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patchworkbunny's Reviews (2.12k)
Devil's Due is the sequel to Devil's Bargain and therefore this review may contain spoilers for the previous book.
Ben McCarthy is getting out of prison and Lucia Garza is there to welcome him…and offer him a job. The private investigation firm she and her partner Jazz started is doing well, and it’s been a while since they received a red envelope. Until, one arrives containing white powder sending the office into lockdown and two of team exposed to who knows what. Whilst they try and work out what the Cross Society is playing at or if it’s their enemies at work, an abused woman turns up seeking protection from her husband.
Devil’s Due follows Lucia instead of Jazz and is full of fast-paced twists and turns. Maybe too many turns… It would be hard to summarise the plot other than it is full of conspiracies, bluffs and back-stabbing, not to be unexpected when dealing with two secret-squirrel organisations, both of which seem up to no-good at the same time as doing benevolent deeds.
Let’s rewind a minute. In Devil’s Bargain Jazz and Lucia got embroiled in the Cross Society; given funding to run their business providing they follow the instructions in the red envelopes. Sometimes all they need to do is sit around in a car park whilst something happens, for they are important figures that have the ability to change the course of events. The Cross Society uses psychics to predict the future and what they need to do to channel the pattern of events to their end goal.
Lucia and Jazz have come to the conclusion that they won’t run when they are called and they won’t stand by when innocent people are being killed, not if they can do something about it. So obviously, they are pissing off the people in charge. There’s so many characters running around with different agendas, it got a bit confusing at times, but still fun when I stopped trying to think so hard.
Lucia is immediately attracted to Ben and I found the story veering off into rather obvious flirting segments repeatedly. But never fear, the next moment someone would be trying to kill them. The most hilarious thing is, everyone can guess that the envelope contained anthrax and Lucia is displaying cold-like symptoms, yet she’s still inclined to make-out in the doorway. I think Pansy has the right idea, hanging around in Manny’s fortress watching DVDs in her PJs.
If you enjoyed Devil’s Bargain then I’d recommend Devil’s Due as it does shed a little more light on the mysterious goings on of the organisations as well as providing some more character development. There is no way this book would work as a standalone novel, despite the handy case file provided at the start.
Ben McCarthy is getting out of prison and Lucia Garza is there to welcome him…and offer him a job. The private investigation firm she and her partner Jazz started is doing well, and it’s been a while since they received a red envelope. Until, one arrives containing white powder sending the office into lockdown and two of team exposed to who knows what. Whilst they try and work out what the Cross Society is playing at or if it’s their enemies at work, an abused woman turns up seeking protection from her husband.
Devil’s Due follows Lucia instead of Jazz and is full of fast-paced twists and turns. Maybe too many turns… It would be hard to summarise the plot other than it is full of conspiracies, bluffs and back-stabbing, not to be unexpected when dealing with two secret-squirrel organisations, both of which seem up to no-good at the same time as doing benevolent deeds.
Let’s rewind a minute. In Devil’s Bargain Jazz and Lucia got embroiled in the Cross Society; given funding to run their business providing they follow the instructions in the red envelopes. Sometimes all they need to do is sit around in a car park whilst something happens, for they are important figures that have the ability to change the course of events. The Cross Society uses psychics to predict the future and what they need to do to channel the pattern of events to their end goal.
Lucia and Jazz have come to the conclusion that they won’t run when they are called and they won’t stand by when innocent people are being killed, not if they can do something about it. So obviously, they are pissing off the people in charge. There’s so many characters running around with different agendas, it got a bit confusing at times, but still fun when I stopped trying to think so hard.
Lucia is immediately attracted to Ben and I found the story veering off into rather obvious flirting segments repeatedly. But never fear, the next moment someone would be trying to kill them. The most hilarious thing is, everyone can guess that the envelope contained anthrax and Lucia is displaying cold-like symptoms, yet she’s still inclined to make-out in the doorway. I think Pansy has the right idea, hanging around in Manny’s fortress watching DVDs in her PJs.
