The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon

Title: The Mask Falling

Author: Samantha Shannon

Genre: Dystopian, Urban Fantasy

Series: The Bone Season # 4

Publication: May 14, 2024, 528 pages

Source: Personal Library, Purchase

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Paige Mahoney has eluded death again. Snatched from the jaws of captivity and sent to a safe house in the Scion Citadel of Paris, she finds herself caught between factions that seek Scion's downfall and those who would kill to protect the puppet empire.

The mysterious Domino Program has plans for Paige, but she has ambitions of her own in this new citadel. With Arcturus at her side, she embarks on an adventure that will lead her from the catacombs of Paris to the glittering hallways of Versailles.

As Scion widens its bounds and the free world trembles in its shadow, Paige strives to understand her bond with Arcturus, which grows stronger by the day. But there are those who know the revolution began with them--and could end with them . . .

MY THOUGHTS

Paige and Arcturus have fled London and are now across the ocean in Paris. To repay her rescuers, the Dominio Programme, Paige is sent to infiltrate and gather information on the Grand Inquisitor of the Republic of Scion France, Benoît Ménard. But as usual, Paige is never focused on just one goal, she’s also seeking an alliance with the Paris syndicate. What she discovers is just as disturbing: the Rag and Bone Man has fled London and set up the Grey Market in Paris.

While reading The Mask Falling, I kept experiencing a sense of déjà vu. At times, it felt like I was reading the same events over and over again; whether it was another Grey Market or Paige getting kidnapped yet again, even if it was intentional. Things started to feel a bit “same old, same old.” I also didn’t love the addition of a secret organization pulling the strings behind Paige, despite their shared goal of bringing down Scion. And unsurprisingly, Paige tries to play all sides, gets in over her head, and narrowly escapes with her life.

Maybe I didn’t notice it as much in the previous books, but Paige seems even more careless and reckless here. So many people depend on her, yet she constantly puts her life on the line. Her decision-making, or lack thereof was especially exhausting and frustrating to read this time around. What bothered me most, though, was how quickly and easily she gave up on Arcturus, assuming he was a traitor. I couldn't fathom how Paige couldn't see all the things Arcturus has done for her, down to the small gestures; like cooking for her, making sure she has a hot pad, to fighting alongside her every step of the way...just thrown out the window. In typical Paige fashion, she gets stuck in her own head and can’t fathom that there could be another Voyant like herself, despite it being hinted at multiple times. And by the time she realizes the truth, it’s too late.

That said, the world-building and writing are impeccable, as always. I can always count on Shannon for excellent prose, fast-paced action, and a brutal cliffhanger. While this wasn’t my favorite book in the series, I do plan on continuing, though I may wait until the sixth book is released.

Kingdoms of Death by Christopher Ruocchio

Title: Kingdoms of Death

Author: Christopher Ruocchio

Genre: Sci-Fi Fantasy

Series: The Sun Eater #4

Hardcover, 544 pages

Publication: March 8, 2022 by DAW

Source: I received a review copy in exchange for honest review.
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Hadrian Marlowe is trapped.

For nearly a century, he has been a guest of the Emperor, forced into the role of advisor, a prisoner of his own legend. But the war is changing. Mankind is losing.

The Cielcin are spilling into human space from the fringes, picking their targets with cunning precision. The Great Prince Syriani Dorayaica is uniting their clans, forging them into an army and threat the likes of which mankind has never seen.

And the Empire stands alone.

Now the Emperor has no choice but to give Hadrian Marlowe--once his favorite knight--one more impossible task: journey across the galaxy to the Lothrian Commonwealth and convince them to join the war. But not all is as it seems, and Hadrian's journey will take him far beyond the Empire, beyond the Commonwealth, impossibly deep behind enemy lines.

 MY THOUGHTS

Kingdoms of Death is perfectly named in the fourth installment of the Sun Eater series. The book starts exactly where Demon in White ended, with Hadrian captured by the Cielcin. The title foreshadows what readers can expect, and its as morbid and dark as the title implies. The Sun Eater series is one of my all-time favorite Science Fiction Fantasy ever and each book gets outdoing its predecessor. And while I enjoyed Kingdoms of Death I found the pacing a lot slower than all the previous books, with little to no action till three-quarters of the way through.

For majority of the book, Hadrian is held prisoner as the Cielcins try to extract information about the Empire and the Emperor’s whereabouts. At this time readers are giving an in depth look behind enemy lines and learn about the Cielcin Hierarchy. And to no one’s surprise like all empire or military structure, there are always cracks and unrest amongst the people.

