• book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Modified And Sacred by Jana Denardo

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    Modified And Sacred – Jana Denardo

    Lieutenant Addison Hunt is proud to serve the Confederation even if he still feels like he’s on the outside looking in. Addison was illegally genetically modified as a child, leaving him burdened with a sense of shame. Emotionally isolated from his fellow crewmen and recovering from injuries from his last job, Addison is happy to have light duty transporting an esteemed diplomat to a peace conference.

    Deveral is one of the Sacred Kin, possessing a psychic ability that his people consider a spark of the divine. Like all the Sacred Kin, he’s led a sheltered life as a temple priest, but his heightened empathic ability makes him the perfect diplomat. Nervous to leave his home, he’s curious about his new companion, Lieutenant Hunt.

    Not everyone wants the diplomatic mission to succeed, and a rebel faction poses a real threat to Addison and Deveral. Finding themselves cast adrift on a “lost” colony, they’ll have to fight to stay alive.

    Modified And Sacred is an enjoyable sci-fi romance that touches upon religion and science. It has a lot of stuff going on from human trafficking, illegal modifications to lost colonies and sacred beings. My favorite was the Fyrians, a specie who can change the colors of their skin and hair depending on their emotion.

    Deveral was a Sacred Kin, assigned to go on a diplomatic mission to negotiate with a breakaway faction. He lived a pampered life and has never been outside his planet so his survivals skills were almost nil. Dev is easy going and never shies away from getting what he wants.

    Addison is a Confederate soldier nursing an injury so he was assigned a boring mission to escort the Fyrian ambassador. Turns out the mission was far more exciting than he bargained for. Their shuttle was shot down and they crash landed in an unknown colony. A big part of the novella is about him and Dev navigating the land and trying to evade pursuers. Unlike Dev, Addy was more uptight. He has secrets to keep and a job to do so he was very hesitant to complicate his relationship with the Sacred Kin who was all but ready to jump his bones no matter the danger they were in.

    I like that the plot moves fast but because this is a novella, some developments were rushed. I’m all for quick reads but I think this could benefit from adding a couple more chapters to flesh out Dev and Addy’s relationship, the issue with mods, their escape from the lost colony and the ending. The backstories were interesting though they gloss over some points

    The worldbuilding could also use additional details. We get a small peak at a small corner of their universe and what I saw was intriguing enough for me to read a sequel if there’s any. There were many interesting aspects I am curious about such as their governments, other alien species, technology and so on. I want to see more of the Turing crew and the Fyrians. I hope Xavi gets his own book too. Clearly, there are more stories waiting to be told about this colorful universe.

    P.S.

    Thank you to IndiGo for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

    Rating:
    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: The Sacred And Profane
    Artist: The Smashing Pumkins
    Album: Machina

  • book,  song,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Shadow’s Edge by S.C. Wynne

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    Psychic Detective Mysteries: Shadow’s Edge by S.C. Wynne

    Liam Baker can see things. Dead people like to visit him and tell them how they were wronged. Some might call it a gift, other’s a curse. But either way this ability makes him useful to Los Angeles homicide detective Kimball Thompson. 

    Some madman is slitting the throats of young male prostitutes and then dumping their bodies in the desert with vague clues of pink feathers and the number five. Usually Liam can talk to the spirits of the dead. But someone is blocking him. Someone is taunting him. 

    The case is rapidly deteriorating into a violent, psychic pissing contest and Liam can’t see far enough ahead to figure out who wins or who dies.

    I seem to be building a collection of psychic detectives as I yet again start on a series featuring another consulting medium+ police detective combo. Someday, I going to create a ranking list featuring these ghost talkers. Unfortunately, Liam Baker might not make it to the top 5 as this book is pretty average.

    First, the romance between Liam and Thompson was a big plus. It worked quite well with the mystery as the backdrop. Liam is prickly and grief-stricken over William, who was also Thompson’s partner. Thompson is a tough-looking, workaholic homicide detective who have always cared about Liam and had taken him under his wing when William died. He has deeply hidden feeling’s for his late partner’s boyfriend. This and the work-related pressures added extra tension to what was an already fragile relationship. Then Thompson started dating somebody else and Liam slowly realized that he was attracted to Thompson. And that he needed to get over William’s passing. All of which brought out Liam’s thorny side and he was being quite an ass. At this point, Thompson had given up on having his feelings requited, Liam being clueless and such and that should have been the end of it. But there were feels ready to be felt and USTs that irresistibly needed to be resolved and hash it out they did. While not exactly sqee-tastic, the chemistry sparked, the dynamics was enjoyable and their transition from work partners to romantic partners was convincingly executed.

