Snark Notes: A Book & Comic Review Blog

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

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I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alessandra has a simple plan to gain all the power she could ever need: woo, marry, and the kill the Shadow King. After years of dealing with her clueless father and cycling through unworthy lovers, it’s the only way to get what she believes that she deserves. And she’s been training her entire life to do it.

I picked up The Shadows Between Us simply because I have read all of Tricia Levenseller’s books and adore them. I didn’t even read the summary, that’s how much I enjoy her writing. And I am happy to say that this didn’t disappoint. In fact, I think that Levenseller is only getting better.

Levenseller herself describes the book as “her Slytherin romance” and I think that’s the perfect summary. The Shadow King and Alessandra are conniving, resourceful, ambitious, and afraid to get their hands dirty to get what they want. Even though you wouldn’t call these characters good, you can’t stop reading about how they’re going to get out on top. I’m rooting for them to take out all of their numerous enemies.

As with all of Levenseller’s books, there’s plenty of romance between our lead characters and among the supporting cast. There are multiple same sex relationships, though none raise higher than what I’d call the “C tier” of characters.

I don’t think this book was as tight action-wise as her previous novel. That said, the last fourth of it was unputdownable. I usually read in pieces at lunch and before bed, but this book I had to go home and finish reading before I could do anything else. The action is some of Levenseller’s best!

I would recommend this book to YA fantasy fans; those who like a good, steamy love story; and anyone who wants something very fun and quick to read. 

American Royals by Katharine McGee

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I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

American Royals is a YA novel set in an alternate reality where, after the Revolutionary War, George Washington accepts being the king of America. Fast forward to modern times, and Princess Beatrice is set to be the first queen of America. She’s been training her entire life for this and feels…lukewarm about it. Her duty is clear, but her heart is calling her elsewhere.

And now her parents are insisting that she marry so she can eventually take the crown with a king consort and ensure their royal line. The problem is that her younger sister, Princess Samantha, is completely smitten with the most eligible bachelor. Can the Washington sisters figure out what they want and how to get it?

American Royals is told through four different POVs: Beatrice, Samantha, and two ladies in a love triangle with the prince, Jeffrey. I appreciated the different voices because I feel that hearing a single voice wouldn’t as effectively convey the different struggles in the book. The drawback is that all four ladies get to be a little tiring.

Most of the characters, our narrators included, are either annoying, shallow, or both. I don’t feel like any of them are very complex and their problems seem ridiculous. I understand that this is YA fiction, and thus, will have YA drama, but this drama feels tiring. It feels like McGee set the stage by the fifth or sixth chapter and now I’m just watching it all play out. It feels very evident where these characters and problems are going and it’s not interesting to me.

I will say that the idea of America as a monarchy is interesting and I would definitely read more about the idea. (I am also aware of how deeply problematic it is that there is a white monarchy on land seized from Native Americans.) However, other than surface level explanation of how the monarchy came to be and some basic titles, there’s not a lot explored here in terms of politics or class.

Basically, if you loved The Thousandth Floor or really trashy YA fiction, there’s a good chance that you’ll like this as well. Apparently I have reached my limit of trashy YA fiction and just can’t stomach this anymore. I don’t know if I will read the sequels, but I will probably keep an eye on the reviews to see if they’re worth picking up.

The Warehouse by Rob Hart

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I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In the near future, society has nearly collapsed. Water is running out, the homeless population has increased, and global warming is in full effect. The one good thing in this society? Cloud. Cloud is a giant, internet retailer (like one you may know that starts with an A) that has expanded into every single facet of every day life.

Paxton and Zinnia are not thrilled about needing to work at Cloud – one had their life ruined by the company and the other has a hidden agenda – but they accept that jobs are scarce and they need to survive somehow. As Zinnia digs more into Cloud with Paxton’s unknowing assistance, they’ll start to discover just how far the Cloud rabbit hole goes.

The Warehouse was recommended to me by Netgalley because of my interest in other science fiction novels. I have to say that their recommendation was spot-on. The Warehouse takes a scary look at a very possible future for the world. It was so chilling because there wasn’t a single part that didn’t seem plausible. Not only is it great sci-fi, but it’s a critical look at the course we’re on.

I also loved the characters, especially our leads, Paxton and Zinnia. Our leads are fully-fleshed out, with goals, weaknesses, and plenty of relatability. Paxton and Zinnia share the book POV with the founder of Cloud and the juxtaposition of the working man against the public figure is both excellent and cringe-inducing.

