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Piper at the Gates of Dusk by Patrick Ness: Review

This was a free download from NetGalley in exchange for a written review.

I believe in being widely read, in reading from several genres. I read a great deal of mystery and fantasy. So, I like to read beyond these into science fiction, historical, biographical, classics and others. I believe this keeps us grounded as readers and helps us discover new authors. This download is one example. I recognized this author’s name but no more. I had not read any of his works. Therefore, I had no expectations at all when I began reading Piper at the Gates of Dusk by Patrick Ness. Here is my experience.

Piper at the Gates of Dusk can be read as a standalone work, I would recommend not reading it as such. It is only a few pages in length and is clearly connected with a larger body of work. Patrick Ness states this upfront in an opening note to the reader. He had previously written a trilogy called Chaos Walking, and this short story takes the reader back into that world.

I was drawn right away by the writing and storytelling. It is the story of two brothers, Ben and Max, and a very unusual god. The use of god bothered me but I was in a different world, in a different medium, and it was a story. The description of this god was curious, and its actions were less than god-like, well at least compared to the God I know. The god crashes from the forest, jumps into a lake disrupting wildlife and water. One of the brothers becomes injured in the process, and the other runs for help. The brother remaining begins to hear voices and identifies their location; the reason they are heard.

The story stops abruptly. I must admit I read the ending a couple of times. I didn’t get it then. As I write this review, I read it again and it becomes a little clearer. I count it due to the fact that I am not familiar with the trilogy it is connected with.

Piper at the Gates of Dusk was well written, and the characters developed as well as possible for such a short work. I would recommend reading the trilogy Chaos Walking before reading Piper at the Gates of Dusk to help with context and setting. It would certainly help when gods run from the forest and jump in a lake.

I would rate Piper at the Gates of Dusk by Patrick Ness 4 out of 5 stars. I give it this rating because of the length and familiarity with the existing work. The writing was well done and the story pulls the reader in wondering what in the world is going on, but I found myself wanting more and wishing the author had not stopped where he had. I would easily recommend this short story to anyone ages 16 and up, perhaps even a little younger. I am cautious about going younger because of my lack of knowledge of the trilogy. Now off to find the trilogy. To be continued…

All for One

Angela

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Cry of the Banshee by Heather Graham

This was a free download from Net Galley in exchange for a book review.

Heather Graham has written a fun story in Cry of the Banshee.  It is a supernatural mystery that kept me guessing until the end wondering who caused the deaths and why. The supernatural element of the story created interest. The story is 125 pages long digitally which would make it a novella. The story is another in Graham’s Krewe of Hunters series, although it was the first I have read.  

The story is set in Ireland in Castle Darien, ancient home of Angela Hawkins Crow and her second cousin, Moira Hawkins. Moira inherited the home from her grandmother for whom she gave up an acting career to move back to Ireland to take care of.  

Now Moira hears a banshee cry in the night just before tragedy strikes. She knows the legends of the banshee and is convinced one is warning her when a death is near. Following a recent ghost tour Moira was awakened by the wailing banshee and discovers a woman dead in a bathroom. Desperate, she called on her cousin in the FBI to come help sort the situation. Angela and her husband, Jackson, head for Ireland on the next flight. 

At first the death looks like a tragic heart attack until Angela and Jackson begin to dig deeper and suspects begin to emerge. A closer look at the autopsy reveals murder as the cause of death. Soon Angela is talking to the banshee and she and Jackson along with local Inspector Angus McCray are teaming up to catch a killer or killers and discover the motive behind it all.  

I enjoyed Cry of the Banshee. The characters are well developed and the story flows. I did miss some things as I had not followed the character development from the beginning and would like to go back to the beginning of the series to watch their development. This is my personal preference. The story is a good stand alone, and the reader is not missing keys to other stories by not having read previous books. I thought the interaction between the characters was appropriate, and there was no excessive use of language or sexuality. There were occasional uses of language but not to the extent that it interfered with my reading of the story. The sexuality was between a married couple and was not explicit.  

The use of a banshee gave the story a supernatural element and made the story fun. Where banshees in lore were often terrifying harbingers of death of family members, the use of the banshee here is mournful and a warning of a tragic event to come of a death that may affect the hearer. So, its use here lightened the tone and kept the story from becoming too dark.  

I would rate Cry of the Banshee 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to anyone over the age of 16 because of the elements of language, sexuality and paranormality. I would certainly read another of Heather Graham’s books and will be on the lookout for more.  

All for One  

Angela 

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Angela’s Bookshelf: The Codex Arcanum 1888 by Tasmin Turner

This was a free download from Net Galley in exchange for a book review. 

When an anonymous donation of documents arrives at the British Museum, documents clerk, Clara Whitmore, is charged with the task of cataloguing and documenting each item. She undertakes the task with curiosity and enthusiasm as the documents are both mysterious and intriguing. Of particular interest is a leather-bound book which is quickly labeled the Codex Arcanum 1888-x. This codex contains mysterious symbols and language that Clara is charged with translating and deciphering. News of this codex soon reaches esoteric and influential people, and Clara finds herself among new friends and acquaintances. She must learn to navigate and decipher friend from enemy as well as decipher the codex. When it becomes clear that people will kill to get the codex, Clara must do whatever is necessary to protect herself and the codex, but can she be sure who to trust?  

The Codex Arcanum 1888 by Tasmin Turner is the first book in a series of the Alchemical Chronicles. This book follows the story of Clara Whitmore and how she came to obtain the codex and her experiences surrounding and understanding the book. Turner writes from Clara’s point of view and does an excellent job of staying true to Clara. There is no hopping from one point of view to another.  

