Review: The Librarians and the Mother Goose Chase

Title: The Librarians and the Mother Goose Chase
Author: Greg Cox
Pages: 281
ISBN: 9780765384140
Series: The Librarians #2
Publisher: Tor
Published: 25 April 2017
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Review copy from publisher

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Stories have power.

In 1719, Elizabeth Goose published a collection of rhyming spells as a children's book, creating a spellbook of terrifying power. The Librarian of that age managed to dispose of all copies of the book except one, which remained in the possession of Elizabeth Goose and her family, temporarily averting any potential disaster.

Now, strange things are happening around the world. A tree-trimmer in Florida is blown off his elevated perch by a freak gust of wind, a woman in rural Pennsylvania is attacked by mutant rodents without any eyes, and a college professor in England finds herself trapped inside a prize pumpkin at a local farmer’s market. Baird and her team of Librarians suspect that the magic of Mother Goose is again loose in the world, and with Flynn AWOL—again—it is up to Cassandra, Ezekiel, and Stone to track down the missing spellbook before the true power of the rhymes can be unleashed.

The Librarians and the Mother Goose Chase is another fantastically fun and entertaining addition to the series. This time around our intrepid team of Librarians are tasked with saving not only the world, but the entirety of creation from the clutches of Mother Goose of all things. Those innocent childhood rhymes we all learned as kids turn out to be not so innocent after all.

As with the first instalment Greg Cox continues to capture the tone and feel of the TV series perfectly. All the humour, snark and witty banter that makes the show so much fun can be found in bucketloads. The novel reads just like an episode of the show so fans will feel right at home.

Aside from Flynn, who is conspicuously absent for most of the story, all the Librarians get their time to shine as they use their own unique skill sets to do what they do best - save the world! The twist at the end was rather unexpected, but brought things full circle in a very satisfying way.

If you are a fan of the TV show then The Librarians and the Mother Goose Chase is the perfect fix to tide you over until the new season starts.

The Verdict:
The Librarians and the Mother Goose Chase is a wonderful, whimsical flight of fancy. If you are looking for a fun, fast-paced adventure that will put a smile on your face then look no further. A must for fans of the TV show!

The Rating: 7/10

Thanks to Diana Griffin from Tor for providing the review copy.

Bookburners Season 3

Now that Winter has finally come it's time for the start of another great series. Yes, Game of Thrones was awesome, but I'm talking about Season 3 of Bookburners which starts today. Sal and her team are back and this time the threats they face are greater than ever.

The first episode, Bubbles of Earth, releases on 19 July with weekly installments thereafter. Each episode is available in both text and audio form. Perfect for your daily commute or a quick lunchtime escape from reality. You can purchase episodes separately or buy a season pass for access to the entire series.

The world as we know it is under siege. The Bookburners are stretched thin trying to control an influx of magic—and they don’t have much support from the Vatican. Can they overcome their history and band together to protect humanity from an increasing magical threat? Or will it destroy them, like it has destroyed everything else in its path?

Things have changed for the Vatican’s magic-fighting Team Three: their forces are depleted, and internal rifts are coming close to tearing this close-knit group apart. But some things never change. Magic still threatens to overwhelm our world, and when a startling appearance from Menchú’s past reveals new dimensions to this danger, the team will have to reassess their loyalties—to their jobs, their beliefs, and even to each other.

If that sounds like your thing, be sure to head over to Serialbox.com and prepare to experience a new way of storytelling!

***

To celebrate the release of Season 3 you can still grab the entire first season for just $2.99. But time is running out. The offer ends today!

Review: The Shadow of What Was Lost

Title: The Shadow of What Was Lost
Author: James Islington
Pages: 693
ISBN: 9780356507767
Series: The Licanius Trilogy #1
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Review copy from publisher

Buy it from:
The Book Depository

It has been twenty years since the god-like Augurs were overthrown and killed. Now, those who once served them - the Gifted - are spared only because they have accepted the rebellion's Four Tenets, vastly limiting their own powers.

As a young Gifted, Davian suffers the consequences of a war lost before he was even born. He and others like him are despised. But when Davian discovers he wields the forbidden powers of the Augurs, he sets in motion a chain of events that will change everything.

To the west, a young man whose fate is intertwined with Davian's wakes up in the forest, covered in blood and with no memory of who he is . . .

And in the far north, an ancient enemy long thought defeated, begins to stir.

Reading The Shadow of What Was Lost, James Islington's debut novel, left me with an odd sense of déjà vu. Everything seemed so familiar - an orphaned boy with magical powers and his group of friends are sent on a perilous quest to prevent an evil force from being unleashed on the world. It checks off pretty much every box when it comes to classic fantasy tropes. The influence of other fantasy novels are quite apparent (the Wheel of Time most of all) and the novel almost feels like a homage to the fantasy of the 1980's. At the halfway mark, just as you start to think Islington has nothing unique to offer, he takes that comfortable familiarity and adds an unexpected layer of complexity that elevates the story to a whole new level through the use of nonlinear time.

The large cast of characters, Davian, Wirr, Asha, Dezia, and Caeden, are engaging and well-drawn as each of them struggle to cope with their place in the world and the secrets they hold. Asha was my favourite character by far. She undergoes the starkest transformation and deals with it in such a strong and stoic manner that she just completely captures your heart. As the story progresses more characters are introduced and the many political machinations at play in the world are slowly unveiled. With so many named characters, especially later, it can sometimes be difficult to keep track of them all.

You are completely drawn into the world with its rich and complex history filled with lore and magic. The Essence based magic system is intriguing and filled with some far-reaching implications especially since the magic users in the world are shunned and strictly bound by the Tenets which prevents them from using their magic to do harm, but it's these very powers that might be needed to save the world. All the history and lore can be somewhat overwhelming at times, especially when terms are used that are only explained later in the story, but I prefer this method where the complexity of the world is revealed in small pieces rather than large chunks of info dumping and exposition.

There are many twists and turns to keep you off balance as the pace picks up considerably in the latter half of the novel and the narrative races towards the inevitable conflict. The ending is satisfying with a haunting revelation that hints at much greater things to come.

Overall I really enjoyed The Shadow of What Was Lost. The pacing was somewhat uneven and the lack of glossary did diminish my enjoyment a bit. One thing is certain, if Islington can continue to expand on this immersive groundwork as his talents improve and are refined he'll be a force to be reckoned with. If you are a fan of classic fantasy novels you'll love this!

The Verdict:
The Shadow of What Was Lost is a thoroughly engaging coming-of-age fantasy tale with far more complexity than it initially appears. It shows immense promise and I can't wait to see where James Islington takes us next. It can only get better, and if it does this will be an exceptional series!

The Rating: 7/10 (Very Good)

Thanks to Charlene from Jonathan Ball Publishers for the review copy.