The book is well-balanced and well-edited with plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning pages. Well, except for one reveal that I definitely guessed fairly early in the book, but still punched me in the gut. The ending, for better or worse, is a little ambiguous. I would’ve liked more spelled out, but it leaves you with a sense of where things could go.

I would recommend this book to sci-fi fans, thriller fans, dystopia fans, and anyone who wants to see a very possible snapshot of the future.

I would recommend that everyone go out and buy something in a brick-and-mortar store.

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin

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I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When it comes to Wall Street finance, either you’re ambitious, intimidating, and ruthless, or you need to find a different line of work. You work until the late hours of the night, you work weekends when necessary, and for colleagues Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam, you show up for corporate-mandated team-building escape rooms late on a Friday night.

The escape room seems obvious enough: get out of the elevator within an hour. But when the power cuts out and the screen starts asking questions about dead, former colleagues, it becomes clear that this is going to be so much more than a game.

The Escape Room is a quick read thriller that does a pretty decent job at holding your attention. The first 85% of the book moved along at a fair pace, revealing details about characters that really did not surprise me. The four people trapped in the elevator are trash. They are trash from beginning to end and are only non-trash for brief blips.

I found the two timelines and two different styles of narration to be interesting, though it was jarring switching between third and first person. Once I got used to it, though, I appreciated having the point of view of the former colleague, Sarah. You definitely needed a character to sympathize with! There’s not much here in terms of character development, but Goldin clearly decided to focus on plot over character.

The last 15% was straight up bananas, but it kept me reading until I finished it. I found the end to be a deeply satisfying conclusion. 

Ultimately, I just really wanted more escape room puzzles and less investment banking drama. But if you like quick, somewhat-bananas thrillers, then this will totally be up your alley.

Book Review: Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller

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I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rasmira has trained her entire life to become a warrior and to one day take over leading her village. Yet when foul play ruins her warrior trial, she’s banished from the village, and can only return if she completes an impossible quest. This quest? To kill the god who comes each year to demand tribute from the surrounding villages. It’s absolutely impossible, but Rasmira vows to finish her trial, even if it means she must lose her life trying.

I picked up this book from Netgalley because I am a big fan of Levenseller’s work in Daughter of the Pirate King and Daughter of the Siren Queen. So a standalone fantasy novel about a badass warrior lady? How could I resist?

And I’m so glad that I didn’t. Warrior of the Wild has everything that’s charming about Levenseller’s writing but packed into one book. Since there are no (currently planned) sequels, our protagonist and her supporting cast are all allowed to grow, learn, change, and fall in love without too many of the typical hurdles that one needs in a series. Rasmira does go through trials, but seeing how she grows and deals with them is immensely satisfying.

Like Levenseller’s previous works, the pacing of this book is excellent. Action is well-timed and balanced with speaking, plot devices pay off without being ridiculous, and the love stories are sweet and sincere. I particularly liked how Levenseller wrote Rasmira’s love story because it had a believable arc to it.

Also great? The LGBTQ love story between supporting characters that is not treated as bizarre AT ALL. I’m delighted that Levenseller has written a world where love can exist openly in all forms and that there was no “we have to hide this” plot. It’s refreshing and honestly, a choice that I hope fantasy writers pick. I’ve seen increasingly more of this in fantasy lately, but I’d love to see it be the rule and not an exception.

Warrior of the Wild has cemented me as a fan of Levenseller’s work for as long as she writes.

I would recommend this book to YA fantasy fans, and those who may just like YA or fantasy to branch out with this one. If you like a good quest with an accessible fantasy world, this is definitely up your alley.

Book Review: Immoral Code by Lillian Clark

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I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For five teens just months away from graduating, life couldn’t be better. They have their futures planned out, they’re making plans, they’re all super close. Life is good.

Well, until it turns out that Bellamy can’t go to MIT because her estranged father is super rich. But master hacker Nari isn’t going to let her friend’s dreams get crushed so quickly and she comes up with a plan to steal just enough money to cover Bellamy’s first year at MIT. Not a problem, right?

The marketing slug for this book is “Ocean’s 11 meets The Breakfast Club” and that’s actually pretty accurate. If you like either of those you’ll be satisfied. If you like both of those you’ll really enjoy the book.

The book centers on the friendships among a diverse group of friends. To Clark’s credit, each is fleshed out with a distinct voice and set of goals (even if some of them are really beaten over your head). I appreciated the diversity of thought and race, and I especially loved the ace/aro representation in Reese.

The book is well-paced and just the right length. The only thing that bothered me was the stream of consciousness writing, which is very grating when you start. And not just stream of consciousness, but like meme-ridden, internet-heavy, highest-energy intensity. I don’t know if anyone thinks like that all the time, but even if they do, it took about half the book for me to adapt to that.

