Grete

Grete

I'm a complete bookaholic and never want a cure... more shelf space maybe. The only things I love more than reading is my husband and my cats!

Our Week in Books – Week 19, 2013

May 132013
 

Hunter Tracey

Having had a very expensive trip to New York with lots of shopping I surprisingly found little time for reading! We were so exhausted from all the walking! So what have I read in the week since getting back?

I started reading Ambersley by Amy Atwell on the plane but couldn’t really get into it – probably just too tired. I left it for a bit and didn’t go back to it until much later in the week, having read other books in between. It started off a bit slow and I struggled with the concept of how I knew the book would ultimately end; that the child and grown man we see interacting together for the first third of the book, then end up together in the girl’s adulthood. I know age gaps in this period of history are not uncommon but it just felt a bit weird, and I think it’s probably another reason why I didnt finish it in one go. Having said that, when I did go back to it and we got past childhood stage, the story picked up pace and I ended up enjoying the romance. We were introduced to various characters who get their own story later on and I will probably look to read them at some point – 3 stars for me.

I was clearly in the mood for some more historical romance and picked up His Wicked Kiss by Gaelen Foley. This is the seventh book in the Knight Miscellany series and brings home the mysterious Lord Jack Knight who in previous books had only been mentioned in passing. It was another enjoyable story in the series and has a good plot and romance, although Eden Farraday did get on my nerves a bit at times. You do not need to have read the series previously to know what is going on but as we get reintroduced to the characters and their partners from those books, it is nice to have the background info. This could definitely stand alone though – 3.5 stars

And yet more historical romance! Slightly Shady by Amanda quick was my next read. A light historical romantic suspense which was a quick easy read. I again found the heroine to be a bit of a pain in the butt at times – I don’t know what is up with me this week! The suspense aspect felt more believable than the romance for me, but overall I enjoyed the story – 3 stars.

A Bite to Remember by Lynsay sands was next and was a return for me to the world of the Argeneau vampires. This book focuses on Vincent and Jackie Morrissey (a mortal PI who knows all about their world). As with all the books in this series this was very good. I always love the Argeneau men and Vincent is no exception. Marguerite, the interfering matriarch of the Argeneau’s, features heavily in this book as well and I love her and her interference. This can easily stand alone if you have not read any of the others but why start with this one – go get the first one and work your way through! – 4 stars

I am currently reading Hunter by Jacquelyn Frank and loving it, in fact I feel the need to get back to it – review to come in the next couple of weeks :)

The Shambling Guide to New York City (The Shambling Guides) Grete

Well my reading rate has been down again but I have a good excuse – I’m in the process of giving up smoking!  It’s a very weird thing but I’m having to learn how to do things without an ever present cigarette in my hand – everything still feels a bit wrong but I’m getting there :)   So lets see what I’ve read over the last two weeks (including while a certain review partner was off gallivanting in NYC!)

I re-read Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson and it was as entertaining as the first time.  Jessica McClain is a great character and I love her starting story!  I went straight into book two, Hot Blooded and actually was a bit disappointed with it.  It was still enjoyable but it seemed to turn into a bit of a slog towards the end.  Full reviews are coming, anyway.

I had to wait my turn to read The City by Stella Gemmell as Tony got there first – he did an excellent review which can be found here.  I thought I might have a slightly different opinion to him as a female reader but actually, I agree with him completely – 4 stars for me too.

I then picked up a recently arrived book which had me intrigued from the moment I first heard about it – The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty.  I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it!  You can read my full review here

My fantasy nose was twitching again so I picked up The Dragon’s Path by Daniel Abraham.  This is a book I’ve been meaning to read for ages and as book three is sitting there looking at me imploringly, it was incentive enough.  Full review is coming but suffice to say it’s a fantasy on an epic scale with the sense of a full world and history behind it.  I’m half way through The King’s Blood which is book two, and is proving a little slower going but still as enjoyable.

And there we are, all up to date!  Same time next week? ;)

Our Week in Books is a regular blog post from Tracey and Grete, catching up on everything they’ve read recently.

