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Valley of Shields by Duncan Lay

Posted by speculatef on May 23, 2013 in Fantasy Reviews

Cast out from his homeland, Sendatsu has used his sword-fighting talents to survive in the foreign land of the Vales. With the assistance of Rhiannon – the first human to use magic in hundreds of years – Sendatsu has helped Huw and the Velsh defeat an invading army. Better still, Sendatsu now has the key to reclaim his children.

It will mean a return to Dokuzen – a city where deceit runs deep and Sendatsu expects an unwelcome reception. How will Sendatsu and his unlikely allies, Huw and Rhiannon, know who to trust when they can barely trust each other?

And when Dokuzen comes under fierce attack, Sendatsu’s fight to survive will need to be more desperate than ever. Especially when this attack reveals who the real enemy is …

Valley of Shields begins with a heart-pounding battle (remember that cliffhanger from Bridge of Swords?) and the action doesn’t let up throughout the novel. Perfectly balanced with secrets and intrigue, romance and familial relationships, it has left me wishing that the third and final volume of this series was already available.

Sendatsu, our quintessential reluctant hero, finally bites the bullet in this book and starts to make decisions himself, instead of watching passively and hoping trouble passes him by. I liked getting to know about his old life better, especially the way he lives and his relationship with his children and mother. Huw and Rhiannon are with him every step of the way, trying to convince the ‘elves’ that they are equal to humans and should live peacefully alongside them. With the main cast all together, it’s weird to see Sendatsu, Asami and Gaibun in the same place, considering their love triangle.

I really wanted Asami to have a larger role than previously, and she gets that in this novel, which made me happy. Although much of her and Rhiannon’s interactions are based on the men in their lives, they bond over a lot of other things, like magic and defying the traditional roles for women. In my opinion, they spent too long talking about their romances, with Asami even once saying that the politics and battles don’t matter, she wanted to hear about “more important things”, like Rhiannon and Huw. I also think Asami’s character is held back by the love triangle – Gaibun and Sendatsu frequently treat her like a prized possession, rather than a person, and it’s infuriating. However, I love that she always knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to grab it, or confront Sendatsu when he was keeping her away from her dreams. I think the love triangle is handled realistically in this book, especially in comparison to a few others I have read *cough*Jem-Tessa-Will*cough*

Again, the world building in this novel blew me away – everything is so well thought out and explained that I had no trouble imagining it. While Bridge of Swords focussed on showing us the human world, here we were introduced to the elven world, which is every bit as interesting and exotic. I admire the cultural and social differences between the elves and humans, and understood each group’s motivations. I love that the author manages to make the readers’ sympathies shift with every change in perspective; it takes a clever writer to be able to pull that off consistently.

This series is focussed on physical battles between the humans and elves, but while the previous book had a few small-scale skirmishes in it, and focussed a lot on the training of human troops, Valley of Shields has a few larger battles. These are long, strategic, bloody affairs, but I think the inclusion of so many narrative perspectives works in this case because it never got boring. Each character saw something different, and more importantly, was a part of a different part of the defence/attack, so that they only gave a complete picture of what was happening what taken together. It was enjoyable, and Duncan Lay writes some of the best one-on-one fight scenes I have ever read.

Valley of Shields is a wonderful sequel to Bridge of Swords, and will be enjoyed my many fans of the Fantasy genre. Although somewhat lengthy, it rewards its readers with amazing characters and realistic plot elements. For me, the next book (Wall of Spears), cannot come quickly enough.

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Waiting on Wednesday 38

Posted by speculatef on May 22, 2013 in Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that allows readers to showcase eagerly awaited upcoming releases.

This week I’ve picked Thornhill by Kathleen Peacock

  • Expected publication: September 10th 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books / 1st November 2013 by Simon & Schuster AU
  • Format: Hardcover, 368 pages / Paperback, 304 pages
  • Series: Hemlock, Book 2
  • ISBN13: 9780062048684 ISBN10: 0062048686
  • ISBN13 (UK ed): 9780857072139
  • Goodreads / The Book Depository

Mac can’t lose another friend. Even if he doesn’t want to be found.