    However, for me, the mystery should stand out as well and while it was one of the main threads, it wasn’t as strongly delivered as I hope it would. It was as generic as they come. I didn’t feel the suspense or the chill and some of the clues’ significance were not so clear during the big confrontation with the killer. Even the killer’s motive seemed weak. I was looking forward to this ‘psychic pissing contest‘ but I’m disappointed that the antagonist was too one-dimensional.

    The world-building also needed to be fleshed out. Are psychics common in their world? Everybody seemed okay with the police working with a consulting medium so maybe we can assume it is so. Since Samhain was mentioned, do other paranormal entities exist in their world too? Given the length of the book, it might not be surprising that we only get the bare-bones details but it would have been more effective to give the reader a little more meat to chew on as this would make mystery more compelling. Maybe in the second book then.

    Because I liked Liam and Thompson enough to read the second book. Also, I like Kale Williams’ narration a lot. Hopefully, book two’s much better than this.

    So, if you, like me, prefer your police procedural romance to be heavy on the mystery and police work, this might not be the book for you. But if you like your romance served with a side of mystery and paranormal, Shadow’s Edge by S.C. Wynne might do it for you.

    P.S.

    If you are interested on other books featuring psychics, check out:

    Psycop by Jordan Castillo Price (review here)
    Tyack & Frayne by Harper Fox (review here)
    Badlands by Morgan Brice (review here)
    The Community by Santino Hassel (review here)
    The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal (review here)

    Rating:
    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: Wake Up
    Artist: Arcade Fire
    Album: Funeral

  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Key Of Solomon: Amber Moon by Hurri Cosmo

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    The Key Of Solomon: Amber Moon – Hurri Cosmo

    Lucas has a low-paying, dead-end job, lives in a tiny apartment, and can count his close friends on one hand. Well, one finger actually, and for all the sympathy she has, it may as well be the middle one. No, Lucas’s life is not one any would truly strive for. However, it keeps him from thinking too much about his distant past and the one man who had gently held his heart… but then ripped it right out of his chest and crushed it under his expensive leather Gucci’s. As a teenager not even out of the closet yet, surviving the fallout became unbearable so Lucas did the only thing he could. He disappeared. 

    Fourteen painful years later and Lucas is ready to move on. He’s going to finally kill his unrequited love for Ryder once and for all. 

    That’s when the magic of Solomon and his galactic bar sweep in. Seems Lucas had the audacity to query the gods in the form of a fist to the sky. The cosmic bartender couldn’t resist taking up the challenge. Mainly because Solomon holds many keys and one of them just happens to be to Lucas’s happiness. He only needs to convince Lucas of that. 

    Shouldn’t be too difficult… right? 

    There must have been trigger warnings on bullying and homophobia somewhere or may I didn’t read the blurb carefully. The story was about putting the past behind and second chances. I know Lucas had a tough time in high school, I just wasn’t prepared for all the hate and negativity which significantly dampened my enjoyment of the story.

    Lucas was miserable and I couldn’t blame him. He was putting himself down too much and I think he really deserved a clean break from the past. I’m not too sure whether it was Ryder he should be facing or Amber. Amber was the one who hurt him the most and who later became a sort of boogeyman, keeping him from doing what he loved. But a second chance was what he needed and that’s what he needed to let himself have.

    With Solomon’s magic, mysterious objects appeared and their significance gradually unfolded. The ones with the artwork was particularly poignant especially when their meaning was later revealed. This was the part that finally convinced me 100% that Ryder does deserved Lucas.

    I like the idea of Solomon and his magical bar which reminded me vaguely of the anime, Death Parade. Although, I expected there should be a prologue or a book 0 giving us an introduction to what the whole set up is all about because Solomon literally came out of nowhere. I suppose the mystery is part of his appeal but some backstory would be nice.

