Recent Acquisitions I’m Excited to Read

Hey all, Dani here.

I recently read a post from Alyssa Marie over at A Reader’s Journey, and at the end she asked if any of us had recently acquired books that we were really excited for, and I decided that it would be a whole lot easier just to write up a blog post to talk about some of the books I’m excited to read and review in the upcoming weeks and months.

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I guess I should start with this lovely ARC I won in a Goodreads Giveaway. The cover is so shiny and awesome, and it sounds like an interesting story. Plus, this is the first Goodreads Giveaway I have won in over four years, so I’m looking forward to starting The Hazel Wood soon. This book will be released January 30, 2018.

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Okay, so I got the e-ARC of Searching for Billy Shakespeare last Friday and it will be released very soon (December 26th). Technically I’ve already read this one because I finished it on Saturday, but I was super excited to read it, and my review will be up very soon.

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The Forgotten Book is an e-galley I received from NetGalley and I actually just started reading it today. It sounds really interesting and is actually inspired by Jane Austen. Plus, come on, look at that cover. This book will be released January 2, 2018, so I expect my review to be up probably next week.

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Reign the Earth has been on my radar since Book Expo, though I missed out on getting an ARC there. Thankfully I was approved for one on NetGalley, and I can’t wait to delve into this magical tale. It will be released January 30, 2018.

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I know I’ve raved multiple times about the first book in this series, Borderline, because it was such an interesting read and I loved the complexity of the characters. I’m reading the second book, Phantom Pains, this month, so I’m really excited that I have the third one to dive into as soon as I’ve finished. Impostor Syndrome will be released on March 13, 2018.

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I’ve read a lot of books published by 47North, and I have enjoyed every one of them. That is why I feel honored that I have been auto-approved on NetGalley for any of their books I’d like. A friend recommended that I pick up The Paper Magician and it was good, so I had to get the other two books of the trilogy. Well, it is a trilogy no more as the fourth book, The Plastic Magician, will be released on May 15, 2018.

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This one actually popped up in an e-mail from NetGalley about upcoming fantasy titles, and it sounded really interesting, so I’m lucky to have been approved for this story about five daughters of the king, each of whom is quite different. Daughters of the Storm will be released on March 6, 2018.

Now..the next book on my list hasn’t had a cover reveal yet, but I promise that as soon as I have been sent an image for it, I will have the cover reveal here on my blog, as well as all of the relevant release information and such. Of course I am talking about the next installment of the Colorworld series, Waterworld. Now this one is going to be a bit of an interesting story because there are six different narrators, but rather than release a hugely massive book, Rachel E Kelly has decided to split it up into separate volumes. So this first one, Waterworld Volume 1 will follow Ezra’s part of the story. I’m really excited about reading this one, so expect a lot more Colorworld-centric posts coming in the near future.

Finally, as I started typing this post, I actually got an e-mail from NetGalley informing me that I had been approved for another book, and this is one I have been anticipating since I finished reading the first one.

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More Than We Can Tell is the sequel/companion to Letters to the Lost and it follows Rev, so I am so pleased that I get to read this book early. It will be released on March 6, 2018.

Okay then, well that pretty much wraps up the recent book acquisitions I’m excited about. Let me know in the comments if you have recently received or purchased any books you’re excited to read. I’ll see you tomorrow with a comic review post.

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Review: The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

Hey all, Dani here.

Today I am here with an ARC review. I was lucky enough to be sent a physical ARC by the publisher since I had reviewed the first book, and since I didn’t know that was happening, I put the request in with NetGalley and they approved me as well. So, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for granting me early access to this book. This act of kindness to a voracious bookworm in no way affected my rating or my opinion in any way.

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Summary

The magical adventure begun in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home—but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege.

Orphaned and cast out as a witch by her village, Vasya’s options are few: resign herself to life in a convent, or allow her older sister to make her a match with a Moscovite prince. Both doom her to life in a tower, cut off from the vast world she longs to explore. So instead she chooses adventure, disguising herself as a boy and riding her horse into the woods. When a battle with some bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside earns her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow, she must carefully guard the secret of her gender to remain in his good graces—even as she realizes his kingdom is under threat from mysterious forces only she will be able to stop.

