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From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout Review

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From Blood and Ash

I had to see what the hype was all about. From Blood and Ash has been everywhere. Let’s get to it.

The Maiden is chosen by the gods to bring in a new era. She can’t be touched, spoken to, or interacted with. Poppy’s life is not her own. All pleasure is forbidden until after Ascension. And even then, she doesn’t know what awaits her. Her guard, Hawke, catches her eye. He makes her question….everything…. Poppy’s world will never be the same.

The beginning of From Blood and Ash was slow. There’s no way around it. It takes a bit to build the world, and I still never had a completely clear grasp of it. However, all that will be solved later.

Poppy is hard to get to know in the beginning. I wasn’t convinced that I would like her. Luckily, she develops more throughout the book. By the end, I liked her. I think she’s a great character.

I liked Poppy as a character, and I loved the romance between her and Hawke. They are both so sassy. I love a good witty romance.

Lastly, I expected the twist. It was quite obvious, but I loved the execution. It brought the whole story to a place I loved, and answered all of my question. Not to mention, that cliff hanger was killer. It set up for the next story perfectly. I need it now.

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Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse Review

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Well, we’ve made it to my last review of 2020. Luckily, it’s a good one. I haven’t heard a lot about Black Sun, but it’s so good. It’s book one in a fantasy series inspired by Native American culture. Let’s get to it.

A god will return to the city of Tova under a black sun on the day of the winter solstice. The Sun Priest prophesizes an unbalance in the world. Days earlier, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova. The captain, Xiala, is Teek. Her magic calms the waters. Her only passenger is a blind man name Serapio. His destiny is ahead of him and he will do anything to fulfill it.

My Thoughts on Black Sun

I love the fact that Black Sun is inspired by pre-Columbian America. I think we can all agree that we need a break from fantasy based solely on European culture. It’s time for something new and this gave me everything I wanted.

The storyline is pretty straight forward. The new religion is trying to cast out the old gods. However, there is corruption in the system. There is a steady uprising in the number of cultists that are returning to the old gods. The cultist prophesize the return of the Odo Sedoha. The unrest in Black sun is almost palpable. Something big is about to happen.

Next, let’s talk about characters. For the most part, Serapio is our main character. He is also probably the most developed. However, Xiala and Naranpa are important to the story as well. Some mysteries still remain around each of the characters, but I imagine those will be revealed throughout the series.

I believe Black Sun is the starting point to something epic. There was a lot of world building and unanswered questions, but it left me wanting more. It was an awesome read.

My Rating: 4/5

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Sister Margaret Review

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I love a good crime story and Sister Margaret is just that. Thank you to Bully Press for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Tommy Keane has been a detective in the Bronx for years. When Tommy gets in a little trouble, he is transferred to the 21st Precinct in Manhattan. He expects an easy ride, but then a beloved nun is found brutally murdered. Even a seasoned detective is surprised by this motive.

My Thoughts on Sister Margaret

Sister Margaret was a good read. However, it was to the point, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There wasn’t a ton of back story or filler content to bog the crime aspect down. I appreciated that.

Although, I would like to learn more about Tommy. There were glimpses of his life, but no answered questions. Since it’s the start of the series, I expect there will be more of his backstory to come. I also really liked his mother, so I hope she’s included in the next one.

The crime was pretty horrifying, but believable. I believe one of the authors was a detective. You can tell by the details that the authors know what they are talking about.

I did start to piece together the motive, but I was wrong about the perpetrator. It ended up being even darker than I expected. It was a heartbreaking case. There were a lot of emotions at the end. Sister Margaret is a pretty solid crime fiction novel. I look forward to reading more.

My Rating: 4/5

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We Must Save Jepson by Mark Petersen Review

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I received a copy of We Must Save Jepson in exchange for my honest review. It was a fun concept, so let’s jump into it.

H.R. Huxtable is off to save Jepson. His crew is a bit odd, but yet they persevere. Will they save Jepson?

My Thoughts

First, I love the formatting. This book is a collection of letters from and to H.R. Huxtable. It was a great way to tell this story. It felt like the reader was included in the adventure.

Despite my love of the letters, the plot fell flat. It was titled We Must Save Jepson, but I don’t really even know who Jepson was. I also don’t really know why he needed saving. Plus, how did a librarian become the head of a search and rescue group? There was a lot that wasn’t really explained, or if it was I completely missed it.

This book is quite clearly satire. I mean it does say it on the cover. The humor is overblown, but I expect that from a satire. There were several humorous moments. However, there were some bits of humor that didn’t work for me.

Overall, I don’t think this book is for me. But it was still a quick, easy read with a fun format.

My Rating: 2/5

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