    Overall, not the strongest first book but still a very interesting concept for a series. This is the kind of world where you can do all sorts of creative twists and I would love to see where the author would take us next.

    P.S.

    Thank you to IndiGo for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

    Rating:
    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: Empire Builder
    Artist: Laura Gibson
    Album: Empire Builder

  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Ripe: Letters by Alan Semrow

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    Ripe: Letters – Alan Semrow

    Funny, sexy, evocative, and brutally honest, Ripe is Alan Semrow’s ode to relationships with men. In this epistolary book, Semrow writes to the men who have impacted his outlook, reminded him of basic life lessons, surprised him in more ways than one, and left him reeling for days. Writing to one-night-flings, men he has never met, and men he’ll never stop running into, Semrow touches on some of the most constant human themes—love, lust, desire, and the yearning for connection. All the while, the book details a man’s journey navigating and blooming by way of the modern gay scene. Readers will find familiarity and hard truths in Semrow’s statements about the intricacy and explosiveness of the intimate moments we share.

    This is a hard book to review. It is a book about connections but I wasn’t entirely connecting. Not to say this is a badly written book. Alan Semrow’s beautiful poetic voice shines through and yes, the letters were truly evocative. It is simply that I have a completely opposite personality. I am amazed at how easily his connections were made and how many people he can fall in love with. I can count in one hand the people I get along with much less be attracted to. His is not a lifestyle I envy or want to have but his openness and bravery in living the life he chose is something that resonates with me.

    There are no introductions before each letter. You go from one and jump right into the next. And when you read a letter, you don’t think about the other letters. Each letter holds your attention in the same way a person of interest holds somebody’s attention

    Admittedly, the letters kind of blur together and I remember events here and there but I couldn’t tell who. However, in all these affairs, true to form, the one that stood out for me was Dear Blondie, written to the guy he never met face to face and who made him laugh. It had the right combination of closeness and distance that appealed to the hikikomori in me.

    Even though I might not be the right person for this book, I recommend Ripe: Letters. It captures the vibrant lifestyle and carefree promiscuity of the young, gay men. Alan wrote his letters with rawness and honesty that would draw many readers in. Many people would find this memoir enjoyable, entertaining and relatable. It is also thought-provoking book that inspired me to look at my life and think about letters I might want to write, if only in my head.

    P.S.

    Thank you to the author, Alan Semrow, for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

    Rating:
    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: At Your Best (You Are Love)
    Artist: Frank Ocean
    Album: Endless

  • Uncategorized

    REVIEW: The Illuminati Circle by Robert J. Ristino

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    Illuminati Cycle: The Illuminati Circle by Robert J. Ristino

    Two sicarii, the Illuminati’s deadly assassins, make their way from the Arab Emirates to the French Alps leaving a trail of bodies as they search for one of their own. They are cleaning up loose ends caused by the FBI’s disruption of the Illuminati’s child sex trafficking network. On their trail are SSA Bing Ingram and his FBI CARD team assigned to an Interpol task force charged with destroying the network uncovered in the United States. The sicarii and the task force find themselves in a cross-continental race to locate the one man who could cause the ultimate destruction of the network – a high-ranking member of the Illuminati Circle. With the lives of countless children hanging in the balance, the task force must find the cunning Circle member before the sicarii do. The race from Abu Dhabi to Torun is as thrilling as the Grand Prix … but far more deadly.

    The Illuminati Circle has a Hollywood feel to it, like something directed by Ron Howard. We get fast-paced action, gorgeous French scenery, beautiful women and gun-fights. We can cast Clive Owen as SSA Bing Ingram, Brie Larson as Trish and Amber Heard as Haseena.

    The Illuminati, unlike the occult Illuminati we typically know of, are a group of criminals with an MBA-like criminal network specializing in child trafficking. What I know of child trafficking is that they usually get their victims from poorer countries like Cambodia or the Philippines. It’s an eye-opener that they also abduct children from developed countries. The Illuminati caters to extremely rich clients by providing them what they specifically requested via the dark web. This is a very sickening crime and the book did a good job showing the extent of these criminal activities and the experiences of the children without getting too explicit or too graphic.