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

First off, look at that cover. I love the colors used for it, and I think it has nice similarities in design to the first one, while also standing out as its own title.

One of the things I have to say that I loved about this book is that much like The Bear and the Nightingale, this one starts off with someone telling stories during a cold winter’s day/night. I actually like how the folklore storytelling helps to set the atmosphere of the book.

Also, I admit to liking stories where a young woman dresses up as a boy to go on an adventure. It’s always interesting to see how she navigates the world, and also how long she manages to keep her secret.

This trilogy does make me want to learn a bit more about Russian history and folklore. It all seems pretty interesting to me.

And much like the first book, I think this would be a perfect read for a cold winter’s day. Just curl up with a mug of your favorite hot beverage, maybe wrapped up in a nice blanket in your favorite reading place, and just spend some time on an adventure with Vasya.

All in all I enjoyed this read, and I look forward to seeing how the trilogy wraps up with the release of The Winter of the Witch, which is expected to be released in August 2018.

Where to Buy

You can pre-order The Girl in the Tower from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore. This title will be released tomorrow, December 5th.

Most Anticipated Releases Winter 2017

Hey all, Dani here.

I can’t believe that I’m already posting my most anticipated releases for the winter months. Pretty soon we’ll all be writing 2018 for the date. Anyway, I have quite a few books to talk about today, all of them releasing in December, January, or February.

First up: December

Obviously I am excited for a couple graphic novel releases because they are series I try and keep up with. Then there’s the newest Kasie West contemporary release. I’ve only read two Kasie West books, both of them this year, and I enjoyed them, so I’m curious to see what other cutesy romances she’ll come up with. Finally, there’s a sequel to a Russian folklore story I read at the beginning of the year, and I’m so excited to read about what happens next. The first one was a surprise favorite of mine.

Lumberjanes, Vol 7 (Dec 12), Love, Life, and the List (Dec 26), Ms Marvel, Vol 8 (Dec 26), and The Girl in the Tower (Dec 5). Now, I will say that for The Girl in the Tower I was granted access to an e-galley through NetGalley and then I was sent an ARC from the publisher, so expect a review very soon.

Next up is January, and oh boy, I have a lot of anticipated releases. I guess it’s a good thing that I mostly get B&N gift cards for Christmas. I have a few sequels to books I enjoyed, the newest installment in one of my favorite graphic novels, a handful of awesome sounding fantasy reads, and a couple contemporary stories. The way this anticipated list is looking, I don’t think I need to worry about coming up with a TBR list. I’ll have plenty to read over the month.

Everless (Jan 2), Sightwitch (Jan 23), The Wicked + The Divine, Vol 6 (Jan 16), The Hazel Wood (Jan 30), Thunderhead (Jan 9), The Cruel Prince (Jan 2), Love, Hate and Other Filters (Jan 16), Don’t Cosplay with my Heart (Jan 2), Reign the Earth (Jan 30), Zenith (Jan 16), Gunslinger Girl (Jan 2), and The Forgotten Book (Jan 2). Currently I was approved through NetGalley for Reign the Earth and The Forgotten Book, and I have ARCs from BookExpo for Zenith and Gunslinger Girl, so expect reviews for those coming in December and early January. I’m still really hoping to be approved by NetGalley for Love, Hate and Other Filters so we’ll see what happens.

Whew, and finally there’s February. There’s yet another graphic novel release, as well as the conclusion to the Falling Kingdoms series. Then, considering my Hamilton obsession, I had to add the book about his friendship with Peggy Schuyler. Of course, who could say no to an awesome lady gladiator book. Oh, and considering how much I loved Ashley Poston’s Geekerella, her newest release is definitely an auto-buy for me. Finally Rachel Caine has teamed up with Ann Aguirre for a science-fiction story that I’m really looking forward to.

Lumberjanes, Vol 8 (Feb 20), Honor Among Thieves (Feb 13), The Defiant (Feb 13), Heart of Iron (Feb 27), Hamilton and Peggy! (Feb 13), and Immortal Reign (Feb 6).