I normally never have an issue with length. Kingdoms of Death clocks out with over 500 pages, but of those 500+ pages, 350 pages felt very stagnant and too long of a build-up. It wasn’t until we were closer towards the end did the story pick up. As I mentioned before, the title of the book was quite fitting as we saw MASS casualty. I was in complete shock at the turn of events and the destruction of the Red Company and many other soldiers. With how it all ended, I’m not sure what to expect next. The Sun Eater Series writing, and storytelling is the crème de la crème when it comes to this genre but what made this series extra special to me are the characters. With most of the characters gone, I’m not sure I want to continue. Although, I know I shouldn’t be surprised since from the very first book, from the very beginning Hadrian did say this wasn’t a story with a happy-ending.

Kingdoms of Death was a solid installment to the series. I will probably take a break to see if I’ll continue. In my opinion this wasn’t the strongest book, but the series as a whole is without a doubt a five+ star series. If you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend the first book in the series, Empire of Silence.

 

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews

Title: Sapphire Flames
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Hidden Legacy #4
Mass Market Paperback, 393 pages
Publication: August 27, 2019 by Avon
Source: Personal, Audiobook
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In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.

But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.

To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.

Sapphire Flames is the fourth novel in the Hidden Legacy Series and is centered around the middle child, Catalina Baylor. I’ll be honest, when IA announced that Nevada and Rogan’s story was wrapped up and the subsequent novels would be from another character, Catalina’s POV I was slightly disappointed. I, like many fans got attached to Nevada and didn’t want to see her story end. However, after reading Diamond Fire I was sold on Catalina!

Sapphire Flames takes place three years after the events of WildFire and Diamond Fire with Catalina now the head of house. The usual gang is all back this time around sans Nevada and Rogan whom are both travelling with Rogan’s mother for a funeral. A lot has changed in three years for the Baylor family and for Catalina. Catalina is no longer the quiet and reserved girl we met during the trials/Nevada’s wedding. Catalina is now twenty-one and unlike millennial her age, she splits her time running her new house and the family investigative business. While Catalina still has some insecurities and doubts (who doesn’t, right?) that she needs to work through; at the core she’s a kind, loving person. I loved that Catalina 2.0 is a lot more confident, brave and independent. Throughout Sapphire Flames we saw Catalina go out of her comfort zone and push the boundaries over and over; chasing down bad guys, dispatching a group of hired mercenaries on her own to keep her family safe to dealing with her Grandma Victoria.

Catalina wasn’t the only surprise. Alessandro, noble count, IG playboy was so much more than just a pretty face. I won’t spoil the book for anyone who hasn’t read the book/or series yet but man, Alessandro was a wonderful enigma. Alessandro, like Catalina is also a powerful prime with unique and rare abilities. I already had a lot of questions concerning Alessandro and his family throughout the book but by the time I got to the epilogue, I was left with even more questions! Why was he in the profession that he is? Who is he hunting? Why doesn’t he want to introduce Catalina to his family? See? So many questions!

Sapphire Flames hit all the usual high notes that one would come to expect of Team IA, rich world-building, multifaceted characters, snarky dialogue and an intriguing plot. I thought it was a great addition to the Hidden Legacy series and am looking forward to reading more about Catalina and co!

Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews

Title: Sweep of the Blade

Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Sci-Fi Fantasy/UF
Series: Innkeeper Chronicles # 4
Trade paperback, 320 pages/Audiobook
Publication: July 12, 2019 by Independent publishing
Source: Purchased. 
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Maud Demille is a daughter of Innkeepers—a special group who provide ‘lodging’ to other-planetary visitors—so she knows that a simple life isn't in the cards. But even Maud could never have anticipated what Fate would throw at her.

Once a wife to a powerful vampire knight, Maud and her young daughter, Helen, were exiled with him for his treachery to the desolate, savage planet of Karhari. Karhari killed her husband, and Maud—completely abandoned by his family—has spent over a year avenging his debts. Rescued by her sister Dina, she's sworn off all things vampire.

Except... In helping Dina save the world, she met Arland, the Marshal of House Krahr, one of the most powerful vampire houses. One thing led to another and he asked for her hand in marriage. She declined. Arland is not used to hearing the word ‘no;’ and try as she might, Maud can't just walk away from Arland. It doesn't help that being human is a lot harder for Maud than being a vampire.

To sort it all out, she accepts his invitation to visit his home planet. House Krahr is extremely influential and Maud knows that a woman—a human, with a very questionable past—who's turned down a proposal from its most beloved son won't get a warm reception. Maybe she’s not sure about marrying Arland, but House Krahr isn’t going to decide for her. Maud Demille has never run from a fight, and House Krahr will soon discover that there's a lot more to Maud than they’re expecting.