If you enjoyed Devil’s Bargain then I’d recommend Devil’s Due as it does shed a little more light on the mysterious goings on of the organisations as well as providing some more character development. There is no way this book would work as a standalone novel, despite the handy case file provided at the start.
Sam was just looking for a place to empty his beer-filled bladder when he stumbles onto something he should in the grounds of the museum in Bath. Meanwhile, in London, Cathy is living a nice normal life with a nice normal boyfriend, until the day her secrecy charm is removed by Lord Poppy, patron to her family. For Cathy is fae-touched and is hiding out from her family and their parochial views. The there’s Max, a soulless Arbiter who is tasked with keeping the Mundane safe from the fae and trouble is brewing but he doesn’t know what…
Between Two Thorns took a while to get into but by the end I absolutely loved the characters; even the ones I hated at the start. There are a lot of characters, the narrative jumping from story to story and until it starts to weave together, it is a lot to take in and remember. I would have liked a bit more time spent on character development of a few rather than trying to give equal parts to so many. For instance, there was quite a lot of time establishing Sam’s relationship with his wife which didn’t pan out into anything. Perhaps it’s meant for another book, especially the mystery around his wedding ring. Max's circumstances were confusing at first too although I loved his gargoyle sidesick. To be honest, I kept getting Sam and Max mixed up, I think it was the three-letter names as their characters are not meant to be similar at all.
The fae of the Split Worlds are an ironic take on flower fairies. Each family is assigned a flower name but in true faerie fashion, they are anything but benevolent and rather fond of mischief and mind games. I did quite like Lord Poppy though; he seemed fair and at least found Cathy interesting, whilst the rest of her society thought her a bit odd for having Mundane values.
The contrast between Mundanus and the Nether is central to the story. Cathy is from a society family (think of Austen era) and is expected to be a meek, obliging woman and be married off to a match that would further their standing. Having learned about the freedoms of Mundane women in forbidden books as a child, Cathy runs away and goes to university, very much against her family’s wishes. Whilst she is a perfectly normal, modern woman to the reader’s eyes, she is seen as an outcast in the Nether. As her basic rights are taken away from her, you feel her frustrations.
Overall, it’s a fun and, at times, charming book if you don’t expect too much from it. The series has potential to be quite interesting and as said before, I really did start to love the characters and their world. And then it stopped. It’s one of those books where I felt I had to check I wasn’t missing pages because it didn’t feel like an ending at all. I don’t mind loose ends but, I don’t know, it was all too sudden, just when the pace was picking up.
Between Two Thorns took a while to get into but by the end I absolutely loved the characters; even the ones I hated at the start. There are a lot of characters, the narrative jumping from story to story and until it starts to weave together, it is a lot to take in and remember. I would have liked a bit more time spent on character development of a few rather than trying to give equal parts to so many. For instance, there was quite a lot of time establishing Sam’s relationship with his wife which didn’t pan out into anything. Perhaps it’s meant for another book, especially the mystery around his wedding ring. Max's circumstances were confusing at first too although I loved his gargoyle sidesick. To be honest, I kept getting Sam and Max mixed up, I think it was the three-letter names as their characters are not meant to be similar at all.
The fae of the Split Worlds are an ironic take on flower fairies. Each family is assigned a flower name but in true faerie fashion, they are anything but benevolent and rather fond of mischief and mind games. I did quite like Lord Poppy though; he seemed fair and at least found Cathy interesting, whilst the rest of her society thought her a bit odd for having Mundane values.
The contrast between Mundanus and the Nether is central to the story. Cathy is from a society family (think of Austen era) and is expected to be a meek, obliging woman and be married off to a match that would further their standing. Having learned about the freedoms of Mundane women in forbidden books as a child, Cathy runs away and goes to university, very much against her family’s wishes. Whilst she is a perfectly normal, modern woman to the reader’s eyes, she is seen as an outcast in the Nether. As her basic rights are taken away from her, you feel her frustrations.
Overall, it’s a fun and, at times, charming book if you don’t expect too much from it. The series has potential to be quite interesting and as said before, I really did start to love the characters and their world. And then it stopped. It’s one of those books where I felt I had to check I wasn’t missing pages because it didn’t feel like an ending at all. I don’t mind loose ends but, I don’t know, it was all too sudden, just when the pace was picking up.
