The Silver Swan

Alexander Feldman is a virtuoso violinist and well regarded teacher who is sought after for his talents and revered by the music community. He is also volatile, passionate, and sometimes cruel. In the middle of his career, he bought the Silver Swan, a Stradivarius cello, to play for his career and pass on to his daughter, Mariana. She performs and teaches well herself, but abruptly quits her career after a failed concert and a scandal involving a years long affair with a married conductor. Now, she focuses on taking care of her father as a passes 90 years old. He passes away and leaves her a note, detailing his decades long affair with another woman. Then another bomb drops when he leaves the beloved and priceless Silver Swan to that woman's son, Claude Roselle, so the cello can continue to be heard in performance. These revelations turn Mariana's world upside down and she starts to come apart at the seams.

I am a musician and love music, so I have a hard time passing up books about music. The Silver Swan has a lot of enjoyable elements. Alexander's magnetic presence is all over the novel, even after he has died. He is wonderful and terrible all at once. His tremendous talent makes him justify his giant ego and his selfish, demanding nature. It was especially interesting to see all sides of him and how each character viewed him. Mariana sees the most of both. He wants her to succeed and become great, but he also doesn't want her to surpass him, so he puts her down whenever he can. Their relationship is complex and difficult. The musical elements are well described and actually accurate.

Unfortunately, all the characters are pretty awful. Mariana seems pretty reasonable and relatable at first, but rapidly becomes unlikable. She is so upset that her dad cheated for so long, but she had a years long affair with a married man as well. It doesn't really make sense. I'm more surprised that he didn't have more lovers and children out there. Claude is just a huge douchebag. He begins an affair with Mariana while he is in a committed relationship with someone else without disclosing it when Mariana specifically asked. He ignores his girlfriend when he's with Mariana and then Mariana when he's with his girlfriend. Then he wonders why everyone is mad at him and laments over wanting to be free from being tied down while also sleeping with any woman he wants. Claude is the whiniest, childish idiot and I kind wish he would just shut up. The whole book is like two children fighting over a toy.

Some of the plot developments got really weird and V.C. Andrews-esque. There's a really weird scene where Mariana's mom accuses her of incest and replacing her with Alexander. It was really off the wall and out of place. There was enough there to be interesting without venturing into this territory. The back cover touts it as being sensual and sexy, but it's really quite awkward and not very well written. Overall, The Silver Swan is an interesting read but has a lot of big flaws that makes it insufferable by the end.

My rating: 2/5 fishmuffins

I Am Princess X

May Harper and Lily Deaton have been best friends since fifth grade. They do everything together although May is kind of awkward and shy while Lily is confident and outgoing. Together, they created the adventures of Princess X, a girl who lives in a haunted house, wheres sneakers, and carries a samurai sword. Then Lily and her mother die in a car accident. Now, May is sixteen and still feeling unresolved about her best friend's death. She starts to see Princess X everywhere on street art and stickers all over the place. Princess X is now a famous web comic with a mysterious creator. The adventures are different, but most of the characters are the same. Princess X has to find the five keys in order to escape the Needle Man. May starts to read it and sees references to her childhood with Lily. Convinced Lily is still alive, May examines the comic and tries to find the messages she believes Lily has left for her with the help of a tech savvy neighbor. Their quest attracts the attention of the real life Needle Man and the race is on to connect the dots and help Lily before he catches them.

I Am Princess X is Cherie Priest's first foray into young adult fiction and I enjoyed it. It's a hybrid comic book and novel. I read an ARC, so I didn't get to see the majority of the comic part. The art at the beginning was adorable and I'll have to pick up an official copy so I can see the grown up Princess X art. It starts with May and Lily's friendship and their adventures of Princess X. It's adorable, creative, and gave me the warm fuzzies. Then Priest drops the bomb: Lily and her mother die in a car accident. May never really recovers from it and always has an inkling that Lily is still alive. A lot of things just didn't add up and she discovers that her best friend and her mother were actually murdered. Her father rightfully becomes concerned when Lily obsesses over the Princess X comics. Maybe May is latching onto it simply because she never had closure and she sees things that aren't there. I was surprised that the plot went so dark, especially in such stark contrast to the happy, bubbly beginning. The darker plot really hit me and I felt for May.

The rest of the novel is a cool mystery/thriller where May deciphers each of the keys to find the mysterious comic book creator while avoiding the villain. I enjoyed her friendship with Trick, the hacker who gets roped into all this. They have kind of a sibling vibe and trade snarky remarks. The lack of any romantic subplot is so refreshing and I wish more YA books would follow suit. My only real problem with the novel is the Needle Man. He may as well be a shadow because his presence is just a blank menace. He doesn't even really seem like a person. The creepy factor is pretty high, but I don't care for one dimensional villains. The rest of the book is so well written that it stands out as meh.

