ahead!
Image of the book cover for Chasing Down Her Highness – from the internet.
Chasing Down Her Highness is the first book in the Rocky Royal Romance series by Fiona West. After running away from home and her royal family, Princess Abbie’s simple life is about to come to a crashing halt. She has been found by the emissary for Prince Edward, the man she contracted to marry as a girl. Despite her attempt to flee the royal life, Prince Edward is determined they should marry and it is not just for the political security an alliance with her Queendom would provide. Attempts to run away are thwarted and Princess Abbie finds herself heading home with assassins on her tail and a talking horse as a new companion. But if Prince Edward thinks she is going to be a willing bride, he is in for a shock.
This book really had me thinking about how I rank books. There was much about the book I liked. Abbie is a spunky protagonist and Edward is a determined, but sweet man. Stargazer obviously steals all the scenes he is in, after all, who isn’t entertained by a talking horse? The world feels wonderfully original – definitely fantasy and distinctly modern. Yet I would not classify this as an urban fantasy since it doesn’t feel like our world. This is a different place altogether with a mix of modern aspects (poptarts and cell phones) mixed with fantastical elements (dirigibles and magical powered conveniences). That makes it rather appealing, but challenging too.
Apparently this story was reprinted and the name was changed from The Ex-Princess to Chasing Down Her Highness – thanks to the internet for this image.
For while I didn’t need more explanation about how the world worked in order for me to follow the story. I did feel like I was missing something at the end. I was confused about the countries and who was aligned with whom. Which is something I could easily get over, since I am not a fan of politics. But the Veil and Unveiled was confusing, and this was not something I could easily forgive. I don’t understand how it works, which parts of the land are shrouded in … is it a thick layer of magic? Another dimension? Another realm? I don’t know and for me, I was left feeling unsatisfied at the end. Perhaps it is something that is explored in greater detail in the rest of the series. It is undoubtedly part of the reason this is getting only 3.5 instead of 4 stars.
The other reason was the writing. It seemed to slip between voices or styles of writing. Perhaps it was intentionally done. Unfortunately it came across as unpolished. While the story is good and the characters are strong and the world is interesting, the writing is fine. It is not terrible, I have certainly read far worse. But it wasn’t the strength of the book either.
So, after rambling for a few minutes now, I will say that Chasing Down Her Highness is a good read, definitely worth a shot – a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Book Title: The Raven Tower Author: Ann Leckie Stars: 4 out 5
Spoilers Ahead!
Book cover for The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie – image from the internet.
I can’t remember who recommended The Raven Tower to me, as it was some months ago. Well, I finally borrowed the book from the library. I didn’t like it, but it was well written. Or perhaps it is best to say, I wasn’t in the mood for this particular story, but as I had borrowed it from the library, I felt compelled to read it.
The Raven Tower is a novel by Ann Leckie. It is well written with a unique style, strong voice and complex characters. Unfortunately it is a story about Gods. And while Gods and their interactions with their worshipers (humans) is not the bottom of my list (that place is held for zombies), I am not a fan of these stories.
It was a bit of a slog for me to get into the book. And then through the rest of the story. Sadly, my personal reaction is not a good reflection of the writing, which I thought was interesting. The book is written as though the main character (a god) is talking directly to one of the other characters in the story. I can’t think of another story that has employed this format (at least from what I have read). It was a really interesting way of setting up the tale.
The story wove in and out of time as the god recalled earlier times and how those shaped its perspective on life, the world and the people of the region. All of this culminated in the ultimate destruction of a town and the tower that held our narrating god prisoner.
The other really well done aspect of the story was the discussion around transgender. The “you” in this narrative, Eolo, is a soldier promoted to aid of the Lease’s Heir. The Lease is the king-like figure in this land and voice of the Raven god. The Lease’s Heir is the next in line to the seat of power. Eolo is the aide to the current heir. Born a farmer and in a female body, he leaves home to become a soldier. Eolo becomes a sort of friend and trusted companion to the Heir. Brought to the city and the Raven’s tower, Eolo helps the Heir to unwind the political maneuverings and truths about their god.
Book cover for The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie – image from the internet. The book I borrowed was a hardcover.