Toby knows something isn’t quote right when the Queen of the Mists makes her Countess of Goldengreen. The queen has never liked her much so why this? Why now? She has little time to dwell on this new development when news reaches her that Lily, the Lady of the Tea Gardens, is ill. Desperate to save her friend and protect the subjects of the Tea Garden, who are too weak to be welcomed by other fae courts, Toby must race against time to find a cure. But when other fae start falling ill, she suspects her oldest enemy may be back in town; the woman who ripped her happy life away so many years ago.
The poisoning story is one that builds and builds, with plenty of opportunity for Toby to become embroiled even if it weren’t obvious someone wants to frame her. The reappearance of Oleander brings doubts to Toby’s sanity. Is she imagining the scent of her magic? Wanting to blame the illness of her friends on a known evil? Is Toby going to carry on walking into that trap?
When the cats are ill too, it gives Tybalt the opportunity to place a great deal of trust in Toby. I am fond of the Court of Cats, seeing them as a motley bunch rather than the nobility of the other fae, perhaps in part to their feline nature. So, along with that of Lily, I found their stories heart-breaking. I’m not convinced by Sylvester’s response; he has always seen Toby as a daughter so why would he shut himself away at the risk of losing more of his family?
It’s a shame we must wait for Lily to be critically ill before we learn so much about her. I don’t think I clicked in previous books what an Undine was. She is made from water and in this case her water is polluted in some way. So that means they have to get their very own fae forensics analyst in! Actually Walther is just a chemistry professor who also happens to be fae, but I liked his inclusion in Toby’s world, bringing the story back round to urban fantasy crime cross-over territory.
There’s also a kiss to get excited about. Honestly, it says a lot about the sexual tension that one kiss stands out. But it’s not about the romance at all and Toby had lives to save. Plus she really doesn’t want to admit some things to herself.
The poisoning story is one that builds and builds, with plenty of opportunity for Toby to become embroiled even if it weren’t obvious someone wants to frame her. The reappearance of Oleander brings doubts to Toby’s sanity. Is she imagining the scent of her magic? Wanting to blame the illness of her friends on a known evil? Is Toby going to carry on walking into that trap?
When the cats are ill too, it gives Tybalt the opportunity to place a great deal of trust in Toby. I am fond of the Court of Cats, seeing them as a motley bunch rather than the nobility of the other fae, perhaps in part to their feline nature. So, along with that of Lily, I found their stories heart-breaking. I’m not convinced by Sylvester’s response; he has always seen Toby as a daughter so why would he shut himself away at the risk of losing more of his family?
It’s a shame we must wait for Lily to be critically ill before we learn so much about her. I don’t think I clicked in previous books what an Undine was. She is made from water and in this case her water is polluted in some way. So that means they have to get their very own fae forensics analyst in! Actually Walther is just a chemistry professor who also happens to be fae, but I liked his inclusion in Toby’s world, bringing the story back round to urban fantasy crime cross-over territory.
There’s also a kiss to get excited about. Honestly, it says a lot about the sexual tension that one kiss stands out. But it’s not about the romance at all and Toby had lives to save. Plus she really doesn’t want to admit some things to herself.
Kalu doesn’t have much to live for when he climbs the banyan tree; his foot infected and no way to make a living. Even shunned by those who previously helped him out due to the stench of his foot. He has climbed the tree to make a simple flute out of one of the leaves. He starts to play a beautiful melody, which catches the attention of a passer-by. Fate is smiling down on the boy as the man is a vaid, a traditional healer, who strikes up a bargain to heal Kalu’s foot. Soon Kalu is being whisked away to learn the true meaning of music.
The novel supposedly mimics the structure and themes of the Indian raag; a musical form literally translating as “mood”. I had thought this would have meant an interesting narrative structure but it has resulted in the story taking far too long to get going. Part one, the aalapp, is a slow piece without rhythm which introduces the elements and the story introduces the characters. Part two, the antara, is a slow build, bringing in the percussion instruments and twining together two or three tunes. We get to know more characters and the lives of Bal and Malti, although separate from Kalu’s, are brought to life. Part three, the bol bandh, is really the climax, where melodies are broken up and regrouped. This is where the drama happens in the book. The final section of the book is headed by “repetition of the full composition once” which doesn’t really reflect the content of the text but serves as more of an epilogue.
