Strictly No Heroics

Strictly No Heroics

by B.L. Radley

Riley has never had the best luck. Raised by a drunk and abusive mother who died in a fiery car crash that left Riley traumatized and her half-sister disabled, she is just trying to get survive a world of superheroes and villains who battle for supremacy in her city. 

When Riley offends the wrong supe at her job, she is suddenly unemployed and desperate to find something to pay for the therapy that she needs, as well as help her sister's dad take care of the three of them financially after he took the girls in. 

A flyer promising that they hire everyone comes her way and Riley discovers that she's hired herself out as a henchman for the Villain Council of the city through a group called HENCH. With just a few days of training, she's ready to fetch coffee, build lairs, and construct lasers shipped like IKEA furniture. 

It's difficult for her to admit to her family and friends that she's technically a bad guy now. It's also difficult for her to come out to those she cares about regarding her sexual orientation. How does one find the perfect girl to date when working for someone who may be trying to destroy the city you love?

Final thoughts: Nice complementary story to How to Date a Superhero by Christina Fernandez, though it's probably just completely coincidental. One is a college girl dating a supe and one is a girl just trying to survive the damage they do. While the story is decent, it lags from time to time and many of the characters stay flat throughout. The best part for me was the fact that many things just... were. Her LGBTQ status is acknowledged and then left alone with no one bullying or criticizing her. This had a diverse cast but that wasn't pointed out for each character as a direct statement; the author just hinted at diversity through physical descriptions.

Rating: 3/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Off Planet

Off Planet

by Aileen Erin

Years ago, Earth's SpaceTech led a "liberation" of the planet from the dangerous Aunare aliens who had begun to live and work with the humans who lived there. A mass exodus of the aliens from the planet was the start and the systematic killing of every alien and half alien ("halfer") was the next step. Any full blood Aunare or halfer that is found is fed to rabid dogs on the evening news and humans cheer.

Maité Martinez is one such halfer. Her father is a high-ranking Aunare who made it off planet before the murders began, but he left his wife and halfer daughter behind to spend their lives in hiding. Maité remembers almost nothing of her young childhood or her father because her mother had her memories wiped to protect them both. Now all Maité knows is that she's a halfer and that she needs to hide her identity no matter what. Her capture could lead to war. 

Unfortunately, she's not as hidden as she'd hoped to be and a mistake leads her to prison and a sentence to hard labor on a fiery planet.

Rescue efforts are coming and she is strong, but can she survive long enough to be saved?

Final thoughts: This one is a mess. The reader is dropped into the middle of everything and clues are dropped throughout the book about Maité and her past, but it's a struggle to figure it out. It doesn't help that things that are obvious to the reader are completely missed by the main character. There's no room to breathe for the reader or the people who populate this story. It's constantly in motion and that makes it all a little claustrophobic as a story. That might be the intention of the author, but it makes for a strain on the reader. It's hard to track time and the logic of things isn't always explained. For example, I spent the longest time trying to figure out why they had to be in cryogenic sleep to travel because it made no sense. Near the end, there was finally a line dropped in about how human bodies can't handle the speeds the space vehicles must travel so that they have to be put to sleep. Ah! Why didn't you say so earlier! It seems that there are many things like that that are last minute add-ons to explain things that should have been edited earlier. I might come back to the sequel if I notice it, but I won't actively look for it.

Rating: 3/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Long May She Reign

Long May She Reign

by Rhiannon Thomas

Freya isn't really in to court life. She'd rather perform experiments in her lab and develop new scientific formulas than dance at the palace. She's got plans to leave home and make her way to places where she can learn and practice, far away from the court. 

She's 23rd in line, anyway; it's not like she'll ever really be needed by the royal family.

But when tragedy strikes the entire court during the king's anniversary on the throne, Freya is suddenly queen and she is definitely not ready.

Can Freya become the queen that her kingdom needs or will she be the next to face a tragic fate?

