Mindy's Book Journey

  Title: The City of Dusk Series: The Dark Gods #1 Author: Tara Sim Genre: Fantasy Published: 3/22/22 by Orbit Books Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy for review.  The City of Dusk has four noble houses each with a different kind of magic. The heirs of each house form an alliance to bring the gods favor back to their kingdom before it is too late.  This is the first book in a dark fantasy trilogy. It delivered big time on the dark magic. This book with filled with necromancy and shadow magic. There were a lot of different characters that were hard to follow at times. However, the plot was deliciously dark with great action sequences and plenty of reveals that made this a very enjoyable read. I will say it was a bit on the long side so I would put aside a significant chunk of time to get through this one. The magic system, religion with the gods, and politics of this world were all great. I would recommend this book for fans of dark fantasy. My ...

  Title: The Echo Man Author: Sam Holland Genre: Thriller Published: April 5, 2022 by Crooked Lane Books Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.  This story follows detectives as they try to catch a copycat serial killer who is recreating scenes from many notorious serial killers. This was a brutal thriller with a high body count. Sections written from the perspective of the serial killer were very hard to read. The story moves along at a quick pace with some surprises.  This novel led me into a dark rabbit hole of serial killer true crime documentaries. The content was right at the edge of what I can handle reading. As you may know some of the serial killer's crimes in the past have been very violent and horrible. So if you can't handle reading graphic violence and sexual assault this book will be one to skip. But there is also some great characters, including a couple survivors, finding solace in each other. This is a very effective deb...

  Title: Sundial Author: Catriona Ward Genre: Horror Published: 3/1/22 by TOR Nightfire I received a copy for review from the publisher through Netgalley. Rob is a wife and mother of two. It seems like such a normal life until you look a little bit closer. Her daughter Callie is showing troubling signs like collecting animal bones and talking to imaginary friends. Rob takes Callie to Sundial, where she grew up with her family, to face the past. A great sense of mystery and foreboding fills every chapter of this novel. The characters are not likable, but they are fascinating. The Mohave Desert setting of Sundial provides an atmosphere of death and isolation. Hot days and cold nights leave the desert feeling as inhospitable as the eerie events involved in the story. This book started slow, but finished strong. It took a while to get into  the story, but then it got more compelling as the story went on. I recommend Sundial to fans of psychological horror stories featuring charac...

  Title: The Kaiju Preservation Society Author: John Scalzi Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure Published: 3/15/22 by Macmillian TOR Forge I received a copy for review from the publisher through Netgalley. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic Jamie Gray is having trouble making ends meet when he is offered a great job with an animal rescue. The only catch is that the animals are not on our Earth.  The Kaiju Preservation Society is a fast paced, fun, and humorous read. This book had me laughing out loud throughout. Going to a new world with huge Kaiju creatures as well as a vast array of unknown animals to encounter was endlessly entertaining. It had a great mix of science, laughs, and adventure. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a feel good, exciting, and fun read that will keep you smiling throughout. Great for fans of science fiction and adventure novels.  My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

  Title: The Justice of Kings Author: Richard Swan Series: Empire of the Wolf #1 Genre: Fantasy/Mystery Published: Feb.22,2022 by Orbit Books I received a copy for review from the publisher through Netgalley.      This fantastic debut follows Sir Konrad Vonvalt, a Justice in The Empire of the Wolf. As a Justice he has some particularly interesting abilities that help him to discover the truth in matters. In this first novel in a new trilogy Vonvalt and his team need to investigate the murder of an aristocrat and uncover more than just a murderer.      This was a very original feeling epic fantasy. It is set in a vast well realized world that was reminiscent of medieval Europe. What sets this fantasy apart from the rest is that it is a murder mystery set in this fantasy world. This book provided a great introduction of Vonvalt the Justice and his protege Helena and their other allies. All the characters were very likeable which made them easy to ro...

  Title: Beneath the Stairs Author: Jennifer Fawcett Genre: Thriller/Haunted House story Published: Feb. 22,2022 by Atria Books  I received an advanced copy from Atria through NetGalley for review. Octagon House has a dark past. The original family that lived there met a horrible violent end. Now it sits empty. Venturing into this house ends up being a traumatic experience for Clare and Abby. Twenty years later, Abby is in a coma after going back into the house. Abby comes back to be with her friend and find out why she she would go back to Octagon House.  I really enjoyed the mix of thriller and horror elements. This was an engaging story with interesting characters that had just enough of the spooky atmosphere that I love. I really enjoyed learning more about the main characters lives as teens and adults as well as the history of the haunted house. This is a great story of overcoming fear and trauma. The house scenes felt very claustrophobic in the best creepy way. If y...

  Title: Age of Ash Series: The Kithamar Trilogy Author: Daniel Abraham Genre: Fantasy Published: Obit Books on 2/15/22 Alys lives in Longhill, the slums of Kithamar, where she holds many small jobs and works with a team of petty thieves to make ends meet. When her brother is murdered she takes on the task of finding out what happened to him with the help of her new friend Sammish.  This was a very enjoyable first book in a new series from Daniel Abraham with room to get even better. The main focus of this story seemed to be to introduce the characters and the city of Kithamar. I was hooked into this story through the amazing character development. Seeing the city from Alys' eyes as she deals with class, poverty, grief, family, and friendship. Through most of the story it was not clear where the main plot was going. The story took its time, but ended up in a very intriguing place that will allow for a more exciting second book in the series.  Age of Ash sets up a world an...