free copy | Ad Librum Aeternam

Genre: Non-fiction, memoir
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-1939710-857
Format: Hardcover
Publication date: 2018
Publisher: Orange Frazer Press
Type: Non-Fiction, memoir, travel

*I received a free hardcover copy in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to Alexander Watson, author of River Queens!*

Introduction:

I was kindly approached and offered a hardcover copy of River Queens by the author, Alexander Watson. He was lucky this year I discovered a love for memoirs and mostly travel memoirs, otherwise I wouldn't have picked it up. But his story, what of two men sailing the coasts of America in a boat no less, intrigued me.

I can tell you it also didn't disappoint. Reading this book brought me great pleasure as well as smiles and laughter. I hope my review entices you to give this fun ride a try.

Let's sail!

The Blurb:

The river—any river—is another planet, with its own language, rules, and culture. River Queens is a story of the unlikeliest of fellows (and a dog) coming to the river—and what happens to them once they arrive. At first glance, it seems to be a how-to manual for any adventuresome (but perhaps foolhardy) type who’s ever thought of restoring a wooden yacht and sailing it halfway across the country. Second glance, however, shows that it’s a classic travel narrative in which two intrepid (but perhaps foolhardy) explorers head out to tour what is usually called “a distant, alien world.”

To Alexander Watson and his partner, Dale Harris, the river is as exotic as any foreign locale they’d previously traversed. There is danger, of course—unpredictable nature, lurking water hazards, quickly rising human squalls—but the initial difficulty is language: can they become fluent in the argot of harbormasters, helmsmen, navigators, and the various deck hands, skippers, and swabbies?

The Positive Sides:

The most striking point of *River Queens* is how the author's voice flows and it's beautiful. It's charming, and it feels natural, like I'm right beside him and his partner during the purchase of the boat and their adventures. He's honest and raw but not mean. I often found myself thinking similar thoughts as I read his story.

There's something equally important: Watson reflects the people's speech singularities so well you can hear them in your mind and picture them easily! It might be hard to read sometimes due to some people talking really loosely, but it's amazing to see he reproduces these ways of talking so faithfully. I felt as I was meeting them myself. Besides their speeches, Watson puts the people he encounters (good and bad) on the forefront of his adventures, including his partner Dale and himself, too. It was beautiful to read and except for Frances Mayes's memoirs about Italy, I never felt so attached to real people in a book.

Moreover, learning about boats was interesting and informative. The author would tell us about the hull, how to see if there's leakage, water charges and more. Plus, he even included a glossary at the end! Priceless.

Speaking of him and Dale, I really enjoy their conversations, which makes the reading much more amusing (it even made me laugh out loud!) and so much more natural. It also shows how close they are and how well they know each other, which is adorable (and quite funny, too). The care they put into their boat (a wooden one, mind you as it's very important here) and each other. It was lovely.

The intertwined chapters of Alexander and his mother were a good addition. It explains a lot of things about how he thinks and acts. Mostly the "don't let things or events slip you by" mantra she said to him (paraphrased here by yours truly), which is something I stand by.

Something stood out personally: I see myself in him so much! I mean, Watson's got quite the flaming temper, just like I do (though he's got better comebacks, darn!) and it makes him even more charming and lovable to me.

As for their adventures: what a nice ride! All those places, all the small disasters that happened, the great descriptions and encounters they have! All keep you along for the ride. It was great to see America explored from the perspective of two men (and a sweet dog) aboard their own boat. Seriously, I loved it!

Last, I particularly enjoyed the short chapters and the formatting and layout. One chapter is even divided such as "Sightseeing: (what they saw and did)", then it's "Cooking: (how they found and cooked food)", and so on. It's visually interesting and a nice change of pace.

The Negative Sides:

All books have flaws and despite River Queens's great points, I've found a few that could be improved.

For starters, the transitions are slightly brusque, which confused me. I needed to read a few sentences twice. But it's not extremely bad nor is it overflowing with such brusque transitions. It's just annoying when it happens.