Bal and Malti’s stories were the stronger elements for me; I felt like Kalu was lacking in personality and the main section of the book relies too much on an interest in the music itself. Whilst it was interesting to learn a little about the culture around the raag, I started to get a bit bored whilst nothing was happening. If you love books about music, do consider giving it a try.
The India portrayed is one very much on the edge of change. The story is set against a fairly rural community who still have very traditional values, yet there are glimpses of the world as we know it. Guriji’s home is somewhat of a retreat, removed from the people at large but in comparison to the village, it was a much more modern lifestyle. It was hard to place the story in time until later on, the acceptance of arranged marriage is still quite common but it was shocking that an intelligent woman would marry a man without speaking to or seeing him until after the wedding. There are also descriptions of punishments that seem archaic and cruel, not to forget the story starts off with a whole community ignoring the fact that a boy is about to die from an infected foot!
I did enjoy the more dramatic final stages of the raag more and there were some rather tender and tragic moments. It just took me so long to engage with the characters, that I felt the structure didn’t work for me.
The novel supposedly mimics the structure and themes of the Indian raag; a musical form literally translating as “mood”. I had thought this would have meant an interesting narrative structure but it has resulted in the story taking far too long to get going. Part one, the aalapp, is a slow piece without rhythm which introduces the elements and the story introduces the characters. Part two, the antara, is a slow build, bringing in the percussion instruments and twining together two or three tunes. We get to know more characters and the lives of Bal and Malti, although separate from Kalu’s, are brought to life. Part three, the bol bandh, is really the climax, where melodies are broken up and regrouped. This is where the drama happens in the book. The final section of the book is headed by “repetition of the full composition once” which doesn’t really reflect the content of the text but serves as more of an epilogue.
Bal and Malti’s stories were the stronger elements for me; I felt like Kalu was lacking in personality and the main section of the book relies too much on an interest in the music itself. Whilst it was interesting to learn a little about the culture around the raag, I started to get a bit bored whilst nothing was happening. If you love books about music, do consider giving it a try.
The India portrayed is one very much on the edge of change. The story is set against a fairly rural community who still have very traditional values, yet there are glimpses of the world as we know it. Guriji’s home is somewhat of a retreat, removed from the people at large but in comparison to the village, it was a much more modern lifestyle. It was hard to place the story in time until later on, the acceptance of arranged marriage is still quite common but it was shocking that an intelligent woman would marry a man without speaking to or seeing him until after the wedding. There are also descriptions of punishments that seem archaic and cruel, not to forget the story starts off with a whole community ignoring the fact that a boy is about to die from an infected foot!
I did enjoy the more dramatic final stages of the raag more and there were some rather tender and tragic moments. It just took me so long to engage with the characters, that I felt the structure didn’t work for me.
The hysteria is rising in the Beechway high security psychiatric unit. A spate of self-harming incidents and the death of a patient had stirred up stories of The Maude, a ghostly dwarf who haunts the halls. Left to cover for absent colleagues, senior nurse AJ starts to piece together some troubling facts, leading him to call the in the police… And DI Jack Caffery’s superior is looking for just the thing to pull him from the fruitless search for the missing Misty Kitson.
I’ve always known Mo Hayder could scare me senseless, but Poppet has one of the most disturbing first chapters I’ve ever read. The thought of a creepy little dwarf running round an asylum, sitting on people’s chests as they sleep, was terrifying and made me hesitant to turn off the lights after reading. Many of the scenes take place in bedrooms of sorts and there is something extra scary about being targeted in somewhere that should be safe. Once AJ and Jack start digging deeper, it loses its horror somewhat, yet remains a tense and gripping read.
