Book Review: Daughter of Sparta by Claire M Andrews

Title: Daughter of Sparta

Author: Claire. M Andrews

Series/Standalone: Daughter of Sparta (Book #1)

Genre: Fantasy, Historical, Young Adult

Pages: 375

Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Book

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"Sparta forged her into a deadly weapon. Now the gods need her to save the world!

Seventeen-year-old Daphne has spent her entire life honing her body and mind into that of a warrior, hoping to be accepted by the unyielding people of ancient Sparta. But an unexpected encounter with the goddess Artemis- who holds Daphne's brother's fate in her hands- upends the life she's worked hard to build. Nine mysterious items have been stolen from Mount Olympus, and if Daphne cannot find them, the gods waning powers will fade away, the mortal world will descend into chaos, and her brother's life will be forfeit.

Guided by Artemis's twin- the handsome and entirely-too-self-assured god Apollo- Daphne's journey will take her from the labyrinth of the Minotaur to the riddle-spinning Sphinx of Thebes, team her up with mythological legends such as Theseus and Hippolyta of the Amazons, and pit her against the gods themselves.

A reinterpretation of the classic Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo, Daughter of Sparta, by debut author Clair M. Andrews turns the traditional male-dominated mythology we know into a heart-pounding and empowering female-led adventure."

My Rating: 3.5/5

This was an entertaining retelling, although I've never read the original I do understand its overall plotline.  I love that the author took a male-oriented perspective flipped. The characters each had a unique voice and were fascinating to read about. I liked the idea that the mythological creatures and characters were, no questions asked. Daphne is a strong woman with power that was great to read from. I was surprised to see that this is a series and I might continue on, but I would be ok if this was a standalone and just went with some questions not being answered.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Title: Girls of Paper and Fire

Author: Natasha Ngan

Series/Standalone: Girls of Paper and Fire Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBT

Pages: 385

Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Books

Year Published: 2018

Format: Hardcover Copy (Own It)

First Line: "There is a tradition in our kingdom, one all castes of demon and human follow."

"Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It's the highest honor they could hope for.... and the most demeaning. This year, there's a ninth. And instead of paper, she's made of fire.

In this richly developed fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards for an unknown fate still haunts her. Now the guards are back and this time it's Lei they're after-- the girl with the golden eyes whose rumored beauty has piqued the king's interest.

Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learn the skills and charm that befit a king's consort. There, she does the unthinkable-- she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world's entire way of life. Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge."

My Rating: 1.5/5

I really wish that I liked this story more but it just isn't what I'm looking for in my fantasy stories. I personally prefer a little more political intrigue or action-based scenes. It just didn't have either of those factors, it was more about the relationships between the characters and the beginning of a war. And while the war aspect was interesting, along with the world it didn't draw me in enough to want to continue with the series. I also found that while there appeared to be an idea of building up tension, but the follow-through just wasn't there for me.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Capturing the Devil
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Series/Standalone: Stalking Jack the Ripper Series (Book #4)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery
Pages: 453
Publisher: JIMMY Patterson
Year Published: 2019
Format: Audiobook

"In the shocking finale to the bestselling series that began with Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose and Thomas are on the hunt for the depraved elusive killer known as the White City Devil. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse has them fighting to stay one step ahead of the brilliant serial killer-- or see their fateful romance cut short by an unspeakable tragedy.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World's fair they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders.

Determined to help, Audrey Rose and Thoma begin their investigation, only to find themselves facing a serial killer unlike any they've heard of before. Identifying him is one thing, but capturing him-- and getting dangerously lost in the infamous Murder Hotel he constructed as a terrifying torture device-- is another.


Will Audrey Rose and Thomas see their last mystery to the end-- together and in love-- or will their fortunes finally run out when their most depraved adversary makes one final, devastating kill?"