My rating: 4/5 fishmuffins

Golden Son

Golden Son starts shortly after Red Rising. Darrow au Andromedus has accepted a position with Augustus, Archgovernor of Mars, after his rule breaking stint at the Academy. Things aren't going well. Darrow makes some miscalculation and other insidious people spread mostly untrue rumors about him to discredit him. It doesn't help that the Bellona family still wants him dead and it has escalated to a house war. All of this is why Augustus is on the verge of abandoning Darrow despite his potential. Darrow allies with an old enemy and exploits injustice he sees in their Sovereign to descend Gold society into chaos. Now it's Augustus and their few allies against the Sovereign and most other Golds. To win the war, he must convert Golds to his side and crush the rest while keeping his true aim, to destroy the hierarchy their society depends upon, a secret.

Like Red Rising, Golden Son starts a bit slow. I read the first book a year and a half ago, so I don't remember every character with great clarity. The book just throws the reader into the world with no recap to speak of. About a hundred pages in, I felt solid with the characters and the story really takes off. Darrow faces hell in this installment. First, he's disgraced and almost gives up on his mission altogether. He is totally unprepared for the indirect backstabbing and cattiness of Gold society and just flounders. After everything looks hopeless, he almost succumbs to a senselessly violent plan that would do nothing but make Gold vengeance swift and terrible. Throughout the novel, plans are formulated and things seem like they looking up, but then nothing ever turns out as it should. When the Sovereign throws out their society's laws for her own political gains, Darrow sees where he can create chaos and start a war with the highest and most corrupt level of the Golds. He quickly rises to power with the backing of Augustus and Golds follow in his wake to glom onto his success.

My favorite part of Golden Son is Darrow's consistent efforts to treat other colors the same as he treats Golds. He never forgets that deep down he is Red and what his true mission is: to overthrow the caste system and make everyone equal. Although it angers his allies, he puts this into practice by allowing a Blue to command his ship, allowing an Obsidian to wield a weapon made exclusively for Gold, and striving to keep the other colors out of the crossfire of the Gold war. He even causes a whole enemy ship of Lowcolors to follow him by treating them as people and valuing their lives and talents. The best instance of this Darrow's conversation with Ragnar the Obsidian. Darrow reveals his true origins and throws Ragnar's world into chaos. Obsidians are taught that they are slaves to the Golds, who are nothing short of gods. Darrow forces Ragnar to decide for himself if he wants to follow Darrow or go along with Gold propaganda. Little by little, Darrow undermines the status quo and breaks down at least a little of the brainwashing the Golds work so hard to maintain.

Golden Son is an addicting read. War in earnest comes to the Golds and it's not as glorious as they were expecting. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book and I was surprised by the plot's twist and turns. It doesn't fall into the second book of a trilogy trap. The story is compelling and interesting in its own right while still setting up for the big finale. The ending is so insane and does end on a cliffhanger. I usually hate that, but I didn't mind it. I can't wait to read the final book, Morning Star.

My rating: 5/5 fishmuffins

The Library at Mount Char

Carolyn has a lot in common with normal people. She likes guacamole and cigarettes, but her knowledge of modern conveniences is sketchy at best. Years ago, she was a normal American child until her parents were killed and the man she comes to know as Father adopted her and other children around her own age. Father isn't just a man. He creates kings, raises the dead, kills on a whim, and doles out swift and cruel punishments for disobedience. They all get a portion of Father's library to study, but are not allowed to venture out of their area of expertise. One day, Father is missing and Carolyn and her siblings can no longer enter the Library. Father's rivals are gathering and Carolyn must gather all her allies in order to protect his vast power.

The Library at Mount Char is a fascinating book that shows fantasy as I've never seen it. We are thrown right into Carolyn's world that coexists separately from our own. Her world has two sides. One is magical (although she insists there is nothing actually magical about it). Her catalog is language and she learns every single language in existence: known, forgotten, animal, etc. She and her siblings are essentially immortal. With other's catalogs, she and her siblings have access to healing powers, the power to heal the dead, and the power to do things mankind has only dreamed of. It's brilliant that the most powerful being in the universe is so because of a library, which is the amalgamation of all his knowledge. The other side of her world is disturbing and incredibly cruel. If their Father isn't obeyed, his punishments are swift and unforgettable. They very often include death and unimaginable pain. Death isn't even an escape because he simply brings them back to dole out more punishment. The most physically powerful of them, David, is a monster and doesn't hesitate to take out his frustration on his siblings. Carolyn is one of the more meek and quiet, so the others consider her an easy target. Throughout the novel, she proves over and over that she is much more powerful and strong than she seems.

