Showing posts with label Rachel Caine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rachel Caine. Show all posts

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine ~ Review

Title: Ash and Quill (The Great Library #3)
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Fantasy
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 11, 2017
Source: Purchased
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Words can kill.

Hoarding all the knowledge of the world, the Great Library jealously guards its secrets. But now a group of rebels poses a dangerous threat to its tyranny…

Jess Brightwell and his band of exiles have fled London, only to find themselves imprisoned in Philadelphia, a city led by those who would rather burn books than submit. But Jess and his friends have a bargaining chip: the knowledge to build a machine that will break the Library’s rule.

Their time is running out. To survive, they’ll have to choose to live or die as one, to take the fight to their enemies—and to save the very soul of the Great Library…
 


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Out of the frying pan into the fire is what they say, and that's pretty much how Ash and Quill start. Rescued only to become someone else's prisoners. Leaving London, the group flees to Philadelphia, the home of the rebels. You would think they'd fit in here, but there is more than one way to rebel against the library and Philadelphia isn't doing it the right way.

Philadelphia is under siege by the Library, and has been for quite some time. This part of the story isn't pretty at all. Injuries abound, and the team is torn between doing what is right and doing what will get them out. Jess has to make some big decisions, but Morgan really stole the show for me. 

Morgan is really starting to understand her Obscurist powers and what they can do. And she is powerful. But that power comes at a cost that is really high. It also means she has to keep secrets, which doesn't sit well with the rest of them. But they have their secrets as well. I'm not sure what Jess and the group are going to do next, but I can't wait to find out.

Monday, November 6, 2017

Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine ~ Review


Title: Paper and Fire (The Great Library #2)
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia
Length: 354 Pages
Publisher: New American Library
Release Date: July 6, 2016
Source: Purchased
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Let the world burn.

With an iron fist, the Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion and, in the name of the greater good, forbidding the personal ownership of books.

Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower, doomed to a life apart from everything she knows.

After embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.

But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, and the Library, which is willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control…


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The Library is winning. Two of Jess's friends have been taken from him and may no longer be among the living and Jess is set off to join the fighting ranks - not what he had originally hoped for. But Jess and his friends aren't quite done yet. 

Much of this story involves trying to free certain companions and running away from the Library higher-ups that are trying to capture/kill them. At times this gets just a tad repetitive. It was more action than a lot of deep story development. It seemed like Rachel Caine needed to get the characters somewhere, and she used this book to get them there without any other real direction.

The end of book one will really leave you hanging, and I was really glad that I could just jump straight into book two of this incredible series.


The Great Library

Friday, June 9, 2017

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine ~ Review

Title: Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1)
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Length: 352 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group
Source: Goodreads First Reads
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn…



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Having a library in charge of the world's knowledge sounds like amazing things. With the goal of the library being the preservation of original works (think old school documents and hand-made books) and the distribution of books through blanks (think tablets only in the shape of a book with actual pages), The Library seems to be a force for good. But when the wrong people are in charge, knowledge and innovation can be stifled and withheld. This is The Library as it is today.

Jess Brightwell isn't the most obvious choice to work as a librarian, but it's his life goal. The son of a smuggling family, he's access to information and books that most people are not allowed to see. He has a love of the written word and longs to know more. Most of the story revolves around Jess after he accepted for training in The Library. They are an interesting group, and I really enjoyed how their personalities clashed and meshed in various ways.

The training in intense and often dangerous. And, most of all, eye-opening. Jess realizes The Library isn't the idealist entity that he looked up to his whole life, and he has to come to terms with some very hard truths about himself and his fellow trainees. 

One of the really fun aspects of the book are the little snippets into the Black Archives or destroyed works that are deemed too dangerous for the public. Through these little bits and pieces, the reader is able to see into the heart of The Library and its leaders, see into the past and how it took the wrong turn into tyranny. 

This was a fantastic start to a new series. Amazing characters, an intriguing world, and a search for a better way to use the vast knowledge of the world.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book**


Saturday, June 1, 2013

Hot Reads from Penguin Books USA

Title: Bronze Gods (Apparatus Infernum #1)
Author: A. A. Aguirre
Format: Paperback, ebook

Hy Breasil is grimmer than it used to be.

Before the Architect closed the door, there were regular crossings, and a great war decimated both humans and Ferishers. The native fae who refused to treat with the invaders faded; their bodies withered and died, stranding them as hungry, angry spirits that haunt the countryside.

That means there’s always trouble brewing in Dorstaad.

Janus Mikani and Celeste Ritsuko work for the Criminal Investigation Department, keeping citizens safe from things that go bump in the night. He’s a hardboiled cynic with an uncanny sixth sense; she’s determined to justify her promotion as the first female detective in her division. Together, they’re trying to keep a black tide from drowning the city.

But when the second body surfaces, murdered with the same type of infernal device, the entire CID must face the truth. There’s a madman on the loose, twining magic and blood… and only Mikani and Ritsuko can unravel the intricate, lethal conspiracy before the Royale killer completes his macabre plan, unleashing old, forbidden magic on an unsuspecting populace. If the maniac succeeds, it could mean the end of everything…

Buy at Barnes & Noble: Bronze Gods: An Apparatus Infernum Novel
Buy at Book Depository: Bronze Gods: An Apparatus Infernum Novel



Title: The Mist-Torn Witches
Author: Barb Hendee
Format: Paperback, ebook

National bestselling author Barb Hendee presents a dark, fascinating new series set in the world of the Noble Dead Saga... the story of two sisters who will discover they have far more power than they ever envisioned...

In a small village in the nation of Droevinka, orphaned sisters Céline and Amelie Fawe scrape out a living selling herbal medicines in their apothecary shop. Céline earns additional money by posing as a seer and pretending to read people’s futures.