Then again, I’m also well out of my teenage years and not the target audience for this book. I think it’s very possible that teens will see themselves in these characters and cherish every intense word.

I would recommend this book to younger people who enjoy heist movies/books, anyone who wants to read about an awesome ace/aro character, and anyone looks for a fun and light read with a happy ending.

Book Review: Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft, edited by Tess Sharpe and Jessica Spotswood

With stories by: Tess Sharpe, Jessica Spotswood, Brandy Colbert, Zoraida Córdova, Andrea Cremer, Kate Hart, Emery Lord, Elizabeth May, Anna-Marie McLemore, Tehlor Kay Mejia, Lindsay Smith, Nova Ren Suma, Robin Talley, Shveta Thakrar, and Brenna Yovanoff

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I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft, we are, as expected, treated to fifteen short stories about witchy female protagonists. The protagonists are brilliantly diverse in race, creed, sexuality, and thought, while the stories take place throughout time.

If you’ve been following this blog previously, it’s no surprise that I enjoyed this anthology. YA women-centric anthologies have quickly become one of my favorite genres to read and review. I love the short stories and the leading ladies they create.

Previous books edited by Spotswood have never shied away from magic, but it was nice to let authors who prefer this kind of writing to have the spotlight. One of my favorite things about the stories was discovering what kind of magic was being used and how it shaped the overall story. What surprised me the most was that I found myself preferring the stories where magic was not the driving force of the plot. I really connected to the stories about love, family, and friendship were magic supported but was not an integral part of the story.

That being said, if you would prefer stories that fully lean into the magic, you’ll find plenty in here as well. The beauty of anthologies is that there’s usually something for everyone.

The writing and editing are once again top-notch. So many of these stories could’ve been teased into longer books themselves, but seem right at home with their peers. There was only one story where I felt a bit lost because the transitions between reality and magic were not very clear (though I also think that was the point).

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy magic and fantasy stories, feminist literature, and/or lots of LGBTQ+ representation.

Book Review: Foundryside (Founders #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett

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I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Welcome to Foundryside, a rundown place in the city of Trevanne. For many, Trevanne is a beautiful place full of genius scribed inventions that make objects act contrary to reality. Carriages can roll by themselves, weapons can pack a powerful punch, and lights can magically float alongside you.

But that’s only if you live in a merchant house. For most, like thief Sancia Grado, Trevanne is an ugly place where one wrong step can get you killed. It definitely doesn’t help when Sancia steals a simple item that turns out to hold more power than anyone could imagine. To keep this item out of the hands of people who want to rewrite reality, Sancia has to team up with some unlikely allies and push the boundaries of her own gifts.

Foundryside is a book that probably would’ve flown under my radar had Netgalley not emailed me in a marketing blast. So thank goodness for Netgalley, because this has been one of the best books I have read this year. I love fantasy books where authors create interesting systems of magic. It’s not just spells and potions. This type of magic is coding, art, and engineering all in one. It’s absolutely refreshing.

Also refreshing is our cast of characters. Our protagonist, Sancia, is a queer woman of color who constantly battles against doing the right thing and her own self-preservation. Another main character is a man of color who is motivated by justice. It would’ve been easy for Bennett to put them together, but instead Sancia and Gregor have a tentative friendship loosely based on respect, and Sancia is romanced by the female apprentice in one of the merchant houses.

The book does take a little while to get into as Bennett has to lay the foundation of his world and the rules of magic. However, Bennett brought me in and I was glad that I kept with him. The book is fascinating, the editing is tight, and while the book can stand on its own, it’s really opened up one heck of a world for the sequels.

I would recommend this book if you enjoy any kind of fantasy media. It really swept me in.

Book Review: Fresh Ink: An Anthology, edited by Lamar Giles

With stories by: Nicola Yoon, Malinda Lo, Melissa de la Cruz, Sara Farizan, Eric Gansworth, Walter Dean Myers, Daniel José Older, Thien Pham, Jason Reynolds, Gene Luen Yang, Sharon G. Flake, Schuyler Bailar, Aminah Mae Safi

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I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fresh Ink is an anthology of short stories all written by diverse authors who come together to deliver a powerful collection. The collection contains ten short stories, a graphic short story, and a one-act play. All feature narrators who are not cis and white and give a variety of viewpoints.

As a woman who is both cis and white, I appreciated having the chance to read this. While the individual stories varied in depth and quality, I thought that they were all great reads because of their unique viewpoints, challenges, and motivations. Most of them give you something to think about long after the story is over. I finished the book about two weeks ago at this writing and I am STILL thinking about that one-act play.