The ripple effect caused by Mac’s best friend Amy’s murder has driven Mac’s new love, Kyle, to leave Hemlock and disappear from her life forever. But Mac knows that Kyle plans to enroll in a rehabilitation camp, where he can live with other werewolves. She refuses to accept his decision, especially since the camps are rumored to be tortuous. So she sets out in search of Kyle with a barely sober Jason—and Amy’s all-seeing ghost—in tow.

Clues lead Mac to find Kyle in a werewolf den in Colorado—but their reunion is cut short by a Tracker raid. Now Mac and Kyle are trapped inside the electric fences of Thornhill, a camp for young werewolves. As she devises an escape plan, Mac uncovers dangerous secrets buried within the walls of Thornhill—and realizes that the risk to the people she loves is greater than ever before.

Hemlock is a really cool werewolf centric paranormal novel. I liked the characters and pacing and world building, and I’m looking forward to seeing where Kathleen Peacock takes the series. I do hope, though, that Mac becomes more accessible in Thornhill, because I thought that she held everyone, including the reader, at bay during the first novel.

US covers of The Hemlock series by Kathleen Peacock, and AU cover of Book 1 (was released as Deadly Hemlock here)

My review of Deadly Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

I’d love to see what you are waiting on … please leave links and I’ll be sure to check them out!

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The Ward by Jordana Frankel

Posted by speculatef on May 21, 2013 in Post Apocalyptic

Sixteen-year-old Ren is a daredevil mobile racer who will risk everything to survive in the Ward, what remains of a water-logged Manhattan. To save her sister, who is suffering from a deadly illness thought to be caused by years of pollution, Ren accepts a secret mission from the government: to search for a freshwater source in the Ward, with the hope of it leading to a cure.

However, she never expects that her search will lead to dangerous encounters with a passionate young scientist; a web of deceit and lies; and an earth-shattering mystery that’s lurking deep beneath the water’s rippling surface.

The idea behind this book is interesting, and I think I could have enjoyed it a lot more if it didn’t suffer from the weird, stilted romance, and the shaky world building. The Ward is a dystopian novel that takes mixes two staples of mankind’s story-telling – the Great Flood myth, and the search for the Fountain of Youth – and turns them into a teenaged girl’s adventure. But the book, instead of being clever and exciting, is sluggish and meandering, and there are huge holes and inconsistencies in the world building and premise.

A huge flood has caused the Manhattan area to exist mostly under-water, and Ren makes a living racing through the maze in a omni-vehical (it can travel on land, air and water). Meanwhile, she also works for the government, looking for precious fresh water. Plot-hole #1 soon rears it’s ugly head – why can’t the people of the Ward make their own fresh water using crude desalination plants? All they really need to do is evaporate the water. Now you might say, they can’t sanitise the water, and the disease might be in the water! But it’s not clear whether the dilapidating plague that exists in the Ward is water-bourne.

Ren begins as a cool protagonist, she’s smart and brave and independent, and cares deeply for her best-friend-come-sister, who is sick with the plague. She quickly becomes a simpering, quivering mess of a girl when she’s around Derek, the bookie she’s fallen in love with for no clear reason. That Derek seems to have a girlfriend doesn’t deter her, neither do all the secrets he’s obviously keeping from her. I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of being expected to believe in a protagonist’s intelligence and years of successful self preservation when they put their trust in the wrong people and act like fools around them.

I was surprised at the twist in the novel when it became clear that Ren was going to have to search for a magical spring that could cure the plague. I thought the book would become more enjoyable because of the Fountain of Youth plot line. Instead, it became quite confusing, with the addition of an illuminati like organisation trying to hide the water source and a (horrifyingly young) doctor with extremely confused motivations.

I don’t know. On one hand, I feel like the premise of The Ward is awesome, and I do want to know more about the world and the plague. On the other hand, I no longer think Ren is a believable character, I’ve had trouble with the world-building and the plot line, and I don’t feel like I’m invested in the story or the fate of the characters and the world. I am disappointed to say this book is another case of a beautiful cover hiding mediocre insides.