What's the biggest bad point? Well, this book is advertised as a travel memoir (I'm not saying it's wrong here), but it took about 50 pages of closing the deal for ownership of the boat and repairing it. Afterwards, it took the same number of pages before they finally set sail (it's at about 107 pages). In my opinion, a third of the book is a bit too long of an introduction to what the blurb seemed to say was a discovery of America's coasts from two men in a saucy boat (with a beautiful dalmatian, too!)

In Conclusion:

What do I take out from this read? Amazing voice, strikingly natural dialogues (it's like hearing your neighbour talking!), and an amusing experience on the whole!

It was always a pleasure to pick up this book and resume reading, falling into Watson and Dale's boat world and meeting these new people. I recommend this book to anyone interested in travel, memoirs, true stories, exploration, and those who just want to have a genuinely good time! I give River Queens: Saucy boat, stout mates, spotted dog, America a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 for how lovely, entertaining and engrossing this book is.

As a note, I will keep this book in my own bookshelf as I will surely reread it down my lifetime. It was worthwhile and I know I'll want to share the author's story again by reading it. Such a great journey and personality!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit his Web site, you can also follow him on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest (you can see pictures of his boat, Betty Jane!) Amazon author page and Goodreads. You can visit his publisher, Orange FrazerPress. You can also add River Queens to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

Go Ahead, You’re Home: A Review

Book Reviews July 29, 2019 Leave a comment

Genre: Memoir, Travel, Non-Fiction

Pages: 173
ISBN: 978-0997572704
Format: Paperback, eBook (Kindle)
Publication date: May 16th, 2016
Publisher: Your Book Angel
Type: Memoir

*Thanks to BookTasters (Twitter: @BookTasters and Web site) and Miss Tirzah Libert for giving me a free ecopy of Go Ahead, You're Home in exchange for a review given on a voluntary basis. I received no compensation.*

I chose Go Ahead, You're Home because the blurb made me dream of travelling in someone else's shoes and see their life, in two vastly different countries to mine. As a polyglot and big enthusiast of cultures and travelling, this intrigued me. Also, I wanted to see what pushed her to move to the Netherlands and what she wants to accomplish.

The Positive Points:

I'll go ahead (see what I did there?) and say that the best part about this book is simply the heart she puts into telling us all about her life. It's beautiful, humbling, and inspiring, too. I rather enjoyed this side and felt somehow touched that she'd let me (and others) see her thoughts and life so closely. It was quite interesting to experience a different POV since she sounds "wilder" than I am (no offence here, I think it's fun to see) and it was amusing and eye-opening to be able to read about a different life somewhere else in the world. Here, it was in the Caribbeans. It was poignant and immersive; it was as if I could see through her very eyes. Loved it!

Moreover, the resilience and strength of this woman along with the culture and customs of her homeland are great to see! They're also admirable in their own rights.

The Negative Points:

These were very hard to order as I think they're are major points, but here goes:

The ideas and subjects are all jumbled together! It's like head-hopping (where an author switches from one character to another continuously), but with ideas! She's talking of her faith, then it brusquely switches to her aunt with no real link between the two. And it goes on and on like this. It's pretty confusing and unpleasant. There's so much to tell, I know, but a more structured approach would make this book better!

The amount of "faith" and "religion" talks in this book are annoying… I understand it's part of that part, but it's just too much for other readers who might not be like her (*GASPS*). I didn't take any points for this though since that's how she is. But there's a bit too much of it to be easily readable by others and NOT put down with a roll of our eyes or an annoyed sigh.

Lastly, the author tells us all about her actions, the events, the situations, and it's quite interesting, I must admit! I could get lost in it easily. But there is ONE major wrong point: she tells us about the actions, but not enough about her emotions. I want to know how she felt! How did finding a secretary job made her feel? How about that difficult (I assume) miscarriage? In memoirs, we're looking for the "travel" part, true, but I want the emotions, I want to feel, to connect. I don't just want to watch over her shoulder. It's a good book, but this point is severely lacking.