Final thoughts: Messy. I'm just not sure what to do with this one. It's a new world with new ideas? Or is it a dystopia? Is her father a great guy or a great manipulator? Who can she really trust? Will she ever be able to trust anyone? Will she be a scientist or a queen? Can she be both? None of these questions are really answered anywhere. The whole thing just feels a little off and the ending was just kind of there. It's not necessarily a bad book, it's just kind of bleh. Read it or not. It fills a couple of hours.

Rating: 3/5

The Red Queen

The Red Queen

by Victoria Aveyard

Many years ago, mutations happened that changed the blood of people. Those whose blood changed to silver became more powerful than anyone could ever have imagined. Suddenly, the Silvers could manipulate the world with abilities to force thoughts, move mountains, rain fire, and so much more.

Those whose blood stayed red were left behind and forced to take on the menial tasks that the Silvers refuse to do.

Now it's the Reds vs. the Silvers and the Silvers are winning.

After a chance encounter, Mare Barrow is hired to work at the palace. A palace filled with Silvers. And these Silvers are there for the selection of the next queen.

The Prince is eligible for marriage and he needs the strongest Silver to be his future queen.

During the competition for the Prince, something goes horribly wrong and Mare is put into a position she never could have dreamed of.

Her blood is Red.

Her power is Silver.

Now Mare must pretend to be something she's not and she must decide what is more important: her life or her people's freedom.

Final thoughts: The Hunger Games meets X-Men and it's fantastic! It's not perfect and there are a few off moments, but I like the overall effect. This book had some moments where I could predict plot points, but rather than be disappointed by the prediction coming true, I celebrated. My only real complaint is that Mare is gullible. Really, really gullible. Otherwise, it's a good story and there are some amazing high points. I'm really looking forward to the sequel.

Rating: 4/5

Mine to Spell

Mine to Spell

by Janeal Falor

When Cynthia's oldest sister was freed and her father was defeated and imprisoned, Cynthia and the rest of her sisters thought they would finally be able to control their own destinies.  After a lifetime of being owned by her father and forced to suppress her natural abilities, Cynthia might finally be able to practice magic.

But things are never that easy.

When death threats start appearing during family gatherings, Cynthia realizes that she must sacrifice her own happiness and be sold to a new master in order to keep her family safe.

After the contract is signed, her new master takes her away and tries to steal her magic, so Cynthia fights back.  Suddenly she has made herself a free woman... and a target.

Her sister can't help her now; she must prove her ability on her own, though she does have the help of a very handsome stranger from another land.  

Now Cynthia has one chance to prove that women can be as strong and as powerful as the men of her country, or die trying.

Final thoughts:  This is a sequel and I read the first book awhile ago, so it took some time to get back in the swing.  I didn't love it like I remembered loving the first one.  I missed Serena and the switch to her sister's POV was disconcerting.  Cynthia had some good moments, but she was really all over the place.  I think the author was going for strong and sincere, but worried for her family, and instead Cynthia came off as never able to have a consistent thought or feeling.  She's naive and constantly doubting absolutely every thought, feeling, and decision she has or has made.  The middle of the book was good, but the beginning and end were weak.

Rating: 3/5

The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave

by Rick Yancey

"1st Wave: lights out. 2nd Wave: surf's up. 3rd Wave: pestilence. 4th Wave: Silencer. What's next, Evan? What's the 5th Wave?" (pg. 351)

When the alien mothership showed up above Earth, no one knew exactly what to think.  It just hovered there.  It did nothing.

And then the power went out.

With that EMP, hundreds of thousands of people died in plane crashes and effects of electrical failures like elevators dropping and cars losing control.

When the mothership dropped a large pike into the earthquake fault, those along the coasts who didn't die from the earthquake were killed by the resulting tsunamis.

The survivors of that tragedy were then attacked by a plague carried by birds.

By this point, 97% of the population was gone.  Those who were left tried to band together only to be attacked by the aliens themselves.  Now, the few who remain have no one to trust.