All right, I think that does it for my post today. What upcoming releases are you looking forward to? Let me know in the comments.

Review: The Magician’s Keeper by Nicola E. Sheridan

Hey all, Dani here.

I have been waiting for this book for sooo long, and I finally got to read it. Basically I have been a fan of Nicola E Sheridan’s for many years now. I first learned about her from my author friend Donaya Haymond, and decided to give her books a try. I have read them all and loved them all. In fact, I should really reread them and write up reviews for this blog.

I suppose I should also say thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for granting me early access to this book. I can’t wait to buy a copy on release day.

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Summary

A brand new steamy paranormal romance about learning to love all of yourself.

In a world where people judge one another by exacting standards of size and style, being a big girl like Eudora Splat was never going to be easy.

Though trouble is brewing between magic folk and human purists who would see them all destroyed, Dora, a half-giant, tries to eke out a quiet, unnoticed life for herself, but it’s hard to be subtle when you’re over seven feet tall.

Losing her job as a gardener due to human complaints, Dora is recruited as a prison guard, where she’s enlisted to protect the magician Evander “Bear” Gordon from human purist attack. Bear encourages her to embrace her power and celebrate her heritage, introducing her to a world where she can be extraordinary and not just weird.

But after years of hiding and shying away, can Dora find the strength to grab onto a new life — and hold on to the man she’s falling in love with?

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

What I love about Sheridan’s books is that they all take place in the same world, which is a version of our world where creatures like satyrs and magicians and genies and giants live. There are organizations that pledge to help magical beings, but then there are government agencies who set up registries and restrictions and more for them.

The first few chapters of following Dora around made me uncomfortable…and I don’t mean that as a bad thing. The way people look at her and treat her is supposed to feel off-putting. They talk about her size and the way she smells; there’s nothing she can do about it because she was born a half-giant, and inherited those traits from her mother.

Then there’s Bear, and he seems to be having a pretty rough time in prison. He’s pretty much kept in isolation and is nearly cut off from his magic, and any time he is able to/does use magic, he is severely punished for doing so.

So basically these two characters are dealing with similar issues of treatment, and obviously they are going to be about perfect for each other.

Being that this is a paranormal romance, you pretty much know the overarching story of Dora and Bear meeting and then falling in love. But as per usual with Sheridan’s books, there is so much more to it. I find the world, the setting, the magic to all be so interesting, and I hope there will still be more books in the future. Okay, that being said, I will say that you don’t need to read any of her other books to understand what is going on in this one. The only books somewhat dependent on each other are her genie books. But, I will say that all of them are worth the read and it will just heighten your overall reading experience as you understand more and more of the logistics of the world built by Sheridan.

Where to Buy

You can preorder The Magician’s Keeper on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-a-million. This book will be released on November 4, 2017.

Review: A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne

Hey all, Dani here.

And today is a wonderful Happy Book Birthday to author Kevin Hearne for his first epic fantasy novel. I’ve talked about Hearne before, mostly gushing about his Iron Druid Chronicles books. I would like to reread the first three books and then continue on with the series, so I’ll probably have reviews for the whole series up in the future. But today I am not here to talk about his wonderful urban fantasy series. Instead I am here to talk about a book I have been anticipating since the moment I first discovered it thanks to following Hearne’s social media accounts.

It’s time to dive into my review for A Plague of Giants.

Oh, and I should also thank the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book early. Being granted an e-galley did not influence my rating or opinion in any way. After all, I planned to buy this book long before I requested it from NetGalley.

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Summary

From the author of The Iron Druid Chronicles, a thrilling novel that kicks off a fantasy series with an entirely new mythology—complete with shape-shifting bards, fire-wielding giants, and children who can speak to astonishing beasts

MOTHER AND WARRIOR
Tallynd is a soldier who has already survived her toughest battle: losing her husband. But now she finds herself on the front lines of an invasion of giants, intent on wiping out the entire kingdom, including Tallynd’s two sons—all that she has left. The stakes have never been higher. If Tallynd fails, her boys may never become men.