The Shambling Guide to New York City

May 092013
 

The Shambling Guide to New York City (The Shambling Guides) Zoe Norris is a successful guide book writer/editor who lost her job due to a dalliance with her boss.  Unfortunately the boss turned out to be married, a fact he’d neglected to tell Zoe until his wife, also the town’s Chief of Police found out and became very unhappy. Conveniently made redundant and strongly encouraged to leave town for her safety, she heads back to her home city of New York.  A job advert pinned up in a very odd old bookshop seemed tailor made for Zoe except that she keeps being told that she wouldn’t be suitable… Being human had never had a downside before.

This is the first book I’ve read by Mur Lafferty and I really enjoyed it.  A travel guide for the non-human visitors and denizens of New York City was a brilliant premise and the author built up a great cast of characters centred around Zoe.

Each chapter is separated with an excerpt from the guide and they make great little informational snippets that helped flesh out the ‘world’ Zoe never knew existed before applying for the job.  Often they relate to a place you’ve recently discovered in the story and it was a really nice touch.

Zoe herself is a really well written character, and I loved her a lot; her sense of humour is very appealing and matched well with my own.  She also has a huge amount of determination and balls of steel to enter into a world where she is at the bottom of the food chain… literally.  Her co-workers and new boss are brought to life (so to speak!) with equal care and attention and made this an extremely well rounded book.

The pace of the book was well measured; slow at the start while Zoe was still trying to come to terms with the massive change in her life and figuring out what her new direction would be.  As she discovered this supernatural half to the city she never knew about, it started to pick up.  As she got to grips with it and the story progressed, it sped up until it was running full tilt at the end.  I was quite breathless!

The plot was equally as measured, and we discovered the new ‘world’ at the same time as Zoe and went through it all with her.  From co-workers who would love to have her for dinner to weird and wonderful establishments catering to the weird and wonderful, it was a great read.  What really made it good though, was the threat hanging over her that someone was out to get her and would stop at nothing to mess with her life.  Who that was, was very well concealed, and I was kept guessing right to the end.  The action scenes were entertaining, sometimes funny and it was a refreshing change to have a heroine who wasn’t suddenly a kick ass fighter with unimaginable power.  She was however organised enough to keep working on the book as her new found life threatened to come crashing down around her!

In summary, this is a great book and highly recommended to fans of Urban Fantasy.  I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Book Information
  • Author: Mur Lafferty
  • Series: The Shambling Guides (1)
    • Buy on Kindle (UK)Buy from Amazon (UK)

Promise of Blood

Apr 172013
 

Promise of Blood: Book 1 in The Powder Mage Trilogy I will hold my hand up and say I was less than enthusiastic about this book based purely on a brief read of the cover blurb.  However, since I was still enjoying being on a fantasy kick and wanting something new to sink my teeth into I picked it up.

It was actually the strapline on the cover that rescued the book for me – “The Age of Kings is dead… and I have killed it.” I loved it, both powerful and intriguing and that alone was enough to turn the first page.

I’ve never been happier to have been proved wrong.  I was pleasantly surprised by the plot – while it might have seemed like a common fantasy trope at first glance, Brian McClellan managed to turn it on its head and shake it around.  The result is an amazing debut that entertained and engaged me, while giving me that tingle of discovering something good and very special.

The writing was descriptive without being too wordy.  I could clearly envisage the scenes in my head, even without extra padding and that made for easy reading that flowed right to the end.

The characters were superbly envisioned and no one was clearly cut out as good or evil, just varying shades of grey.  Believing you are doing the right thing is a powerful force even in the face of evidence to the contrary.  As the plot unfolded, my allegiances changed, time and time again and while I have to confess my favourites were Taniel and Adamat, both were very different characters but there was something special about them that really touched me.

The magic system McClellan conjured was just as intriguing as the story.  Magic is very common but in the majority of the Knacked population it’s very minor and often no more than a help to do their job.  The more powerful Marked are pretty dangerous and the top ranking Privileged are utterly lethal.  Then there are powder mages, those who can use gunpowder to augment their abilities, often making them unbeatable in a fight.  Of course that’s a very simplistic description of something integral to the story so I can only suggest you read and find out the intricacies for yourself!