In Conclusion:

While it was a good insight into Miss Libert's life and allowed me to taste a different culture and experience another's life, I think it was way too topic-hopping, confusing and not detailed enough for me to really be hooked to this book. So, I give Go Ahead, You're Home a rating of 3.5 out of 5. I would recommend it to other travel memoirs and memoirs enthusiasts.

If you want to learn more about Tirzah Libert, visit her Web site, Twitter account, and Facebook page. You can also add the book to your Goodreads and LibraryThing TBR list(s).

The Initiation: A Book Review

Book Reviews June 30, 2019 Leave a comment

by Chris Babu

Genre: YA,Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian

Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-1682615935
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook (Kindle & Kobo)
Publication date: February 27th, 2018
Publisher: Permuted Press
Type: Novel (1st in a trilogy)

A special thanks to Chris Babu and Permuted Press for providing me with an eCopy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Blurb:

Everyone is equal. But no one is safe.

In a ruined world, Manhattan is now New America, a walled-in society based on equality. But the perfect facade hides a dark truth.

A timid math geek, sixteen-year-old Drayden watches his life crumble when his beloved mother is exiled. The mystery of her banishment leads him to a sinister secret: New America is in trouble, and every one of its citizens is in jeopardy.

With time running out, he enters the Initiation. It’s a test within the empty subway tunnels—a perilous journey of puzzles and deadly physical trials. Winners join the ruling Bureau and move to its safe haven. But failure means death. Can Drayden conquer the Initiation, or is salvation out of his grasp?

Introduction:

I was offered the opportunity to review the first two books in Chris Babu’s dystopian trilogy by Permuted Press. I jumped on it because, as you lads and lasses know, I’m a big lover of dystopian. The blurb appealed to me. It seemed to have anything I love: logic, realism, courage, quests, trials, a dystopian setting… and I could go on! So, here’s my review of the first book, The Initiation. Enjoy!

Thank you so much for this pleasant opportunity, Chris Babu and Permuted Press!

The Positive Sides:

There are many things I liked and even loved about this book so hold tight. The book starts with a heartbreaking moment, Drayden’s mother’s exile from the Dorms into the wilderness that New York has become. This moment is crucial in establishing the stakes, the plot, and the characters. It was also pretty sad and I loved it! It didn’t wait and wait… until something happened. No, it did right upon opening the book! Speaking of writing, Babu, the author, knows how the describe the emotions and events in poignant manner. Kudos to him! I often found myself affected emotionally, so that’s a very good thing. I kept hoping and feeling torn with the protagonist.

Okay, hang on even tighter here because I have A LOT to say about the protagonist, Drayden. Here goes:

Drayden is LOVELY. He’s kind, considerate, affectionate, AND very clever. I don’t know how someone could even dislike him. He’s mine, okay? Mine! His origins makes me so happy: he’s biracial, with a Korean mother and a Caucasian father. It’s so original because authors usually write about the most widely used ethnic groups such as Chinese or Afro-American communities. So, reading about a Korean protagonist is inspiring and a much needed fresh air to the YA category. Moreover, the actual display of Drayden’s intelligence and logic process. It is so well done! I rarely saw this before, except in the Sherlock Holmes books, which is an important point (I’m a huge Sherlock Holmes fan). It shows and feels that he is intelligent. Most of the times, authors claim their main character is clever but seldom show it. It’s one of the things I love most about "The Initiation" : the truth of Drayden’s intelligence.

Last point about Drayden: he’s oblivious about his own courage. He thinks he’s a coward, but really he keeps facing the challenges and being brave despite the terrible situations he’s in. All in order to find the answer as to why his mom was exiled. He’s also quite helpful to others. He always calls himself a coward, but he’ll do anything that is required of him to either help others or achieve his goals. It’s beautiful to see his actions and words are two different things, in the most positive of ways. In my opinion, he’s quite brave. I particularly love how we see him slowly acknowledge this side of him that was there all along. It’s character discovery at its finest.

Now, what about the other characters? Well, the most distinctive trait is how diverse they are! I mean, their personalities pop from one another and they even clash. It’s refreshing to read such characters; they really seem alive to me and I can never wait jumping back into my reading to join them again. It’s like they became my friends! And that’s so amazing. Usually, characters share a few traits and all sound very similar. Not here, nuh huh.

