Book Review: Salt by Hannah Moskowitz

Chronicle Books
TBP August 28, 2018
280 Pages

Even though their parents disappeared during a hunt three months ago, seventeen-year-old Indi and his siblings, Beleza, Oscar, and Zulu, continue to roam the Mediterranean on their sailboat and hunt down monsters–but Indi yearns for a more settled life for his family, and he hopes that his parents’ journal with its tantalizing hints of a treasure, will provide them all with the means of escape from their nomadic and dangerous life before it is too late.- Goodreads

I thought this was going to be an intense monster hunting book, where the protagonist wants out and will do what it takes to get there.

Not the case at all. This read was slow as molasses and lacked the intensity of life at sea. There were a lot of little things that bothered me with this read.

Firstly, it takes place in modern times i.e. where there is computers, internet, cars and cell phones. I don’t nor did I have an issue with these kids choosing a life at sea but I had an issue with the fact that they did not know for the most part know how to use technology or even blend in with modern to society when they made port.I understand that they are supposed to be sea folks and that is their life, however, it was completely unrealistic that they couldn’t really blend in or use anything modern.

Secondly, their boat. How I pictured it was this rundown, single sail, toy wooden looking boat that had too much stuff on it to properly work or walk. I could not for the life of me understand how in a modern world this was all they had. You can argue that they were left alone after the disappearance of their parents and didn’t really have anything but then I could argue, their parents are monster hunters, why was there no preparation in how to get a proper boat?

Thirdly, there was no intensity within this novel. The monster scenes weren’t filled with that fight like I wanted and expected. Indi is extremely passive and didn’t really fight for anything. This does not change throughout the book. I wanted conflict, at least between him and Beleza but it wasn’t there. There was so much brushed over in this book that the author could have added more to character development, engagement, emotion and scenery.

Man this book could have been really good. I know I listed a lot of what I don’t like but there was a lot of good to this book. The foundation was strong; kids trying to save their family, save the world and fight the internal battle of just wanting to be kids is good. The pace was acceptable and the lack of romance actually worked in this book’s favor. Was there an interest? Yes, but that went left real fast and I was actually happy for that.

I wanted more from this read. It could have been amazing.Oh yeah and the ending wasn’t great either.

2 Pickles

Book Review: The Fallen Kingdom (The Falconer #3) by Elizabeth May

Chronicle Books
To Be Published June 13, 2017
336 Pages

This is the final book in the Falconer trilogy. Aileana Kameron has been resurrected by ancient fae magic and has no memory of her past or any idea of how she is now the keeper of a dangerous magic that she is unable to control. 

Determined to break this “curse”  while trying to control the powers, Aileana, must find an ancient book guarded by the powerful fae Morrigan. In order to save the people she loves. Aileana must do the impossible. 

I enjoyed this series and I enjoyed the cover art tremendously as well. The first thing to say about the final book is that it is much more romance filled than the other two. So, if you didn’t want a romance novel as the final novel, then you should not read this. I did roll my eyes, once I saw where the book was heading but it didn’t make it any less of a good book.

Although I was surprised, I loved this book. Aileana is still bad ass but less whinny. She is much more realistic to the whole end of the world and she is not heartless to the Fae. She understands that they have lost their world, just as much as the Humans have. I liked that about this book. What I didn’t like about her and pretty much since the first book, is that her word or nothing else. I love her determination and what she is willing to fight for but she really screws people over for her own piece of mind. It was annoying.

I loved the pace of the novel. But I do wish there was more fighting. There wasn’t enough of what made the Falconer a good book. There was less physical drama then one would think as the final battle. It would have been great to have just a little more. Despite that, I loved the grown Aileana. It kept me reading.

The ending left no question to another book. I can see the author doing a side story or series to a particular character but other than that I was happy to say that the series has ended with a thought out ending, I wasn’t exactly expecting.

Overall,

5 Pickles

Impatiently Waiting For: The Chess Queen Enigma (Stoker & Holmes #3) by Colleen Gleason

Chronicle Books
To be Published Oct. 6, 2015
360 Pages

Evaline Stoker & Mina Holmes are back for a third adventure. They have to locate a missing chess queen before their nemesis, The Ankh, gets there first! Coming September 29, 2015.

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes have reluctantly agreed to act as social chaperones and undercover bodyguards for Princess Lurelia of Betrovia, who has arrived in London to deliver a letter that details the secret location of an ancient chess queen that’s been missing for centuries. But when the letter—which will heal a centuries-old rift between England and the Betrovians—is stolen out from under Evaline and Mina’s watchful eyes, the two girls are forced into a high-stakes race to ensure they find the chess queen before anyone else does. The Stoker and Holmes series is as culturally popular and compulsively readable as the Sherlock Holmes stories and Dracula were in the Victorian era.– Goodreads

Book Review: The Clockwork Scarab (Stoker & Holmes #1) by Colleen Gleason

I love almost anything Sherlock Homles so when I found this book I was excited beyond means.

Chronicle Books
Published Sept. 17, 2013
356 Pages

Mina Holmes, niece of Sherlock Holmes and Evaline Stoker, sister of Bram Stoker are bound by two things; the fact that they must live up to their family name and that they are the only ones that can find out why two high society girls are missing.

Putting aside a rivalry, that honestly shouldn’t exist, the two ladies meet three gentlemen that not only shape their investigation but their personal lives as well.

I though this book was a great mystery. Yes, you have your romance but it is not heavy at all. What I loved about the layout of the story was it was told in two points of view. So you knew exactly how Holmes saw Stoker and how Stoker felt about Holmes. It was important that you heard these things in their own voices; it added huge character to the book.

I also loved the lack of love and romance in the book. Yes, it is there. For Holmes, I am going to assume that it will be a love triangle but for Stoker I see more of a cut and dry romance and when I say cut and dry that means family difficulties.  But even with these gentlemen in the story there was nothing taken away from the mystery.

I liked the mythology of the book as well. Egyptian mythology is just as detailed as Greek mythology and I liked the fact that the theme wasn’t an Egyptian God trying to get its power back. It’s a bit more complicated.

Holmes and Stoker were great characters. They were both confident women that were very focus on what needed to be done. Although Holmes is much more intellectual than Stoker it isn’t a short coming. Stoker is just as much of a detective as Holmes; maybe not as details but her way is just as effective.

The issue I have between them is their rivalry is jealousy not because they have a past history. The mistrust between the two is understandable because they only know the textbook stuff of each other but they each feel some type of way about each other and make big assumptions about each other. I felt that was un-needed. I’m just glad they aren’t fighting over a boy.

But there was something that I liked about the book but at the same time I didn’t like. Actions Holmes was doing reminded me of the scene in the Robert Downey Jr. version of Sherlock Holmes. It feels intentional to keep reader interested. Don’t get me wrong it was cool but it instantly reminded me of the movie.

Also the ending of the book was a bit cliché. Granted it’s a great hang cliff to the next book but it is making the second book look predictable.

Overall, the book gets 10 out of 10. The issues I had with the book weren’t bad enough to not love this book.

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