Monday, January 31, 2022

DNF&Y [40]

DNF&Y is used to explain why I gave up on certain books, and what about them just didn't work for me. What I disliked about a book might be something you love, so it helps to share your thoughts even when they're negative! If you would like additional information, please click on the DNF&Y tab at the top. If you want to join, you can link up at the bottom!

Servant Mage  by Kate Elliot

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Fellion is a Lamplighter, able to provide illumination through magic. A group of rebel Monarchists free her from indentured servitude and take her on a journey to rescue trapped compatriots from an underground complex of mines.

Along the way they get caught up in a conspiracy to kill the latest royal child and wipe out the Monarchist movement for good.

But Fellion has more than just her Lamplighting skills up her sleeve…

In Kate Elliott's Servant Mage, a lowly fire mage finds herself entangled in an empire-spanning conspiracy on her way to discovering her true power.





I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Servant Mage had the potential to be a great fantasy, but the story felt too rushed and the characters were sadly underdeveloped. I hated how little information we were given about the world we were thrown into, and the small revelations are told during info-dumping paragraphs instead of learned along the way. A good fantasy is believable despite its unbelievability, and Elliot didn't quite manage that with this one.

It also had several errors right off the bat, even for an ARC. Fellion was left a single dumpling so as not to upset her stomach (malnourished), yet the very next page she's grabbing a second one. Small inconsistencies like this don't normally bother me, but they do tend to stick out like a sore thumb. There were numerous spelling and grammatical errors as well, but hopefully those are taken care of before the book's publication.

Additionally, I wish we'd been given more explanations as to how the world worked. Fellion mentioned and alluded to having more than two parents. She called one Older Father and one Younger Father, in addition to her Mother and Grandmother. Why did she have more than one father? Was this commonplace for the people within the book, or an unusual circumstance for the main character? 

I think knowing so little about the world contributed to certain sentences and statements not making sense. "Shey tipped a hand to his ear, a movement she saw as the heat of his body shifting position." Eh? What's that supposed to mean? Shey then does something weird with his hands that lets them travel a great distance in a few steps, but it's only vaguely explained, and I really need my fantastical stories to make sense within the confines of the book's world (or world's). 

I also hate it when people are running for their lives but can stop to appreciate and comment on another character's looks. Really? If I'm scared to death, fleeing people who would hurt or kill me, someone's cheekbones are not going to be a priority. 

I wish the author hadn't rushed this story and had taken more time to develop the world and its characters. I think Servant Mage has a unique concept, so I'm disappointed by how superficial and surface level everything felt. (★★☆☆☆)

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

My Weekly Pull [204]

 
My Weekly Pull is something I do every Wednesday to show which comics I had pulled for me that week! If you're into comics, or you're looking to start, please join me! If you decide to do your own post, there's a link-up at the bottom. I would love to stop by and check it out!

Devil's Reign #3 by Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto 
Hellboy Silver Lantern Club #4 by Mike Mignola, Chris Roberson, Ben Stenbeck
Once & Future #24 by Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora

Transformers Beast Wars #12 by Erik Burnham, Josh Burcham, Phil Murphy 

Sunday, January 23, 2022

The Temperature of Me and You by Brian Zepka
[Blog Tour: Spotlight & Giveaway]

 
Halito! Welcome to the next stop on the blog tour for The Temperature of Me and You hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Thanks for stopping by today, and don't forget to check out the giveaway at the bottom! For the full tour schedule, please visit the Rockstar Book Tours website.

About The Book:
Title: THE TEMPERATURE OF ME AND YOU
Author: Brian Zepka
Pub. Date: January 25, 2022
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 416
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Audible, B&N, iBooks (audiobook), Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Sixteen-year-old Dylan Highmark thought his winter was going to be full of boring shifts at the Dairy Queen, until he finds himself in love with a boy who's literally too hot to handle.