Let’s talk about “The Initiation”, or more precisely, the challenges it involves. They’re so intense I shuddered here and there and was genuinely relieved when no one was hurt, and so on. There are the physical challenges which are seriously hard and made me shiver with disgust and fear. Then, there are my favorites: the intelligence trials. I love, love, love love love the puzzles! They’re not easy and they’re highly entertaining AND stressful. Wonderful! As I’m not one for math, I was quite surprised to find myself actively working to decipher the puzzles! Seriously, that’s exactly what I’m looking for in book challenges.

I’ve got the tackle the New America’s swear words and vocabulary. They’re so amusing and funny! It goes like: shkat, chotch, wetchop, etc. They sound and look funny and I just love it. It’s varied, it sounds good, and they replace our own swear words. Thinking of it, it just makes sense that they’d have their own lingo because they’ve been living secluded from the rest of the world, or what is left of it. So, bonus points for this creative vocabulary!

Also, the division between the Dorms and the Palace (and other districts) in New America is painfully realistic. It features the never-ending inequality issue and you can see it worsens as you read on. A big issue reflected well and exaggerated (or is it?) in the story. I love this side of it, even though it’s not “positive” per say, but I think it really helps in setting the world up.

Speaking of the world, the Confluence (the confluence of four major issues such as hacked communications and superbugs, etc.) sounds way too realistic to me. It’s a very good but scary thing. Because it could totally happen! And another thing I particularly enjoyed: it’s that FINALLY there’s a YA dystopian story that EXPLAINS what happened before that led to this crappy state of the world now like New America. Bravo! It made it all better, I swear. Much more understandable, too.

The Negative Sides:

It took me a while (the good half of the book) to get accustomed to the writing. It is straight-to-the-point, though emotional (which is good!), and it doesn’t use flowery sentences nor the beauty of language. The writing is practical and functional. It has its own style. It’s not bad, but it’s quite different. So it takes a bit of getting used to. Nevertheless, I ended up rolling with it and liking it for its straightforwardness.

But that’s really the only bad side and it’s not so bad.

Give it a try. Not everyone likes the same things, so you might enjoy it right away.

In Conclusion:

I’m SO glad of having read this book! It’s right next to the Hunger Games and the Maze Runner in my favorite dystopians. All the positive sides definitely beat the semi-negative point. I’m giving “The Initiation” a rating of 5 out of 5 for all the fun I had reading this book and living the actual Initiation with the characters. I was finally shown great puzzles in a book AND explanations as to why the world was dystopian now. And Drayden… I just love him, okay? He’s such a sweetie. And a courageous (though oblivious) one at that!

What’s not to love?

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit his Web site, you can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can visit his publisher, Permuted Press, https://permutedpress.com/. You can also add "The Initiation" to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

Alchemy ‘ s Air: A Review

Book Reviews April 8, 2019 Leave a comment

by Stacey Tucker

Alchemy's Air: Book Two of the Equal Night Trilogy
by Stacey Tucker
Publisher: SparkPress

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Pages: 352
ISBN: 9781943006847
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook (Kindle & Kobo)
Publication date: May 14th, 2019
Publisher: SparkPress
Type: Novel (2nd in a trilogy)

A special thanks to SparkPress for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion via Edelweiss+.

The Blurb:

The ancient secrets of the Book of Sophia were entrusted to Skylar Southmartin. She needs to succeed at a deadly mission where she journeys to the Underworld of the Earth to restore a vital memory to the Akashic Library. This Now that she’s passed her trial by fire, Skylar Southmartin has been entrusted with the ancient secrets of the Book of Sophia. Ahead is her greatest mission to date: a journey to the Underworld to restore a vital memory to the Akashic Library that will bring her face to face with the darkness within. Many seek this library because they believe the future of human potential is at its core.

Will Skylar and her friends survive the darkness hidden in all of us and the risk of it destroying their very souls?