The ending of Promise of Blood was nicely done even and sets things up solidly for the next book. As an aside, I really liked the fact that while I really want to read the next one, I’m not left feeling desperate due to a cliffhanger.  It was no less powerful an ending because of that either.

Definitely an author to watch and highly recommended for any fantasy fan.

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Book Information
  • Author: Brian McClellan
  • Series: Powder Mage Trilogy (1)
    • Buy on Kindle (UK)Buy from Amazon (UK)

Lover At Last

Apr 022013
 

Lover at Last: Number 11 in series (Black Dagger Brotherhood) Grete’s Review

When I heard that Blay and Qhuinn would have their own story I was overjoyed.  Then, once I knew it was due out, it was a mix of joy and worry about how J.R. Ward would handle the relationship of the two males.  Would she gloss over the passionate parts which she usually wrote so well, or would she focus on the romance more than the physical side?  I must admit when I had the book finally in my hands, I did feel some trepidation.

Having finished it the day it arrived and being completely unable to put it down, I wonder why I was worried.  J.R. Ward is fearless and if I wouldn’t look silly doing it on my own I would stand up and applaud her.  While it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I felt these two characters deserved as much sexy time as any of the others had, and oh my was it hot!

As I finished the last page and closed the book I was crying, and the only word I could think of was… perfect.  It was everything I’d hoped for, and more.

There are many things Ward does extremely well and one of those is writing an emotional scene so well that it resonates strongly with me.  She can make me laugh and cry with well turned words and this book made me do both.  I love the characters of Blay and Qhuinn so much and theirs is a story that has been on the sidelines for several books so for me it has been a long time coming.

The plot, true to form, was very good, although there were quite a few threads running at the same time.  The Band of Bastards continue their plans to take over the throne but I’m hoping we are seeing a chink in Xcor’s psyche.  The Lessening Society are back with a vengeance and it was oddly good to have them involved again, as horrible as they are.  There is a huge OMG moment which I won’t spoil but suffice to say it even had me a little shocked.

Layla, the Chosen is such a sweetheart, I’m glad she is finding her voice and I really felt for her.  Payne is a rockstar in my eyes for what she did, as I think the impact on Layla and Qhuinn would have been huge otherwise.  I do worry what the consequences for Payne will be though.

The pace of the story was excellent, the battle scenes fast and furious with some heart in mouth moments and then utter hilarity.  It was a really well written blend of everything I have come to love about the Brothers.

Some new players were introduced  and while they are quite interesting, they didn’t get to do much so I’m guessing they will play a larger role in the next book.  I love the way Ward can keep it fresh but also give us new characters to love and hate.

All in all, I loved this book so much I would rate it more than a five if I could!  The Black Dagger Brotherhood series goes from strength to strength and long may it continue!

Tracey’s Review

As with Grete I awaited this book with some trepidation but for different reasons. I have never read, or had any desire to read m/m romance, and while I have absolutely no problem with people’s sexuality whatever it may be, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read about it in graphic detail (which is what I was expecting based on previous books). I needn’t have worried however, at the end of the day a love story is a love story whoever is involved and I thought the sex scenes were well written without being OTT and in your face. As a true romantic at heart it was great to see Blay and Qhuinn get their HEA and I agree with Grete that the ending was perfect.

There were lots of side plots running through this book (some that make absolutely no sense but I’m sure will soon become clear) and a lot of loose ends left hanging, but that only makes me want the next book even more!! A whole year to wait! One thing I did think was missing were the interactions between the brothers and their shellans. Usually they need to be surgically separated from each other but there were few scenes between them.  I guess with the new people introduced and the expansion of characters who previously had minor roles there was no room, which is a shame.

It seems fairly clear who Xcor is going to have as his heroine and I am intrigued to find out how Ms. Ward is going to manipulate that one – I’m sure she has it all mapped out somewhere!

