Sea of the Dead

Sea of the Dead (Magicians of Venice 2)- Amy Kuivalainen
BHC Press
Release Date: September 17,  2020

Rating: 
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: The battle for Venice might be over, but the war is just beginning… Penelope’s and Alexis’s adventure continues in the second installment of The Magicians of Venice series. 

Penelope has accepted her role as the new Archivist for the magicians, but with war brewing with the priests of Thevetat and the tide of magic on the rise, she’s going to have to learn her way around her new and dangerous world if she has any hope of outsmarting their enemies. 

When Penelope’s friend and fellow archaeologist, Tim, uncovers a scroll containing a magical secret lost in the Dead Sea for two thousand years, Penelope and Alexis must travel to Israel to find him before Abaddon and Kreios get there first.

To defeat Thevetat and his followers, they’ll need to find a weapon capable of ending him for good, and as her old life collides with her new, Penelope will pay the ultimate price to keep the secrets of the magicians safe.

_______________________________________________________________

The Sea of the Dead follows through on the promise of the intricate new magical world started in last year's The Immortal City.  It picks up after the events of Immortal City as Alexis, Penelope, the delightful Marco Dandolo, and the rest of the Magicians of Atlantis are trying to come to grips with entering a new war against the demon Thevetat.  But it's Penelope's world that brings them the next clue, in the shape of her friend Tim Sanders.  An archaeologist focusing on the Dead Sea, Tim finds a scroll with a curse on it, but stays sane long enough to send the scroll to Penelope to keep from Thevetat's acolytes, who are hunting him for it.  Penelope and her best friend Carolyn go to Israel to find Tim and become caught up in the race to find prophecies from the Dead Sea Scrolls before the demon's followers can bring about more destruction.

Part of what I enjoyed about The Immortal City was the almost non-stop action and danger.  Penelope gets thrown into the deep end and has to sink or swim- and in the process of following her heart she becomes a part of an amazing new world of magic and mysteries.  There's almost no time to think, its all about action and instinct.  The Sea of the Dead takes a different approach with slower pacing, less instant and violent danger at every corner, and the chance for the characters to think through their actions and choices in ways they couldn't in The Immortal City.  Here, they aren't trying to stop a serial killer on a deadline but are trying to unravel a prophecy Tim has found in order to take the next steps in the war against Thevetat.  And the change of pace and mindset works surprisingly well.  As instantly explosive as Penelope and Alexis were in The Immortal City, in Sea of the Dead, we get to see both of them trying to figure out what their relationship is when there is no life or death threat hanging over them.  They have plenty to learn about each other, and how a relationship between them could work- and both are charmingly awkward and afraid to take the steps necessary to figure it out.   

Penelope's old world and new collide here as she brings her two best friends into the circle, with mixed success.  Carolyn and Tim react very differently to the knowledge that magic is real and a lot of the emotional punch the book gives us is in how they handle that knowledge- and with how Penelope has changed because of that knowledge.  I also loved getting to see the magicians in different settings, to learn more about their pasts- either in throw away lines or in deeper memories.  They've each got thousands of years of experiences that made them who they are and we get to peel through the layers with Penelope to discover them.  The improving relationship between Phaidros and Aleia is lovely to watch, and we get to see a new a protective side of both Lyca and Zo that is great.

The Sea of the Dead is wonderfully written, with masterfully detailed world-building and plenty of suspenseful action and emotion.  A new reader could start here and not be overly lost, but I would still recommend starting the series with The Immortal City.  Although not exactly a cliffhanger, the end is clearly ramping everyone up for an epic Book 3.  Hopefully in Book 3 we'll get lots more of Marco and the story of the Dandolo family and the Magicians, as well as the wonderful relationship between Penelope and Alexis and Phaidros and Aliea.  Between sea monsters and secrets, deserts and the waters of Venice, heartbreak and the beautiful discovery of love, The Sea of the Dead has it all, and will thrill fantasy lovers everywhere.    

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Secret Chapter

The Secret Chapter (Invisible Library 6)- Genevieve Cogman
Ace
Release Date: January 7, 2020

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Warning: Some Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: A Librarian’s work is never done, and Irene is summoned to the Library. The world where she grew up is in danger of veering deep into chaos, and she needs to obtain a particular book to stop this from happening. Her only choice is to contact a mysterious Fae information-broker and trader of rare objects: Mr. Nemo.

Irene and Kai make their way to Mr. Nemo’s remote Caribbean island and are invited to dinner, which includes unlikely company. Mr. Nemo has an offer for everyone there: he wants them to steal a specific painting from a specific world. But to get their reward, they will have to form a team, including a dragon techie, a Fae thief, a gambler, a driver, and the muscle. Their goal? The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, in an early twenty-first-century world, where their toughest challenge might be each other.