SCHOLAR AND SPY
Dervan is an historian who longs for a simple, quiet life. But he’s drawn into intrigue when he’s hired to record the tales of a mysterious bard who may be a spy or even an assassin for a rival kingdom. As the bard shares his fantastical stories, Dervan makes a shocking discovery: He may have a connection to the tales, one that will bring his own secrets to light.

REBEL AND HERO
Abhi’s family have always been hunters, but Abhi wants to choose a different life for himself. Embarking on a journey of self-discovery, Abhi soon learns that his destiny is far greater than he imagined: a powerful new magic thrust upon him may hold the key to defeating the giants once and for all—if it doesn’t destroy him first.

Set in a magical world of terror and wonder, this novel is a deeply felt epic of courage and war, in which the fates of these characters intertwine—and where ordinary people become heroes, and their lives become legend.

My Thoughts

Rating: 4 stars

This was a complex story with so many perspectives to follow. Coming from someone who adores reading big epic fantasy books with complicated stories, it may be saying something that I had times where I struggled with this one.

I really enjoyed Fintan the bard, and his kenning–or magical ability–to project his voice over long distances and tell stories. That plus seeming stones that allowed him to look like the person whose story he was telling was really interesting. The problem is that the POV of Dervan is also in first person. So you jump from Dervan who is watching the bard, to the bard’s tales, which are also in first person. Sometimes it makes it difficult to remember which of the 11 characters you’re following in that moment.

Primarily this book is about the orations that Fintan the bard is giving. In fact, the story spans over 19 days as Fintan goes out to tell these stories, typically telling three smaller bits of the overall story each day, and rotating through the various people whose tales he has collected.

The world-building is great, and I loved the wide diversity of the world in general. Add into that the magic of the kennings and things get even more interesting. The people of the world commonly accept five different kennings, but through these tales it is suggested that there may be a sixth and perhaps even a seventh kenning.

Learning about these different people from all different lands in the world was an adventure, and while sometimes I felt like it was taking me a while to get through the book, I did overall like what I was reading.

This does not have the same feel as the Iron Druid Chronicles, which definitely have an easier urban fantasy flow to them. Instead, the first book in the Seven Kennings trilogy sets up a vast magical world with plenty of political complications and other issues. I may have to read this book again to fully grasp some of the developments and such, but I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book.

Where to Buy

You can pick up a copy of this book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore. I ordered my copy from Barnes & Noble and it is a signed copy.

September Wrap-Up and October TBR

Hey all, Dani here.

How are we already at the start of October? I think this is the fastest a year has gone by for me. It’s crazy to think that in just a couple months it will be time to start putting 2018 in the date instead of 2017.

This month was not as productive as other recent months when it comes to reading, but I still think I did all right. This is also a month where I was occupied with cleaning, packing, and moving from one apartment to another, so understandably I was a bit distracted. I hope to be able to read more in October. I’m sorry I didn’t have that many review posts and instead had to resort to numerous posts regarding my ongoing TBR purge.

Warcross by Marie Lu (4.5 stars)

Love and Other Things: Poetry and Prose by Michael Tavon (3.5 stars)

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren (5 stars)

Invictus by Ryan Graudin (4 stars)

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West (5 stars)

Critical Role- Vox Machina: Origins, Issue #1 by Matthew Colville (5 stars)

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake (4.5 stars)

Bitch Planet, Vol 1 by Kelly Sue Deconnick (4 stars)

A Poison Dark and Drowning by Jessica Cluess (5 stars)

Life is Like a Musical by Tim Federle (4 stars)

Next up is my September book haul. Now, September was a pretty good month for book releases, but I only allowed myself to get ones that I didn’t already have an ARC or e-galley of…well, mostly. I made an exception for All Rights Reserved. I’m trying to be picky about my book buying until I’m confident with the new budget. Living with my boyfriend means a higher rent than when I was still living with my mom. I have to make sure that I have all of my bills covered before I can splurge on books.

