On my Wishlist: Soundless by Richelle Mead

Soundless
by Richelle Mead
272 p.
Published: 11/10/15
Publisher: Razorbill

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom. 

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation. 

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon. 

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever...

This looks different and so I naturally want to read it. :) 

What are you wishing for this week? 

Menagerie by Rachel Vincent

Series: Menagerie #1
432 p.
Published: 9/29/15
Publisher: MIRA
Source: NetGalley and publisher for review

When Delilah Marlow visits a famous traveling carnival, Metzger's Menagerie, she is an ordinary woman in a not-quite-ordinary world. But under the macabre circus black-top, she discovers a fierce, sharp-clawed creature lurking just beneath her human veneer. Captured and put on exhibition, Delilah in her black swan burlesque costume is stripped of her worldly possessions, including her own name, as she's forced to "perform" in town after town.

But there is breathtaking beauty behind the seamy and grotesque reality of the carnival. Gallagher, her handler, is as kind as he is cryptic and strong. The other "attractions"—mermaids, minotaurs, gryphons and kelpies—are strange, yes, but they share a bond forged by the brutal realities of captivity. And as Delilah struggles for her freedom, and for her fellow menagerie, she'll discover a strength and a purpose she never knew existed.

Renowned author Rachel Vincent weaves an intoxicating blend of carnival magic and startling humanity in this intricately woven and powerful tale.

My thoughts:

I did think that this book was a YA book but since the main character is about 25, I would say this is adult. However, a older YA person would easily get into it. It does have a few adult themes to it (for example, rape but nothing graphic). I was actually glad this one was adult and slipped into the world easily.

There was a big event in which many children are slaughtered in their sleep and replaced by "others". The criptid world (fae world) is blamed and stripped of any form of dignity and autonomy. They aren't sentient beings anymore to the human population at large in the US. While we get snippets of what happened, we are no closer to the answers in this book. However, that didn't bother me since this is primarily Delilah's book and how she came to be a part of this underworld and what it means for everyone. I really liked and connected with Delilah and loved how she cared for others who were so unlike her.

I devoured this book. It was just one of those books I wanted at the right time and I had fun with this one. I actually purposefully put it down so I could sleep knowing that if I read on, I would have thoughts swirling in my head and sleep would elude me. While we don't get to know all the criptids in the menagerie, I do think that will be forthcoming in future books. We get to know enough that it fills our world with creative and interesting creatures and what it would be like to get to know them all.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars. While I guessed a lot before it was revealed and the ending was expected, it still made me want to devour this book whole. I had fun with this one and I'm looking forward to the next book. Not all the questions are answered and there is a potential danger lurking in our group's future.

Delirium by Erin Kellison

Series: Reveler #6
100 p.
Published: 1/6/15
Publisher: Fire Flower Publishing
Source: Author for review

As the new Darkside Division head, Marshal Harlen Fawkes has a target on his back, and the Oneiros are taking their best shot. To complicate matters, a mercenary has been hired to infiltrate Maze City, jeopardizing the one safe place left in the dreamwaters. Harlen’s allies are divided while covering different fronts, but that means their collective strength is divided, too.

If I die before I wake…

Summoning her courage, Sera must face the harsh Scrape winds to add her strength to Harlen’s fight. But nothing can combat the forces rising in the deep as they finally make their move. Danger comes from all sides at once, leaving Harlen no choice but to use the woman he loves as a proxy to penetrate the Black Market. And yet doing so leaves them utterly vulnerable, adrift in the sands, as nightmares descend.

Delirium is the sixth installment in the Reveler serial, a hot paranormal romance set in a world where shared dreaming is a new pop culture phenomenon that allows people to indulge their wildest fantasies. But there are also unknown dangers Darkside; nightmares are slowly infiltrating not only dreams, but the waking world as well.

My thoughts:
Another short book in this series and the action never seems to stop! We get to know a bit more about Harlen and Sera and what they are capable of in this book. We also get to know a bit more about Harlen's background. What I really loved is that Sera was a capable asset to the group and really had a brain and foresight.

I do have to say that Erin Kellison is evil in the way she ended this book. We just finished another episode getting us to the final showdown and then we get a glimpse of what was next. Okay, ending! What? No! Good thing the next book is out. :)

I give this story 4 stars. It really is remarkable in how much she can pack within so few pages. I cannot wait for the next story!

On My Wishlist: The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong

The Masked Truth
by Kelley Armstrong
320 p.
Publisher: Doubleday Canada (Random House)
Published: 10/13/15

Riley Vasquez is haunted by the brutal murder of the couple she was babysitting for.

Max Cross is suffering under the shadow of a life-altering diagnosis he doesn’t dare reveal. 

The last thing either of them wants is to spend a weekend away at a therapy camp alongside five other teens with “issues.” But that’s exactly where they are when three masked men burst in to take the group hostage. 

The building has no windows. The exits are sealed shut. Their phones are gone. And their captors are on a killing spree. 

Riley and Max know that if they can’t get out, they’ll be next—but they’re about to discover that even escape doesn’t equal freedom.

I really enjoy her writing so this one is a no brainer for me. :)

What is on your wishlist this week?

Slightly Early Review: The Aeronauts Windlass by Jim Butcher

Series: The Cinder Spires #1
640 p.
Published: 9/29/15
Publisher: Roc
Source: NetGalley and publisher for review

Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist-shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace. 

Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship, Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is severely damaged in combat, leaving captain and crew grounded, Grimm is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion—to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predator to its fighting glory. 

And even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake…

My thoughts:

I actually haven't read a Jim Butcher book before but he was on my must try author list. I'm glad I gave this one a shot. I was in the mood for fantasy and this one really delivered. It is labeled steampunk but very little steam makes the objects work. Crystalpunk? Well, in any case, the world did feel like a steampunk kind of world.

What really enthralled me with this book was the characters. The females are capable or either learning to be capable. The girl who wins the swoony guy isn't the prettiest but has the best heart. The pretty girl is more than her looks. She has sass and mechanical skills. There were even oddball characters that you really got to know and enjoy. The guys who are leaders aren't just the ones giving orders, they know how to listen to others as well. This was played out smart and so the twists felt smart. My favorite character was Rowl. Rowl was a cat. Yes, a cat. He had his own personality and language to go in this fantasy world. He was also the most arrogant character of them all. I guess it is a good thing Rowl is also cute and fuzzy. LOL

My biggest complaint would be the action scenes. I felt that a few could have been more efficient in the telling and didn't need quite as much detail at times.  There was also a part where the captain was explaining in great detail what his plans or non-plans were and it was a bit much but it only really lasted a short while so it wasn't a huge detriment in the whole story. I just couldn't buy that he had to waste that much time explaining rather than engaging.

I give this book 4 stars. I really enjoyed my time here and had a lot of fun with the different aspects to this world. My favorite parts were the unexpected like Rowl and the etherialists. Very odd characters but rounded out the rest of the crew nicely. I am curious to see where we go next in this series.