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The Holders by Julianna Scott

Posted by speculatef on May 20, 2013 in Other Paranormal

17-year-old Becca spent her whole life protecting her brother from, well, everything. The abandonment of their father, the so called ‘experts’ who insist that voices in his head are unnatural and must be dealt with, and the constant threat of being taken away to some hospital and studied like an animal. When two representatives appear claiming to have the answers to Ryland’s perceived problem, Becca doesn’t buy it for one second. That is until they seem to know things about Ryland and about Becca and Ryland’s family, that forces Becca to concede that there may be more to these people than meets the eye. Though still highly skeptical, Becca agrees to do what’s best for Ryland.

What they find at St. Brigid’s is a world beyond their imagination. Little by little they piece together the information of their family’s heritage, their estranged Father, and the legend of the Holder race that decrees Ryland is the one they’ve been waiting for.

However, they are all–especially Becca–in for a surprise that will change what they thought they knew about themselves and their kind.

Seeped in Irish history and mythology, The Holders is a riveting journey of self discovery that left me desperate for more. I enjoyed the setting and exploration of the mysterious powers the Holders have, the growth of Becca as she realised her temper and impetuous nature weren’t always the answer, and the slow, cute development of the romance. Basically, I liked everything about this book.

The book begins with Becca trying to save her brother from being taken away by two strange men, the latest in a string of doctors and specialists who want to diagnose him as mentally unstable. She reacts with anger and harsh words, which I thought was inappropriate, but eventually realised that what these men propose is probably the best thing for Ryland. She offers to go with her brother to help him settle in, and to make sure he will be safe.

Becca is fiery and prone to loud outbursts whenever things don’t go her way, and although it was entertaining at first, it quickly became annoying. However, in the new setting of St. Brigid’s, she is surrounded by people who won’t take her bullshit, and she has to learn to resolve her problems in other ways. I also liked that Becca was quick to recognise that she was crushing on Alex but was able to push it away to help her brother. She never abandoned her duties and responsibilities to be with Alex, which I found empowering.

As a reader, it was easy to see that Alex had fallen for her as hard as she had fallen for him, but Becca (of course) couldn’t see it. Which, although a little frustrating, made the romance quite exciting. Finally, there is a male lead who isn’t the bad-boy, mysterious stranger type, who wears his emotions on his sleeve and isn’t afraid to show us when he’s hurt, who isn’t any more special than the others around him, is part of a team but not their leader, who is genuinely nice and cares for everyone around him, who does amazing things for Becca without expecting anything in return. Alex breaks all the YA moulds, and boy, was I glad. And finally, a woman who falls for the man, not his usual good looks or powers or eyes or voice or any one of the other hundred things YA girls seem to always fall for without realising the guy behind them is bad news.

One thing I really liked were the interactions between Becca and her father. I think the situation was handled well, even delicately by the author, who never once preached, but managed to show us how anger and hurt can cloud our better judgement. I liked that an adult didn’t back down from apologising to his child, that a child could be shown to take the first steps towards reconciliation, and that never, not once, were Becca’s feelings trivialised.

Another intriguing thing about the book is the world building. We’ve seen it before – in Heroes, in X-Men, and a dozen other places besides, but the twist Scott gives it – the dilution of powers across generations, the longevity it grants the users, the prophesy and the way it unfolds – are cool. I felt uncomfortable the moment Scott made it clear that the powers tend to run in the male lines, and that women, if they do develop powers, are never as powerful as the men. It seemed … defeatist, sexist, wrong. But then, it’s the author’s prerogative to create their world how they want to. I do, however, think it’s a cop out to then have Becca come along and defy all the rules, because I feel that if authors create all these rules in their worlds, it’s wrong to them have the protagonist systematically break them all like Becca does.

I really, really liked The Holders, and I recommend it to all readers of YA who are looking for something a bit darker, more mature. In typical Strange Chemistry style, this book swept me away and I was unable to put it down until I had finished. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel, The Seers, which is due for release sometime next year.

