Book Review: Merchants of Knowledge and Magic

On one of the many planes of the Pentagonal Dominion, priestess Calinthe trades in information, collecting valuable secrets for her demonic employer. Calinthe has a secret of her own: she's intersex, making her a target for the matriarchal slavers of the Ophidian Plane whose territory she must cross in her search for hidden knowledge. But thanks to her friend Zakuro's illusions, Calinthe presents as a woman—a comfortable, if furtive, existence in a world determined to bring her to heel. But when, instead of a mere secret, the priestess uncovers an incalculably powerful artifact, Calinthe finds herself in a high-stakes negotiation with the same matriarchs who sought to enslave her. On the table: Calinthe's discovery, a charm powerful enough to transform a mortal into a god… against a secret so deadly it could quell all life on every plane of the dominion. If Calinthe plays her cards perfectly, she and Zakuro could escape Ophidia wealthier than either of them ever dreamed possible. But if she plays them wrong… she'll learn slavery in her pursuers' hands is a fate far worse than death.

Book Review: Bloody Spade

A girl full of heart A thief touched by darkness A hot-tempered golden boy An unwitting servant of evil The era of magic was once thought to be a myth, but after the Reemergence ushered forces both dark and light into the mundane world, it has since become a harsh reality. Now those affected by this strange power—a specialized group of Empowered called Jokers, known collectively as Cardplay—must protect their world from the darkness that threatens to consume it, all the while fighting for equality in a society clinging to normalcy. But the Reemergence was only the beginning. When another influx occurs on the seventh anniversary of that fateful event, an unfortunate encounter at ground zero lands Iori Ryone, a teenage boy in possession of a corrupt and legendary magic, in the care of recent Joker graduate Ellen Amelia Jane. From him, she learns the Reemergence may not have been the inevitable natural disaster it first seemed. Someone is trying to tear down the barrier that separates the magical realms from the mundane. The question is why, and can Cardplay stop them before it’s too late?

Book Review: The Inconvenient God

What happens if you try to retire a god who is not ready to leave? An official from the Ministry of Divinity arrives at a university to decommission a local god. She is expecting an easy decommissioning of a waning god of mischief but finds instead an active god not interested in retiring and university administrators who have not told her the full story about the god. Can the Decommisioner discover the true story of this god in time to prevent his most destructive round of mischief yet?

Book Review: Swan Peak

The Wolfe is hungry for more… Entranced by the exquisite delights of the passionate lifestyle introduced to her by William Wolfe, April Ekdahl eagerly joins him on a luxurious winter holiday at his alpine estate. But as she opens her mind to unfathomable new experiences, April finds her heart aching as deep fractures in her prince’s façade are revealed. Despite the demons that still haunt her, William accepts her. But will he allow her to embrace his darkness in return?

Book Review: Carnal Knowledge

What do you do when you know you’re on a serial killer’s hit list? Six women are dead, and Wren Addison is the next victim on the SMS Killer’s list—or so she’s been told after waking in a pool of blood with no memory of the events that have transpired.

Book Review: The Silent Patient

Alicia is the title of this novel, "the silent patient." She murdered her husband and has not spoken since, not even to defend herself in court. As such, she has been ordered into a psych hospital to undergo treatment. Theo, our protagonist in this tale, just so happens to be a psychotherapist--and one that took on the job at the very hospital that Alicia is in, specifically to treat Alicia. So he can help her to see clearly. The rest of the novel follows these two as Theo tries to help Alicia come to terms with her husband's death--and her part in it--and deals with his own marital problems. 

Book Review: Knight in Paper Armor

A beautifully written YA book about a young boy, ostracized from everyone else and who has powers unimaginable, and who is saved by the confident, brave young girl he meets at school. Billy Jakobek isn't like other children--he lives as a kind of science experiment, his very existence a mystery. Natalia Gonzalez is a Guatemalan immigrant working hard to keep her family whole and well, and her life is turned upside down when she meets the strange new boy. Will their friendship and developing relationship survive what's coming?

Book Review: No Country for Old Men

I originally picked this book up because I wanted to read a "modern classic." I'd read The Road and loved it, so I decided why not? (I also needed a book that started with "N" for my A to Z Reading Challenge in 2020) Normally, not my first pick as I don't care too much for crime novels, especially cowboy-esque ones. BUT this was worth the read! I ended up finishing it off in 2 straight days. I'll spare the summary, because the blurb tells all you need to know without giving anything away. 

Book Review: Zombie Walkabout

I went into this book thinking it was going to be a cheesy, overdone-humor riddled story with little substance. Honestly, I just needed that "Z" to finish off my A to Z Reading Challenge for 2020, and I thought this would be an easy read. The very first page or two fulfilled these expectations, but then I was surprised when that beginning turned out to be a joke for the characters' sakes. In actuality, this first chapter contained a good amount of depth and character-building, paving the way for me to become emotionally attached to this world and its inhabitants! I think it's safe to say that I've been hooked. 

Book Review: The Hobbit

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.