    Plot-wise, you can’t go wrong with a really interesting one like this and it was a breeze to read as well. However, I wasn’t feeling the characters. There is a good attempt to give them their quirks, personalities and sexual tension but they still come across as flat. LeFrenniere, who was an amoral, professional criminal (and played by Vincent Cassel), came the closest to being the most interesting but he didn’t quite get there. I would have wanted him to be more nuanced or at least be intimidating. Meh, he caved in too easily to Bing’s bluff. The female characters were the type you would call ‘strong’. They know how to fight and take charge but again, I wish there were some backstories. It would also give the book an extra layer and make the most of the omniscient POV if the relationship between Haseena and Enrika Venclava (played by Eva Green) was fully fleshed out. It would make Enrika’s motives in the next book much more convincing.

    All in all, I want to witness CARD destroy the Illuminati and rescue the children but hopefully we get that much needed depth to the characters.

    P.S.

    Thank you to the author, Robert J. Ristino for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

    Rating:
    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: The Blackest Crow
    Artist: Kiernan Towers & Charlotte Carrivick
    Album:

  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Darkness On The Horizon by Christopher Renna

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    Darkness On The Horizon – Christopher Renna

    All Morgan Fischer wants is to graduate high school and escape small-town Colby, Pennsylvania. Since the death of his mother, childhood friends have become his tormentors, and his father has become an absent and neglectful alcoholic. When lack of food forces Morgan to earn money, he develops a friendship with the new residents in town, Ava and Jonathan. They give Morgan the loving attention and guidance he doesn’t receive at home. As their bond deepens, he learns the older siblings have a dark secret. And because of his love for them, it’s a secret he promises to keep.

    During the summer, a series of murders have rattled the small town. The arrival of a mysterious stranger from Ava and Jonathan’s past threatens danger. When the threat becomes too great, Morgan must alter his plans for the future and confront his fears. Thrust into a world of deception and murder, can Morgan summon the courage to survive?

    This is one of those books where it’s best to go in blind or know as little as possible. Darkness On The Horizon packs a lot of surprises!

    It starts with Morgan’s daily thankless task of having to wake his alcoholic father up in time for work. He tries to look for a summer job because there’s hardly any food in the house. He was hired by Ava and Jonathan to work on their lawn. His meeting and bond with the Astor siblings became the comfort of his miserable life as he found people who love and nurture him. It was all cozy enough and then came the big twist which completely caught me off guard and kicked the book up a notch.

    It seems Morgan can’t take a break. He became part of a secret world that made him the target of a power hungry killer. The murders were all gruesome and violent which appeals to the horror fan in me but a slight niggle at Ava and Jonathan not taking action much sooner though they were in the best position to do something. The big confrontation with the killer kept me at the edge of my seat and had the book ended with Morgan’s life-changing moment, I would have been satisfied.

    The book took an even darker turn when Ava, Jonathan and Morgan went to England. So much darker that I think it warrants trigger warnings for abuse and attempted rape. And while I appreciate all these twists and turns, overall, their unveiling tend to be too abrupt, feels disjointed or forced. I also think the England part is more suitable for a sequel and needs to be expanded to fully flesh out the English characters and their motives as well as develop the world-building because I couldn’t quite understand Morgan’s value to DuPont. The young man seemed more trouble than he’s worth. The saving grace of this story arc was Morgan’s revenge against DuPont where he wrecked all out bloodshed and mayhem. Turns out our boy Morgan could be a total bad-ass when he wants to. All these fun stuff almost made up for the banality of the characters’ interactions.

    I enjoyed the Colby arc and I also love the fact that Christopher Renna amped up the horror on the England arc. However, the latter needs more polish while the former can stand by itself. Overall, this is a interesting debut.

    P.S.

    Before The Sun Rises, the follow-up installment, will be released Summer 2019

    Thank you to the author, Christopher Renna for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

    Rating:
    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: Darkshines
    Artist: Muse
    Album: Origin of Symmetry

  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Baby, It’s Cold by Josh Lanyon

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    Baby, It’s Cold – Josh Lanyon

    Talk about Kitchen Nightmares! TV Chef Rocky and Foodie Blogger Jesse have been pals forever, so it should have been the most natural thing in the world to kick their relationship up a notch. Instead, it turned out to be a disaster. But Christmas is the season of love, and someone’s cooking up a sweet surprise…

    Rocky said it best, it was a convoluted mess. The whole charade fell flat in so many ways and I don’t understand why Jesse didn’t simply invite Rocky to dinner instead. It would have been the more honest and sincere approach for rebuilding that bridge. The introduction of Rocky’s agent to the affair didn’t help much either.