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The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Posted by speculatef on May 19, 2013 in Post Apocalyptic

The 1st Wave took out half a million people.

The 2nd Wave put that number to shame.

The 3rd Wave lasted a little longer, twelve weeks… four billion dead.

In the 4th Wave, you can’t trust that people are still people.

And the 5th Wave? No one knows. But it’s coming.

On a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs. Runs from the beings that only look human, who have scattered Earth’s last survivors.

To stay alone is to stay alive, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan may be her only hope.

Now Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death.

The 5th Wave is an enjoyable action adventure story set amongst a terrifying alien invasion. While the premise and world building of the novel are great, it is let down by some of its characters and its nonsensical romances.

The truth is, once they found us, we were toast.
————–
Because if I am the last one, then I am humanity. And if this is humanity’s last war, then I am the battlefield.

Told mainly in dual point of view, The 5th Wave follows Cassie as she struggles to survive all alone in a world controlled by aliens. The first part of the novel is told from her point of view, chronicling how she ended up alone, fighting for her life. She thinks she might be the only human left in the area, maybe even the country. Frightened and desperate, she’s making her way up a highway when she’s shot by a sniper, and then rescued by Evan Walker. Our other protagonist is Ben, a classmate of Cassie’s who has been infected with an alien virus and expects to die, when he is rescued by the human military and trained up to fight the aliens.

I liked Cassie because of her bravery and strength, I think she’s a brilliant protagonist. She is independent and stubborn, she thinks her actions through and battles her depression with a wry sense of humour. But I don’t agree with the way the author chose to manipulate her situation so ended up alone – it’s highly unlikely that any parent would act the way her father did. I also really like Evan Walker, with his conflicted agony and his mysterious past. I found it harder to relate to Ben, but he grew on me as the book went on.

Now, the romance. Ben spends a lot of time reminiscing about his glory days before the alien invasion, when he was the jock at school and could get any girl he wanted. I know his hormones were probably working in overdrive after the prolonged absence of female companionship, but the way he fell over himself to be with the first girl in his squad was absolutely ridiculous. Sadly, even this was preferable to Cassie’s instant attraction to Evan – she readily admits that she trusts him because of his good looks. Evan has a tendency to stand at doors and breathe heavily (lurking, Cassie calls it, as if it’s not a warning sign of psychotic behaviour) and it soon becomes clear that Evan is hiding something from her, but neither of these deter her from making out with him on his dead sister’s bed. In fact, even when she thinks he might have been involved in her shooting, Cassie doesn’t leave or confront Evan. Maybe she was confused by his chocolate-y eyes and his big, soft hands *rolling of the eyes*.

The staggering of the alien invasion into deadly waves is an interesting idea, and I loved uncovering what the previous waves were and speculating on what was to come. I think the world building is solid, but I would have liked a little more information on why the aliens had to leave their home,why they chose Earth, and what they intend to do once the humans are out of the way. I guess this will be explained in the future books. I did, however, find it all rather predictable. At about the 50% mark, I had an idea of where the story was going, and I was right on all accounts. Which dampened my enjoyment of the second half, because I wasn’t surprised by any of the ‘big reveals’.

The 5th Wave is definitely a wonderful read and a thrilling adventure, but nothing like what it’s hyped up to be. While it’s bleak, it’s not The Hunger Games, like the marketing suggests, and while Cassie is certainly great, but she’s not Katniss. I liked the book for what it is, and what it isn’t, and I’m looking forward to figuring out the rest of the story in the forthcoming books.

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Stocktake Saturday 48

Posted by speculatef on May 18, 2013 in Stocktake Saturday

Welcome to Stocktake Saturday! This feature is where I share some bookish news with you and then show you all the bookish goodies I got over the week.