_______________________________________________________________________

A Librarian's main job is to collect unique books from different worlds in order to stabilize those worlds between the forces of chaos and order.  Irene may have accidentally found herself getting more involved with politics lately (The Mortal Word), but when she learns that the world where she went to boarding school is mysteriously tipping into chaos, she's determined to get the manuscript necessary to save it.  The only problem is, the manuscript is currently in the hands of the secretive Fae Mr. Nemo, and in order to get her hands on it, Irene is going to have to do something for him: steal a specific painting from a specific world with the help of Kai, a Fae thief, a Fae gambler, a Fae driver, a Fae thug and a dragon techie.  What could possibly go wrong?

Genevieve Cogman says it herself: at some point, you knew there had to be a heist.  And more than the garden variety 'acquiring' of books that makes up the main work of a Librarian.  Think James Bond meets The Italian Job, Ocean's Eleven, and any other heist movie you can think of, add scheming Fae and a dash of dragon politics and you have The Secret Chapter.  The world in question is under heavy control of CENSOR, a police force whose cameras are everywhere and who will raid a place looking for demons, vampires, or werewolves at the drop of a hat.  This, of course, is less than optimal for a group of thieves who need to steal a gigantic painting from Vienna's most famous museum.  

Irene is her usual excellent self: trying to keep Kai and dragon Indigo from killing each other, trying to keep the unlikely mix of characters organized in order to steal the painting and putting their individual agendas on hold- all with the least violence necessary.  She has a deadline to save a world and is determined to do it.  What's interesting is that despite her doubts of her own morals or ethics, she does actually have them.  Sometimes this is highly inconvenient since it makes her try to get everyone out of a situation alive instead of going for the easy way out, but I found it rather comforting.  She's a more complex and relatable character because of her morals, and because she questions whether she has them.

We get to see a more of Irene's parents in Chapter than we ever have before, and it definitely shows us where Irene gets her practical attitude!  Vale and Lord Silver make almost no appearance, which on the one hand is disappointing because they are always fun, but on the other hand they wouldn't have worked in this book so it was good of Cogman to try not and fit too much in one book.  There is still a relationship between Irene and Kai that I'm not convinced of, but Cogman kept the romance basically  'off-stage', which was great as far as I was concerned.  The new Fae characters will seem like completely familiar examples of their tropes (which is the point) but Cogman intrigues readers with a few hints about Fae nature and what exactly a Fae is that I hope she'll explore in future books.  And we learn a few dragon secrets that have the potential to be highly explosive in the future.  

The Secret Chapter drags a little  sometimes as Cogman sets the scene, but overall this is one of her better in the series.  Between intriguing secrets, expected betrayals, unexpected betrayals, dragon fights, and sharks, it has plenty to enjoy.  For me, the best part of a Genevieve Cogman book is her writing style: full of dry humor, rapier sharp wit, beautiful descriptions, and delightfully detailed world(s) building.  One of Cogman's greatest skills is her ability to create an image in only a few words and letting the reader'a imagination take it from there.  A perfect example? Levitating corgis.    

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Immortal City

The Immortal City (Magicians of Venice)- Amy Kulvalainen
BHC Press
Release Date: September 19, 2019

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: In the heart of Venice, a woman is sacrificed to a forgotten god, sparking a mystery lost for thousands of years.

Dr. Penelope Bryne is ridiculed by the academic community for her quest to find the remnants of Atlantis, but when an ancient and mysterious script is found at a murder site, she flies to Venice determined to help the police before the killer strikes again.

Penelope has spent her entire life trying to ignore the unexplainable and magical history of Atlantis, but when she meets the enigmatic Alexis Donato, everything she believes will be challenged. Little does she know, Alexis has spent the last three years doing his best to sabotage Penelope's career so doesn't learn the truth--Atlantis had seven magicians who survived, and who he has a duty to protect.

As Alexis draws her into the darkly, seductive world of magic and history, Penelope will have to use her heart as well as her head if she is to find the answers she seeks. 

With the new MOSE system due to come online, and Carnivale exploding around them, Penelope and Alexis will have to work together to stop the killer and prevent dark magic from pulling Venice into the sea.