The book is written in an unexpected way. Sometimes chapters just follow seemingly random people for a few pages before that character or situation is connected to the rest of the narrative. The main characters are Carolyn, Steve the hapless normal guy that gets mixed up in all this, and Erwin the seasoned military man. It was nice to have the perspective of people outside of Carolyn's library. The plot goes to some wild places I never saw coming. The twists and turns gave me whiplash and I compulsively turned to the next page to see what would happen next. The story also has HUGE ramifications on our world and it gets pretty crazy. I was starting to get bored with the book when the big climax happened about 3/4's of the way through the book, but stay on through to the end. It's definitely worth it. Disparate events and characters turn out to be connected and it was wonderful to read everything fall into place.

Scott Hawkins' fiction debut impressed the hell out of me. The Library at Mount Char throws together fantasy, thriller, and horror with a dash of philosophy and makes a bizarre book that works for me on every level. I will read pretty much anything else Hawkins writes. His imagination is crazy and it's clear that he has no shortage of fresh ideas. I hope some sort of of follow up to this comes out even though it's a wonderful stand alone.

My rating: 5/5 fishmuffins

Sisters of Blood and Spirit

Lark and Wren Noble are twins who are very different. Lark has white hair while Wren has red hair. Lark is more sarcastic while Wren is more sunny. Lark is alive while Wren died when she was born. They can communicate and see each other, but no one else can see Wren. Rumors abound as they grew up when Lark's imaginary friend never went away and it stopped being cute. Lark attempted suicide, was saved by her friend Mace, and was sent to a mental institution for her supposed delusions. She's back and a bit traumatized and more jaded, but better than ever. Now, Mace needs her help. A group of his friends stupidly pissed off an old and very powerful ghost at a dilapidated mental institution and desperately need their help. Can Lark and Wren beat this powerful ghost or will they die trying?

I loved Kady Cross's Clockwork Century series, so I had to read her new supernatural book with a modern setting. The strength of the novel is in the sisters. Lark and Wren are fully realized and have very different outlooks on life. Lark is snarky, sarcastic, introverted, and kind of cold. Some might find her unpleasant, but I understood where she was coming from. Most view her as a crazy freak and don't care to get to know her. She recently went through a dark patch where she tried to kill herself and ended up in a mental institution. There, she had herself almost convinced that Wren was a delusion, but came through stronger than ever. Now, she has to lay low and keep attention from herself to ensure never returning to that awful, ghost infested place. She owns her mistakes and learns from them. She can be a bit reckless, but she's crazy brave and willing to fight for those she cares for. The power she shares with her sister is strong and not fully understood by either of them. Not everything can be Googled. I liked that they learned their limitations and abilities over time through experience.

Wren is a bit different. She obviously can't talk to a lot of people and has minimal contact with other ghosts because of her close bond to her sister. Loneliness is pretty familiar for her. Then, she suddenly has a few more friends and a living boy who both likes her and can communicate with her. Wren is definitely more friendly, warm, and much less jaded than her sister. I felt for her because she doesn't really have a life of her own. She can explore the Shadowlands and meet other dead people, but she chooses to stick close to her sister and the land of the living. It simply isn't enough to have only one person to interact with. Wren also has a dark side that she rarely indulges in, but it's definitely disturbing and she relishes in it. She hides it from Lark and it'll be interesting to see how deep into it she's willing to go in future books.  

The story itself is pretty cool. I liked how Cross wasn't afraid to delve into some darkness and gore, but it was fairly predictable. I expected some wrenches thrown into my expectations, but was a bit disappointed. I also didn't really like many of the human characters beyond Lark. Mace kind of seemed sleazy because he clearly has a crush on Lark, but also has a girlfriend. That girlfriend (her name escapes me) is insufferable. If you thought Lark was a bitch, this girl takes the cake. She's mean for absolutely no reason and stays that way. The writing for Lark and Wren is so good, but this girl is super flat and every time she showed up I wanted to throw the book across the room. Kevin the clairvoyant was mediocre and the other human characters just kind of jumble together in my mind. The cover really bothers me. The concept is good, but the photoshop looks awful.

Overall, Sisters of Blood and Spirit was a fun book. I always like dark stories with fun characters. Everything was not always gloom and doom. Cross brings in humor to lighten the mood and break up some of the heaviness. The ending is satisfying without tying everything up too neatly and I would eagerly pick up the next book.