But they exist in a land of great noble houses, all vying for power, and when the sisters refuse the orders of a warlord prince, they must flee and are forced to depend on the warlord prince’s brother, Anton, for a temporary haven.

A series of bizarre deaths of pretty young girls are plaguing the village surrounding Prince Anton’s castle. He offers Céline and Amelie permanent protection if they can use their "skills" to find the killer.

With little choice, the sisters enter a world unknown to them — of fine gowns and banquets and advances from powerful men. Their survival depends on catching a murderer who appears to walk through walls and vanish without a trace — and the danger around them seems to grow with each passing night.

Buy at Barnes & Noble: The Mist-Torn Witches
Buy at Book Depository: The Mist-Torn Witches



Title: Generation V (American Vampire #1)
Author: M. L. Brennan
Format: Paperback, ebook

Reality Bites

Fortitude Scott’s life is a mess. A degree in film theory has left him with zero marketable skills, his job revolves around pouring coffee, his roommate hasn’t paid rent in four months, and he’s also a vampire. Well, sort of. He’s still mostly human.

But when a new vampire comes into his family’s territory and young girls start going missing, Fort can’t ignore his heritage anymore. His mother and his older, stronger siblings think he’s crazy for wanting to get involved. So it’s up to Fort to take action, with the assistance of Suzume Hollis, a dangerous and sexy shape-shifter. Fort is determined to find a way to outsmart the deadly vamp, even if he isn’t quite sure how.

But without having matured into full vampirehood and with Suzume ready to split if things get too risky, Fort’s rescue mission might just kill him.…

Buy at Barnes & Noble: Generation V
Buy at Book Depository: Generation V



Title: Alpha and Omega (Alpha & Omega Graphic #2)
Author: Patricia Briggs
Format: Hardcover

A world of shapeshifting wolves comes vividly to life in this collection of four comics based on Cry Wolf, the first book in Patricia Briggs’s #1 New York Times bestselling Alpha and Omega series. 

Charles and Anna are on the hunt for a rogue werewolf in the Montana mountains. The creature has morphed into something so dark that it kills everything in its path: deer, elk, grizzlies…humans.

But the wolf is the creature of something far more powerful. One of Charles and Anna’s own pack harbors a centuries-old secret that has come back to haunt him—and wreak vengeance on those around him.

Charles and Anna—unaware of the truth—are two innocents who stand in the way. But even as members of their pack rally around them, Anna’s rare power comes into its own—and is unleashed…

Buy at Barnes & Noble: Alpha and Omega: Cry Wolf: Volume Two



Title: Fall of Night (Morganville Vampires #14)
Author: Rachel Caine
Format: Hardcover, ebook

Thanks to its unique combination of human and vampire residents, Morganville, Texas, is a small college town with big-time problems. When student Claire Danvers gets the chance to experience life on the outside, she takes it. But Morganville isn’t the only town with vampire trouble...

Claire never thought she’d leave Morganville, but when she gets accepted into the graduate program at MIT, she can’t pass up the opportunity. Saying good-bye to her friends is bittersweet, especially since things are still raw and unsettled between Claire and her boyfriend, Shane. 

Her new life at MIT is scary and exciting, but Morganville is never really far from Claire’s mind. Enrolled in a special advanced study program with Professor Irene Anderson, a former Morganville native, Claire is able to work on her machine, which is designed to cancel the mental abilities of vampires. 

But when she begins testing her machine on live subjects, things quickly spiral out of control, and Claire starts to wonder whether leaving Morganville was the last mistake she’ll ever make...

Buy at Barnes & Noble: Fall of Night (Morganville Vampires Series #14)




Title: The Havoc Machine (Clockwork Empire #4)
Author: Steven Harper
Format: Paperback, ebook

In a world riddled with the destruction of men and machines alike, Thaddeus Sharpe takes to the streets of St. Petersburg, geared toward the hunt of his life…

Thaddeus Sharpe’s life is dedicated to the hunting and killing of clockworkers. When a mysterious young woman named Sofiya Ekk approaches him with a proposition from a powerful employer, he cannot refuse. A man who calls himself Mr. Griffin seeks Thad’s help with mad clockwork scientist Lord Havoc, who has molded a dangerous machine. Mr. Griffin cares little if the evil Lord lives or dies; all he desires is Havoc’s invention.

Upon Thad’s arrival at Havoc’s laboratory, he is met with a chilling discovery. Havoc is not only concealing his precious machine; he has been using a young child by the name of Nikolai for cruel experiments. Locked into a clockwork web of intrigue, Thad must decipher the dangerous truth surrounding Nikolai and the chaos contraption before havoc reigns…


Title: Shadows of Falling Night (Shadowspawn #3)
Author: S. M. Stirling
Format: Hardcover, ebook

At last, S. M. Stirling, the New York Times bestselling author of the Novels of the Change, presents the stunning climax to his Shadowspawn trilogy—the ultimate confrontation, in which the fate of all humanity hangs in the balance....
She’s back....

Near-purebred home nocturnus Adrian Brézé and his human mate, Ellen, thought they had dealt with his twin sister, Adrienne. In fact, they thought she was dead.

But she survived and now leads a faction of the Shadowspawn—the ancient, shape-shifting, blood-drinking breed who secretly control the world—that wants to leave just enough of the human race alive to satisfy their hunger and serve their needs. She has nothing but hatred and contempt for her brother, who remains on the side of humanity, fighting with the Brotherhood against the Shadowspawn.

To defeat him, she has suborned his mentor—the greatest warrior of the Brotherhood. The man thinks he’s bringing a weapon to the Council of Shadows that will wipe out the Shadowspawn’s leaders. In truth, his actions will make Adrienne demon-goddess of the world...unless Adrian and Ellen can turn him back in time.