How the author deals with Eolo and some of his insecurities is well done. There is a good mix of reactions of characters to those who are transgendered in this world. I think this sensitive topic was handled masterfully, with care and consideration. It was not preachy, but I think the message of understanding and compassion were at the front. It was definitely one of the best parts of the book.
So, while I didn’t care for the god’s story (3 out of 5 stars), I did think The Raven Tower was well written. Its unique style and intelligent handling of complex societal issues was well done (5 out of 5 stars). Averaging the two numbers, perhaps unfairly, I would give this 4 out of 5 stars.
Book Title: A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking Author: T. Kingfisher Stars: 4.5 out of 5
Spoilers Ahead!
Book cover for A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher – image from the internet.
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher is a well written fantasy story about a fourteen year old baker called on to defend her city from invasion. Our delightfully upfront protagonist is Mona. She works at her Aunt’s bakery and lives in a tiny room over the glassblower’s shop six doors down the street. Tragically her parents are dead, so her Aunt and Uncle are her only family. Fortunately, despite these stereotypes, her Aunt is a generally good, strong force in Mona’s life. And even her Uncle is supportive and caring.
Mona’s usual routine at the bakery starts early in the morning, but on this particular day things go terribly wrong. There is a dead body on the floor of the kitchen and soon the esteemed Inquisitor Oberon is accusing Mona of murder. Turns out that more and more people are looking suspiciously at wizards and someone is actively trying to kill them all. Mona is quickly caught up in a plot to eradicate all the city’s wizards and wrestle control from the Duchess. Dodging death and adults, Mona seeks out the one person who should be able to help her, the Duchess. Only the Duchess isn’t in as much control as she thought. And there is a large army marching up to the gates of the city. With the city’s own army out, and most of the wizards dead, Mona is one of the few magic users still around to help fight back the invasion and save her home.
Mona is a fun, engaging lead character. We meet a few other interesting folks along the way, but as this story is told in the first person, it is all about Mona. As a bread wizard, her skills include making sure bread doesn’t burn while baking and causing gingerbread men to dance for customers. These are all minor tricks. And while her magic grows by the end of the story into giant dough golems and a horde of evil gingerbread men, it is still all bread related.
The magic system is an interesting mix of amazing power, limited only by the creativity of the wizard and the medium in which they work. For Mona that is bread. For other wizards that could be flowers or water. For one woman in the city it is dead horses, which sounds far more morbid than it was in the book. I appreciate the simplicity of the discussion of magic, it was not trained or taught, just something a few citizens had which allowed them to do things in their specialty. Like Mona could make sure her bread didn’t burn in the oven.
The city is set in a world of city states. Since Mona has not traveled, we only get the barest overview of the other cities. Like most of them don’t like wizards, an easy form of prejudice to explore in fantasy novels. It parallels the prejudice and hate faced by many groups in real life, in an easy way for younger readers to understand and relate to. The numerous city states mean lots of conflict between them too, as groups of people are want to do.
Book cover for A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher – image from the internet because I borrowed a digital copy of the book from the library.
This is a young adult book. As Mona is only fourteen, there are definite moments of child versus adult in this book. The solution to Mona’s hiding from the constabulary is to break into the castle and speak with the Duchess. There is an interesting tension between the role of child and adult in the story. Mona expects the adults to fix the problems, which of course they don’t because she is the protagonist. While the story has good pacing, I personally found it lingered too long on the preparations and battle at the end. That was the least interesting aspect of the tale.
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking (I really do love the title) was a fun read. It would be a good read for a younger audience, but the writing and world description make it a good read for adults too. Overall, I give this 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Book Title: The Avant Champion: Rising Author: C.B. Samet Book Series: The Avant Champion Stars: 3/5
Spoilers Ahead!
The Avant Champion book cover – image from the internet.
So, in an effort to slow down my spending on books, I thought I would re-read something old. Browsing through my library, I pulled out a couple of books I had started but never finished, a couple of books I didn’t remember reading until I started them, and one book I didn’t remember buying. Avant Champion by C.B. Samet was the book I didn’t remember getting.
Since I didn’t remember getting Avant Champion, I also had zero recollection of the synopsis that inspired me to pick it up. And ebooks, unlike paperbacks, do not have an easy way of flipping over the cover to read the book’s hook. I was going in blind. Which meant that the opening chapter really set up my expectations.
“I didn’t want to die, but I could see no other option. My purpose was to die – in this day, at this moment, by the hand of Evil.” ~chapter 1, The Avant Champion: Rising.