Overall another great addition to the BDB, although my rating would be 4.5 stars to Grete’s 5.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Book Information
  • Author: J.R. Ward
  • Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood (11)
    • Buy on Kindle (UK)Buy from Amazon (UK)

Did You Miss Me?

Mar 122013
 

Did You Miss Me? Just when I think Karen Rose has done the best book possible, she proves me wrong with the next one.  Did you Miss Me was a suspenseful masterpiece with an old horrific and tragic crime at the heart of it.

It did feel a bit like this was a get together of characters of previous books, and I couldn’t always place which book or family they were from so it did detract a little bit from the focal characters.  Normally I would mark that down but in all honesty it has made me want to go back and re-read the ones I have and catch up on any I’ve missed.  It was good to see those characters again though, and it widens the ‘world’ for me.

The crimes really hit me on a visceral level, and at times they were very hard to read.  I thought the way they were written was excellent, no excessive drama or padding it out.  It didn’t need it.

I loved Joseph and am so glad he managed to figure things out, to see the real Daphne who in turn I also loved.  She is such a strong woman, it was hard to like her in the previous book.  Here you see her at her most vulnerable and you realise what lies behind the facade.  Just wow.

The masterpiece came when I realised I had followed Karen Rose perfectly down the path she wanted, not even guessing who the real person behind it was.  Genius and a huge OMG! moment.

Creepy, horrific, loving, scary, hot (oh yes there was more heat in this book!), a whole gamut of emotions and I felt wrung out by the end!

The pace was spot on, I didn’t have time to react or ponder as things came left right and centre and the plot was quite simply masterful.  I think it must be hard to write a book like this, to ‘be’ in a psychopath’s head and be able to get out of it again (I don’t know how any crime writer does it). Much kudos and simply brilliant.

Karen Rose is without a doubt one of the best writers of romantic suspense I have found so far, and long may she continue proving me wrong!

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Book Information
  • Author: Karen Rose
    • Buy on Kindle (UK)Buy from Amazon (UK)

The Indigo Spell

Mar 062013
 

The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines, Book 3) Moroi, magic and murder, oh my!  Sydney Sage is up to her neck in it and is increasingly fighting against the beliefs she was raised with as an Alchemist.  After a forbidden moment rocks her, she starts to question everything she believed in and doesn’t know where to turn.  When someone who managed to leave the Alchemists offers to teach her the secrets she was never meant to know and how to break free of them, she is sorely tempted.  But how can she leave her Moroi and Dhampir charges as well as the very real situation of untrained witches being killed.  Continuing her magic studies seems all the more urgent, and then there is Adrian…

I have to say I was a bit disappointed with this book… It felt a little lacklustre in comparison to the others in the series and not all that much seemed to happen, even though some major plot was moved on.  That’s not to say it’s a bad book, it just didn’t feel up to the standard I enjoyed in Bloodlines and The Golden Lily.  It was still enjoyable and interesting and as always, great to be back in a world with characters I love so much.  Sorry Sydney, but Rose and Dimitri will always be my first loves and I treasure any cameos from them ;)

Some of the characters felt superfluous and while I have no doubt they will come to play their part, having them constantly around doing nothing seemed wasted.  Having said that, had they not been mentioned at all, I would have missed them and I did love some of their interactions!

Adrian has really come into his own in this book, he’s still the playboy we know and love but I think he is finally maturing and I have to say a large part of that is due to Sydney.  Sydney herself was brilliant but I did get a little irritated with her protestations. While they are valid, it just seemed to be more of the same.  I think I understand the reason why now though, and while it made the plot interesting, I felt it dragged on a bit too long.  The last quarter of the book was what engaged me the most and I may have had a little cheer at certain points.

The end though, oh very nicely done, a huge spanner in the works!