The cover reveals from the last week  - (links to Goodreads pages)

  • Stormbringers (The Order of Darkness #2) by Philippa Gregory – UK edition
  • Never Fade (The Darkest Minds #2) by Alexandra Bracken
  • Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth – UK cover
  • Burn Bright (Dark Star #2) by Bethany Frenette. Expected publication: October 1st 2013 by Disney-Hyperion
  • Unchained (Nephilim Rising #1) by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout). Expected publication: September 17th 2013 by Entangled: Edge
  • Allies (Insignia #1.5) by S.J. Kincaid. Published May 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books
  • Would Be Witch (Southern Witch #1) by Kimberly Frost. Expected publication: September 3rd 2013 by Berkley
  • Hereafter (Shadowlands #2) by Kate Brian. Expected publication: October 1st 2013 by Disney-Hyperion
  • Kinslayer (The Lotus War #2) by Jay Kristoff – UK cover. Expected publication: September 12th 2013 by Tor UK
  • Kinslayer (The Lotus War #2) by Jay Kristoff – US cover. Expected publication: September 17th 2013 by Thomas Dunne Books
  • All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. Expected publication: August 1st 2013 by Bloomsbury
  • The Weight of Souls by Bryony Pearce. Expected publication: August 6th 2013 by Strange Chemistry

In Bookish News, Dawn Barker, the author of the newly released Fractured, has signed a contract with Hachette Australia for her second novel. She says the book will be a new story, but will explore similar themes to Fractured.

I’ve come across two cool new titles for books I’m waiting for:

  • Secret (Elemental #4) by Brigid Kemmerer – Brigid’s actually finished this book, and it’s told from Nick’s point of view and I’m so excited for it!
  • Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3) by Laini Taylor – placeholder cover on the right.

Laini Taylor held a competition for fan-made book trailers for Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and you can watch the winning entry here.

As you can see above, Never Fade (The Darkest Minds #2) by Alexandra Bracken has an awesome cover. That’s for the US edition, no news on an Australian cover yet. Never Fade won’t be available until October 15th, but Bracken is publishing a bridging e-book (God I am so sick of this trend!). In Time will be available on July 16th. In the mean time, you can read an exclusive excerpt from Never Fade on the EW website.

Finally, Strange Chemistry, the Angry Robot YA imprint, has had an exciting month:

  • They signed M. G. Buehrlen in a two-book deal. The first of these two books – The Fifty-Seven Lives of Alex Wayfare – will be published in March 2014, with a second to follow early in 2015. About The Fifty-Seven Lives of Alex Wayfare:

For as long as 17-year-old Alex Wayfare can remember, she has had visions of the past. Visions that make her feel like she’s really on a ship bound for America, living in Jamestown during the Starving Time, or riding the original Ferris wheel at the World’s Fair.

But these brushes with history pull her from her daily life without warning, sometimes leaving her with strange lasting effects and wounds she can’t explain. Trying to excuse away the aftereffects has booked her more time in the principal’s office than in any of her classes and a permanent place at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Alex is desperate to find out what her visions mean and get rid of them.

It isn’t until she meets Porter, a stranger who knows more than should be possible about her, that she learns the truth: Her visions aren’t really visions. Alex is a Descender – capable of traveling back in time by accessing Limbo, the space between Life and Afterlife. Alex is one soul with fifty-six past lives, fifty-six histories.

Fifty-six lifetimes to explore: the prospect is irresistible to Alex, especially when the same mysterious boy with soulful blue eyes keeps showing up in each of them. But the more she descends, the more it becomes apparent that someone doesn’t want Alex to travel again. Ever.

And will stop at nothing to make this life her last.

  • They signed Danielle Jensen in a three book deal. The first of the three books is called Stolen Songbird and will be published in early 2014. About Stolen Songbird:

For those who have loved Seraphina and Graceling comes another truly fabulous fantasy …

Trolls are said to love gold. They are said to live underground and hate humans. They are said to be evil. When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and sold to the trolls, she finds out that there is truth in the rumours, but there is also so much more to trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus, the city she hadn’t even known existed under Forsaken Mountain: escape. But the trolls are inhumanly strong. And fast. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something strange happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall in love with the handsome, thoughtful troll prince that she has been bonded and married to. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll/part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter from Goshawk’s Hollow. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch.