Introduction:

When I read Alchemy’s Air’s blurb on Edelweiss+, I simply had to give it a go even though I hadn’t read the first one, Ocean’s Fire. Fiction related to the spiritual, mythologies, and witches’ powers (or the likes!) interests me a great deal.

Thank you so much for this opportunity, SparkPress and Edelweiss+!

The Positive Sides:

First of all, the ideas themselves of the Book of Sophia, the realm of the spiritual, the Akashic library an the Underworld of Earth just held my attention quite forgive the pun religiously. I genuinely liked that a fiction book dares to dive deeper into the depths of the magic of the world and the spiritual as a main objective (from what I can assume). I’ve read other books like Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus series where they DO get to the Underworld and such other books, yet while greatly enjoyable, never gets past the surface of the topic. But Alchemy’s Air does it!

Moreover, the sheer details of the underworld and the spiritual realm (hinted at the very beginning) are immersing and glorious! The words paint a stunning picture of the concepts and objects such as a special Tree of Life which is scorched to us, but gorgeous and quite alive on the spiritual side. Love that we get to experience the sensation (almost!) of what it’s like to see such things!

As for the characters, they’re interesting. I like them and how they care about something else too such as veterinarian care and studies. It makes them lovelier to me. And that run from Milicent’s husband to President? That’s fun and different in a fantasy novel. I must admit I greatly enjoy those down-to-earth sides of the story. They’re awesome and much welcomed.

Furthermore, the stakes are high, pressing and essential to humankind. Also, I love the use of different concepts from all kinds of religions and beliefs. It’s a beautiful, carefully chosen melting pot.

The Negative Sides:

Sadly, there’s no way around this: The dialogue killed my enthusiasm quite early on. They’re not only forced, but they are 3-4 sentences long with each character. It’s not realistic. Plus, it TELLS us in dialogue what we figured out most of the time. It’s the main negative side and a dealbreaker for me. I couldn’t believe in the story (even though the rest is great!) and kept rolling my eyes every time a character spoke. I swear, I was enjoying myself in the narrative… until a line of dialogue popped up.

Speaking of narrative, it takes a good while before things get heated. While I truly loved the passages where we glimpse at the other world (the spiritual world), the story took too long before starting up. But maybe you like things to go slow in books. If so, then go for it!

In Conclusion:

Rating this one was tough. On the one hand, I LOVE the ideas in the book, the amazing details about the supernatural world, and got involved in the story. On the other, my involvement stopped as soon as any character spoke. So, torn between two polar opposites (I’m loving this versus oh no here’s the unrealistic dialogue again), I’m giving Alchemy’s Air by Stacey Tucker a rating of 3.5 out of 5.

Let me be clear: If, like me, the summary interests it, read the book! I’m sure some of you will enjoy it because it IS enjoyable, hence the rating. But, to me, the false dialogue rang too loudly. But do I recommend this book? Absolutely! The idea is still kick-ass and I swear the details and concepts about the spiritual world are the best I’ve read yet!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her Web site, you can also follow her on Instagram, her Pinterest account, and Goodreads . You can visit her publisher, SparkPress, https://gosparkpress.com/. You can also add Alchemy's Air to your bookshelves on Goodreads.

Alchemy’s Air: A Review

Book Reviews April 8, 2019 Leave a comment

by Stacey Tucker

Alchemy’s Air: Book Two of the Equal Night Trilogy
by Stacey Tucker
Publisher: SparkPress

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Pages: 352
ISBN: 9781943006847
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook (Kindle & Kobo)
Publication date: May 14th, 2019
Publisher: SparkPress
Type: Novel (2nd in a trilogy)

*A special thanks to SparkPress for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion via Edelweiss+.*

The Blurb:

The ancient secrets of the Book of Sophia were entrusted to Skylar Southmartin. She needs to succeed at a deadly mission where she journeys to the Underworld of the Earth to restore a vital memory to the Akashic Library. This Now that she’s passed her trial by fire, Skylar Southmartin has been entrusted with the ancient secrets of the Book of Sophia. Ahead is her greatest mission to date: a journey to the Underworld to restore a vital memory to the Akashic Library that will bring her face to face with the darkness within. Many seek this library because they believe the future of human potential is at its core.