My Rating: 4/5

First off if you've read the description and were interested in the criminal aspects of this story, it has already been spoiled for you. The aspect of the murder hotel comes in the last 2 hours of the audiobook correlate that to pages if you wish. I still loved the characters and that's what carried me through this story. I will say that the drama with families was pretty interesting and kept me entertained for the first half of the book. I was also hoping in the last half of the book the mystery would pick up more than it did, but unfortunately, it just didn't. Overall I was happy to see the series through but it was a good time to end it. It was really time to wrap it. Now if anyone has read the novella, I would really appreciate knowing if I should check it out or not. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Escaping from Houdini
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Series/Standalone: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Book #3)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery
Pages: 416
Publisher: JIMMY Patterson
Year Published: 2018
Format: Audiobook

"Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they're delighted to discover a travelling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.

But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slaying shocks the entire ship. The disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murder grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea.

It's up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with the clues to th next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale?"

My Rating: 4/5

This was a great installment in the series. If you have not read Stalking Jack the Ripper (this will contain spoilers for the other books in the series). I loved the change of characters and as always the change of setting. The mystery was good, but a little more predictable than I expected. I will say the real draw of this book was to see where the characters relationships would turn out. The start of the murders was interesting and very graphic (similar to the other two novels in that sense). Can't wait to finish the series this fall and find where our characters end off.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Rereview: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Stalking Jack the Ripper
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Series/Standalone: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Book #1)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery
Pages: 337
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Year Published: 2016
Format: Audiobook

"Presented by James Patterson's new children's imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion...

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege, stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practise of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period phot, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget."


My New Rating: 4/5

This was a really great reread. For anyone looking to read this book, I would strongly recommend the audiobook. I'm still looking forward to continuing the series and upon rereading the "villain" is spottable. You can notice the person throughout the story but not in a way that is obvious. It also doesn't come out of nowhere. I love the writing style and era. I also enjoy the way the author uses history and gender in a way that makes sense. She doesn't shun the past but embraces how far women have come overall.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Max by James Patterson

Title: Max
Author: James Patterson
Series/Standalone: Maximum Ride (Book #5)
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages: 309
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Year Published: 2009
Format: Audiobook

"James Patterson's bestselling Maximum Ride series is back, with Max and the gang as The Protectors. Someone-- or something-- is decimating ships and sea life off Hawaii's coast and Max and her flock find themselves sucked into the Navy's top-secret investigation of the catastrophe. Their objective: Rescue Max's activist mom from a wicked subterranean enemy. The hitch: They must dive deep into dark waters, where gruesome evil dwells... and for high-flying Maximum Ride, could there be anything more terrifying than being trapped in the great abyss? This soaring new adventure takes Maximum Ride and the Flock into terrifying new territory-- fans, hold your breath."

My Rating: 3/5

I took a break from this series for a few months and now being back it was enjoyable. It's not going in the direction that I hoped the story would go, but after the last book, it was at least a bit of an improvement. Easy to listen to and follow, I look forward to listening to the next book in the series and finishing it out.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Final Warning by James Patterson

Title: The Final Warning
Author: James Patterson
Series/Standalone: Maximum Ride Series (Book #4)
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Pages: 256
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Year Published: 2008
Format: Audiobook 

"In this breathtaking new story from the astonishing imagination of James Patterson, a girl has to save herself from an army assembled just to capture her-- and maybe save the planet while she's at it.

Maximum Ride is a perfectly normal teenager who just happens to be able to fly, the result of an out-of-control government experiment.

Max and the other members of the FLock-- six kids who share her remarkable ability-- have been asked to aid a group of environmental scientists studying the causes of global warming. The expedition seems like a perfect combination of adventure, activism-- and escaping government forces who watch the Flock like a hawk.

But even in Antartica, trapped in the harshest weather on our planet, Maximum Ride is an irresistible target in constant danger. For whoever controls her powers could also control the world. Maximum Ride is James Patterson's greatest character, a heroine who manages to be human and fearless at once."

My Rating: 1.5/5

This was such a crazy book to listen to. For me, it just came off so preachy. And it was a pretty weird story to hear. They changed the narrator and then the music was still over the top. The more I listen to the audiobooks the more I feel like I'm just too old for this. That being said global warming is a real thing and we do need to take it more seriously. I just can't handle how in your face textbook this book felt overall. Needless to say, going to be taking a break from this series for a while.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Stalking Jack the Ripper
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Series/Standalone: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Book #1)
Pages: 326
Genre: Historical, Young Adult, Mystery
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Year Published: 2016
Format: Audiobook

"Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world."