All in all, an enjoyable book and you definitely need to read it if you are a fan of the series, but not quite the quality I have come to expect of Richelle Mead.  This will not put me off waiting as eagerly for the next one though, oh no :)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Book Information
  • Author: Richelle Mead
  • Series: Bloodlines (3)
    • Buy on Kindle (UK)Buy from Amazon (UK)

Ice Forged

Feb 132013
 

Ice Forged (Ascendant Kingdoms Saga 1) Blaine McFadden killed the man who raped his sister.  Rather than being sentenced to death, the King exiles him to the far northern penal colony of Edgeland, a frozen, barren wasteland that just happens to have important resources the King needs.  Making what life he can throughout the years, under the watchful and oppressive eyes of the governor and his mages, Blaine and the friends he has bonded with survive in the harshest of conditions.  When the essential supply ships stop coming from Donderath, the colony wonders how they will survive.  Then magic starts to fail and in one night of a terrible storm, it vanishes altogether.  No word from Donderath, no magic to help them survive, Blaine decides that he has to take matters into his own hands to find out what has happened and return to the Kingdom that exiled him.

Something I have come to expect from Gail Z. Martin is her clarity of writing. Her prose is easy to read and understand, yet she can lay out a scene detailed enough for you to imagine being there or watching it on a screen.  Ice Forged is no exception, from the first page that clarity was there and I was drawn right into the story.

As with the Chronicles of the Necromancer and Fallen Kings Cycle, we have an ensemble cast which is something I love, but it was also nice to get a look at the core of Blaine and what happened to him before he met the others.  And I do love the others a lot!  They are all very individual characters, each distinct, and I’m glad to say I didn’t feel any echo of characters from the other series.  Not that it would have been a bad thing, as I loved them too but here we have a fresh crew to entertain us.  There is perhaps one similarity which I won’t spell out for fear of spoiling, but again, it felt different enough that I wasn’t constantly reminded.

The plot is really well done with a few horrific twists.  I have to say one huge event was a brave thing to do, and in this book there are also hints of what might be coming, but I can’t honestly say for sure that I know what will happen.  I couldn’t put it down and loved it to the end.  I say this a lot but I can’t wait for the next book, I NEED to know!

I felt the pace was really well judged, there was no time to get bored, and even when there wasn’t much action happening, there was always something to keep my attention; then when the action eventually hits, it really explodes.

Ice Forged is hugely entertaining and has a classic fantasy feel to it which delighted me. The characters gave me much the same feeling as I get from reading Eddings, Gemmell and Brooks.

More please!

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Book Information
  • Author: Gail Z. Martin
  • Series: Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (1)
    • Buy on Kindle (UK)Buy from Amazon (UK)

The Farm

Feb 112013
 

The Farm I don’t tend to read that much young adult fiction and the current trend for dystopian settings hasn’t really caught me yet.  I think this is mainly because I don’t have children so I don’t see what is current out there through them.  My cats unfortunately are not readers (unless I’m currently reading in which case they are *very* interested!)

So why did The Farm catch my attention?  Mel and Lily Price are twins about to turn eighteen and living in one of the ‘farms’ that were created after a strange virus swept through the United States, changing a lot of the population into blood ravening monsters. For their safety, all teenagers were gathered into various locations and protected with electrified fences as their hormone laden blood drew the monsters more than anything else.  They donate blood regularly but are not told why and at eighteen, they are no longer in danger and are released.  Lily suspects differently, that when she and her autistic sister turn eighteen, they will be killed as food for the ravening ‘ticks’, as their blood has been used from all the donating.  She is desperate to escape before their deadline and get her sister to safety.

There was a lot I liked about this book, and a couple of things that confused me.  The characters of Mel and Lily were good and I felt Lily was written pretty accurately for a seventeen year old in a terrible situation with a lot of responsibility.  Her decisions weren’t always good, she sometimes felt that Mel was a burden, but she also loved and protected her sister with everything she had in her; I liked her a lot.  Mel was outstandingly created and when we were in her ‘head’, it was fascinating to see how she worked and figured things out.  The use of nursery rhymes to communicate was sheer genius and the behaviours she displays all felt right.