There are some problems with objects and characters appearing out of nowhere and in places where they did not originate. For example, two characters may be seated in armchairs in front of a fireplace when all of a sudden one is rearranging items on a desk. Or a group of four previously introduced, may go to lunch and suddenly a fifth joins them without warning. It is things such as these that in the early chapters had me going back and trying to find out where I missed something only to find I had not. These issues seemed to clear up in the latter chapters but were irritating early on. 

There was no foul language or sex scenes in the book. There was one murder and it was not explicit. The murder took place “behind the scenes” as it was and not witnessed by the main character. 

I enjoyed the book even with the flaws that were distracting. I had a little trouble discerning what the book was about. The Codex Arcanum 1888 picked up speed following the murder as it gave the character something to do, and the distractions early on seemed to disappear as the real book began. The book found strength and purpose, and the author was skillful in handling the remainder of the book. I would be interested in reading the second book in the series. 

I would rate The Codex Arcanum 1888 3 out of 5 stars primarily because of the acrobatic characters and objects which could prove confusing. I look forward to seeing more from Tasmin Turner. I would recommend this book to anyone ages 16 and up. 

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Angela’s Bookshelf: Death on the Doorstep

I read this book as a free download from NetGalley in exchange for a written review. 

Constance Gray and Solomon Silver have just returned home from their Italian honeymoon and almost immediately are confronted with death literally on their doorstep. Two men are found dead on the back door of Constance’s “establishment.” The two men seem to have nothing in common as one is a vagrant who makes his home on the streets and the other is a wealthy man with a good reputation. It takes unraveling plots and clues to sort truth and ill intent in this seventh book in this series by Mary Lancaster. The book contains references to drug use, alcohol, prostitution, and suicide, so the reader should be aware if these are personal triggers.  

I downloaded this book not realizing I was jumping into a well-established series with well-developed characters.  Fortunately, Death on the Doorstep is a wonderful standalone book and the author does a good job of making the reader aware of past events without making them feel as though they have missed much.  

The author weaves this tale with blackmail, threats, secrets, and old relationships resurfacing. The book is about 200 pages long and makes for a good weekend read. I appreciated the fact that there is no foul language and no explicit sex. Bedroom scenes are left in the bedroom. Although the reader should be aware that Constance is the owner of a brothel. She runs her “establishment”, as she calls it, as an opportunity for young women to leave the streets behind and learn a trade and find employable work. If they choose to remain in the oldest profession, they can do so safely, without fear of abuse or exploitation.  

Constance and her husband, Solomon, have established an investigation service and it is through this agency that they investigate the deaths found on the doorstep. 

I enjoyed Death on the Doorstep book and would read another book in this series or other books by this author. I give Death on the Doorstep book 4 out of 5 stars because of the references previously mentioned. I would recommend it to anyone over the age of eighteen.  

All for One 

Angela 

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Angela’s Bookshelf: The Handmaid’s Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood has become popular in recent years with the release of the movie. It was originally published in 1985. I believed it was a more recent release, so was surprised to find the copyright so far back. I read the book because I was curious to know what the hype was about.

The setting is dystopian America, and the location was hard for me to place. However, the story takes place following the takeover of the Regime. The Regime is a pseudo-religious government which twists Christian beliefs to control the people. Families are split apart, and viable women are given to “Commanders” to bear children to keep the new society going and proliferate the population with the new doctrine. The story is the first generation experiencing the Regime. It is told in the first person and is narrated by a handmaid separated from her husband and daughter and has now been sent to her second “Commander” having not borne any children for the first Commander. It flows in parts as diary and parts as stream of consciousness always from her perspective. The reader is never told her original name.

The story is well written and fast-paced. I read through it quickly even with other books and responsibilities. In fact, it rose to the top of my reading list for a time while I finished it. I found it to be engaging and was curious to see how it would end. I imagined various outcomes and scenarios for how the end would be. None of what I imagined occurred. I was disappointed by the ending. If you have read The Handmaid’s Tale, then perhaps you understand what I mean. If you have not, then I will not give it away in the chance you want to read it for yourself. The book does contain language, sex, violence, and suicide. I would not recommend it to anyone under the age of 18 or to anyone to whom these might be a trigger.  

There is an undercurrent of fear as there often is in dystopian novels. It is interesting that the Regime had its roots in Christian beliefs. While the Regime was in no way Christian, Christian words and behaviors were modeled while God and Jesus were left entirely out of the picture. It is reminiscent of this verse in 2 Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:5

holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.

This was certainly true of the Regime. They missed the point of Christianity and denied the true source of power. The regime had Its sole mission control and fear. Unfortunately, those under its influence were not able to avoid them. However, it did not seem that it held much beyond the borders of America. The regime, it seemed, had its roots in America and had spread little beyond it.

While I appreciated the ease of reading and the way I was drawn into the story, I did not appreciate the ending. While I cannot reveal it without giving it away, I can only say I was not satisfied. If you read the book, you understand what I mean. I believe there are other books to follow this one. I have not decided if I will continue and read more. My thinking at this point is I will not. I was so put off by the ending.

So, here it is. My humble review of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Overall, I would rate it a 4 out of 5. I realize this is not a full summary of the book and this is intentional. I wanted to give you a surface of the book without revealing too much of the story. The negatives are the language, sex, violence, suicide and pitiful ending. The positives are the engaging read and the way the author pulls you into the story. I read it quickly. If I can do that, then the story gets a higher count, but the negatives always come into play. I could almost go a little lower because of them, but that would be unfair to the writing and story line. Again, in good conscience I cannot recommend The Handmaid’s Tale to anyone under age 18.

Angela