Will Skylar and her friends survive the darkness hidden in all of us and the risk of it destroying their very souls?

Introduction:

When I read Alchemy’s Air’s blurb on Edelweiss+, I simply had to give it a go even though I hadn’t read the first one, Ocean’s Fire. Fiction related to the spiritual, mythologies, and witches’ powers (or the likes!) interests me a great deal.

Thank you so much for this opportunity, SparkPress and Edelweiss+!

The Positive Sides:

First of all, the ideas themselves of the Book of Sophia, the realm of the spiritual, the Akashic library an the Underworld of Earth just held my attention quite forgive the pun religiously. I genuinely liked that a fiction book dares to dive deeper into the depths of the magic of the world and the spiritual as a main objective (from what I can assume). I’ve read other books like Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus series where they DO get to the Underworld and such other books, yet while greatly enjoyable, never gets past the surface of the topic. But Alchemy’s Air does it!

Moreover, the sheer details of the underworld and the spiritual realm (hinted at the very beginning) are immersing and glorious! The words paint a stunning picture of the concepts and objects such as a special Tree of Life which is scorched to us, but gorgeous and quite alive on the spiritual side. Love that we get to experience the sensation (almost!) of what it’s like to see such things!

As for the characters, they’re interesting. I like them and how they care about something else too such as veterinarian care and studies. It makes them lovelier to me. And that run from Milicent’s husband to President? That’s fun and different in a fantasy novel. I must admit I greatly enjoy those down-to-earth sides of the story. They’re awesome and much welcomed.

Furthermore, the stakes are high, pressing and essential to humankind. Also, I love the use of different concepts from all kinds of religions and beliefs. It’s a beautiful, carefully chosen melting pot.

The Negative Sides:

Sadly, there’s no way around this: The dialogue killed my enthusiasm quite early on. They’re not only forced, but they are 3-4 sentences long with each character. It’s not realistic. Plus, it TELLS us in dialogue what we figured out most of the time. It’s the main negative side and a dealbreaker for me. I couldn’t believe in the story (even though the rest is great!) and kept rolling my eyes every time a character spoke. I swear, I was enjoying myself in the narrative… until a line of dialogue popped up.

Speaking of narrative, it takes a good while before things get heated. While I truly loved the passages where we glimpse at the other world (the spiritual world), the story took too long before starting up. But maybe you like things to go slow in books. If so, then go for it!

In Conclusion:

Rating this one was tough. On the one hand, I LOVE the ideas in the book, the amazing details about the supernatural world, and got involved in the story. On the other, my involvement stopped as soon as any character spoke. So, torn between two polar opposites (I’m loving this versus oh no here’s the unrealistic dialogue again), I’m giving Alchemy’s Air by Stacey Tucker a rating of 3.5 out of 5.

Let me be clear: If, like me, the summary interests it, read the book! I’m sure some of you will enjoy it because it IS enjoyable, hence the rating. But, to me, the false dialogue rang too loudly. But do I recommend this book? Absolutely! The idea is still kick-ass and I swear the details and concepts about the spiritual world are the best I’ve read yet!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her Web site, you can also follow her on Instagram, her Pinterest account, and Goodreads . You can visit her publisher, SparkPress, https://gosparkpress.com/. You can also add Alchemy’s Air to your bookshelves on Goodreads.

The Initiation: A Book Review

Book Reviews February 26, 2019 1 Comment

by Chris Babu

Genre: YA,Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian

Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-1682615935
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook (Kindle & Kobo)
Publication date: February 27th, 2018
Publisher: Permuted Press
Type: Novel (1st in a trilogy)

*A special thanks to Chris Babu and Permuted Press for providing me with an eCopy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

The Blurb:

Everyone is equal. But no one is safe.

In a ruined world, Manhattan is now New America, a walled-in society based on equality. But the perfect facade hides a dark truth.

