Wool (The Silo Series Book 1)

Wool is comprised of five short stories, and is also the first book in a sci-fi series

THE BLURB:  

This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.

MY THOUGHTS: 

Howey writes pretty well, but I did not like this book. I can speculate that the reason might hinge on the fact that he began by writing a single short story, then tacked others onto it, leading to something that just did not cut it for me as an overall novel. Perhaps in the very beginning he did not know just how far he would be taking the story, and once he realized there was a demand for more, didn't know quite how to navigate to turn it into a full length novel. 

There are some interesting ideas mixed in the story, but nothing that gets fleshed out; it's more just an interesting premise that never gets fully realized in this story. And the way it was put together just did not do it for me. There were some exciting scenes here and there, but for the most part I was very, very bored. I abhor not finishing a book once I start it, so I pushed on with this one, but it was a chore to force myself to read more. It wasn't until about halfway through that any plot advancement at all took place. This might be where the book's inception as separate short stories comes into play; the scenes seemed to just plod along haphazardly, without much in the way of cohesiveness. It didn't build up like a novel should, in my opinion.

I found myself questioning things about the world we are shown here, the explanations we are given. Many times the characters' reactions didn't make sense to me. Some characterization didn't seem all that consistent, either. I failed to develop an investment in any of the characters, and as a result didn't much care what happened to any of them.

I'd like to reiterate that the writing was good, though, and some of the ideas held promise. The author could potentially impress me more with a different story, one crafted more smartly than this one, perhaps planned initially as a mapped out novel rather than a meandering tale of filler scenes all thrown together into something I couldn't make myself care about. 

MY RATING:

2 booksies

Author Website: http://www.hughhowey.com/

Ice Massacre

Ice Massacre is a Young Adult Fantasy novel with an ending that makes way for a sequel.

THE BLURB:

A mermaid’s supernatural beauty serves one purpose: to lure a sailor to his death.

The Massacre is supposed to bring peace to Eriana Kwai. Every year, the island sends its warriors to battle these hostile sea demons. Every year, the warriors fail to return. Desperate for survival, the island must decide on a new strategy. Now, the fate of Eriana Kwai lies in the hands of twenty battle-trained girls and their resistance to a mermaid’s allure.

Eighteen-year-old Meela has already lost her brother to the Massacre, and she has lived with a secret that’s haunted her since childhood. For any hope of survival, she must overcome the demons of her past and become a ruthless mermaid killer.

For the first time, Eriana Kwai’s Massacre warriors are female, and Meela must fight for her people’s freedom on the Pacific Ocean’s deadliest battleground.

MY THOUGHTS:

In many ways, Ice Massacre was like a breath of fresh air. I can't say I've read any other mermaid tales lately, and even then this book casts them in a new light. They can be beautiful creatures of seduction, or anger can transform them into someone you would not want to meet in a dark alley...er, stream. These mermaids are fearsome warriors who feast on human flesh when they're of the mind.

The story overall I found very interesting. The battle scenes particularly were well-written, exciting without becoming tiresome after repeated skirmishes.

There were some things I struggled with here. For one, the time period was not clear to me. Many aspects of life on Eriana Kwai made me think of older times, or the sort of story in a slightly altered reality where people live as if in this world's past. They fight with crossbows, sail wooden ships, and then all of sudden there are references to TV and such. I also had a hard time swallowing that the island was so utterly cut off from the rest of the world in a time where there apparently would be the internet and airplanes. I don't know, I got a bit confused about the exact circumstances here.

The team of girls sent for the massacre were a bit too...girlish for what I have preferred for this story. If the island wanted to send their most fit female warriors, I would think an older set would have been more appropriate, as women tend to be at their peak physical prowess at an older age than men. As it is, we have a ship full of 18 year olds who, despite their unusual and grave circumstances, still deal with a fair bit of teenage drama.

Despite these few issues, there were many things to praise here. And one really lovely aspect that was woven in so perfectly naturally, no big deal. Wonderful.

MY RATING:

3.5 booksies

Find Ice Massacre on Amazon.com  

Author's website: http://www.tianawarner.com/

Fanged Princess

Fanged Princess is the first novella in a series of two.

THE BLURB:

I will not let my brother suffer the same loss…

Hadassah’s father, the Vampire King, punished her harshly for her choice to love a human. Now her brother, the only person in the world who still matters to her, has fallen for a human girl. Determined to keep the girl safe, the three of them flee from their home in New England and find themselves cornered with their father’s minions closing in. If they want to escape, their only hope may be to join forces with the mortal enemies of their kind…

Be ensnared in this dark tale of enduring love, revenge, and suspense from teenage author, Elisabeth Wheatley. 

MY THOUGHTS:

This is a quick read, but a pretty impressive one. Ms. Wheatley has quite the talent with writing, and here she begins the tale of a kickass vampire princess who fights her own kind for the sake of the love her younger brother has found with a human.

This book has vampires and the humans (and vampire enforcers) who hunt them, and also makes mention of many other creatures of supernatural lore. Our heroine is the daughter of the Vampire King. Make no mistake, though - Haddie may be a princess in name, but you won't find any sparkly froufrou in her story. She's got a (humorously) snarky and down-to-earth personality, and a chip on her shoulder for the wrongs done to her in the past.

Gritty, action-packed, and smart, Fanged Princess could be the start of something beautiful!

MY RATING:

4 booksies!

Fanged Princess is FREE on Amazon!

The sequel, Fanged Outcast, is available through Amazon.com for $1.99. The two books combined are about the length of a full novel, for an overall price of less than two dollars - and trust me, it's well worth it!

Author's website: http://elisabethwheatley.wordpress.com/