    It’s not without it’s good points. The setting was cozy, the lovely meal Jesse prepared was a success and the whole story gave off fluffy, quirky vibes that earned it an extra star.

    Baby, It’s Cold might not be Lanyon’s best short story but it is enjoyable enough once you get past dinner. It started picking up when Jesse caught the flu and he and Rocky had their Big Fight where Rocky pretty much hurled everything he had been bottling up inside out in the open. I’m with Rocky on this one. I love that he even made sure Jesse got his fluids despite everything. Jesse seemed unlikable and it was mostly his fault, IMO. Though I am glad they had their second chance, I still have a few niggles. Better make it work this time, guys!

    Rating:
    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: Merry Christmas (I Don’t Wanna Fight Tonight)
    Artist: Ramones
    Album: Brain Drain

  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: The Evolution of Jeremy Warsh by Jess Moore

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    The Evolution of Jeremy Warsh – Jess Moore

    Jeremy Warsh has been in off-mode ever since his grandpa’s death a couple years ago. He set aside their shared passion, comic art, and hasn’t looked back. As an introvert from the other side of town, he fully expects to spend his boring life bagging groceries until, maybe one day, he’s promoted to store manager. 

    Yet, his two best friends, Kasey and Stuart, are different. They’re not afraid to demand more out of everyone. When Kasey comes out, Jeremy’s inspired. He picks up his colored pencils and starts drawing comics again, creating a no-nonsense, truth-talking character named Penny Kind. Who speaks to him. Literally. 

    The friend group set in motion Stuart’s plans for a huge Homecoming prank, and if they can get Penny’s comic trending, they might be able to pull it off. Could this be a stepping-stone to a future Jeremy’s only dreamed of? And after he kisses a boy at a college party, will Jeremy finally face what he’s been hiding from? 

    The Evolution of Jeremy Warsh is a coming of age story set in the late 90s. The book covered Jeremy’s senior year, a time for big changes and major decisions. It is presented in a slice of life style which I liked along with its conscious effort to avoid Hollywood teen movie cliches. However, as one GR reviewer pointed out, situations were presented, problems arose but there seems to be no real consequences. This I completely agree with. I didn’t feel Jeremy and his friends were in any serious trouble. Once a scenario was presented, I could safely assume things would work out for them. In this aspect, the book was predictable.

    In this kind of setting and being a YA book, it is very tempting to go heavy on the pop culture references just to get the retro vibe going so I commend the author Jess Moore for not going that route. A little goes a long away and the backdrop effectively provided context on some situations and reactions. But given that the 90s is making a comeback (and that I felt like it never left) , this book could be set this year and I wouldn’t be able to tell much difference, apart from the technology.

    It was fun to witness Jeremy’s journey. There were many people who were with him for better or for worse.His friendship with Kasey and Stuart are goals but my favorite was his time with Ms. V, his elderly neighbor and aerobics partner. I also loved his mom, Connie Warsh, who was the best mom anybody could ever hope for. He had his very own Daredevil, Matt, and early on, you could already tell they were good for each other. Their chemistry was great! Even the bully, Russ Landy, gave Jeremy a push on his evolution.

    There is romance in the book but it wasn’t the focus. Sexuality was also tackled but it was just something Jeremy and his friends experienced as part of growing up. That these were not the climax but merely part of the journey is a big plus as far too many books tend to dwell too much these two aspects thus minimizing other important milestones in a person’s life. Also, there was, quite refreshingly, no major angst involved in the coming out part. At least for Jeremy, who thinks labels are not important as long as you are OK with yourself . Yes! Kasey’s parents were not so open-minded which is tough but I loved how Kasey is comfortable in her own skin.

    Drawing is Jeremy’s emotional outlet and his comic book character, Penny Kind, acted both as his avatar and inner voice that made him look deep within himself. However, as a whole, I felt that Jeremy sort of just let things happened. This kind of semi-passivity gave the book a meh aura so even though I liked TEOJW, it didn’t really blow me away.