Because the aliens don't just look like us... they ARE us.  And there is no way to truly know who is who.

Final thoughts: Alien apocalypse??  Didn't think I'd like it, but it pulled me in and wouldn't let me go.  Told from the points of view of two primary characters and two minor ones, the story flows well and does a good job creating a freaky and freaked out mood.  Excellent story with a solid ending that feels like it could lead to a sequel, but doesn't have to have one.

Rating: 5/5

The Geomancer's Compass

The Geomancer's Compass

by Melissa Hardy

In the year 2021, virtual reality has become the norm with people often injuring themselves while walking around in the physical world and looking at the virtual one.

But that isn't really the problem for Miranda and her family.  Their problem is more ancient.

Her family is cursed by an ancestor who'd been murdered and then buried somewhere very wrong.  Everyone in their family for the last couple generations has suffered and Miranda is believed to be the key to finding the remains of the ancestor and bringing his bones to a more peaceful resting place.

Unfortunately, she has to bring her ADHD cousin along with her for the quest.

Final thoughts: Not even going into how this is for a limited audience of Canadian-Chinese, or even the long, drawn-out, in-depth discussions of both technology and Chinese traditions, this is a poorly written book.  Miranda is flat and annoying. She whines over every little thing and is just basically unlikeable.  Without Brian, the whole book would have been a waste.  Too much of it was unbelievable (an ancestor with very little tech experience manages to become a ghostly avatar in a VR computer program years after his death???), the rest was just badly written, and the ending just arrived with no real closure.  Avoid.

Rating: 1/5

The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Knife of Never Letting Go

by Patrick Ness

It's the future.  Generations into our future.  Colonists have left our planet for New World to create a haven and a sanctuary away from the wars of men.

But they get more than they bargained for when the Noise comes.

They can hear the thoughts of men.  The thoughts are everywhere.  There's no way to get away from them.

In an effort to end it, the colonists kill off the creatures who were already living there when they arrive, but it doesn't end the Noise.

Over twenty years later, Todd Hewitt is only a month away from becoming the last man of Prentisstown.  All of the women are dead and he was the last baby, so he's the last of the dying settlement to reach manhood.  

However, everything Todd has ever known about his town gets flipped on its side when he and his dog, Manchee, find Quiet.

Now Todd has a new journey to manhood.  One he never expected to take.

Final thoughts:  This was a tough read.  The book was great.  The characters were extremely well drawn.  The suspense was nearly constant.  And that's the problem.  There was a large amount of suspense and very little downtime.  It was also gory, violent, and sometimes downright scary.  I truly felt for the main characters and nearly cried a few times when they faced a few painful events.  It's from another trilogy, but at least this time the other two are already out.  However, I may still have to switch to something else for a while, because this was just hard to read.

Rating: 5/5

Across the Universe

Across the Universe

by Beth Revis

She only agreed to go because she didn't want to leave her parents.

She didn't know how wrong everything would go.

No one did.

No one could.

And now she's been awakened early and she can't go back to sleep.  She can't sleep through the rest of the 300 year journey across space to the new planet.  She may be dead long before her parents ever wake up...

He's been brought up to be the future leader.

It's his job to keep the people on the ship safe as they travel.

But he didn't know the secrets that were being kept.

Almost no one did.

And now he needs to get the answers to his questions and find out the secrets before more are unfrozen and awakened.  

Before more die.

Together, maybe they can find the truth.

Final thoughts:  Wow... This one will be screwing with my head for a while.  This is Revis's debut novel and it's amazing.  This ship world that has been created and all of the controls that are in place are mind-boggling both in complexity and simplicity.  I highly recommend this to both sci-fi lovers and those who like a good edge-of-your-seat thriller.

Rating: 5/5

Matched

Matched

by Ally Condie

In the Oria Province, everything is planned.  The moment you are born, you are tracked.  From your first day on Earth to the day you die, your life is mapped out for you.