My Rating: 4.5/5

I thought that this audiobook would just fill time while I was doing house work or driving but it became so much more than that. I would recommend this book as a great who did it novel for anyone interested in historical thrillers. I had heard quite a bit of hype for this book going around booktube, and it was accurate to how the story played out for me. I realize that this story isn't 100% historical accurate, and that this might be a problem for some, but I didn't mind, as there is an author's note in the back of the book explaining what changes the author had made and why. I think that the characters in this book were well fleshed out and for being in a time period where young women were not looked at as powerful, it did a grand job of showing a woman who knew her purpose and planned to be taken seriously. I really enjoyed this book and plan to pick up the next book in the series as soon as possible, preferably on audio. I wanted to note for those who do chose to listen to this book on audio, I loved the narrator and think that she did a tremendous job acting out the story, and keeping the listener's attention. I'm excited to listen to more books in this series and hope to have more reviews soon.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

This is yet another audiobook that hooked me. And more than any other that I've listened to before. Our story takes place in London during the time of the Jack the Ripper murders. Our main character, Audrey takes little to no shit from anyone and works secretly with her uncle learning the about forensic science. A little strange for a young woman in such a time period. Through her work, she begins to investigate a string of murders where women are butchered in the east end, and begin to piece together who the murderer could be. Is it someone close to her?

So since you've read the book you know who it is. But were you shocked? I was a little underwhelmed at learning who the murderer was, but blown away for the reasons of the murders. I think that the author had a mesmorizing way of writing about such gruesome things that kept me interested and wondering about who the killer was, what it was like to do an autopsy in such times, and why the bodies were being butchered in such ways. The narrator for the audiobook had a tremendous voice and kept me interested throughout the story. Her accent was amazing and I would truly recommend the audiobook to anyone looking for a good thriller. Please excuse the lack of care taken in the character section, I have trouble remembering side characters names in audiobooks.

Characters:
Audrey: I had my doubts that she would be a badass main character in such a time. And while the story does a great job of showing what life was like for young women in the time period, I had trouble believing that she would be able to investigate a body for Scotland Yard. Although if she had someone who admired her who was in charge I suppose that made sense. I did think that at some points she was a bit naive and at others so peculiar. But these two things really helped tie the story together. I think that the way she cared so much for women she had only really known in death was amazing, and how although she had a certain standard for the way she was brought up she didn't look down on these young women. She wondered about the choices that had placed them where they were. I can't wait to read more from her perspective.

Thomas: Now he is a sly fox. I thought for sure that he was going to be the ripper, but after finding out about his trouble past and being thrown out by his father, his actions started to make a lot more sense. I did think there were multiple times where his choice of words were irritating especially when he acted like such a know it all (even though he was). But I can't wait to see he and Audrey flirt even more in the next book.

Nathaniel: I'd be lying if I said he wasn't a suspect for me in the beginning. I had started to brush him aside a little, but after realizing that the author didn't even seem to note him suspicious, I became extra suspicious. Cause that's what kind of anxious person I am.  He was a delusional little shit, and super scary near the end, but I wonder why he became so obsessed with raising the dead, would be interested in a prequel from his point of view.

Uncle Johnathon:  He did seem pretty crazy near the start but after time I realized that science was his family and his job, and his love. So he was devoted? Does that make him crazy... maybe a little bit. I will miss him in the next story, but wouldn't be surprised if he turned up to lend Thomas and Audrey a hand.

Father (Edmond?): He was something, and while he did not deal well with the passing of his wife (who really does?) he tried his best to raise his children in a way that he deemed appropriate. I do feel sorry for him to have seen his beloved wife's corpse being maimed by his crazed son, but at the same time it really shocked him into action for Audrey's future.

 Blackburn: When did you become interested in Audrey and what will happen to you now?

Cousin V: I liked her spunk, but also the way she dealt with the cultural norms at this time. She still obeyed her mother's will, while staying true to who she was as well. A very interesting character to say the least.


Thanks for reading,
Sidny