A Study in Silks (The Baskerville Affair #1) by Emma Jane Holloway

Steampunk/Paranormal Romance

What Goodreads Says:

"Evelina Cooper, niece of Sherlock Holmes, is ready for her first London Season - except for a murderer, missing automatons, a sorcerer, and a talking mouse. In a Victorian era ruled by a ruthless steam baron council, mechanical power is the real monarch, and sorcery the demon enemy of the empire. Evelina has secretly mastered a coveted weapon - magic that can run machines. Should she trust the handsome, clever rake who speeds her breath, or the dashing trick rider who would dare anything she would ask."

World Building:  There are two worlds created here.  There is the very public world of steam and the powerful men who control it.  There is the forbidden world of magic.  Both are important to the story.  The world building is very complex.  Explaining this world in the context of the story requires a long book.  Don’t try to skim or you will miss some very important facts about the world of A Study in Silks.

Back Story:  While this is a steampunk/ paranormal world this is also the world of Sherlock Homes and his story as told by Author Conan Doyle is important in A Study in Silks.  Of course each of the characters come with their own back-story and that is woven into the dialog and action. 

Plot:  Very complicated.  It starts with murder and moves from there.  Solving the murder leads to further problem.  Don’t look for a clean ending to the book.  This is a set up for the rest of the series and leaves a lot hanging.

Characters:  Evelina Cooper is the main character.  She is very well developed, as are the other main characters.  Nick, who comes from Evelina’s past, and Tobias, who is part of her present, are interesting but are developed in a way that makes a great contrast. The book is filled with great side characters that play an important part in the story.

Writing:  It is difficult to take a character developed by someone else and make him part of a new story. By placing Sherlock Homes in a different world and making him a side characters Emma Jane Holloway has managed to overcome that difficulty.  A Study is Silks is a complex well-written story that held my attention and left me ready to read book two, A Study in Darkness.

It will be interesting to see how the many loose threads are resolved in future books.  A Study in Silks lays a great foundation and provides a good platform for future stories.

Del Ray published A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway in 2013.

I received an ARC of A Study in Silks from Netgalley.

Stacking the Shelves, November 9, 2013

Some of the Books Stacked on My Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books I am adding to my shelves. They may it be physical or virtual. I include books I buy in a physical store or online, books I borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews.  Follow the link to see what others have on their shelves.

I did an order from Amazon about a month ago and all of the books showed up this week.  I have a lot of reading to do but since I have an injured knee and can't get out much I have time.

 

The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn
Kris Longknife: Defender  by Mike Shepherd
Promise Me Texas by Jodi Thomas
Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines
Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh
The Misfortune Cookie (An Esther Diamond Novel) by Laura Resnick
Kinked by Thea Harrison
Precinct 13 by Tate Hallaway
Royal Airs by Sharon SHinn
23 Years on Fire by Joel Shepherd

From Netgalley:

Broken Blade by J. C. Daniels
The Martian by Andy Weir

From Edelweiss:

Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare
The Barrow by Mark Smylie

Book Beginnings November 8, 2012

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading.

My book beginning today if from Borealis X: False Salvation by A.R. Norris.  I love Science Fiction Romance and I love the stories set on Borealis, a run down space station at the edge of space.  If you like both and want stories with romance but not a lot of sex you should try these.  

"Only sad, white eyes with sea-green pupils.  Nami Sato had been too young to remember the rest of her mother's face.  Yet, during down cycles she always dreamed of her mother's eyes."

Perdition (The Dred Chronicles) by Ann Aguirre

Science Fiction

What Goodreads says:

"The prison ship Perdition, a floating city where the Conglomerate’s most dangerous criminals are confined for life, orbits endlessly around a barren asteroid.

Life inside is even more bleak. Hailed as the Dread Queen, inmate Dresdemona “Dred” Devos controls one of Perdition’s six territories, bordered on both sides by would-be kings eager to challenge her claim. Keeping them at bay requires constant vigilance, as well as a steady influx of new recruits to replace the fallen. Survival is a constant battle, and death is the only escape.