I was very excited when I heard IA were penning a novella for Maud, Dina’s sister. Like most IA fans, I too fell in love with Maud and her daughter Helen, whom we met in One Fell Sweep, book three of the Innkeeper. 

In the last installment Arland proposed to Maud but she declined. Hoping to change her mind Arland invites Maud and Helen to his home. To no one surprise, Maud immediately was given a poor reception since she was considered a disgraced and exiled human. 

Although I have the book, I decided to do the audiobook version of Sweep of the Blade. I believe the novella used a different narrator from the last three Innkeeper Chronicles novels because I wasn’t a fan of Natalie Naudus. I know no two narrators are the same, but I like how Maud was narrated in One Fell Sweep. Naudus, did a good job for the most part but I thought she made Maud sound too much like a valley girl, which we all know is the polar opposite of Maud. And occasionally during character transitions, Naudus forgot to change pitch/tone i.e going from Maud to Helen…it was jarring and weird which pulled me out from the story a couple of times.  Besides the narration, the plot/story were enjoyable. Again, we all know Maud is a total kick-ass and can hold her own in any battle but one thing I didn’t understand was how could Maud, a human be stronger than all the vampires? Vampires are natural predators with exemplary strength and speed, and yet all except Arland’s mother was easily cut down by Maud. It’s not realistic. 

 Despite Sweep in Blade being a novella, I thought it was a solid, just as good novel as the other Innkeeper Chronicles novels. I enjoyed seeing some of the secondary characters at the forefront and am excited to see where the series is headed next. And that ending! My jaws literally dropped…talk about an unexpected cliff hanger!

Irontown Blues by John Varley

Title: Irontown Blues
Author: John Varley
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Eight Worlds # 4

Paperback, 304 Pages
Publication: August 28, 2018 by Ace

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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A new noir science fiction novel from a master of science fiction set in the Eight Worlds series about a detective on the hunt for biohackers who have created a dangerous new disease.

Christopher Bach was a policeman in one of the largest Lunar cities when the A.I. Lunar Central Computer had a breakdown, known as the Big Glitch, but it turned out to be a larger war than anyone expected. When order was restored, Chris's life could never be the same. Now he functions as a private detective assisted by his genetically altered dog Sherlock as he does his best to emulate the tough guys in the noir books and movies that he loves.

When he takes the case of a woman involuntarily afflicted with an engineered virus, he is on the hunt to track the bio hackers down to the infamous district of Irontown.

I wasn’t aware that Irontown Blues was part of a series that started back in the 70’s and 90’s. However, it can be read as a standalone as there is a new character narrating. The book follows P.I Bach and his trusty companion Sherlock, a genetically altered bloodhound as they investigate a potential disease outbreak leading to the notorious zone of Irontown, a place filled with criminals and the unsavory sorts.

I thought the synopsis sounded interesting: a private detective, dangerous diseases and a corrupted city all sounded right up my alley. But unfortunately it fell short of my expectations. Let me start with what I liked. Irontown Blues had this old style noir sci-fi we don’t see in most sci-fi today, which I appreciated. The overall writing was also well done. But that’s pretty much it. I thought the plot was weak and a bit silly. The gist is Bach is chasing a person that is manufacturing type of diseases (found on old earth). Just the overall topic was a little too weird for me, and I normally can handle weird. The first half of the book went into detail how some folks on Lunar were obsessed with certain disgusting smells like; sweat socks, rotting food and vaginal yeast infection. Yeah, no. And how some people would purposely get diseases like psoriasis (because you can’t let alone get sick nowadays)...it was just topics I didn’t want to read about.

Another issues I had was the narration. The book is not only narrated by Bach but there were some chapters where Bach’s bloodhound, Sherlock was narrating. I didn’t like or care for Sherlock’s chapters. Sherlock’s chapters were boring and the writing stilted, which I get because it’s from a canine’s perspective. There was a reason why Varley incorporated Sherlock’s POV. But like I said I didn’t like reading his chapters. Anyone seen the Pixar's UP? Well Sherlock’s chapters reminded of me of the dog Doug in that movie. Some people may find it funny and entertaining or annoying. I’m with the later. I also felt that Sherlock’s chapters were filled with nothing but info-dumping, a big turnoff in any book.

I honestly would have not picked up Irontown Blues if I knew it was part of a series. I’m not the type to start a series mid-book either. While this book wasn’t for me I’m sure longtime Varley/Eight Worlds fans will be excited to learn that he written another novel in the Eight Worlds series and more likely find enjoyment in reading Irontown Blues after so many years between the last novel.