When Carter was introduced, he was again a well created character and I loved his interactions with Lily when he was being honest as well as how he was with Mel, and that won me over a lot too.  He did annoy me a little with his secrets but you do find out why and again, he’s a seventeen year old with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The thing that confused me a little were the perspectives in which the book was written.  It does change and while each chapter lets you know who is front and centre, with Lily and Mel it’s in first person but when it’s Carter, it changes to third (even if Mel or Lily are present).  It’s a little odd and I can’t decide whether it worked for me or not.

One thing that added depth to the story for me was the use of social media in telling us something about the world.  On twitter if you read https://twitter.com/EscapeTheFarm you get a feel for what happened in ‘real time’, and also look at http://www.npdco.org/ which is the ‘National Pandemic Disease Control Organisation’ – both are well worth a look at!

Pacing was quite good although it was slow to start with but I think that is something you expect when a lot of information about the world needs to be revealed.  In some ways I feel not enough was explained, but then again, if the characters don’t know what is really going on then I wouldn’t expect to either.  The pace does pick up and it increases throughout the rest of the book until the end.  The ending was a big emotional punch that was extremely well written and I was surprised to find that I really cared about it.

The story as a whole was good, entertaining and gave you a good sense of what was going on, even if it was a little convoluted sometimes.  I liked that there were no sappy Vampires or traditional Zombies and instead what Emily McKay gave us was something different and needed.  I don’t know where the next book will take us but I really want to find out.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Book Information
  • Author: Emily McKay
    • Buy on Kindle (UK)Buy from Amazon (UK)

Fortress Frontier

Jan 312013
 

Fortress Frontier (Shadow Ops 2) ***Please note there may be some very minor spoilers for Control Point in this review***

Fortress Frontier has an interesting and surprising start, not at all what I expected.  Not only are we seeing it from the perspective of someone different to Control Point, but the events overlap slightly, revealing new details about the previous story.  Colonel Alan Bookbinder (US Military) isn’t a front line soldier but the man behind the scenes.  All the things that need to be kept track of, for resupply, for scheduling, he is responsible for and he likes it that way, feels comfortable with it, even if he feels it is all he is.  After a weird dream and a day feeling like he is drowning, he realises something has fundamentally changed.  He’s a latent, and like a good soldier, he follows orders and turns himself in… and that’s when his life really goes to hell.

If I’d known about the change of character before I started reading, I might have been worried but actually I thought it worked really well, even if it was unexpected.  Alan is an interesting if unassuming character, worried about his family, and the impact his change has on his life is monumental.  The differences between Alan and Oscar are huge but they are both good people and their individual characteristics have you rooting for them very quickly.

That’s not to say Oscar doesn’t feature, he does and I really liked the way Myke Cole wove the story, moving to integrate the two characters in small steps.  I loved the way Alan slowly comes out of his shell, as events in the world progress around him. He grows in confidence and attitude until he becomes the man and leader I think he was meant to be.  I can only say again how fascinating and beautiful I find the source world, Cole’s creation of this rich magical but deadly world is amazing and I’m glad we get to see more of it in this book.  The intricacies in the way he describes the magical talents, their creative uses and peeks at how they might be used if the military wasn’t keeping them locked up tight for their own uses.  It’s just wonderful and superbly done.

We also get to see more of the impact of magic on the ‘home’ world, the government’s rigidly tight grip on it and the resistance that wants to bring it all toppling down and I can’t honestly blame them.

The story is a little more straightforward in Fortress Frontier but it doesn’t lose any impact despite that. It was still gripping and there were a couple of twists that had me exclaiming aloud!  The action is just as intense and emotional as the first book and Myke Cole’s writing style is so easy to read, I couldn’t put it down until I’d finished.  The supporting cast again were brilliant and we get to see some familiar faces and several new ones. When the end came, I was almost beside myself and chattered at my husband about it for quite a while; he’s used to that when I’ve been really caught up in a book.

If I thought the first book was great (which I did!), then this second novel is just superb.  The third book can’t come along soon enough, I need to know about the things that happened but can’t mention because of big spoilers!!

Highly, highly recommended to anyone who likes urban military fantasy, but do start with the first book in the series, Control Point!