The novel alternates between the current case and that of Misty Kitson, the missing model we were introduced to in Skin. I was torn between the two plot-lines, wanting the thrills of the main story but also hating to be torn away from Jack and Flea’s interactions. Jack is determined to bring up you-know-what with Flea and she is determined to keep things buried. For those who haven’t read the series, the lack of context may cause confusion and take away from the enjoyment of the central plot, which is otherwise a strong standalone story.
Without giving too much away, I love how Hayder manages to turn your feelings round, upside down and through the ringer. It started off with fear but ended with a few awwws for me. Little glimpses into characters’ lives make such an impact in her writing. Just brilliant. I hope I don’t have to wait too long for the next instalment…
I’ve always known Mo Hayder could scare me senseless, but Poppet has one of the most disturbing first chapters I’ve ever read. The thought of a creepy little dwarf running round an asylum, sitting on people’s chests as they sleep, was terrifying and made me hesitant to turn off the lights after reading. Many of the scenes take place in bedrooms of sorts and there is something extra scary about being targeted in somewhere that should be safe. Once AJ and Jack start digging deeper, it loses its horror somewhat, yet remains a tense and gripping read.
The novel alternates between the current case and that of Misty Kitson, the missing model we were introduced to in Skin. I was torn between the two plot-lines, wanting the thrills of the main story but also hating to be torn away from Jack and Flea’s interactions. Jack is determined to bring up you-know-what with Flea and she is determined to keep things buried. For those who haven’t read the series, the lack of context may cause confusion and take away from the enjoyment of the central plot, which is otherwise a strong standalone story.
Without giving too much away, I love how Hayder manages to turn your feelings round, upside down and through the ringer. It started off with fear but ended with a few awwws for me. Little glimpses into characters’ lives make such an impact in her writing. Just brilliant. I hope I don’t have to wait too long for the next instalment…
Zoe wants to make a confession. She can’t tell her friends or family of her guilt, so instead she writes letters to a convict on death row. If anyone can understand, he can. She killed a boy and she got away with it.
Ketchup Clouds at its heart, is a story about guilt. Whether or not that guilt is justified, it wells up inside Zoe (not her real name) and forces her to hide in the garden shed to write letters to a stranger. A stranger whose reaction we never see. As she writes, we discover she has got involved with two brothers. One is a rather typical teenage boy (and how refreshing this is to see) and the other is the perfect match so often present in YA fiction. There’s this huge reality check; relationships are not always romantic.
Whilst her love life might be a bit of a disaster, she is the heart of her family, looking out for her sisters whilst her parents are going through a rough patch. I loved the family dynamics and it makes you like Zoe despite her other behaviour. Her youngest sister is deaf, portrayed as a wonderfully vibrant character and the middle sister is rather mean but with reasons that will be revealed.
Zoe’s narrative voice is spot on. Some of her actions are immature and her writing feels young. But it’s not over-simplified or patronising. I found myself laughing at times, loving the irony and her matter of factness. Then there’s the way the letters sound conversational even though there are no replies. They start off addressed to Mr S Harris and slowly become more informal until she’s calling him Stu. Her belief in the goodness in him made me want his story to turn out well too.
This structure does seem to be a growing trend in young adult fiction; the protagonist who has done something bad, revealing part of the picture from the start and using the rest of the novel as a slow reveal. Here, it is done well, but I’m not sure I’d want to read these sorts of books all the time. It helps with the pace as you want to keep reading to get round full circle but I always feel the book is waiting to catch up.
I had a proper snuffly cry at the end. It’s a fantastic book for teenagers to read. I don’t think guilt is always an obvious emotion but it’s one that can ruin lives and relationships.
Ketchup Clouds at its heart, is a story about guilt. Whether or not that guilt is justified, it wells up inside Zoe (not her real name) and forces her to hide in the garden shed to write letters to a stranger. A stranger whose reaction we never see. As she writes, we discover she has got involved with two brothers. One is a rather typical teenage boy (and how refreshing this is to see) and the other is the perfect match so often present in YA fiction. There’s this huge reality check; relationships are not always romantic.