The next line indicates a time skip backwards 18 days. Well, there is the set up. Main character is going to die by the end of the book and the eighteen days leading up to the opening paragraph is going to show us why. Of course, as I am reading, I am also secretly hoping our intrepid heroine will survive Evil – but there is a general sense of sacrifice that is being set up.
Abigail Cross begins her 18 day countdown working a ball as a servant for the Queen. Only that night she watches as shadow monsters kill her brother and finds herself responsible for protecting the Queen. On the run and baffled about what is happening to the kingdom, Abby flees first to the familiar grounds of the University where she had spent much of her recent years. But they can’t stay long, they are being hunted.
Picking up extra help in the form of her brother’s friend, Joshua, Abby leads the Queen to a distant part of the Kingdom. A place Abby was familiar with from her years of field studies through the University program. There, they are given more aid and direction. First visit the Monks that outline the things Abby needs to collect to summon the Avant Champion who will defeat the Evil spreading across the land. Abby uses the friends she has met through her previous travels to collect the necessary items.
Of course, we are not surprised to discover that Abby is the Avant Champion who has to face Evil. Now the opening makes sense. So, by this point I am expecting that Abby needs to die as a requirement for being the Champion. Or the Champion is really the person that sacrifices themself and through that sacrifice Evil is banished for another 1000 years.
Turns out I was wrong. The Avant Champion is just a person who has to ‘kill’ the leader of Evil, which will drive the rest of the horde back to the volcanic island from whence they came. It is a literal battle of good versus evil. People die. So, when Abby lived, I figured another character would have to be sacrificed – sacrifice does come up a few times in the book. Joshua was the most likely candidate as Abby’s love interest (also her family is already dead). Nope, she saves him too. Then, just to make her tragic life less tragic, she will discover that her mother is actually still alive.
Where to start in the analysis? Well, I liked the intro for setting up the climax. Only it didn’t play out at all as I expected. I think I like the way the story was written. We are following Abby along on her fetch and protect quest. As we go we learn a bit more about her life and her travels around the different corners of the kingdom. There were long sections of info-dumping, but it still read pretty well.
The fetch quest format was fine. I like the idea of learning that myths are real. That there are many layers (think magic) to the world. The world itself was a puzzle. It was fantasy. Not medieval. Transportation technology was at the point of carriages and trains. Weapons were mostly spears, swords and arrows – no guns. Clothing for women included fancy gowns for the wealthy and trousers and tunics for many other women.
The idea that Evil was literally the evil pulled out the People in the world and concentrated on the volcanic island where it would fester for about 1000 years then it would strike out and try to over take the kingdom was … interesting. I don’t know if I like the idea of providing a physical form to our evil hearts or find it simplistic in that there is not great weight to fighting it.
That Abby’s entire life was manipulated to make her the Avant Champion was an interesting way to explore Fate and Free Will. The author could have pulled more on this theme throughout the book. But it was fine.
The star tattoo that allows Abby to teleport around the world with ease is a bit overpowered. However as she is quickly established as having no great ambitions to take over the world. I can work with it.
The Avant Champion book cover series – image from the internet.
For me the biggest drawback was I started reading the novel thinking it was a complete story. I didn’t realize it was part of a series. And the big battle, that is foreshadowed in the opening two paragraphs, well that takes place three quarters into the book. That means the wrap up of everything accounts for 25% of the book’s length. That is a long section. And really, it is the justification for writing a sequel. I think I liked it better when the Champion beat Evil then went off and lived the rest of her life. But there are at least 4 more books about Abby.
Overall it is a fun story. It is neat to see how the different myths become real as Abby takes on the role of Avant Champion. It is difficult to overcome my hesitation about this being book one in a series. And the way magic just sort of reapers without other people commenting on it. I am giving this story 3 out of 5 stars – because I am picky.
Book Title: Hummingbird Author: Helen Harper Series Title: A Charade of Magic Stars: 5/5
Spoilers Ahead!
Hummingbird book cover – image from the internet.
Hummingbird is the first book in A Charade of Magic, the new series by Helen Harper. One of the things that drew me to Hummingbird was the setting. This fantasy story takes place in Glasgow, Scotland – and I have been there! There is something about reading books set in familiar (or even vaguely familiar) locations that makes them more personal. I would say relatable, but the level of oppression and magic present in Hummingbird was thoroughly absent from my Glasgow experience.
