Review: Touchstones: A Collection by Stephanie Burgis

About the Book

The glass molded to my foot as neatly—and as chillingly—as if it had been made for me.

“This,” I said, “is a most unfortunate coincidence…”

From tongue-in-cheek fairy tale reframings to forbidden Victorian-era romance and contemporary ghosts, dive into an immersive world of magic. Touchstones is a collection of sparkling short fantasy fiction from Stephanie Burgis, including two new stories as well as fourteen short stories and novelettes that have been previously published in magazines and anthologies.

This collection includes The Wrong Foot, Undead Philosophy 101, A Cup of Comfort, Dreaming Harry, Offerings, Dancing in the Dark, The Disastrous Début of Agatha Tremain, The Wildness Inside, The Art of Deception, Midnight, Clasp Hands, Crow, True Names, Good Neighbors, Love, Your Flatmate, and House of Secrets.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY THOUGHTS

Collections like this one are always hard for me to review. Touchstones contains sixteen short stories written by Stephanie Burgis. There were some stories I enjoyed, but I hate to say it, most of them just weren't my cup of tea. They weren't necessarily bad, but they weren't my kind of thing. I think I've come to the conclusion that I much prefer this author's full-length books over her short stories, so I'll keep that in mind in the future.

I thought I'd go ahead and tell you about the stories I did enjoy. There were two Cinderella retellings, The Wrong Foot, which addressed a plot hole from the original tale that I always questioned, and Midnight, which was extremely short, but entertaining nonetheless. Undead Philosophy 101 featured a college student trying to stop her roommate from becoming a vampire's servant. Dancing in the Dark was a bittersweet, but beautiful story. And A Cup of Comfort takes the reader to a teahouse that holds a surprising secret.

I wanted to add that although this collection wasn't for me, I appreciated the fact that all the stories, even the ones I didn't care for, had some sort of big twist that I never saw coming.

I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

2.5 STARS

Review: Give Your Heart to the Barrow (Bluebeard's Secret #3) by Sarah K.L. Wilson

About the Book

A LOSS UNBEARABLE. A DESPERATE PLAN. A WOMAN DETERMINED NOT TO LOSE.

GIVE YOUR HEART TO THE BARROW is the third book in the Bluebeard's Secret series following the eerie and romantic story of DANCE WITH THE SWORD.

Alone and with her hopes dragged to the bottom of the sea, along with the husband she just realized she loves, Izolda finds herself in the mortal world as princess and counselor to her brother Svetgin, now king of Pensmoore.

But Izolda is not the practical girl she once was who would have been happy for a home and a place. Instead, she's willing to make any bargain and offer any sacrifice if it will just get her back into the Wittenhame with a chance to win back the life of the man she loves, the man she once feared, the man destined to change everything - Bluebeard.

Can Izolda out-bargain the bargainers, out-trick the tricksters, and out-dare everyone else in her desperate bid to get back everything she's lost?

Warning: There are four books in this dark romantic fantasy series. Read at your own risk.

Amazon / Goodreads

(Available in Kindle Unlimited at time of posting.)

MY THOUGHTS

I was fully prepared to love this third installment of the Bluebeard's Legacy series as much as the first two, but for some reason, I just didn't. It felt like it was taking forever to get to the point. There were a lot of flowery descriptions which really slowed the pace in the first half. And, I hate to say it, but it felt longer than necessary. There were a lot of words and not much happening. Things started to pick up in the last 25% of the book, but by that time, I was already kinda over it. Which is a shame because I absolutely loved the first two books. I kinda became a little obsessed with the world and characters. But I felt like most of the characters had changed so much that they were almost unrecognizable to the ones I initially fell in love with. All except Grosbeak. He's always been a royal pain, but hilarious all the same.

Did the first two books have these problems? I can't remember, and if they did, I guess it didn't bother me, so it just might be my mood this go-around. I don't know. I'm a little unsure if I'll finish this series when the final book comes out later this year. And I'm sad about that, but it is what it is. I guess I'll see how I feel when it gets closer to release. Also, fair warning, each one of these books ends in a gigantic cliffhanger.

(Sorry for rambling so much. I always struggle writing negative reviews.)

2.5 STARS

Review: The 49th Mystic (Beyond the Circle #1) by Ted Dekker

About the Book

Some say the great mystery of how one can live in two worlds at once died with Thomas Hunter many years ago. Still others that the gateway to that greater reality was and is only the stuff of dreams.

They are wrong. In the small town of Eden, Utah, a blind girl named Rachelle Matthews is about to find out just how wrong.

When a procedure meant to restore Rachelle's sight goes awry, she begins to dream of another world so real that she wonders if Earth might only be a dream experienced when she falls asleep in that reality. Who is a simple blind girl to have such strange and fantastic dreams?

She's the prophesied one who must find and recover five ancient seals--in both worlds--before powerful enemies destroy her. If Rachelle succeeds in her quest, peace will reign. If she fails, both worlds will forever be locked in darkness.

So begins a two-volume saga of high stakes and a mind-bending quest to find an ancient path that will save humanity. The clock is ticking; the end rushes forward.

Ready? Set?

Dream. 

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

This was the first Ted Dekker book I've read and, wow, what a weird and wild ride! I've read quite a lot of fantasy, but don't think I've ever read anything quite like this before. It definitely kept me guessing. I never knew what was going to happen next.

I will say that it did take me a while to get into. Everything was so different and it wasn't until probably about the half way mark where I finally got my bearings. I was told that this book could standalone and would be a good introduction to Dekker's work but now I'm wondering if I would've enjoyed it more had I read The Circle series beforehand.

The 49th Mystic sounded like something I'd really like but in the end it was just okay. For me, something just felt off and it didn't really click with me. Although this wasn't really the book for me, there's been so much high praise for it and many others have loved it a great deal. It did end in a way that leaves me curious about what's to come next. If my library gets the sequel, I might check it out.

2.5 Stars