Whilst her love life might be a bit of a disaster, she is the heart of her family, looking out for her sisters whilst her parents are going through a rough patch. I loved the family dynamics and it makes you like Zoe despite her other behaviour. Her youngest sister is deaf, portrayed as a wonderfully vibrant character and the middle sister is rather mean but with reasons that will be revealed.
Zoe’s narrative voice is spot on. Some of her actions are immature and her writing feels young. But it’s not over-simplified or patronising. I found myself laughing at times, loving the irony and her matter of factness. Then there’s the way the letters sound conversational even though there are no replies. They start off addressed to Mr S Harris and slowly become more informal until she’s calling him Stu. Her belief in the goodness in him made me want his story to turn out well too.
This structure does seem to be a growing trend in young adult fiction; the protagonist who has done something bad, revealing part of the picture from the start and using the rest of the novel as a slow reveal. Here, it is done well, but I’m not sure I’d want to read these sorts of books all the time. It helps with the pace as you want to keep reading to get round full circle but I always feel the book is waiting to catch up.
I had a proper snuffly cry at the end. It’s a fantastic book for teenagers to read. I don’t think guilt is always an obvious emotion but it’s one that can ruin lives and relationships.
Mori is one half of twins. After she loses her sister, she runs away from her home in South Wales and finds herself living with her estranged father. She’s running from her mother because she’s a witch and responsible for the death of her sister. Mori is packed off to boarding school where she can stay hidden and lose herself in the science fiction books she loves.
It is a book about a book lover. It doesn’t really matter if you don’t share Mori’s taste in reading matter, you will recognise her love of books in yourself. Set in 1979, her reading list is full of classic sci-fi. Whilst I recognise many of the titles, I haven’t read them, yet I still understood the way they made her feel. These are the reasons we read books. To both escape the world we live and to find answers. It’s told in a diary format and you get a wonderful commentary on the books she is reading as well as her own story.
The magic is subtle. If you are expecting an action-packed fantasy adventure you may be disappointed. In fact, Mori’s magic could be put down to an over-active imagination and coincidence. She is escaping a parent who is dangerous, she lost her twin; the magical world could easily be a coping mechanism. It’s a book you could read in two different ways; one completely believing her and the other looking for signs that it’s all make-believe.
When you mention magic and boarding school, minds are going to inevitably going to want to compare to Harry Potter. It is far too real for that comparison. Her boarding school is completely believable, with its odd customs and bad dinners. She feels alone when surrounded by others who have no chance of understanding her. She isn’t a heroine and she isn’t the centre of attention.
I want to befriend Mori. I can imagine her being a book blogger if it was set in the present day (and of course she wasn’t trying to hide). It’s a bitter sweet tale; with moments that made me laugh out loud and others that made my heart bleed for her. There are so many quotable passages, I urge you to read it and find yourself in complete agreement.
It is a book about a book lover. It doesn’t really matter if you don’t share Mori’s taste in reading matter, you will recognise her love of books in yourself. Set in 1979, her reading list is full of classic sci-fi. Whilst I recognise many of the titles, I haven’t read them, yet I still understood the way they made her feel. These are the reasons we read books. To both escape the world we live and to find answers. It’s told in a diary format and you get a wonderful commentary on the books she is reading as well as her own story.
The magic is subtle. If you are expecting an action-packed fantasy adventure you may be disappointed. In fact, Mori’s magic could be put down to an over-active imagination and coincidence. She is escaping a parent who is dangerous, she lost her twin; the magical world could easily be a coping mechanism. It’s a book you could read in two different ways; one completely believing her and the other looking for signs that it’s all make-believe.
When you mention magic and boarding school, minds are going to inevitably going to want to compare to Harry Potter. It is far too real for that comparison. Her boarding school is completely believable, with its odd customs and bad dinners. She feels alone when surrounded by others who have no chance of understanding her. She isn’t a heroine and she isn’t the centre of attention.
I want to befriend Mori. I can imagine her being a book blogger if it was set in the present day (and of course she wasn’t trying to hide). It’s a bitter sweet tale; with moments that made me laugh out loud and others that made my heart bleed for her. There are so many quotable passages, I urge you to read it and find yourself in complete agreement.