Helen Harper is a great writer. I love her characters and her world building. She effortlessly blends fantasy elements with real world settings. Contemporary fantasy or urban fantasy would, I suppose, be decent descriptors. Magic exists in her worlds. Regularly it is just present. Unlike many urban fantasy writers who describe near futures where magic has suddenly appeared, Harper tends to have magic well established in the world. It is not a point she belabours and I think this works very well to create interesting places that are like and unlike the world we know.
For instance, Mages run Glasgow – well all of Scotland (and likely Britain beyond). Their powers are known by the local characters. No one feels the need to explain magic, unless it is specifically a point in the plot development. There is no marker of before magic and after magic. In fact, it was not clear when this book was set. Unlike many of her other series which are clearly taking place in modern day equivalents, Hummingbird lacked the obvious use of technology we use to date a story’s setting. Yet, it didn’t feel like it was a stereotypical medieval fantasy either.
While it might seem easy, writing a compelling story with a mute protagonist is difficult. It is easy for the book to be overwhelmed with long passages of text or internal monologuing. I found Mairi Wallace to be an engaging lead. While the readers got to hear her internal voice, she was able to have some conversations with others too. It was easy to sympathize with Mairi and the challenging choices she was faced with throughout the story.
More importantly the mystery of the power held by the oppressive ruling mages was well done. The book does an interesting job of portraying the imbalance and corruption of power by those with magic. It also raises questions of their ability to stay in power, which is not entirely resolved as this is only book one in the series.
While I do like the inclusion of the ever intriguing demon, chained to the will of the mages, I am holding many reservations about the Afflicted. These shambling abominations read too much like zombies, which I don’t like. The saving grace, so far, is the increasing amount of evidence pointing to conscious people, rather than mindless hordes of aggressive predators. This was one of the major plot points not resolved in the story.
I also have some questions about Thunder and Belle with whom Mairi apprenticed in their tartan shop. This couple was described in strongly unflattering terms at the start of the story, neglectful at best and abusive at worst. Yet they appear as helpers in the end. More than that, their sudden reappearance suggests they have a greater understanding of who Mairi is than Mairi did herself. It was like they expected to discover she was a powerful female mage in a world where mages are only male – at least according to those in charge.
Of course these questions and uncertainties leave me very enthusiastic for the sequel. While I haven’t read everything by Harper, I have read many of her books and enjoyed all of them. Hummingbird was a great read and promises to be another great series. With negative points for the inclusion of Afflicted-zombies outweighed by being set in Glasgow, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Book Title: Hunt the Stars Author: Jessie Mihalik Series Title: Starlight’s Shadow Stars: 4/5
Spoilers Ahead!
Book cover for Hunt the Stars – image from the internet.
Hunt the Stars is the first book in the new Starlight’s Shadow series by Jessie Mihalik. It is a space opera – some space, some villainous plot to destroy worlds or start a war, and of course the deep attraction between sworn enemies. Everything you would expect from a solidly written space-adventure-romance.
Octavia – Tavi – Zarola is captain of her ship. Flying with the remaining members of her squad from the war, she is now a bounty hunter living on the fringes of space. The war is still a painful scar for Tavi and her tiny crew. Peace may have been decreed between the Human Federation and alien Valoff’s, but Tavi knows entering their space is not a healthy choice.
Unfortunately, creds are tight, the ship needs repairs and the best payday she can get is tied to her sworn enemy, former General Torran Fletcher. Convinced to accept the job of object retrieval from the powerful Valoff psychic, Tavi soon learns that everything is really a lie. It is not some heirloom ring that has been stolen from Torran’s mansion, but his nephew. And it wasn’t random chance that Tavi was brought deep into Valoff space. She is about to be sacrificed as the scapegoat for the kidnapping – unless, she can rescue the boy first. Of course working with Torran is a challenge. The once enemy is powerful and caring, a dangerous combination for any romance novel heroine.