    P.S.

    A Penny Kind comics please!

    I received a copy of The Evolution of Jeremy Warsh from NineStar Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

    Rating:
    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: Oh, Me
    Artist: Nirvana (originally by Meat Puppets)
    Album: Unplugged in New York

  • book,  Uncategorized

    Midnight Angel – Kevin Klehr

    Dinner is overcooked. The guests haven’t arrived. And Luke is sitting alone at his dining table on New Year’s Eve. He was hoping to romance Nathan, one of the people he invited for this intimate evening meal.

    As midnight draws closer, it seems an angel, who has magically appeared in Luke’s apartment, is the only person to drink champagne and watch the fireworks with.

    But this angel has other ideas. He’s about to grant Luke the New Year’s Eve party he thought he wanted.

    Midnight Angel is your typical heartwarming holiday story that’s sure to give you feels. However, I felt it was a tad too cheesy at times. Some of the lines and dialogue didn’t feel natural and I couldn’t imagine anybody saying them out loud with a straight face. 

    One of the best parts of the story is the friendship between Luke and Tim. When they laid it all out and decided that they might be able to make it work, I felt like they would still be friends even if it didn’t. For me, this kind of relationship is more important than a forced romance. I wanted to see more of Tim’s interaction with Luke prior to the party. We are told rather than shown his awkwardness when talking to Luke and I thought it would have been adorable to witness.

    The main theme was love vs infatuation and Guy, the angel, tried to steer Luke in the right direction because it was pretty obvious to everyone that Mr. Right was right in front of him but he stubbornly refused to see.

    In the end, Luke was able to open his eyes to what the future might bring. They didn’t call it love, at least not yet. I liked that they took time to nurture the relationship and let it grow. As the months go by, Luke was able to finally find the strength to say the words and the story ended in the best possible way. 

    P.S.

    I received a copy of Midnight Angel from  Nine Star Press  via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

    Rating:

    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: Searching for Mr. Right
    Artist: Young Marble Giants
    Album: Colossal Youth

    (source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42836188-midnight-angel)

  • book,  Uncategorized

    Her of the Wood – Veronica Watts

    Determined to get out of a city where the lowest classes are subjugated into silent submission, Euodia sneaks onto a convoy of detainees being transported to the old lands to die.

    Her hope is rewarded when her group meets scouts from a small but thriving community. As Euodia learns to live and work in her new home, she struggles to shake off years of conditioning so that she can be honest with Ailie about her developing feelings.

    But just as she’s finding her feet, and maybe her courage, a deadly disease sweeps through the community…

    Her of the Wood is a dystopian story about the search for freedom and finding a home where you can be yourself. 

    I liked the cover and the premise piqued my curiosity enough for me to take a chance on this novel. Solace is an ideal community where people are free to love whomever they please. I liked all the cozy couples in the story but the vast majority of the novel is about Euodia going about her daily business which is not the most riveting subject to read about. We are shown the development of hers and Ailie’s relationship which was sweet but the writing style, composed of short almost terse sentences makes everything come across as bland. And even though I was hoping none of them die and the couples stay together, I felt like I hadn’t connected with any of the characters. In addition, the conflicts were resolved a little too easily and the sense of danger was constantly muted.

    The book’s highlights were the first and last parts which were ironically, moments that involve the city Dracon where Euodia came from. I am actually more curious about the city than Solace but I am also glad the plot was not the usual dystopian take-down-the-corrupt-government storyline.

    The ending was certainly a big surprise which might have hinted on a sequel. I would like to find out more about Dracon. Would the city people ever know about Solace? Would people from Solace want to see the city?

    Like I said, the premise shows promise but the execution could use some work, the characters need more depth and maybe an exciting event or two to shake things up in the middle part. However the book offers some positive messages I liked and the setting was good. It also has a YA feel to it which is also a plus. All in all, I rate this a pass.

    P.S.

    I received a copy of Her of the Wood from  Less Than Three Press
    via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

    Rating: 
    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it 

    Soundtrack: Solace
    Artist: Tom Day
    Album: Without Words

    (source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40937955-her-of-the-wood)