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Book Information
  • Author: Myke Cole
  • Series: Shadow Ops (2)
    • Buy on Kindle (UK)Buy from Amazon (UK)

Control Point

Jan 302013
 

Control Point (Shadow Ops 1) In the great Reawakening, magic has flowed into the world and those who manifest latent talents must hand themselves in immediately and become part of the Supernatural Operations Corps. In the name of public safety new laws and restrictions have risen to control and govern magic.  The only other option is to run and be branded a ‘selfer’, one who is selfish and doesn’t care about anyone but themselves.  They are to be hunted down and forced to join the SOC, killed if they resist.  And that’s only if you manifest in an approved ‘school’.  If your talent is in a prohibited (probe) school, there is no chance, it is illegal and you must be destroyed.

Oscar Britton is a Lieutenant in the US Army, and has always believed in what they do, even when working alongside the Supernatural Operations Corps.  However, his faith is shattered while hunting down a selfer and a probe and he learns the hard way that being a probe is an automatic death sentence.  When his own latent ability manifests in a prohibited school, he realises the choice isn’t a choice at all and runs.  Now he is the one being hunted.

I started writing this review several times only to stop, delete and start again.  My instinct is to cry ‘OMG this book is amazing!’, but I think it needs a little more consideration than that.

Oscar is a first class character, admirable, likeable and troubled.  I found it very easy to empathise with him and what he believes to be right and wrong.  He is humane and hates seeing cruelty done to people, even those whose actions perhaps deserve it.  On the other hand he is very much an army man, it’s his family and his purpose in life and when he is cast adrift from it, I could feel his pain and loneliness.  I thought they way he just wanted a home again, to feel like he belonged to something greater than himself was very cleverly written. This then allows Myke to remind us that being forced to do something and choosing to do something are two very different things.  He is thrust into an alien world where the rules of conduct he has been taught all of his army life just don’t apply anymore.  He is now a weapon and owned by the US government, being trained how to point so they can shoot.

The world that Myke Cole created was fascinating and he populated it with wonderfully detailed creatures that capture the imagination.  Some of them are terrifying but beautiful.  I loved the friendly ‘goblins’, the indigenous sentient population although I’m not too sure about how they honour their dead!  I did growl several times at the way they were treated, as little more than slaves rather than allies.

There are several supporting characters who are well fleshed out.  I either loved or hated them, but all of them moved me on an emotional level whether bad or good.

The first thing I did when I finished Control Point was to spend several hours thinking about Control Point; I went to bed thinking about it and I woke up with it still on my mind. There is no black and white, only some nasty shades of grey relieved by a few rays of light.  Oscar in desperation makes some seemingly extreme decisions and the ramifications are going to be huge.  There was a twist at the end which I honestly didn’t see coming and it made me want to howl.  The ending seemed fitting and right, almost calm, but I can only imagine the storm which is coming.

I had a little trouble with Oscar’s wavering commitment and decision making, but ultimately I understood it.  He chose to join the army and believed in it.  He is being forced to serve now, controlled by people who see him as nothing more than a weapon and as he manifested in an illegal school, he has absolutely no choice.

I loved the magic system, it was extremely well created and the uses for each of the schools were fascinating and imaginative.  Even the prohibited schools had their place, even though ‘illegal’.  I liked the call signs a lot and it appealed to my inner superhero fangirl.

The military side of the story was extremely crisp and well envisioned, clearly something Myke Cole has personal experience of.  While Jargon is used, it doesn’t overwhelm and he includes a handy glossary of terms at the back of the book.

The action is just full on, exciting and the battle scenes are depicted in realistic terms, often poignant and shocking.  The inclusion of magic in these fights doesn’t seem out of place at all and make for extremely gripping reading.

This is an amazingly well written debut novel, descriptive, imaginative and easy to read. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Fortress Frontier and see what the outfall has been of Oscar’s actions.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves urban fantasy, futuristic military novels or superheroes.  Control Point is a fantastic blend of all three!

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Book Information
  • Author: Myke Cole
  • Series: Shadow Ops (1)
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