My rating: 4/5 fishmuffins

A Wicked Thing

Princess Aurora wakes up unexpectedly after over one hundred years of enchanted sleep as a result of the curse she was put under as a child by a malicious witch. Everyone keeps telling her how much more wonderful life will be for the people now that she's awake, but she just doesn't feel it. The boy who kissed her awake is nice, but she doesn't love him. The fictionalized version of her story where she brings magic back to the kingdom and lives happily ever after with her true love is widespread and rings so false to Aurora. She doesn't know what to do: keep being the royal family's pretty and useless pawn while the common people starve, join the resistance to overthrow the corrupt king, or something else entirely her own?

Right from the beginning, A Wicked Thing just sucks you in. How would you feel if you had been sleeping for a hundred years and some random boy invaded your room to kiss you? Suspicious and violated are my guesses and how I would feel. She has no idea how much time has passed and everyone she loved or even knew are now dead. The beginning of this book is perfect and illustrates how a real person would feel in a fairy tale situation. I was immediately on Aurora's side. Her struggle to make sense of this new world rings true and made me sympathize with her. Her parents practically smothered her growing up and her new family isn't much better, but only because of the strategic benefit of her presence and not because they actually like or care about her. She longs to be free and make her own decisions. Unlike the classic Sleeping Beauty, Aurora isn't a delicate flower of a heroine, waiting for her true love to save her. She's also not an action hero either. She's a conflicted girl mostly just trying to figure out what she really wants and what path will hurt the least amount of people. With no clear cut answers, she spends the majority of the book letting others push her around until things get really dire.

A few things annoyed me about the book. It's pretty slow moving and seemed like the goal was to stretch the plot to make a series rather than just have a good stand alone. Much of the book felt like marking time because it was the same situations: Aurora agonizing about her decisions, then people pushing her around, and Aurora allowing herself to be pushed around. There were way too many love interests and most of them weren't interesting. The majority of them wanted her for what she represented and power, but not because they actually liked her. The evil fairy who cursed her was also largely absent from the book and she's one of the few characters I find interesting. Although I generally liked the book, I'm not sure if I would read the sequel. The ending had a lot of action, but I'm not looking forward to another book were very little even happens.

My rating: 3.5/5 fishmuffins

Prudence

Prudence "Rue" Akeldama doesn't have much to do in England. Lord Akeldama gives her a dirigible, which she paints like a ladybug and names the Spotted Custard, and charges her with the very important task of bringing new strain of tea from India back to England. Rue assembles a crew including her best friend and fashionista Prim, Prim's academic twin brother Percy, and rakish French engineer Quesnel to aid her in her quest. They encounter a wide variety of unforeseen problems and complications on the way that includes whole new races of shapeshifters, a kidnapped brigadier's wife, culture shock, an ages old rivalry, and, of course, tea.

Prudence is the first novel in the Custard Protocal series that leaps forward years after the last Parasol Protectorate book. The world looks a bit different with frivolous Ivy Tunstell as a vampire queen (and whose hideous preference in fashion actually matters) and the younger generation making their own trouble. The first quarter of the book describes the world and how it stands since the end of the previous series. At first, I thought the old characters seemed to be cartoony caricatures of themselves, but they are being viewed by Prudence who may very well see them that way. When Alexia and Maccon share a private moment seeing Prudence off when she leaves unexpectedly (to everyone else) early, it feels like the real characters again. The novel really takes off after Prudence and her crew leave for India. It's a new setting for the world and I thought the culture, flavor, and sights were well written.

Rue and her best friend Primrose Tunstell couldn't be more different. Rue is a firecracker as she has been since she was a child. She never really grew out of seeing the rules of polite society as frivolous and unnecessary, but she reigns herself in a bit more than as a child. Besides Rue's ability to borrow other supernaturals' abilities, she can also morph her personality to suit any given situation by taking traits from those she knows. I liked this because it's not supernatural; it's just a product of being observant and knowing what attitude is needed for the situation. Rue just has an infection exuberance for adventure and she's fun to read. As much as she seems to dismiss her mother, they have more in common than she's willing to admit. Primrose is easily dismissed as being as frivolous and annoying as her mother, but she is different. She has actually good taste in fashion and ensures everyone around her isn't a fashion disaster. She also is deft at manipulating situations within the bounds of polite society and resolving everything in a civilized fashion. Neither character is exactly like past characters or their parents and provide a breath of fresh air in this new series.

Prudence is a fun steampunk adventure with new characters. Some people thought the resolution of the book was problematic due to imperialism, which it is, but Prudence alone can't fix the problems of one country occupying another. I think she resolved the situation the best way she could have. Overall, Prudence is a worthy successor to Alexia and I can't wait to read more of her adventures.

My rating: 4.5/5 fishmuffins