 

So all in all it was a pretty good month for books, and I think I might be able to mostly be on a book buying ban in October. I can only think of a few books that I might buy. The only absolute buy in October is A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne. So expect a shorter haul section next month (I hope). Let’s see if I can actually stick to a ban for once.

I’ll also toss my September OwlCrate unboxing photo up here as well. The theme was Mythical Creatures and I rather enjoyed the box, especially that bookmark. It’s just beautiful.

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Finally, I guess it is time to announce my October TBR. I’m going to go a bit conservative here with my reading plans, mostly because I plan to try and do two 24 Hour Readathons this month. The first is being hosted by Zoe Herdt (readbyzoe on YouTube and Twitter) and that will be October 14th, and then there is the next session of Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon, and that will be on October 21st. So, I will try and have tentative TBRs up for both of those events as we get a little closer to them.

 

 

 

Books I Need to Finish!

Hey all, Dani here.

While in the middle of scouring my Goodreads TBR, I realized that I have quite a few books that have been sitting on my Currently Reading list for some time. I don’t like leaving books unfinished and yet I seem to be doing it quite a bit this year.

So I think I’m writing up this post as a way of calling myself out and also hoping for some accountability on future reading goals. I need to clear out this list and I’m going to start doing that in between some of these ARCs and e-galleys I need to read as well.

Let’s jump into this list then.

I have literally had Windwitch on my Currently Reading list since it was released at the beginning of the year. This is so bad, because I made it halfway through the book and I was so enjoying it. I don’t know why I set it aside.

King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard has also been on this list for a long while, but I know why. The first book was great and the second book was just okay, only redeeming itself in the last couple chapters. It was just enough to make me want to read this third book. But I’m still struggling with this series. It had potential, but it just isn’t living up to it for me. I do still plan to finish it, just so I know if I will continue with the series or not.

The Black Prism is a wonderful and nicely sized epic fantasy story. This is taking me a while because I’m listening to the audiobook, and I only really listen to books sporadically. Really I need to just pull my paperback copy off the shelf and finish this book. Because I am enjoying the world and the magic system, and I want to know what’s going to happen.

Next up is Dragonfly in Amber. I basically just like to take my time with these books. But I also know I want to continue watching the show, and I won’t watch season 2 until I’ve finished the book. So that needs to happen. And I was just telling my boyfriend a couple days ago that I haven’t read a nice romance (or smut romance) in a while, so between this and the fifth book of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, I should have my romance bases covered.

I know why I’ve halted in my read of Gemina as well. This book is entertaining and I am enjoying the story, but I don’t want to deal with the inevitable cliffhanger and have to wait too long for Obsidio, so I set the book down. I will pick it up again…when I think that I can take the wait for the finale.

Here’s another audiobook on the list, and really I have no reasoning for this one because the narration is done by one of my favorite people: Matthew Mercer. The Punch Escrow is an interesting tale and I love listening to Matt’s portrayal of all of the different characters. And I really can’t say anything about the length of an audiobook here because I listen to Matt for 3-5 hours each week when I’m catching up on Critical Role, my favorite D&D show.

Lord of Shadows…so I’ve only read like one chapter of this. But, to be fair, I just read Lady Midnight for the first time a few months ago. I plan on finishing this before the end of 2017, but it isn’t the highest priority for me.

Next is one of my most highly anticipated books: A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab. I have adored the first two books of the trilogy and was so looking forward to seeing how it all wrapped up. But then I was struck by the thought that once I read it, that was it. It would be over. Now that V.E. Schwab has announced that there will be more books set in this world, I think I can finally get back to it and finish the book.

The Dragons of Nova is a book I started to read during a readathon and though I was enjoying it, I could tell that I just wasn’t in the right mood to read it, so I set it aside. I will read it, and probably soon. That way I can put in a request for the third book from NetGalley when it becomes available.

Finally, I have To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, another book that I’m about half-finished with and what I read I’ve quite enjoyed. I picked it up because I wanted a fun quick contemporary read but by the time I reached the halfway point I was really craving a fantasy read…so I put this book down and just haven’t picked it back up yet.

