Month: May 2022

Lore Olympus: Volume One (Lore Olympus, #1) by Rachel Smythe

Lore Olympus: Volume One (Lore Olympus, #1) by Rachel Smythe

Rachel Smythe has created a cotton-candy colored, contemporary re-telling of Hades and Persephone. It is a very pretty creation but, like the start of most graphic novel series, lacks a little in the storytelling.

I also had trouble telling some of the characters apart. In some panels their features were so blurred that it was impossible to tell who was who.

That being said, I’m not sure that I am the intended audience for this work. The bright colors and quick pacing make me think this may be more appropriate for young adults.

It is shelved with the adult selections at my library, but nothing in the story is inappropriate for teens 14+.

I enjoyed the artwork more than the story itself. It is very pretty and stylized with flourishes and smooth edges.

Recommended for readers who enjoy their mythology being told with a fresh new voice and perspective.

Thanks for reading!

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

It’s like the foreign legion for nerds,” I said, and laughed. “With polar bears.” “Or seals,” Aparna added.” pg 32, ebook

Master author John Scalzi penned a lovely book about large creatures in an alternate dimension. That ending though… no spoilers in this review so I won’t say much more about it other than it was a huge disappointment.

“We think we’re smart,” Niamh repeated. “And because we think we’re smart, we only looked at what we wanted to look at and didn’t think to look past it.” pg 165

Photo by Markus Winkler on Pexels.com

I was looking for a light-hearted fiction read, which this book is. The characters are diverse and it was quite fun to discover the world Scalzi created for them.

The kaiju themselves are fascinating. Again, I don’t want to say too much and ruin the best part of this book- the creatures.

I liked the humor in the story even though the same gag is used multiple times. It lends a sense of familiarity in the middle of an alien world.

Though it does get a bit repetitive after a little while.

All that being said, I only recommend this book to Scalzi fans. I could not get over that ending.

Thanks for reading!

Electric Idol (Dark Olympus, #2) by Katee Robert

Electric Idol (Dark Olympus, #2) by Katee Robert

“Star-crossed lovers! What will Demeter and Aphrodite think of their children’s secret relationship?” pg 20

The blurb for Electric Idol is what drew me in to this romance novel. I have not read the first book of “Dark Olympus” so I may have missed a ton of world building, which was missing from this entry in the series.

“Psyche Dimitriou might actually be what passes for a unicorn in Olympus – a good person.” pg 32

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Welcome to Olympus, where the gods and goddesses walk among us, wielding their power not through magical powers, but through armed soldiers, assassins and social media.

All of which could have been very fun, but I felt this novel fell flat.

Most of the tension was in back-and-forth conversations between the two main characters that went something like – I love him/her so much. He/she could never love me. Oh no, people want to kill us.

It went on and on like that for more than 350 pages.

“I want Psyche for my own. A desire that was kindled that first night has grown beyond control in the last twenty-four hours. I don’t care if she deserves someone just as sweet as she is.” pg 123

There’s some erotic interludes in here so librarians please classify it correctly. Not young adult.

Only recommended for serious romance/erotica fans. Others may want to give it a pass.

Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2)by Martha Wells

Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2)by Martha Wells

Murderbot is back again- trying to discover what went wrong in her past while avoiding being captured for her rogue SecUnit status.

“Yes, the giant transport bot is going to help the construct SecUnit pretend to be human. This will go well.” pg 59, ebook

In the second installment of “The Murderbot Diaries,” readers are introduced to ART, the robotic pilot of a transport ship, who has more computing power than Murderbot ever imagined.

Together, they will find a way to do the investigation into Murderbot’s past.

Their relationship is interesting. Both are machines, both have their shortcomings. They don’t always get along very well.

“Tlacy’s terms were great,” Tapan added, “but maybe too great, if you know what I mean.” ART did a quick search and returned the opinion that it was intended to be a figure of speech. I told it I knew that.” pg 66, ebook

I read this novella in a day- it was that good. Highly recommended for science fiction fans. You’ll want to start at the beginning to fully appreciate this story.

Thanks for reading!

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Story About Anxiety by Sarah Wilson

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Story About Anxiety by Sarah Wilson

Author Sarah Wilson shares anecdotes and anxiety-busting methods from her life experience.

“One of the dear, dear things about getting older, is that it does eventually dawn on you that there is no guidebook. One day it suddenly emerges: No one bloody gets it! None of us knows what we’re doing. pg 5, ebook

Through her research and personal experiences, Wilson shares the best, and the worst, of the treatments and latest scientific advances. Even though we don’t have the treatments for anxiety nailed down yet, it helps to know that sufferers are not alone in their struggles.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“We’re told that globally one in thirteen people suffer an anxiety-related illness. Some studies tell us that one in six of us in the West will be afflicted with an anxiety disorder at some stage in our lives, making it the most common officially classified mental illness.” pg 14, ebook

I liked Wilson’s definition of anxiety: she sees it as a separation of self from something larger and more meaningful. The anxiety makes us reach for this something, but we don’t know what we’re reaching for and it hurts.

Photo by Daniel Torobekov on Pexels.com

“Anxiety is a disconnection with this Something Else. As I say, the doctors and scientists can call it all kinds of things, but I believe it all comes down to this disconnect.” pg 44, ebook

Wilson excels at the physical descriptions of anxiety and bipolar disorder. She captures the raw edges of the experience and how life can feel painful because all the stimulation coming in when you’re having a panic attack or a manic episode.

She includes a couple exercises to help bring yourself down when you’re experiencing anxiety. But not too many, because: “I don’t plan on filling this book with too many exercises that people like me skim over to get to the meaty theory. I’ll just include the ones that suit people like you and me.” pg 57, ebook

Highly recommended for anxiety sufferers or their loved ones who want to know what it’s like to be inside the experience.