Of the newest convicts, only one is worth Dred’s attention. The mercenary Jael, with his deadly gaze and attitude, may be the most dangerous criminal onboard. His combat skill could give her the edge she needs, if he doesn’t betray her first. Unfortunately, that’s what he does best. Winning Jael’s allegiance will be a challenge, but failure could be worse than death."

Perdition is a dark book full of violence.  You would think that would be a turn off but for me it was not.  I enjoyed Perdition and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Back Story:  That can be summed up in a few words.  This is an old mining ship converted to a prison where the worst criminals are sent for life.  There are no guards, little outside support and the convicts run the place.  If the back story for any of the characters is revealed it is in conversation as part of the action and does not interfere with the flow of the story.

Plot:  Very simple.  The ship is divided into territories headed by strong leaders.  The Dread Queen’s territory is under attack from two other territories.  All action stems from that attack.  In a place with no hope you see people still trying to survive.

Characters:  Don’t look for anyone who is a good person.  Do look for characters who are interesting.  Dred is the strong female backed by Tam (a spymaster with a hidden agenda) and Einar who is very strong and very loyal.  Jael is the new male in the story and he is not what he looks like.  There are other strong side characters.   The character building in Perdition is outstanding.  It takes great writing to make bad people appealing and Ann Aguirre does just that.

Writing:  The story, plot, and characters are all well written.  There was not a place where the action bogged down or where anyone acted out of characters.  Nothing stopped the action in the story.

Perdition is a tension filled book that was hard to put down.  There are hooks for future action but they are just hints that there is more to some of the characters than expected.  Some problems are solved in Perdition and it functions well as a stand-alone.  I did not feel that I was dropped off in the middle of a story.  There was a very satisfying conclusion to the book even though I left me ready for the next story in The Dred Chronicles.

Ace published Perdition by Ann Aguirre in 2013.

Fortune’s Pawn (Paradox #1) by Rachel Bach

Science Fiction/Space Opera

What Goodreads says:

Devi Morris isn't your average mercenary. She has plans. Big ones. And a ton of ambition. It's a combination that's going to get her killed one day - but not just yet.

That is, until she just gets a job on a tiny trade ship with a nasty reputation for surprises. The Glorious Fool isn't misnamed: it likes to get into trouble, so much so that one year of security work under its captain is equal to five years everywhere else. With odds like that, Devi knows she's found the perfect way to get the jump on the next part of her Plan. But the Fool doesn't give up its secrets without a fight, and one year on this ship might be more than even Devi can handle.

Fortune’s Pawn is the second book from Orbit that I have read recently.  Ancillary Justice was the first.  Both are Science Fiction and both tell really great stories but the way each author’s tells their story is very different. In Ancillary Justice the main character is the secret and drives the story.  In Fortune’s Pawn there is a secret being kept from the main character and that drives the story.  What they have in common is that both are really good Science Fiction.

Setting:  The book is set on the trade ship Glorious Fool.  The word around the spaceport is that the ship is cursed.

The World Building:  There are two human powers (Earth and Paradox) and four alien races that make up this world.  All of this is very well defined. 

Characters:  Devi Morris is the strong female lead in the story.  She is driven and that drive is what brings her into danger.  Rupert, the ship’s cook, is part of the big secret.  He is almost too good to be true.  Then there are the other characters on the Glorious Fool.  They bring additional tension and some humor to the story.

Plot:  That one is hard to come by.  The Fool has a mission that Devi does not understand.  There is another group that is trying to stop whatever the Fool’s crew is doing.  There are a lot of secrets and stopping Devi from discovering what they are seems to drive the plot.  Look for many twists and turns and even then some of the secrets will not be reveled.  

Writing:  The writing is good.  Rachel Bach does a good job moving the story along.  All of the characters are well drawn and each has an important place in the story.  Fortune’s Pawn is written in the first person and in the active voice. 

This is the first book in a trilogy so don’t expect anything to be solved.  In fact don’t expect to have all the facts about what is going on.  It ends with a big cliff hanger and what I call a Scarlett O’Hara ending.  Honor’s Knight, book two, will be released in February of 2014.

Orbit released Fortune’s Pawn by Rachel Bach in 2013.

I received an ARC of Fortune's Pawn from Netgalley.