Dylan has always wanted a boyfriend, but the suburbs surrounding Philadelphia do not have a lot in the way of options. Then, in walks Jordan, a completely normal (and undeniably cute) boy who also happens to run at a cool 110 degrees Fahrenheit. When the boys start spending time together, Dylan begins feeling all kinds of ways, and when he spikes a fever for two weeks and is suddenly coughing flames, he thinks he might be suffering from something more than just a crush. Jordan forces Dylan to keep his symptoms a secret. But as the pressure mounts and Dylan becomes distant with his closest friends and family, he pushes Jordan for answers. Jordan's revelations of why he's like this, where he came from, and who's after him leaves Dylan realizing how much first love is truly out of this world. And if Earth supports life that breathes oxygen, then love can only keep Jordan and Dylan together for so long.

THE TEMPERATURE OF ME AND YOU is the story of first love, and the lengths we'll go to figure out our hearts. What starts as an electric, chance encounter at a Dairy Queen quickly evolves into a heated romance, a journey of trust and identity, and a ticking clock for survival.



About Brian Zepka:

Brian Zepka was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Brian worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Virginia where he provided support for programs addressing community health literacy and adolescent sexual health. He currently lives in Philadelphia and is a program evaluator for a nonprofit organization focused on chronic disease prevention. The Temperature of Me and You is his first novel. Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon


Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE TEMPERATURE OF ME AND YOU, US Only.

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

My Weekly Pull [203]

 
My Weekly Pull is something I do every Wednesday to show which comics I had pulled for me that week! If you're into comics, or you're looking to start, please join me! If you decide to do your own post, there's a link-up at the bottom. I would love to stop by and check it out!

Silver Coin #8 by Matthew Rosenberg, Michael Walsh
Devil's Reign Villains for Hire #1 by Clay McLeod Chapman, Manuel Garcia, Skan 
Miles Morales Spider-Man #34 by Saladin Ahmed, Michele Bandini, Taurin Clarke 
Moon Knight #7 by Jed MacKay, Federico Sabbatini, Cory Smith 
She-Hulk #1 by Rainbow Rowell, Roge Antonio, Skottie Young

Venom #4 by Ram V, Bryan Hitch
Maw #5 by Jude Ellison S. Doyle, AL Kaplan, Ariela Kristantina
Seven Secrets #13 by Tom Taylor, Daniele di Nicuolo
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #125 by Sophie Campbell, Pablo Tunica, Kevin Eastman
Transformers #39 by Brian Ruckley, Anna Malkova, Alex Milne

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

My Weekly Pull [202]

 
My Weekly Pull is something I do every Wednesday to show which comics I had pulled for me that week! If you're into comics, or you're looking to start, please join me! If you decide to do your own post, there's a link-up at the bottom. I would love to stop by and check it out!

Stillwater #12 by Chip Zdarksy, Ramon K. Perez, Mike Spicer
Undiscovered Country #18 by Charles Soule, Scott Snyder, Giuseppe, Jae Lee
Marvel's Voices Inidigenous Voices #1 by Rebecca Roanhorse, Various, Jim Terry, Maria Wolf

Daredevil Woman Without Fear #1 by Chip Zdarsky, Rafael De Latorre, Chris Bachalo
Hawkeye Kate Bishop #3 by Marieke Nijkamp, Enid Balam, Jahnoy Lindsay
Transformers Wreckers Tread & Circuits #4 by David Mariotte, Jack Lawrence, Josh Burcham

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

My Weekly Pull [201]

 
My Weekly Pull is something I do every Wednesday to show which comics I had pulled for me that week! If you're into comics, or you're looking to start, please join me! If you decide to do your own post, there's a link-up at the bottom. I would love to stop by and check it out!

Ordinary Gods #6 by Kyle Higgins, Joe Clark, Felipe Watanabe, Frank William
Elektra Black, White & Blood #1 by Various, John Romita Jr (Cover)
Hellboy Bones of Giants #3 by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Matt Smith

Transformers Best of Optimus Prime by Various