A timid math geek, sixteen-year-old Drayden watches his life crumble when his beloved mother is exiled. The mystery of her banishment leads him to a sinister secret: New America is in trouble, and every one of its citizens is in jeopardy.

With time running out, he enters the Initiation. It’s a test within the empty subway tunnels—a perilous journey of puzzles and deadly physical trials. Winners join the ruling Bureau and move to its safe haven. But failure means death. Can Drayden conquer the Initiation, or is salvation out of his grasp?

Introduction:

I was offered the opportunity to review the first two books in Chris Babu’s dystopian trilogy by Permuted Press. I jumped on it because, as you lads and lasses know, I’m a big lover of dystopian. The blurb appealed to me. It seemed to have anything I love: logic, realism, courage, quests, trials, a dystopian setting… and I could go on! So, here’s my review of the first book, The Initiation. Enjoy!

Thank you so much for this pleasant opportunity, Chris Babu and Permuted Press!

The Positive Sides:

There are many things I liked and even loved about this book so hold tight. The book starts with a heartbreaking moment, Drayden’s mother’s exile from the Dorms into the wilderness that New York has become. This moment is crucial in establishing the stakes, the plot, and the characters. It was also pretty sad and I loved it! It didn’t wait and wait… until something happened. No, it did right upon opening the book! Speaking of writing, Babu, the author, knows how the describe the emotions and events in poignant manner. Kudos to him! I often found myself affected emotionally, so that’s a very good thing. I kept hoping and feeling torn with the protagonist.

Okay, hang on even tighter here because I have A LOT to say about the protagonist, Drayden. Here goes:

Drayden is LOVELY. He’s kind, considerate, affectionate, AND very clever. I don’t know how someone could even dislike him. He’s mine, okay? Mine! His origins makes me so happy: he’s biracial, with a Korean mother and a Caucasian father. It’s so original because authors usually write about the most widely used ethnic groups such as Chinese or Afro-American communities. So, reading about a Korean protagonist is inspiring and a much needed fresh air to the YA category. Moreover, the actual display of Drayden’s intelligence and logic process. It is so well done! I rarely saw this before, except in the Sherlock Holmes books, which is an important point (I’m a huge Sherlock Holmes fan). It shows and feels that he is intelligent. Most of the times, authors claim their main character is clever but seldom show it. It’s one of the things I love most about “The Initiation” : the truth of Drayden’s intelligence.

Last point about Drayden: he’s oblivious about his own courage. He thinks he’s a coward, but really he keeps facing the challenges and being brave despite the terrible situations he’s in. All in order to find the answer as to why his mom was exiled. He’s also quite helpful to others. He always calls himself a coward, but he’ll do anything that is required of him to either help others or achieve his goals. It’s beautiful to see his actions and words are two different things, in the most positive of ways. In my opinion, he’s quite brave. I particularly love how we see him slowly acknowledge this side of him that was there all along. It’s character discovery at its finest.

Now, what about the other characters? Well, the most distinctive trait is how diverse they are! I mean, their personalities pop from one another and they even clash. It’s refreshing to read such characters; they really seem alive to me and I can never wait jumping back into my reading to join them again. It’s like they became my friends! And that’s so amazing. Usually, characters share a few traits and all sound very similar. Not here, nuh huh.

Let’s talk about “The Initiation”, or more precisely, the challenges it involves. They’re so intense I shuddered here and there and was genuinely relieved when no one was hurt, and so on. There are the physical challenges which are seriously hard and made me shiver with disgust and fear. Then, there are my favorites: the intelligence trials. I love, love, love love love the puzzles! They’re not easy and they’re highly entertaining AND stressful. Wonderful! As I’m not one for math, I was quite surprised to find myself actively working to decipher the puzzles! Seriously, that’s exactly what I’m looking for in book challenges.

I’ve got the tackle the New America’s swear words and vocabulary. They’re so amusing and funny! It goes like: shkat, chotch, wetchop, etc. They sound and look funny and I just love it. It’s varied, it sounds good, and they replace our own swear words. Thinking of it, it just makes sense that they’d have their own lingo because they’ve been living secluded from the rest of the world, or what is left of it. So, bonus points for this creative vocabulary!