___________________________________________________________________

Dr Penelope Byrne has become a pariah on the outskirts of the academic world, ridiculed for her theories on the lost island of Atlantis.  When symbols appear at a Venetian murder scene that match symbols she believes belong to Atlantis, Penelope goes to help the investigation.  But she doesn't come close to the truth until meeting the mysterious Alexis Donavato.  He may be able to help find the murderer, but only by exposing new secrets: that the city of Venice, and the rest of the world, are in danger from an evil Alexis thought drown with Atlantis ten thousand years ago.

Penelope is a strong, stubborn woman who refuses to stay down when her parents, her colleagues, and the academic world knock her down.  She thinks of herself as an ordinary, risk-adverse person, but can't deny the part of her imagination that wishes magic and dreams were real, and that there is something special she is supposed to do with her life.  So when a Venetian detective asks for her help on a case, Pen is on a flight to Venice before she thinks about it.  Penelope is a wonderful heroine- pragmatic, logical, yet a dreamer with an open mind about the world around her.  She accepts that things aren't always what they seem, and more importantly, she accepts that love and fate can arrive when they are least expected. She wasn't looking for a man, but when she meets Alexis she is willing to accept that not all life's plans fall out the way we expect.

Alexis is a man who takes things seriously: protect his people, protect Atlantis' secrets, and stay away from mortals.  He's seen death and destruction so often over the years he can't see himself as anything but a jaded warrior.  But Penelope gets under his skin before he knows what's happened, and he is helpless to deny the incredible pull between them.  As he helps Penelope solve the mystery that brought her to Venice, he realizes that the threat is worse than mortals can imagine, and he and the magicians of Atlantis need to work past their fears to protect the world again.

The Immortal City is a fantastic book that gives magic lovers an entirely new world to enjoy, and leaves you waiting breathlessly to see what will happen next.  Well written, edge of your seat action, and marvelous chemistry between Alexis and Penelope kept me reading until I had devoured the book in one sitting, and was only disappointed that there wasn't a sequel out yet to go on to!  Full of delightful secondary characters that I can't wait to find out more about (I especially loved Marco and hope he shows up in more of the series! Loved his "Venetian" version of CPR at the end!), magic to learn, and pasts to explore, the Magicians of Venice promises to be a must-read series for fantasy lovers!  

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Ocean Light

Ocean Light (Psy-Changeling Trinity)- Nalini Singh 
Berkley/Penguin Group
Release Date: June 12, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: Security specialist Bowen Knight has come back from the dead. But there's a ticking time bomb in his head: a chip implanted to block telepathic interference that could fail at any moment--taking his brain along with it. With no time to waste, he should be back on land helping the Human Alliance. Instead, he's at the bottom of the ocean, consumed with an enigmatic changeling...

Kaia Luna may have traded in science for being a chef, but she won't hide the facts of Bo's condition from him or herself. She's suffered too much loss in her life to fall prey to the dangerous charm of a human who is a dead man walking. And she carries a devastating secret Bo could never imagine...

But when Kaia is taken by those who mean her deadly harm, all bets are off. Bo will do anything to get her back--even if it means striking a devil's bargain and giving up his mind to the enemy...

__________________________________________________________________

The last time we saw Bowen Knight, human security chief of the Alliance, he was being shot by an assassin and falling into the waters of Venice, presumed dead (Silver Silence).  He was already on limited time thanks to a degrading experimental chip in his brain designed to create a shield against psychic manipulation. Thankfully for him (and readers!) his sister Lily calls in help from the mysterious changelings of BlackSea, who have a possible, highly experimental, solution to all of these problems. Two months after being shot and the events of Silver Silence (not necessary to read before this, but highly recommended because it is a fantastic book!) Bowen comes out of a coma in a BlackSea clinic and meets the station's chef, Kaia Luna.  Kaia and Bowen have plenty of suspicions to overcome, multiple traitors to uncover, and different worlds to reconcile before they can be together- if his brain doesn't kill him first.

Bowen and Kaia are an incredible couple.  He's scarred from a Psy attack when he was a teen and has dedicated his entire life to building the Alliance and protecting humans from the stronger Psy.  She's afraid of loving and losing those who matter most to her.  He is a deadly predator, a hunter determined to see the three races build bridges and live on some level of equality.  She is a graceful creature of the deep who cares for everyone within her sphere.  Two worlds meet and clash, and the sparks between them are both instant and amazing.  I especially loved Kaia- a strong and independent woman who is willing to overcome past trauma and crippling fears for a chance with the man she loves.  Bowen does a great job of figuring out how to blend their two worlds together, not allowing all the obstacles to keep them from the happiness they both deserve. Despite the almost certain death sentence he is under, he lives every moment to its fullest and never gives up. There are some fun cameos by characters from earlier books (especially Kaleb and Sahara!) but Ocean's Light, like the rest of Singh's Psy-Changeling series, can be read as a stand alone book.

