Book Reviews: August 2021
It’s that time again: book reviews!
The book images link directly to the Amazon page for each, and additional information (or links to buy) can be found on the author websites/social media pages, listed at the end of each review. Books are listed in the order that I read them.
Please note: The opinions below are my own. Writing is subjective to the reader, and not everyone will share my conclusions about the books listed below.
The Calling – Branwen O’Shea
Humanity has been reduced to living underground to survive a global ice age. After many generations in this state, the population is in decline due to an incurable, fatal sickness that hits during adolescence. Bleu is determined to undertake an expedition to the surface, convinced he can find a cure for the disease there. He is driven not only by his curiosity, but by the fact that his younger sister is beginning to show signs of the sickness, as well.
The Calling is not your typical YA science fiction story. It has a cohesive plot, interesting characters, and a story that keeps the reader guessing from page one. I don’t read much YA any more, for the simple fact that many of the books I picked up had a very predictable storyline. The Calling was not that way; it kept me guessing, and I found it to be a very enjoyable read.
The characters were very relatable, even the alien Star Beings. It was a refreshing take on YA science fiction that I truly wish the genre had more of. The book did not end on a cliff-hanger, but does set up for a sequel (which looks to be coming in early 2022).
Author Website: branwenoshea.com
Her Perfect Cup of Tea – Lavina Serrao
This is the story of a busy woman and her love of tea – and how it brought her together with someone else. It’s cute and quick, broken up into four short chapters that I found to be an entertaining read on my lunch break. It was a well-written piece and I happened to like the tea theme throughout.
While not technically a book review, since this was a short story, I wanted to include it in this month’s list since the author was kind enough to reach out to me for a review. It was a great lunchtime read, and provided a nice break from my workday.
Author’s Twitter Page: @lavina_serrao
Mycophoria – Tom G. H. Adams
Note: This book contains a number of graphically violent, gory, and disturbing scenes. Sensitive readers may wish to avoid.
For those who actively read my blog, you’ll already know I’m a microbiologist with a keen interest in fungi. I picked up Mycophoria a few months ago based on the book’s description alone. It’s about an infectious fungus that does all the creepy things fungi do best: infect, mind-control, then consume its host. I’ve said a number of times to friends that many horror books with pandemics need to look to fungus for something that is truly scary. Viruses and bacteria have their moments, but they aren’t in the same league as fungi. Naturally, I had to read this book.
I’ll start off by saying that much of the book’s premise is plausible, from a scientific standpoint. The author clearly did his research on parasitic fungi, and some of the symptoms described in the book can be traced to actual organisms that are known to infect insects. One issue I had, as a scientist who knows a bit about fungi, is the time between exposure and onset of symptoms was far too rapid. That was a creative liberty taken by the author, and for the sake of the story, I understand why it was done.
The writing itself was well done, though some of the more gruesome scenes did tend to drag on a bit. As I stated previously, I liked the idea of this story, and as a horror novel, it was a fairly entertaining read. It had some of the feel of 28 Days Later, which I enjoyed.
The one sticking point for me was that there are a few minor inconsistencies between the early chapters and the rest of the book. One example is Jim’s character claiming he did not know Jane well initially, but a few chapters later he was reminiscing about times spent together and how funny she’d been.
Overall, it was a good read, and it satisfied the microbiologist in me with the research the author had clearly done. It would have been nice if some of the inconsistencies had been caught during the editing process and corrected, but otherwise, I liked the book.
Author Website: tomghadams.com
Dyrwolf – Kat Kinney
Lea is a hunter, and her quarry are the Dyr, shape-changers who can appear almost human, or as wolves. She harbors a life-long hatred of the Dyr, ingrained almost since birth. When she encounters Henrick, a Dyr apothecary with the ability to cure her of the mysterious ailment that has plagued her since childhood, she is forced to make a choice: Help him return to his people in exchange for his help, or leave him to die and continue to suffer.
Dyrwolf is action-packed and exciting from page one, and the pace doesn’t slow down as the book progresses. The characters are intriguing and relatable, and I have to say this is one of the best YA fantasy books I’ve read in a very long time. I love the author’s manner of description in the book, as well; it’s unique, fluid, and captivating. Dyrwolf was a book that once started, I had difficulty setting aside.
Dyrwolf is listed as the first in series, but it doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger. This was a great read, and one I’d highly recommend.
Author Twitter Page: @katkinneywrites
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