The writing is fun. The story is a romp. The trops are real. I love the way that aliens are so conveniently humanoid – they wouldn’t be good characters in a romance otherwise. And as aliens they need to be slightly different from humans. So obviously the Valoff are a little taller and thinner, with sculpted cheekbones and well defined abs. Think space Elves. And since we are thinking about space elves, they should have a power. The Valoff are psychics – telepathy and telekinesis. But wait, there should be more, a cultural difference. Honour. Yes, they are honourable – deeply. It is the code that they follow to the death. It is also based on military ideals. So to summarize, the Valoffs are space elves, with abs and psychic abilities following the romanticized feudal Japan Shogun code of honour and sacrifice. It is fun, not really new, but still fun.
Book cover for Hunt the Stars – image from the internet.
Like the last space opera series by Jessie Mihalik, each book will follow a different couple. In Starlight’s Shadow, it looks like the individual books will center around different members of Tavi’s crew. All of them have emotional scars from the war. All of them appear to be attracted to Valoffs from Torran’s personal entourage. Weaving between the stories is a larger plot about manipulation between the Human Federation and Valoff Empire and the possibility of a new war on the horizon.
Hunt the Stars is a fun read. I will totally borrow the next book from the library. Overall, I give Hunt the Stars 4 out of 5 stars.
Book Title: Capture the Crown Book Author: Jennifer Estep Series Title: Gargoyle Queen Stars: 5/5
Spoilers Ahead!
Capture the Crown book cover – image from the internet.
From the author of the Crown of Shards series, come a new trilogy set in the same world. Capture the Crown is the first book in Jennifer Esteps new series, Gargoyle Queen. Taking place more than a decade after the Crown of Shards, Capture the Crown follows Gemma Ripley of Andvari.
Princess Gemma has become known for her fashion and frivolity. She is the epitome of a flighty and flirtatious princess. Secretly, she is a spy. Taking time to go on adventures, Gemma listens to the gossip and tracks a missing shipment of tearstone. She finds herself in the mountains, in the mining town of Blauberg – close to the Morta border. Unfortunately for Gemma, Leonidas Morricone – the bastard prince of Queen Maeven Morricone – is also there. Nightmares from their first meeting as children still haunt Gemma’s dreams. Yet she finds herself first helping than being helped by Leo.
Removed from Blauberg and installed behind enemy lines, Gemma and Leo will work together to discover the secrets of the missing tearstone. At least they will try. But trust is not an easy thing to come by, especially in the Morta Court.
Capture the Crown has all the spunk, fun, adventure and romance of the Crown of Shards series. I like the strong, clear writing. Gemma is an interesting character with different sides to her personal and public personas. She is scared from the traumatic eventus of her childhood – surviving the Morta massacre – and determined to be more than a court ornament. She is powerful, in a different way than Everleigh was in Crown of Shards. First, Gemma’s powers are mental, though she can still fight with her fists.
I love the fact that Gemma’s attempts to be a spy were ultimately undone by the end. The failure to be a spy was balanced by her success in being a leader and protector of her people. Which I think worked for this princess.
Capture the Crown book cover – image from the internet.
The world building was still great. I like the Roman/Greek/Gladiator inspired world. This is something fun about the way Estep pulls on older mythologies but in a fresh manner to create complex and believable settings. Filled with magic and monsters, there is just enough fantasy to keep the world exciting. And best, it isn’t a stereotypical medieval setting.
I really enjoyed this book and am eager to read the next in the trilogy – which sadly doesn’t release until 2022. Entertaining and engaging, both similar enough I can see the relation to the other series, but different enough it doesn’t feel derivative, I am giving this great read 5 stars out of 5.
Book Title: A House Divided Author’s Name: Nicole Ciacchella Series: Astoran Asunder
Spoilers Ahead!
A House Divided book cover – image from the internet.
The book is A House Divided by Nicole Ciacchella. It is the first in the Astoran Asunder series. The story follows our two fated leads: Cianne Wyland and Kila an Movis. Cianne is the daughter of a powerful member in the Staerleigh House. Giftless, Cianne only hope to maintain her status within the House is to marry well. The star child of House Staerleigh, Captain Lochlan, is ready to marry Cianne. They are already good friends, but Cianne doesn’t want to move beyond that relationship. Her heart lies elsewhere.
Kila is returning to the city after his big mouth had him banished a decade earlier. An enforcer, he is gods-gifted at putting pieces together. His period of exile is over, but the city has changed and he needs to step cautiously to avoid making the same mistakes as before.