So, there you have it everyone. Some books that I have not quite finished yet and need to get back to reading at some point in the near future–certainly I need to finish these before the end of the year.

Are there any books that have been on your currently reading list for just a bit too long? Let me know in the comments.

August Wrap Up and September TBR

Hey all, Dani here.

Wow, another month is finished. I started the month off rather strong with reading, and participating in a readathon really helped bolster my book count for the month. But then in the middle of August I found myself struggling to choose what to read next. So many books sounded good, and I wanted to read them all, and the indecision led to me not really reading at all.

Still, I had a pretty darn good month of reading…21 books total for the month. Let’s just jump into the books I read in the month of August. As always, I will include links to reviews in case you missed them.

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur (5 stars)

The ABCs of RPGs by Ivan Van Norman (5 stars)

Sovereign by April Daniels (5 stars)

Scott Pilgrim, Vol 1: Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley (5 stars)

Scott Pilgrim, Vol 2: Scott Pilgrim vs the World by Bryan Lee O’Malley (5 stars)

Scott Pilgrim, Vol 3: Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness by Bryan Lee O’Malley (5 stars)

Scott Pilgrim, Vol 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together by Bryan Lee O’Malley (5 stars)

Scott Pilgrim, Vol 5: Scott Pilgrim vs the Universe by Bryan Lee O’Malley (5 stars)

Scott Pilgrim, Vol 6: Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O’Malley (5 stars)

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo (4 stars)

Matilda by Roald Dahl (5 stars)

Sandman, Vol 7: Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman (5 stars)

Sandman, Vol 8: Worlds’ End by Neil Gaiman (5 stars)

Sandman, Vol 9: Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman (5 stars)

Sandman, Vol 10: The Wake by Neil Gaiman (5 stars)

Click’d by Tamara Ireland Stone (4 stars)

The Glass Town Game by Catherynne M. Valente (4 stars)

Writing With Style: An Editor’s Advice for RPG Writers by Ray Vallese (4 stars)

The Geek’s Guide to Dating by Eric Smith (4 stars)

the princess saves herself in this one by Amanda Lovelace (4 stars)

The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee (4.5 stars)

And now moving on to my August book haul. Also included in this is my OwlCrate unboxing for the month of August. I have to say that those Poe-lka dot socks are basically my favorite thing ever. And my boyfriend is the coffee drinker, but he and his mom both think that the Dark Arts blend coffee is good. Plus my boyfriend has taken the fountain pen so he can use it to write up things for Dungeons & Dragons. Oh, and not included in these pictures is The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee as I have purchased it on my NOOK.

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Finally, I guess it’s time to announce the books I’m hoping to read in the month of September.

There will probably be some more books I’ll read in the month, but I’ll just let those be books I choose based on my mood.

Well, I think that’s all for now. Have a nice weekend everyone! Ooh…I just remembered that this is a long weekend. I will still try to get a post up for Monday, probably another TBR purge post.

AMA Answer Time!

Hey all, Dani here.

Thank you so much to Michelle and Elaina, who each asked me a question over the past few days. I really appreciate it. Let’s not waste any time with introductions. I’m jumping into the answers right now.

michelleltaylor94 asked: What are your must reads right now?

I think there’s two possible answers here: the must reads I can recommend for you all to read, and the must reads meaning books that I desperately need to read right now. For the first part, my go-to recommendations include: Dreamworld by Rachel E. Kelly, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, and The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. To answer the second part: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee, The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell, and The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss are all books that I really want and need to read soon.

Elaina Lucy asked: What is the number one book that you’ve read that has the deepest emotional hold on you? It could be either that the book itself is amazing, or for other reasons (a gift from someone special, the first book you ever read, etc).

Wow, this is a fabulous question, and I’d love to know how all of you would answer it as well. Okay, so I’m going to try not to constantly answer with the same books, so I’m actually going to go with a non-fiction choice: You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day. This book was so lovely and inspirational for me. Follow that up with getting to meet her during her book tour for the paperback release (Yes, I own a first edition hardcover, and a first edition paperback of this book) and this book will always hold a special place in my heart. Meeting Felicia Day, considering how long I’ve followed her awesome nerdy career and how much I loved the book, is definitely one of the top moments of my life. You can read more about my fangirling and the signing at these links.