And that’s what we need. We need stories that are different, new, and show challenges that not everybody has. It helps when they’re delivered in this well-edited package. At just over 200 pages I devoured this in just a few hours and it left me wanting more. Honestly, I think some of these stories should be read and taught to help foster understanding and conversation.

Most of the stories are contemporary reality-based stories, but there’s a dash of fantasy and science fiction in here as well. Everything is well-written and well-edited as I didn’t feel like any carried on for too long or veered from the point. If anything, I would’ve liked for a bunch of these to carry on for longer.

This is for certain – I definitely want to read a lot more by all of the authors in the collection.

I would recommend this book to those who are seeking diverse voices in fiction, like short story anthologies, or are looking for something refreshing and varied.

With stories by: Nicola Yoon, Malinda Lo, Melissa de la Cruz, Sara Farizan, Eric Gansworth, Walter Dean Myers, Daniel José Older, Thien Pham, Jason Reynolds, Gene Luen Yang, Sharon G. Flake, Schuyler Bailar, Aminah Mae Safi

Book Review: Nyxia Unleashed (The Nyxia Triad #2) by Scott Reintgen

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Release date: July 17, 2018

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After more loss than he never thought he’d have to handle, Emmett Atwater has stepped foot on the alien planet Eden. Now he and the rest of the Genesis crews just have to keep their heads down and mine the material nyxia for the increasingly untrustworthy Babel Corporation. But as Emmett and the rest of the Genesis crew meet and bond with the alien Adamites, they discover that they’ve been fed nothing but lies.

I absolutely devoured Nyxia when I read it last year and have been so excited to read the next installment. I am so happy to report that Nyxia Unleashed has everything I loved about Nyxia and brings it to the next level.

Once again, our main cast of characters is full of racial diversity from different countries across Earth. They also have lots of differences in their motivations and thought. I pointed out last time that there wasn’t a lot of LGBTQ+ representation and I’m happy to say that there’s a bit more in this book. Not a lot, but it’s definitely an improvement.

Reintgen and his editing team have delivered a tight book with excellent pacing and very minimal fat. The plot and character development moved at a good speed and he threw in plenty of twists and turns (some I saw coming, some I didn’t, but I enjoyed them all).

I also want to give a shout out to all the ladies (both human and alien) in this book. Reintgen has penned some fierce women who get things done and shine in all that they do. I think the best part about this was our narrator’s approval and willingness to take direction from women without any kind of power struggle. This is a story of survival and Emmett understands that he may not always have the right answer.

If you enjoyed the first book, I think you’ll also enjoy this one. There’s plenty of action, a dash of romance, and thought-provoking sci-fi elements. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes YA science fiction series.

Book Review: Crimes Against a Book Club by Kathy Cooperman

Rating: 3/5 stars on Goodreads

Two Line Summary: Strapped for cash, two friends decide to sell face cream to the La Jolla elite. The venture starts at the local book club meeting.

What I Liked: The little blurbs about how the characters related to different books at the beginning of each chapter; the amusing twists and turns

What I Didn’t Like as Much: How everything is wrapped up in a nice, pretty bow

I Would Recommend it to: Anyone looking for a light and fun beach read.

Book Review: The Subway Girls by Susie Orman Schnall

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I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

The Subway Girls is the story of two women, nearly 70 years apart, who live in New York City and are trying to leave their mark on the advertising industry. In 1949, Charlotte is trying to make a path for herself in advertising despite the obstacles and sexism. She is entered into the Miss Subways contest and thinks it can help change the course of her life. In 2018, Olivia is attempting to win a huge account for the boutique firm at which she works. That’s when she rediscovers the Miss Subways contest and her entire life takes a new course. 

I picked up this book thanks to the savvy marketing copy in the Netgalley email blast. I’ve been reading more and more historical fiction and I loved the idea of this forgotten piece of New York history framed between the stories of two scrappy young women.  

What I loved most was the tight storytelling. This book was well-balanced between the two women and just the perfect length. I liked that I thought I had the story figured out by the middle of the book but multiple twists made it not entirely predictable.  

And even though it felt a little heavy-handed sometimes, I did like the theme where it was clear that no matter what the year, women have always had to work for the life that they wanted. I thought that Charlottte’s story was a little more compelling than Olivia’s, but I don’t think we needed more time with Charlotte than what was given. 

Overall, this was a fairly quick and compelling read. I’d recommend it to anyone who is a historical fiction fan or wants to read a smart story with two great female protagonists.