Ocean's Light is the first time Nalini Singh really allows us into the mysterious world of BlackSea- the loose 'pack' of all the water changelings on the planet. Interestingly, she doesn't have one of the alpha, political, leaders being our introduction, but a more 'regular' person.  While readers (and Bowen) know Mal and Miane slightly from earlier books, Kaia is new and a more accessible person to show us the alien world of the water changelings as if it is normal.  Because to her, it is.  Singh remains very coy about who shifts into what and although we get some hints, it is clear we're going to have to wait for future books to confirm our guesses.  We don't even get solid confirmation of Kaia's animal until pretty far into the book- a nice piece of careful writing on Singh's part!    

An intense, thrilling, and emotional read, Ocean's Light is a brilliant, must-read, addition to the Psy-Changeling world and hopefully opens doors to exploring some new aspects of that world.  Wonderfully written, with excellent characters and chemistry, this is a book you won't be able to put down after starting- so make sure to clear your schedule for a few hours and enjoy! 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Echoes in Death

Echoes in Death (In Death series #44) - J. D. Robb
St. Martin's Press
Release Date: February 7, 2017

Rating (out of 5):
📚📚📚📚📚

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: As NY Lt. Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband Roarke are driving home, a young woman—dazed, naked, and bloody—suddenly stumbles out in front of their car. Roarke slams on the brakes and Eve springs into action.

Daphne Strazza is rushed to the ER, but it’s too late for her husband Dr. Anthony Strazza. A brilliant orthopedic surgeon, he now lies dead amid the wreckage of his obsessively organized town house, his three safes opened and emptied. Daphne would be a valuable witness, but in her terror and shock the only description of the perp she can offer is repeatedly calling him “the devil”...

While it emerges that Dr. Strazza was cold, controlling, and widely disliked, this is one case where the evidence doesn’t point to the spouse. So Eve and her team must get started on the legwork, interviewing everyone from dinner-party guests to professional colleagues to caterers, in a desperate race to answer some crucial questions:

What does the devil look like? And where will he show up next?

______________________________

While some long running series start to grow stale after awhile, J. D. Robb's In Death series is one of those rare few that keep running strong.  Echoes in Death is no exception.  Full of red herrings, brutal murders and assaults, and enough echoes of Eve's own past to shake her up, Echoes is a fast-paced thriller from start to finish.

When Eve and Roarke find Daphne Strazza wandering the side of the road- dazed, naked, and bloody- they have no idea the extent of the evil they will uncover.  At first it seems like a burglary and assault with the accidental murder of Dr. Anthony Strazza, and Strazza's unpleasant, god-complex and abusive behavior leave plenty of people on the suspect list for who'd want him dead.  As a series of like-crimes is uncovered it becomes less about Strazza's abusive tendencies and more about one very sick, very twisted man with a hidden agenda all his own.

Echoes in Death did an exceptionally good job of balancing Eve's personal and professional lives.  We saw more sweet, private moments between Eve and Roarke than usual- including a lovely blizzard scene.  There was also a very touching moment between Eve and Galahad that we don't usually see, though of course that was followed by the cat tricking a second breakfast out of Eve!  My only complaint is that I find it absolutely criminal that Roarke is only now introducing Eve to that "classic" vid- The Avengers.  Reading this book over Oscars weekend, I was a little disappointed not to get a scene between Nadine and Eve (or Nadine, Peabody, and Eve) congratulating Nadine on seven Oscar nominations for The Icove Agenda- but that would have been a bit too much added to the book, and I expect we'll come back to that in a later book since it will probably involve a glitzy party that Eve can't get out of! 

The mystery is a bit more traditional than some of Robb's more recent books- we don't see anything from the killer's point-of-view, and solving the crime is based on solid cop work and instinct.  Not a complaint, but a change of pace from some of the more recent books like Thankless in Death  and Apprentice in Death.  As always, I enjoyed not being sure of the killer until the end- although to my credit I suspected him at the first meeting, then fell for the red herrings Robb threw out to forget about him.  But I refuse to give away the finale, so you'll have to read Echoes in Death for yourself to discover the killer ending.  Robb does a great job writing villains who feel so entitled that they assume they'll get off even after confessing.  And the final twist reminds you once again why this book "Echoes".

Echoes in Death may be one of the best In Death books in awhile (although I'm biased, I love them all).  Fast-paced, smart, and a perfect blend of violence, murder, wit, and love.  Red herrings and plenty of suspects lead to a must read new Eve Dallas mystery!