Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst is a new young adult standalone fantasy that follows a pair a strong women who are willing to risk their lives in their quest to become champions in the monster racing.
In the world of Becar who you are in this life determines who and what you are in the next. The augurs can read your fate so you can change your destiny. But the darkest of souls cannot be changed and you come back as a kehok, a monster that will never find redemption except through the races.
Tamra is an elite kehok rider and trainer who is down on her luck and needs the prize money from the races to stop the local augur temple from taking her daughter away. Raia is a young woman desperate to get away from her family and the awful man she is meant to marry. As a kehok rider she could win enough money to gain her freedom. Tamra agrees to train Raia to ride a new unusual kehok and attempt to win the races.
Through the story its apparent that is kehok is different and may hold the key to the death of the last emperor and the future of the nation of Becar.
The book is very fast paced and I often didn’t want to put it down. You are thrown into the story with very little explanation of the world or society but its done in a way that you want to find out more. I enjoyed the story and though its a standalone book I could see other stories set in this world. The only thing I would add is a pronunciation guide for the new words in this world and society.
A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martian: I love Game of Thrones, more the show than the books but I’ve enjoyed both. However, I’m at the point where it has just been too long between when I read the last Song of Ice and Fire book and a Dance With Dragons and with the last two book not published yet, I’ve lost all interest. I think the story is good but with the length of the books and timing I don’t think I will ever finish this series and I’m okay with that.
Survive the Night by Danielle Vega is a young adult horror novel where a group of teenagers go to a underground rave and horrible things happen. I made in to page 76 before I stopped reading and the book is only 263 pages. At the point I stopped there was no horror at all, it was all teen drama and honestly I have no idea why this group is even friends no one seems to like each other. If you market something as a horror novel make sure that you don’t bore or annoy the reader before you get to that point. The concept is interesting but the writing is boring and gave me no reason to continue reading.
Queen Victoria’s Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages that Shaped Europe by Deborah Cadbury is an historical nonfiction book. I pick this up because as a historian it was recommended to me based on other history books I read and liked. However, Queen Victoria and the Victorian era are not subjects that I’m all that interested in. I only read about the first one and a half chapters and it very well written and researched. It didn’t hold my interest but anyone who studies this time period would probably like it.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a historical fiction book about reclusive Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo who is going to tell her life story to a unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant. I’m considering this a DNF for now as I generally like the premise of the story. At the moment I don’t think I’m in the mood to read this book. I also started it as an audio book and I didn’t connect well this the narrator of the audio book. I’m also just not really in the mood for audio books at the moment. However, I do think I would like this book if I picked it up in the future.
The first book I read was The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette De Bodard. This is a science fiction novella that is set in a world where space ships have minds and personalities. The story follows Long Chau and the ship The Shadow’s Child who are attempting to solve a murder mystery. This is very much scifi combined with Sherlock Holmes. Though the story is short I ended up loving it, however it just drops you into the world so the first few pages are a little confusing as you try to figure out how this world works.
The League of Regrettable Sidekicks by Jon Morris is a coffee table type book that goes through many of the different sidekicks that have existed in comic book history. It focuses mostly on characters that are not popular and may have been forgotten over times. Its a very quick read for anyone who wants to know more comic history.
The last book I read this month was Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death by Caitlin Doughty. This is a nonfiction book that answers questions about death and dying posed by kids. The answers and questions are given in a way that is informative and interesting with a dash of humor but are simple enough explanations for many people to understand. I’ve read Caitlin’s other books and follow her on YouTube so I enjoy her content. I love the fact that she answers questions that many have but will not ask.
I only game that I was playing and focusing on this month was Final Fantasy VII Remake. This is a game that I absolutely loved and I can’t wait for the next game. If you have never played Final Fantasy VII or any Final Fantasy games I would give this one a shot. I also have a full review that does contain some spoilers if anyone wants to know my full thoughts.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition volume one by Hiromu Arakawa is the first volume of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga series. This is a special hardcover edition that the publisher has started to release. The story follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric who are attempting to restore their bodies after trying to bring their mother back to life and failing. This series is a reread for me and I still love the story as much as the first time I read it. I’m reading each volume as I collect these editions.
Monstress volume four by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda is a fantasy graphic novel that continues the story of Miaka and how she is connected to the demon who lives inside her. This volume gives the reader more information on Miaka’s past and where the major conflict is heading. I can’t wait for the rest of the story.