This week I have been Waiting On … The Tower Broken by Mazarkis Williams.

I also had the Between the Lives blog tour stop by, and Jessica Shirvington shared the songs that inspired the book with us.

My book haul this week is very exciting – a package from Pan Macmillan Australia was filled with goodies (links to Goodreads):

And e-galleys from NetGalley and Edelweiss:

  • A Clockwork Heart (The Chronicles of Light and Shadow #2) by Liesel Schwarz – NetGalley: Random House Publishing Group (Del Ray)
  • Steelheart (Reckoners #1) by Brandon Sanderson – NetGalley: Random House Children’s – *squeal*
  • The Registry by Shannon Stoker – Edelweiss: William Morrow Books – this is a New Adult Dystopian, I’m very excited to read it!

Last time I was 7 books behind in my Read Three, Buy One scheme. I reviewed the following books this week:

  1. The Mystery of the Golden Card by Garth Nix & Sean Williams
  2. Shift by Hugh Howey
  3. Breathless by Brigid Kemmerer

Which leaves me 4 books behind. I’m slowly getting there :D

I hope you have some goodies to share as well, leave your links below and I’ll be sure to visit :-)

Happy Reading!

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Waiting on Wednesday 37

Posted by speculatef on May 15, 2013 in Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that allows readers to showcase eagerly awaited upcoming releases.

This week I’ve picked The Tower Broken by Mazarkis Williams

  • Expected publication: 7th November 2013 by Jo Fletcher Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Series: Tower and Knife, Book 3
  • Goodreads / The Book Depository

Nooria is at breaking point. The nothing bleeds out the very essence of all, of stone, silk – and souls. Sarmin thought he had stopped it, but it is spreading towards Cerana – and he is powerless to halt the destruction.

Even as Cerana fills with refugees, the Yrkmen armies arrive, offering to spare Sarmin’s people if they will convert to the Mogyrk faith.

Time is running out for Sarmin and Mesema: the Mage’s Tower is cracked; the last mage, sent to find a mysterious pattern-worker in the desert, has vanished; and Sarmin believes his kidnapped brother Daveed still has a part to play.

The walls are crumbling around them …

Okay, we have to talk about that cover. AMAZING right? I think it will look absolutely gorgeous next to my copies of The Emperor’s Knife and Knife Sworn. I love this series, I love the characters and the world and I cannot wait for The Tower Broken. I have high hopes that it will conclude this breathtaking trilogy well. I think what makes this series work is how the author has taken epic fantasy back to its roots, and then completely turned the tropes on their heads. And the impressive covers.

The Tower and Knife series by Mazarkis Williams

My review of The Emperor’s Knife by Mazarkis Williams

My review of Knife Sworn by Mazarkis Williams

I’d love to see what you are waiting on … please leave links and I’ll be sure to check them out!

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Breathless by Brigid Kemmerer

Posted by speculatef on May 15, 2013 in Other Paranormal

  • Date published: 30th April 2013
  • Publisher: Kensington Teen
  • Format: Ebook, 65 pages
  • Series: Elementals, Book 2.5
  • ISBN 13: 9780758285539 ISBN 10: 0758285531
  • Categories: YA – Paranormal
  • Goodreads / Amazon / Bookworld
  • Source: provided by the publisher for review

Too many secrets. Not enough time.

Nick Merrick is supposed to be the level-headed one. The peacemaker. Since it’s just him and his three hotheaded brothers against the world, that’s a survival tactic.

But now he’s got problems even his brothers can’t help him survive.

His so-called girlfriend, Quinn, is going quick as mercury from daring to crazy. Meanwhile, Quinn’s dancer friend Adam is throwing Nick off balance, forcing him to recognize a truth he’d rather shove back into the dark.

He can feel it—-the atmosphere is sizzling. Danger is on the way. But whatever happens next, Nick is starting to find out that sometimes nothing you do can keep the peace.

Nicholas Merrick has always intrigued me. He’s always been solid and dependable in the previous books: the cool-headed one who diffuses the tension between his three brothers. So it was a surprise for me to get inside his head and find it so tumultuous.