This was a fun idea, and I’ll probably try this again in the future, but if at any time you have a question, feel free to ask. I’m pretty much an open book.

Just for fun though, I’ll also throw in a few random fun facts about me, because I know sometimes people probably wonder about it.

Danielle Thamasa is a pen name. I chose it by taking all the letters from my legal birth name and rearranging the letters. (Okay, fine. I had to add in an extra ‘l’ and ‘e’ or else I would have been Daniel). I’ve been using this name for book related things on the internet for around a decade now so I answer to Dani as easily as I do my birth name.

Some of my other hobbies include board games, RPGs (like D&D, Pathfinder, Fantasy AGE, etc), LARPing, comic and gaming conventions, photography, ghost hunting, and traveling (though I don’t do as much as I’d like).

I’ve started watching anime and I’m enjoying it so far. I’m into My Hero Academia, Fairy Tail, Death Note, Trigun, and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. When I was younger I watched Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Fullmetal Alchemist, and in college I watched Inuyasha because of my roommate.

I’ve already surpassed my original reading challenge goal on Goodreads. I started the year with a goal of reading 75 books, but now my goal is 100 because I have finished 77 books so far.

Okay, well that’s all for now. Tomorrow I’ll be talking about my time in Indianapolis over the weekend for Gen Con 50.

Review: Sovereign by April Daniels

Hey all, Dani here.

I so enjoyed the first book of this series, so I jumped at the chance for an early copy for the sequel. Thankfully the publisher and NetGalley granted my request, and I got to continue the adventures of Dany Tozer, a transgender superhero. As always, receiving this book did not influence my rating or review. I will say that I’m sorry it took me so long to get my review up. I’ve been juggling a lot of books and a lot of blog posts lately.

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Summary

Only nine months after her debut as the fourth superhero to fight under the name Dreadnought, Danny Tozer is already a scarred veteran. Protecting a city the size of New Port is a team-sized job and she’s doing it alone. Between her newfound celebrity and her demanding cape duties, Dreadnought is stretched thin, and it’s only going to get worse.

When she crosses a newly discovered supervillain, Dreadnought comes under attack from all quarters. From her troubled family life to her disintegrating friendship with Calamity, there’s no trick too dirty and no lever too cruel for this villain to use against her.

She might be hard to kill, but there’s more than one way to destroy a hero. Before the war is over, Dreadnought will be forced to confront parts of herself she never wanted to acknowledge.

And behind it all, an old enemy waits in the wings to unleash a plot that will scar the world forever.

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

Starting this book off on the way to a superhero convention made my nerdy little heart happy. I love going to conventions and it was clear that Danny was excited to go. Being that she basically is a fangirl, her getting to see all sorts of heroes and such just roaming around this hotel/convention center in Antarctica was just amusing. Then again, that pleasant mood did not last for too long.

This was a book that I was looking forward to reading, because I knew there would be some interesting issues explored in the story. Having a transgender superhero as our leading lady allows us to follow her life and see firsthand how her life has changed and how she is affected by the treatment of those around her.

It is also interesting and from my perspective is fairly unique to have a superhero who struggles with rage and violence issues. Numerous times Danny refers to how much she enjoys beating up the bad guys, and how she sometimes holds back in the fights so they’ll last longer and she can fight more. I am so used to most of the heroes being such moral upstanding characters that this is actually a refreshing angle to explore. And considering everything Danny has gone through in her life, especially the past several months, it is actually a bit understandable why she acts this way. I just hope that April Daniels continues to explore this and also have Danny find a way to work through her issues and find some resolution in the future.

Basically this book did what I wanted it to do. There was action and complication, and character development I could understand. There were a couple characters that we met at the convention that I would have liked to be in the story more, but there’s always hope for the future.

Needless to say, I am looking forward to reading the next installment.

Where to Buy

You can pick up a copy of Sovereign from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore.
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