The Deep by Alma Katsu is a historical fiction with supernatural elements focusing on the Sinking of the Titanic. The story follows maid Annie Hebbley who survived the sinking and is working as a nurse on Titanic’s sister ship Britannic during World War I and her connection to soldier Mark Fletcher. I loved the concept of the story but felt that it switched perspectives too often for me to connect to the characters. I received this book from the publisher by winning a Goodreads contest and there is a full review on this blog and Goodreads.
The Race to Save the Romanovs by Helen Rappaport in a historical nonfiction book about the different plan to possibly save the Romanov family and the ideas to get them out of Russia. While good I prefer historical books about the family directly than events that they didn’t have any control or input on so not my favorite book about the Romanovs. It would be a great resource for anyone studying this time period.
Five Nights at Freddy’s Fazbear Frights #1: Into the Pit by Scott Cawthon is the first in the series of Five Nights short story collections. All of the stories take place in the world of Five Nights at Freddy’s and show different elements to the previous books and game. All the stories are very creepy and good for teenagers. They remind me of R L Stine’s and Darren Shan’s series and books. As someone who is into the lore surrounding the games and story I do plan an reading the next books in the series.
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff is the first book in an adult fantasy series following Mia Corvere to train to be an assassin and kill those who destroyed her family when she was a child. I loved this book even though it took me quite a while to finish. The first hundred pages before getting to the Red Church are slow but it pick ups from there. I love Mia and Tric’s relationship and its one of the strongest parts of the book. I also have a full review posted.
Doctor Who: I finished Doctor Who series twelve this month and I liked it much more than series eleven. At times it still didn’t feel like Doctor Who to me and I felt that there could have been more fun stories that didn’t need a message but I liked the dynamics between all the characters and the companions being fleshed out more. However, the Timeless Child story line was dumb and was not something that the series needed. The fact at the end of the series that it had no impact and nothing really changed meant that the writer had no reason to add it in. I do plan on watching the next series but I generally wait to binge watch it.
Kong: Skull Island: I watched Kong: Skull Island because I heard that I wasn’t bad and I want some mindless entertainment one night. Though the plot isn’t all that interesting the acting is good and the visual effects are great. The ending sets up the idea that Kong and the other monsters like Godzilla all exist in the same world and I’m interested in where movies that these ideas.
Grave Peril by Jim Butcher is the third book in the Dresden Files series. The story once again as always follows Harry Dresden, a wizard living in Chicago who helps the police with supernatural crimes. This time ghosts are causing trouble all over Chicago and many people affect are somehow connected to Harry.
Full Moon by Jim Butcher is the second book in the Dresden Files series. The story once again follows Harry Dresden, wizard living in Chicago who helps the police with supernatural crimes. Dresden is down on his luck with no work when a mutilated corpse, strange paw prints combined with a full moon drag him into a murder investigation. Based on the title and summary this time Dresden is going up against werewolf’s but maybe not the ones we know from fiction.
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff is an adult fantasy novel that follows Mia Corvere on her quest to train to be an assassin and kill the men who destroyed her family when she was a child. The world of Nevernight is one with three suns that almost never set and Mia has powers over shadows which will aid in her quest to kill those who harmed her and her family.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgerstern is a adult literary fiction and fantasy novel that follows two main protagonists, Ceila and Marco, who are competing against one another at a magical circus and try not to fall in love.
The first book I read was The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era by Gareth Russell. This book uses the lives and history of six first class passengers on Titanic to illustrate how society and the world worked in the era of Titanic and how the sinking is often seen as wake up call for the changes that are coming. Well researched and written but some parts were a little boring since I went into the book thinking it would be more about Titanic than the society that built her. However, still a good book and one I would recommend for those who have researched Titanic before.
The second book I read in February was the Sailor Moon manga Eternal Edition vol. 1. I have started to collect these editions of the series and I’m reading each volume as I get it. Sailor Moon is one of my favorite manga and anime series so I loved reading it again. My only criticism in this first volume is at time that story seem almost too fast paced. As a reader you don’t get a lot of time with each new character before another one is introduced but given where I know the series goes its not that big of an issue.
The last book I read was The Little Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff. So I say I “read” this but really I watched a YouTube video where the story was read and the pictures where shone. I read it this way because the book is very hard to obtain copies of and I didn’t know I existed before. This is a little kids picture book that simplifies the story of Stormdancer the first book in the Lotus Wars series by Jay Kristoff. Its very cute and I would love to own a copy one day.
I won an advanced copy of this book through Goodreads.
Night Owl Reviews 