Constantly being the responsible one has taken its toll on Nick – he’s under tremendous pressure to act a certain way and be someone he’s realising he just … isn’t. He’s been hanging out with Quinn a lot, he thinks dating her is a Good Thing, but Nick is increasingly aware of the lies he’s built his life on.

The foundations start crumbling when Nick meets Alex, a friend of Quinn’s who shares her passion for dancing.

Nick’s insecurity, his confusion and reluctance to make waves are endearing, and I love him for it. The surprise for me in this book is Quinn, who isn’t as shallow and inane as I’d initially pegged her to be. It’s enlightening to see from her point of view: her pain, caused by a horrible family life; her fear of losing Becca to Chris and her jealousy of their relationship; the feelings of inadequacy brought on by the way people treat her. There’s a lot going on here, and I loved the opportunity to see a bit of Quinn’s life.

I also really liked Alex, and I hope he’s in future books (in Siege, Nick’s book?). Although we didn’t get to know him as well as I would have liked, he seems like a great guy and I want to know more about him. He’s so comfortable with himself, and I think he’ll be a great source of support for Nick.

I haven’t read any of the other Elemental novellas – I was sceptical that Brigid could bring the same magic to a novella that she can to a 300+ page novel. But the novella delivers – it’s an emotional, realistic glimpse into Nick’s life that has me desperate for more of his story.  Now I’m looking forward to not only reading Spirit, the third full length book in the series, and Siege when it’s out next year, but also the other two novellas, Elemental and Fearless.

While not required reading for fans of the Elemental series, Breathless answers a few lingering questions and (I suspect) sets up the next two books of the series quite well. Definitely recommended for readers who can’t get enough of the Merrick brothers.

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Shift by Hugh Howey

Posted by speculatef on May 14, 2013 in Fantasy Reviews

  • Date published: 25th April 2012
  • Publisher: Random House (Century)
  • Format: Paperback, 569 pages
  • Series: Wool, Books 6 – 8 (Omnibus)
  • ISBN 13: 9781780891217 ISBN 10: 1780891210
  • Categories: Fantasy – Post Apocalyptic Dystopian
  • Goodreads / Booktopia / Bookworld
  • Source: provided for review by the publisher

In a future less than fifty years away, the world is still as we know it.

Time continues to tick by. The truth is that it is ticking away.

A powerful few know what lies ahead. They are preparing for it. They are trying to protect us.

They are setting us on a path from which we can never return.

Shift is the story of a newly elected Congressman, Donald Keene, who unwittingly becomes embroiled in a mad plan to save the world. It tells us how the silos described in WOOL came to be, the history of World Order Operation Fifty, and the place of Silo 1 in the scheme of things. This omnibus contains the three Shift books – the first tells of the construction of the silos, the second describes the gradual collapse of some of the silos and the madness that grips the people living inside them, and the third chronicles the events in WOOL, and the collapse of Silo 18, from the point of view of Silo 1.

“At almost the same moment in humanity’s broad history, mankind had discovered the means for bringing about its utter downfall. And the ability to forget it ever happened.”

The first book, First Shift – Legacy is my favourite. It alternates between the viewpoints of Congressmen Donald Keene in 2049, and Troy, a man who is woken from cryogenic sleep inside a silo in 2110. As Donny overseas the design of a nuclear waste disposal site and housing for its workers in case of emergency, he discovers that he has been lied to. The true purpose of this project has been kept from him. In the future, Troy struggles to remember the truths doctors have made him forget, slowly piecing together the past and uncovering the awful truth behind the silos.

It’s gripping and exciting, because readers know the realities that are hidden from the two men, and I think it’s thrilling to witness them work towards it. I particularly like Donald, I think he makes a great protagonist and I empathized with him – he’s idealistic and wants to help his fellow man, but ends up aiding in the heinous plan. The path to Hell is indeed paved with good intentions.