Also, the division between the Dorms and the Palace (and other districts) in New America is painfully realistic. It features the never-ending inequality issue and you can see it worsens as you read on. A big issue reflected well and exaggerated (or is it?) in the story. I love this side of it, even though it’s not “positive” per say, but I think it really helps in setting the world up.

Speaking of the world, the Confluence (the confluence of four major issues such as hacked communications and superbugs, etc.) sounds way too realistic to me. It’s a very good but scary thing. Because it could totally happen! And another thing I particularly enjoyed: it’s that FINALLY there’s a YA dystopian story that EXPLAINS what happened before that led to this crappy state of the world now like New America. Bravo! It made it all better, I swear. Much more understandable, too.

The Negative Sides:

It took me a while (the good half of the book) to get accustomed to the writing. It is straight-to-the-point, though emotional (which is good!), and it doesn’t use flowery sentences nor the beauty of language. The writing is practical and functional. It has its own style. It’s not bad, but it’s quite different. So it takes a bit of getting used to. Nevertheless, I ended up rolling with it and liking it for its straightforwardness.

But that’s really the only bad side and it’s not so bad.

Give it a try. Not everyone likes the same things, so you might enjoy it right away.

In Conclusion:

I’m SO glad of having read this book! It’s right next to the Hunger Games and the Maze Runner in my favorite dystopians. All the positive sides definitely beat the semi-negative point. I’m giving “The Initiation” a rating of 5 out of 5 for all the fun I had reading this book and living the actual Initiation with the characters. I was finally shown great puzzles in a book AND explanations as to why the world was dystopian now. And Drayden… I just love him, okay? He’s such a sweetie. And a courageous (though oblivious) one at that!

What’s not to love?

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit his Web site, you can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can visit his publisher, Permuted Press, https://permutedpress.com/. You can also add “The Initiation” to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

What I ‘ m Reading: January 2019

What I'm Reading December 27, 2018 Leave a comment

Hello everyone! I decided to share my readings and upcoming reviews for the month starting this January! I thought this would be fun for both of us. You will see the categories divided like this: Personal readings (Hardcover, Paperback, Kobo, Kindle) and ARCs and free copies (a.k.a upcoming reviews).

As always you're invited to share your thoughts on these readings, whether you want to read them or already have. 🙂

Enjoy!

Personal Readings

Hardcovers

The Sleeping Prince (The Sin Eater's Daughter #2) by Melinda Salisbury (Library Book)

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

Paperbacks

That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E. K. Johnston

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke (Library Book)

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Between, #1)

Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Kobo (eBooks)

A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge

Wendy Darling (Volume 1: Stars) by Colleen Oakes

Kindle (eBooks)

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1) by Brenda Drake

Echo in Time (Echo Trilogy #1) by Lindsey Fairleigh

Heir of Illaria (Illaria #1) by Dyan Chick

ARCs and Free Copies

Upcoming Reviews

Unwritten by Tara Gilboy (NetGalley)

Comics Experience Guide to Writing Comics: Scripting Your Story Ideas from Start to Finish by Andy Schmidt (NetGalley)

Tommy Hopps and the Aztecs by Vic Connor and Austin Briggs (Reading Deals)

Invincible Assassin 2.5 (Novella) by John Darryl Winston (LibraryThing)

The Initiation by Chris Babu (Direct review request)

I hope you're as excited as I am!

What do you think of these books? Have you read them? Do you want to?

Which ARC are you most looking forward to?

See you next post, lovelies!

What I’m Reading: January 2019

Book Reviews, chit-chatting with Cat, What I'm Reading December 27, 2018 Leave a comment

Hello everyone! I decided to share my readings and upcoming reviews for the month starting this January! I thought this would be fun for both of us. You will see the categories divided like this: Personal readings (Hardcover, Paperback, Kobo, Kindle) and ARCs and free copies (a.k.a upcoming reviews).

As always you’re invited to share your thoughts on these readings, whether you want to read them or already have. 🙂

Enjoy!