  

Teaser Tuesday November 5, 2013

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:"
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser is from Bronze Gods by A.A. Aguirre.  

"But he couldn't be the silent stalker she had sensed before; otherwise, why announce his presence when he had so successfully eluded detection ere now?"  page 37

Bronze Gods is by both Ann Aguirre and her husband Andres.  In the Acknowledgments Ann says "we wrote the first draft ten years ago...it's been rewritten more than eight times, and when we were on deadline, we penned two-thirds new material to make it live up to Anne Sowards' high standards." 

What they ended with is a complex story filled with interesting characters and a new and wonderful world for them to live in. 

Musing Monday, November 4, 2012

Musing Mondays is sponsored by Should Be Reading and asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
• Describe one of your reading habits.
 • Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
 • What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it! 
 • Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

I just started reading Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman.  This is a YA book I received from Amazon Vine.  It is a post-apocalyptic adventure.  That seems to be the popular theme in YA today.  The main character is a twelve year old female.  As I read I started to think about the kind of books I read at twelve.  They were mostly Science Fiction and featured the human race look outward facing the challenges in space.  There were families living in space,  home built rockets going to the moon, and stories featuring the race to make it to the stars.  I only remember reading one story that was post-apocalyptic and that was Star Man's Son by Andre Norton.  

I don't see many YA stories that feature us meeting challenges in space.  Instead the stories look inward and the challenges are all on a earth we have put on the brink of ruin. 

When did we change?  I remember when we went to the moon I thought I might be able to go to space in my lifetime.  There are some private companies working to get us there and I hope they succeed.  I won't be going but I hope we start looking to the future with hope not despair.

One plus in stories today:  when I was reading all the stories featured male characters with very few females.  That has changed.  Many feature female main characters.  I like that change.

Wild Child (Boys of Bishop #1) by Molly O’Keefe

Contemporary Romance

What Goodreads says:

"Perfect for readers of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Rachel Gibson, this sizzling romance tells the story of a sexy small-town mayor and a notorious “bad girl,” who discover that home really is where the heart is.

Monica Appleby is a woman with a reputation. Once she was America’s teenage “Wild Child,” with her own reality TV show. Now she’s a successful author coming home to Bishop, Arkansas, to pen the juicy follow-up to her tell-all autobiography. Problem is, the hottest man in town wants her gone. Mayor Jackson Davies is trying to convince a cookie giant to move its headquarters to his crumbling community, and Monica’s presence is just too . . . unwholesome for business. But the desire in his eyes sends a very different message: Stay, at least for a while.

Jackson needs this cookie deal to go through. His town is dying and this may be its last shot. Monica is a distraction proving too sweet, too inviting—and completely beyond his control. With every kiss he can taste her loneliness, her regrets, and her longing. Soon their uncontrollable attraction is causing all kinds of drama. But when two lost hearts take a surprise detour onto the bumpy road of unexpected love, it can only lead someplace wonderful.

“Molly O’Keefe is a unique, not-to-be-missed voice in romantic fiction.”—New York Times bestselling author Susan Andersen."

I have read several of Molly O’Keefe’s books and enjoyed them.  The previous books have an offbeat set of locations and different shape-changer characters.  Wild Child has none of those.  It is set in a fictional small town in Arkansas  (That is what caught my eye first as I live in Arkansas).

The two main characters have major problems.  Monica is the Wild Child, a identity she can’t seem to get rid of.  She has come back to Bishop to research a book about her Father’s death and plans to leave as soon as her research is done.  The town mayor, Jackson, came back to Bishop to raise his sister after both of their parents were killed.  He wants to be anywhere but Bishop and lives for the day he can leave.

The story revolves around both of their problems and the solutions they try.  There are some interesting side characters in the story.  There was some tension between Monica and Jackson but it seems to drag on.  There was a lot of sex but that got old fast.  The HEA was different but not that exciting.  The Cookie Factory Story was OK but even that was not enough to hold my attention.

Molly O’Keefe does good writing but I felt that this story was not her best.  All in all a well written story that just did not catch my attention like I expected it too.

Bantam published Wild Child by Molly O”Keefe in 2013.

I received an ARC of Wild Child from Netgalley.