In the second book, Second Shift – Order, follows Mission Jones, who works as a porter in Silo 18. His grandfather died in the uprising of ’78, and he and his friends are part of another revolution. Some of the characters from First Shift are woken up again, to deal with the unrest that threatens the silo’s survival. I liked Mission and admired his bravery and willingness to help others. I knew how this story ends, but I was still saddened and outraged when it happened. Again, it’s enlightening to witness the uprising from within the silo, and from outside, through the eyes of those who oversee the whole project and are looking at the bigger picture.

The third book, Third Shift – Pact, is the most interesting since it throws light onto the collapse of Silo 17 and continues the story of Silo 1, eventually showing us the events of WOOL from inside Silo 1. I think it’s a clever way to round off the SHIFT saga, almost bringing the story around full circle and revealing another layer to the conspiracy.

I love that the prequel books have overlapped WOOL, and they have set up the next saga, DUST, superbly. I really liked the SHIFT books and think they are a perfect complement to the original WOOL series. I recommend this saga to fans of WOOL because of the new perspectives it offers and the way it clears up a lot of the mystery in the first series.

In other news, I know now why the previous omnibus is called WOOL – it stands for World Order Operation Fifty (L is the Roman numeral for 50). Clever!

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Blog Tour: Between the Lives – Playlist

Posted by speculatef on May 13, 2013 in Uncategorized


Hi guys! The Between the Lives blog tour stops by today and I am excited that author Jessica Shirvington is sharing the book’s playlist with us! She’s provided a list of songs and their video clips, as well as some commentary on what they mean to her, and how they relate to Sabine.

- Guest Post -

The Between the Lives Playlist

Jess: I have to admit a lot of the songs I listened to remind me of Sabine/Ethan scenes. And some are just about her.

1. Valium by Lisa Mitchell
This is my favourite song for the book!

2. I’m in Here by Sia

3. Love and Loss by The Honey Trees

4. Distance by Christina Perri

5. Punching in a Dream by The Naked and Famous

6. Time is Running Out by Muse

7. Too Close by Alex Claire
This one is more a song about herself – singing it to her other life and fighting with herself – even the video clip feels the same way!

8. Heartlines by Florence and the Machine
Because I can imagine ever writing a story that isn’t influenced in some way by her music!

9. Wonderful Life by Hurts

10. Help by Hurts

11. Dark Paradise by Lana Del Rey
If you have read the book then you will know where this song fits in ;)

12. Hey Hey Hey by Claudia Tripp
Also – a fan of the book wrote this song. Check it out!

My thoughts: The playlist gave me chills, and I did end up crying a few times. My favourite songs are Valium, which really affected me, and Distance and Time is Running Out (what’s a playlist without Muse?). I think I compounded the effect because I read the along with it, and sometimes I’d be reading and Sabine’s words and the song lyrics would match up perfectly. I seriously recommend listening to these songs while reading your favourite parts of the novel!

Hop by the previous tour stop and have a read of Jess’s favourite scene from the book and enter to win a copy of Between the Lives, and make sure you head over to YA Midnight Reads on Wednesday to see who Jessica’s Top 10 Favourite Book Characters are. You can check out all the stops on the Between the Lives blog tour here.


About the author:

Jessica Shirvington lives in Sydney with her husband of twelve years, FOXTEL presenter and former Olympic sprinter Matt Shirvington, and their two daughters. She has previously founded and run a fine foods distribution company in London. On her return to Australia in 2009, she focused on her writing. Her urban fantasy series Embrace debuted in 2010 and has since been published internationally. In 2012, the series was picked up by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and CBS Studios to be adapted to a television drama for The CW Network.

Between the Lives is Jessica’s fifth release and first stand-alone novel.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Between the Lives on GR

Between the Lives is published in Australia by Harper Collins, and is available now at all good bookstores and online. I have reviewed Between the Lives as part of the 2013 Australian Women Writers Reading Challenge. Thank you to Jessica for taking the time out to share her playlist with us, it’s been a real pleasure to have her on Speculating on SpecFic, and for Amanda at Harper Collins for making the blog tour happen!

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