Cianne and Kila are drawn together when a member of House Staerleigh dies. While the Elders are quick to write off the death as suicide, Cianne and Kila suspect more to the plot. For years, Cianne has cultivated secret skills in spying on her family. She knows something is wrong, but how can she prove it? More importantly, who can she trust? Kila is not of the House and his position as an enforcer is a good fit for her needs. But it is really the childhood crush that brings her to Kila’s house in the middle of the night.
There is quite a bit about the story I like. The main characters are interesting. They have clear motivations and complex relationships with their friends and family. It is a slow burn romance that does appeal to me. I like the investigation into corrupt family members. The questions of trusting those around us, of uncovering their secrets, of determining our place in our family are all interesting and do well to drive Cianne’s actions.
Unfortunately, their plot is convoluted and unsatisfying. During the climax, Cianne places herself in position to overhear the damning evidence of corruption between her family and the other great houses. Sadly, this pivotal moment needs to be explained to the reader because it is not clear in the telling. In fact, it was not that clearly damning. Highly suspicious, but I expected more from Cianne’s spying abilities than a vague conversation.
I also struggled with Captain’s Loch sudden flip from loving Cianne to believing she was a traitor to the family. After spending almost half the story in a grief-driven stupor, convinced his parent did not commit suicide, he then accepts the fact his father was murder as necessary and the idea that Cianne is out to destroy House Staerleigh. It was too fast a flip in perspective.
I feel like the story would have been more interesting if there was more of an investigation around the deceased House member. More spying. More interviews. More seeking out clues and putting them together. Instead parts of the ending come out of nowhere (like her mother is still alive!) and is rushed to force both Cianne and Kila into each other’s company and out of the city.
While I recognized from the start this was part of a series, I assumed it would continue to follow Cianne and Kila. I was surprised to realize that the next book is about two different characters. Not what I expected given the set up of the first book and its lack of a satisfying ending.
There is much I enjoyed about this story – the relationship between Cianne and Kila was fun to read. It built well and I like how it connected to a past encounter. But several areas that left me unfulfilled. Overall, I would give A House Divided 3 stars out of 5.
Book Title: Axira Author’s Name: Odette C. Bell Series: Galactic Coalition
Spoilers Ahead!
Axira book cover – image from the internet.
Axira is a space opera set in the Galactic Coalition series by Odette C. Bell. It follows the titular character, Axira, as she attempts to redeem her violent past. Forced to be the mindless weapon wielded by her Master, Axira spent centuries trapped in her own body watching as another controls her form to hunt, kill and torture other lives. Eventually she is able to free herself from her Master’s control. Seeking revenge and a new beginning, Axira enrolled in the Galactic Coalition Academy.
Oh, I forgot to mention, that Axira belongs to a species of aliens called Spacers – one of the most feared aliens in the Milky Way. And of course this is a slow-burn romance between an overly powerful female alien and a human male.
It is a space opera. It is a fun adventure – fantasy story in space. I like that Axira, while a super-powerful alien species, still has limitations. Some are self-imposed to hide her origins. Also there is always someone stronger out there. I like the character development of Axira going from feared puppet to choosing her own future – a theme many people can relate to.
This story is written in four episodes, each is like a mini story that string together to form a larger overarching plot. It is a common set up by this author. In the first two stories, Axira helps the Academy which has been infiltrated by enemies. They talk about a mole within the Academy and the second looks at how a few loud, negative voices can create racist, xenophobic environments that are hostile to those who disagree – a very relevant theme! These stories are undermined when you learn later that respected Admirals, high in the chain of command, actually are responsible for the leaks and moles in the Academy. While some of the characters are able to accept the glib response of inciting these events for the greater good, I find their motivation troubling.
At the very least, the Admirals are complete asses to cause such harmful conflict that would continue to undermine the bastion of moral high ground (the Academy) for decades to come. I got the impression we are supposed to respect and admire these Admirals and the hard decisions they make. I was not swayed. Their actions, which mostly didn’t make sense to me, were despicable.
Axira book cover – image from the internet.
Axira was a successfully written fantasy-romance-adventure in space. It was interesting to read, though it fell back on some modern cliches. I definitely liked it more than another story from this series. While I thought Axira was a solid character, I did struggle with the male lead, Jason, who was a bit of a weakness in the story. Overall, I would give this 3 stars out of 5.