The Officials track everything you do and plan your day for you.  They send food trays to each person at mealtimes with the exact amount of nutrition necessary and then check the trays when you dispose them to make sure you ate everything.  They watch your sleep and follow you on outings.  They build a physical and psychological profile of you to help them predict your attractions, friendships, and reactions to events.  They know what you're going to do before you do.

Nothing you do is truly private. 

Nothing.

Cassia has always believed in the system.  She was raised with it and has always been a good follower.  On the day of her Match to her future mate, she is eager, happy, and proud.

And when the screen that is supposed to show the image of her Match in another province stays blank, leading to the realization that she's been matched to her best friend, Xander, things couldn't be more perfect.  She gets to marry the one person who knows her better than any other and she gets to continue living in the same province as her family.

But when she goes to view Xander's profile on the microcard, another face appears.  It's the face of another boy she's known most of her life and now Cassia faces the difficult choice: to follow the rules and stay with her Match, or follow her heart and be with Ky.

She has to choose carefully because every misstep is punished and the Officials have no tolerance for changes in the plan.

Final thoughts:  I love this book!  BUT!  I think the dystopian novel is taking over vampire novels as the next "big thing", and I worry that the market will get flooded with bad copies.  Not as violent as The Hunger Games series (Cassia is more of a thinker than a doer, unlike Katniss), the stakes are just as high.  Everything Cassia does affects everyone around her.  Of course, my big pet peeve with this is that it appears to be a trilogy.  I hadn't realized that when I started and now have to wait for the next book to continue the story.  Can no one write one, solid novel anymore?

Rating: 5/5

Mockingjay

Mockingjay

by Suzanne Collins

When Katniss and Peeta threatened to eat the poisonous berries at the end of the 74th Annual Hunger Games, thereby forcing the Capitol to hastily change its own rules, they unknowingly threw themselves and all of Panem into a revolution.

Now, less than a year later, and after the Quarter Quell, which forced Katniss, Peeta, and other victors to relive the Hunger Games in all its gory details, Katniss is the Mockingjay: the figurehead for the fight being led by District 13, which had been thought to have been completely obliterated 75 years before.

With Peeta captured, District 12 in ruins, and physical, mental, and emotional trauma, Katniss must somehow find her own strength and help lead the revolutionaries back to the Capitol for the final battle.

And no matter how many troops surround her or where she goes to hide, it's obvious that people are after her, her family, and everyone she cares about.  Can she save everyone she loves without dying in the process?

Final thoughts:  Wow.  Really... Wow.  For those who thought Stephenie Meyer had just too much of a happy ending where everyone's futures were rosy in Breaking Dawn, this book will satisfy.  The final book in the trilogy is not happy.  It's not a feel-good book.  This will NOT make you smile with satisfaction that everyone got what they deserved in the end.  While technically sci-fi, this is a completely realistic final chapter that will leave people in shock and awe that Collins would so brazenly do what she did.

Rating: 5/5

Triskellion

Triskellion

by Will Peterson

Forced to leave their New York home while their parents fight it out in divorce court, twins Adam and Rachel move to a small English village called Triskellion.

The village is so named because of the chalk circle that is a remnant of the Bronze Age, more than 3,000 years in the past.

That symbol is mysterious enough.  But things get more strange as the twins discover a strange group of "Green Men", artifacts that seem to be pushing themselves up from the ground, a knight's tomb covered in ancient runes, and secrets that no one in the village wants told.

When a boy named Gabriel begins showing up and disappearing all over town, the twins realize that they may be the key to a thousands of years old mystery.

Things are not only mystical and magical in Triskellion; they are downright deadly.  Can they solve the mystery before the townspeople stop them?

Final thoughts:  Takes a few chapters to get into, but it's well worth it.  It's like a roller coaster that starts slow but then gets faster and faster until it suddenly stops.

Rating: 5/5