History, Fantasy, and Thrilling Romance - OH MY!

After finishing Legacy of the Brightwash by Krystle Matar last month, I thought I'd explore a couple more SPFBO nominated works and let me tell you, they did NOT disappoint. HL Tinsley's We Men of Ash and Shadow introduces us to John Vanguard, background fader and assassin extraordinaire with a checkered reputation and a mission to unravel why the last war happened. Vanguard becomes the unlikely mentor to an aspiring assassin and discovers a revolution in the making. Vanguard finds himself pitted against his equally talented former pupil. This SPFBO finalist, adult fiction book is engrossing and serves as the jumping off point for a new series, The Vanguard Chronicles. Adult themes and subject matter included so maybe not the best idea for young or sensitive readers.

If you're hankering for a new epic fantasy with dragons, minotaurs, vampires, demons, good vs. evil, and strange magics, SPFBO nominee The Forever King by Ben Galley will be right up your alley. Weaving bits of Norse mythology into a dense, chonky narrative, the 600+ pages of The Forever King will wear you out, make you laugh, piss you off, give you hope, stomp on that hope, and leave you begging for more. Galley creates a world and power structure which should make Tor Publishing angry and jealous they didn't get the chance to add it to their stable. I have no idea if Galley tried to traditionally publish but if so, the trads missed out by passing on this one. Follow the tale of Mithrid, a teenage refugee in the frozen lands of Scalussen, as she discovers the dangerous and valuable magic which resides within. Rebel king, Farden, hopes Mithrid will use her talents to help him overthrow the greedy and corrupt Emperor Malvus, thus freeing Emaneska from his ever-tightening stranglehold. I suffered from extreme book hangover when I finished this one...even so, I need a few days to recuperate before moving on to the sequels. I'm exhausted.

Unknown Number by Anna Grace steps way outside my comfort zone. I don't usually read romance or thrillers and this one serves up both. Packing a super-satisfying twist at the end, this little book rolls along with predictably attractive characters in relatively unchallenging relationships which often border on the schmaltzy. UNTIL THE TWIST! Here I was just bee-bopping along, not bored but not enthralled either, when BOOM! All of a sudden my heart is racing and I am racing myself to the final page.

I love historical fiction but with the glut of WWII works in the field, I'd become a little "meh" and haven't read much in the genre recently. Still, They Went Left by Monica Hesse, caught my attention. So many works which place themselves in the WWII era focus on stories from during the war and life in the camps. While those stories are compelling and interesting, often highlighting true and incredible events, for me, it just felt like there were pieces of history which were being overlooked. Hesse shines her spotlight on camp survivors as they try to piece together themselves, their psyches, and their families after liberation. The guilt of survival, the foreignness of familiarity, the desperation for hope, the agonizing wait for news. All of these are front and center in They Went Left as it tells us of Zofia's search for the only member of her family she believes might have survived, her younger brother, Abek. Hesse does a wonderful job exposing Zofia's strength and frailty without making her seem superhuman or pitiful. I couldn't walk away from Zofia. You shouldn't either. 

The Chaos of War and the Brightwash

Chaos, by indie author Jimi Rodriguez, is an interesting YA/CoA (?) story. Loads of teenage angst and sexuality without being pornographic. With a hodge-podge of Hogwarts meets Hunger Games meets Divergent vibes, Chaos focuses on the life of Jacob Titus and his continual struggle to navigate the often deadly magical world with his very real secrets. Titus is a scholarship student at Valcrest School for the Promised. When a magical talent scout spots him on the streets of Eslor Island, Titus makes the tough decision to leave his mother and take the opportunity offered by Valcrest. He has little interest in magic though, preferring to search for an Alzheimer's cure to salvage what's left of his mother's mind. The concept behind Chaos is intriguing but, I admit, the sexual overtones were occasionally distracting. Maybe I'm just old. Ha! Still, if you're a YA/CoA fan, you might dig this one. Chaos is action packed and moves along at a quick clip. 

 

Not to be confused with legendary journalist Barbara Walters, political scientist Barbara F. Walter serves up an engrossing study on civil wars in How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them. I am an avid amateur poli-sci student and history nut. Civil Wars grabbed me by the throat and throttled me. I was by turns horrified and hopeful. She takes her readers on a break-neck trip around the world, pointing to triggers and indicators across the political regime spectrum about how and where civil wars began, could begin, and how world citizens can prevent them. Walter's delivery is warm and inviting without being dry or opaque. All poli-sci books should be so easy to read. This timely and thought provoking book took me about ten days to get through and I didn't mind one bit. Seriously, this one should be added to required reading lists in high school and college civics/political science classes.

Welcome to Dominion. A land powered by the highly regulated, and subjugated, "tainted" - people with talents ranging from the ability to heal, remove pain, light lamps, power machinery, to blowing up buildings. Krystle Matar's Legacy of the Brightwash is a gorgeous display of gaslamp/grimdark fiction. Regulation Officer Tashue Blackwood, is charged with keeping track of the "tainted" in his area. He's never questioned the law which requires people with "talent" to register and use their gifts in service to the nation. Well, not until his own son refused to register and is imprisoned in the Rift for non-compliance. But, Tashue still has his doubts. After all, his son's refusal to register may just be a flight of youthful defiance lashing out at authority. A decorated war-veteran, Tashue develops feelings for a tainted neighbor, Stella Whiterock and her daughter, Ceridwen. His complicating and complicated attachment to the mother and daughter pulls at the loose threads of his loyalty to Dominion. The plight of the tainted nags at him from every direction. Matar's fantastic new world is beckoning to you. Don't miss out on this #Stabby award nominee and SPFBO finalist. Legacy of the Brightwash is sure to be a fantasy classic before long.