My 1st Salvatore = A DNF

"When Aoleyn loses her parents, she is left to fend for herself among a tribe of vicious barbarians. Bound by rigid traditions, she dreams of escaping to the world beyond her mountain home.

The only hope for achieving the kind of freedom she searches for is to learn how to wield the mysterious power used by the tribe’s coven known as the Song of Usgar. Thankfully, Aoleyn may be the strongest witch to have ever lived, but magic comes at price. Not only has her abilities caught the eye of the brutish warlord that leads the tribe, but the demon of the mountain hunts all who wield the Coven’s power, and Aoleyn’s talent has made her a beacon in the night."

Here’s a bit of an unfortunate truth: I’ve recently DNF’ed my non-way through my first attempt at reading an R. A. Salvatore book. The book was Child of a Mad God; found in the bargain section of a local bookstore. The cover art drew my attention, as it gave me Horizon Zero Dawn vibes (to a hesitant degree).

Unfortunately, the book didn’t work for me after 65 pages. I couldn’t feel the characters, setting, and premise out! From as much I’d gathered, the story is fairly brutal and dark in its magical “prehistoric” tone. And, yet, the further I read the more I could not connect. The further I read, the more my urgency to bail rose because I could not see myself investing in this 600-something-page story. I think the biggest offender arrived in how the story didn't lead with the main character, Aoleyn. I went in hoping to be driven through the story through the character of Aoleyn, whose name is a little too close to Aloy from the Horizon series. I could have stuck around if she was presented more. Instead, all of the setup, world-building, views, staging, and so on were illustrated and driven through the perspective of a host of side characters. Not that that was a direct issue, but it wasn't what I was hungry for. Child of a Mad God didn't lead with Aoleyn in the center, and I just didn’t feel like waiting page after page for her to stand in the spotlight as the guide to this expansive world/story waiting before me.

With that said, I did not want to abandon this author. So I found one of these recommended classic offerings instead…

Author Nadine Matheson is back with Inspector Anjelica Henley #2

Here we are a year later with the second Inspector Anjelica Henley book, The Binding Room, by UK author, Nadine Matheson. The book came out a few weeks ago in July, but right on time as it follows up Anjelica’s story post the first book, The Jigsaw Man.

Taken from Amazon:

Detective Anjelica Henley confronts a series of ritualistic murders in this heart-pounding thriller about race, power and the corrupt institutions that threaten us

When Detective Anjelica Henley is called to investigate the murder of a popular preacher in his own church, she discovers a second victim, tortured and tied to a bed in an upstairs room. He is alive, but barely, and his body shows signs of a dark religious ritual.

With a revolving list of suspects and the media spotlight firmly on her, Henley is left with more questions than answers as she attempts to untangle both crimes. But when another body appears, the case takes on a new urgency. Unless she can apprehend the killer, the next victim may just be Henley herself.

June 2022 New Releases (#BlackMysteries) & Currently Reading

 

A Super Rare #BlackMystery Book

 

This 1974 gem came in the mail today. I’ve been hunting it down for about five months now, unable to commit to the usual $79-$100 price tag this sucker usually costs on second-hand sites. Somehow. Somewhere. In the world of dreams and fantasies, I managed to find this rarity on Thriftbooks.com for only $15. You know I grabbed this thing sooooooo FAST. Anyway, as contained within the cover art, the book is called Good Girls Don’t Get Murdered by Percy Spurlark Parker It’s about a woman seeking help from a black man named Bull. When she is found murdered, the police aim their investigation upon Bull who, of course, sets about traversing the local community to clear his name. I can’t speak too much of the commentary expressed in the work (considering I haven’t read it yet), but I’m certain it’s there for me to speak on in the future. Anyway, the point of today is to celebrate having obtained a copy of this book. The joy. The joy. The freakin’ JOY!

Amazon Cart: June Anticipate Releases

 

J D Robb Encore In Death Cover Art

 We got a coverrrrrrr for 2/2023 J. D. Robb book. This is an Amazon affiliate link to the book...

Fantasy Bookstore Run...