Review: Something from the Nightside (Simon R. Green)

Title: Something from the Nightside
Series: Nightside, Book 1
Author: Simon R. Green
Publisher: Ace Books
US Release Date: May 27, 2003
Genre: Adult Hardboiled Urban Fantasy Horror
Content Rating: Adult (horror elements, strong violence, gore)
Format Read: Mass Market Paperback
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase: Azon | B&N | BookDepo | Indiebound
Summary:

John Taylor is not a private detective per se, but he has a knack for finding lost things. That's why he's been hired to descend into the Nightside, an otherworldly realm in the center of London where fantasy and reality share renting space and the sun never shines.

*          *          *

Series: This is the first in the 12-book Nightside series. All books, along with a short story compilation, are currently available for purchase.

Something from the Nightside is a darkly imaginative but heavily commentative adventure that covers a lot of genres - from urban/contemporary fantasy with both supernatural and paranormal elements, to hardboiled and noir mystery, as well as monster and survival horror. It has a little something for anyone who enjoys a quick story set in the sinister shadows, where few actually tread but many a mind loves to wander. I'm not sure how I discovered the Nightside over a decade ago, but it has been a favorite since and I've read almost all of the 12 novels in the finished series. They aren't perfect - far from it - but Green's world of unique characters and sinful delights is a guilty pleasure.

John Taylor is a classic hardboiled detective, albeit one with psychic powers and a mysterious past (even to him). He has loose morals but strong convictions, always finds himself walking into interesting situations, and has delightfully dangerous acquaintances. Having grown up in the Nightside, he knows its many hazards and secrets all too well, allowing him to unfortunately think and speak about it and its colorful regulars at length. Prone, both mentally and physically, to long-winded monologues about the places and people he encounters, John spends most of the book ruminating on the Nightside, and can take several pages at a time to describe his many, many thoughts and opinions about a single person or place out loud to his tag-along client. It's so unrealistic as to be comical, but commentary aside I found this second read to be better written than I'd originally remembered, and my opinion of the book has grown a little.

The mystery element of the story, however, did not grow better with age. It takes a backseat to the Nightside tour and was little more than a glorified treasure hunt, each stop only leading to the next stop of the mystery as a passing thought with no clues as to what they'll find at the end. The tour makes the book, but the clueless mystery was disappointing, especially when it ended with an unexpected horror climax.

But you don't read this book for the mystery - you read it for the Nightside. Green lets his imagination run wild and presents a dark world of deliciously disquieting offerings and residents. The darkness isn't overly disturbing, though - the brief descriptions only hint at the horrors inhabited within, most things mentioned offhand or in passing as tantalizing tidbits for the reader's imagination instead of painting the entire debauched and grotesque picture. Yes the violence and horror can get slightly unsettling at times, but for the most part Green's depiction of the debased world is a tame one with vague explanations and little language that is greatly appreciated by those of us with somewhat delicate sensibilities.

Conclusion: If you enjoy urban fantasies, detective stories, and/or soft horror set in dark and wild locations with dangerous characters, then I highly recommend you give the Something from the Nightside a try. I look forward to re-reading more in the series soon!

Scribble Rating: 

3.5 of 5 Scribbles

Other Reviews That Might Interest: 

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Love, Lies and Hocus Pocus: Beginnings by Lydia Sherrer
Made to Kill by Adam Christopher 

DNF Review: Unhinged (A.G. Howard)

Title: Unhinged
Series: Splintered, Book 2
Author: A.G. Howard
Publisher: Amulet Books
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Dark Retelling
Told: First Person (Alyssa), Present Tense
Content Rating: up to Chapter 6 (sensuality, disturbing situations)
Format Read: ARC (trade)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head. 

*          *          *

I did not finish this book. I stopped at Chapter 6.

Series: This is the second book in the three-book Splintered series. You can read my 2013 review of Book 1, Splintered, here, and my 2019 re-read notes here.

While I somewhat enjoyed Splintered, there was always something about it that rubbed me the wrong way, although I could never put my finger on it. Still, I decided to try and binge the entire trilogy. 

As I began Unhinged, I quickly realized that my earlier problem was probably a lack of happy mediums. The overall story is one of madness and normalcy, but while the madness is expectedly disturbing, the normalcy is almost just as unsettling with dark art and fashion, unsavory hangout spots, and unstable families - not a happy medium to offer a madness respite. Then there's Alyssa: she is so strong and yet also so weepy and weak - I recall her screaming and generally flailing a lot in Splintered but it didn't fit her actions or personality. And then there are the boys, aka love interests: on the "normal" side we have a suffocatingly protective human who would rather Alyssa be a damsel in distress who can't do a thing for herself, and on the "mad" side we have a man who would actually kill her to force her to do everything herself. I have never liked either, and Unhinged escalated my dislike of both boys by leaps and bounds in only the first 6 chapters.

Conclusion: Although I am an Alice's Adventures fan and will always try a retelling, with its constant madness, contrasting MC, and no boy worth shipping I just can't bring myself to waste any more time on this series.

Review: Tell the Wind & Fire (Sarah Rees Brennan)

Title: Tell the Wind & Fire
Series: standalone
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan (site)
Publisher: Clarion Books
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Genre: Young Adult Alternate Magical Realism Retelling
Told: First Person (Lucie), Past Tense
Content Rating: Teen (violence, sensuality, some minor innuendo)
Format Read: ARC (publisher)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets.

Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own—one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised. Lucie alone knows the young men’s deadly connection, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.

Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy—or herself?

*          *          *

Review copy provided by publisher for an honest review. Thank you, HMH!

In a Sentence: A tale of love, magic and revolution that began awkward but finished strong and tear-soaked.

Confession: I have never read A Tale of Two Cities. I don't believe I've even seen a movie adaptation, although I do think a half-hour Wishbone episode covered it a few decades ago. So when I was informed hours before starting Tell the Wind and Fire that it was a retelling of the classic, I was conflicted. I was a little discouraged since I'm not one for classics outside of Jane Austen, but also a little excited to offer a non-biased review among those who would compare it. So it was with both interest and trepidation that I began.

Story: After very publicly rescuing her father from torture in the Dark and securing them a life in the Light, Lucie wants nothing more than to live peacefully and enjoy her loving boyfriend, Ethan. But when Ethan is accused of treason and his illegal doppelganger suddenly appears and rescues him, her quiet life is thrust back into the limelight as one mistake after another stirs up secrets and lies and a revolution that throws her contented world into chaos. With all she knows and cares about threatened, Lucie must decide if she will continue to hide in the Light to save herself, or journey back into the Dark to save those she loves.

The story started really awkward for me, opening in the middle of sweet happiness quickly followed by sudden despair with next to no explanation about the world or the characters. I stumbled through the first two chapters lost and confused, only to get mired in a life and world history infodump in Chapter 3 that laid things out yet at the same time caused only more confusion. But despite my confusion and more telling than showing I pressed on, intrigued to see where the story was going, and was eventually rewarded as the book gradually grew on me at a point where I've heard other readers chose to drop out. Although the story was first and foremost a love story and decidedly more about character development than the magic and revolution as I would've liked, I did ultimately quite enjoy the read, and the end was strong and powerful and I cried through the last few chapters.

Magic: Essentially drawn to this book for the magic, I was rather disappointed when it turned out to be more prop than setting, a reason for the discrimination that brought about the revolution. What there was of the magic was moderately unique with unusual and dark twists, but while it felt simple enough to understand, the how and why of it - especially the rules and restrictions - were rather hazy and hard to follow. Despite the significant infodump in Chapter 3, enough just wasn't explained for me, or explained in a way I could fully comprehend, and disappointingly I never got a handle on much of it.

Setting: The world was also rather confusing. They seemed to live in an alternate, isolated New York City split into two halves: Light and Dark. These halves were separated by a wall and not supposed to mix (despite a train that ran through both of them), and yet at the same time they couldn't live without each other for magical reasons and were therefore forced to intermingle... somehow. Overall the whole world structure just didn't fit together for me, and I never made much sense of it.

Characters: For most of the book Lucie was an ostrich with her head in the sand, hoping that if she went with the flow and ignored the discontent around her it would just go away. This made her rather sloppy and susceptible at first, but the more mistakes she made the more she rediscovered the strength that she had embodied as the Golden Thread in the Dark, and by the end she was a force to be reckoned with. Carwyn was an emotional tug-of-war of mild affection and firm disgust from beginning to end, which made the final chapters both easier and harder to read. Overall though he was a complete jerk who's sass fell flat for me, and like Lucie I seriously craved Ethan whenever he was around. Perfect boyfriend Ethan was a bit too perfect in my opinion, but it was a soft and sweet perfection that, paired with his innocence and big heart, made Lucie's struggle to protect him worth rooting for.

Conclusion: While the beginning was a bit of an awkward and confusing struggle, the book gradually grew stronger until it delivered a powerful and tearful end. If you enjoy dark, tragic tales of love against the odds, then I recommend giving Tell the Wind and Fire a try.

Scribble Rating: 

3.5 of 5 Scribbles

Review: Firewalker (Josephine Angelini)

Title: Firewalker
Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy, Book 2
Author: Josephine Angelini
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy
Told: Third Person Omniscient, Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (disturbing situations and images, violence, sensuality/minor sexuality, minor language)
Format Read: ARC (publisher)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

"You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified."

Lily is back in her own universe, and she's ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.

Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.

*          *          *

Review copy provided by publisher for an honest review. Thank you, Macmillan!! <3

In a Sentence: A rich sequel with lots of magic and mystery that, while it did suffer a little from middle book syndrome, shouldn't be missed if you loved the first book!

After Trial By Fire captivated me with its engrossing story and unusual magic (check out my review of Book 1 here), I was excited to return to the world of the Worldwalker series with this sequel! I'd grown to care so much about the characters in the first book and was delighted to spend more time with them, no matter what they were doing - which proved a good thing because they weren't up to all that much in the beginning as they healed and learned and settled into a new way of life.

The first half was all magic and mystery as Lily recuperated from her previous trials (by fire, hehe). There wasn't a lot of action but plenty of engaging character development and information absorption as we began to learn bit by bit what drives Lillian and what she wants of Lily. It wasn't until exactly halfway into the book that we returned to the action, adding fleeing and fighting and lots of fire to even more magic and mystery as we delved into the enigma of the Woven and what (or who) they really are. I really enjoyed the mystery, although by the end of the book we are left with infinitely more questions than answers as it ended on a soft cliffhanger that will open up a whole new world of sorts in the final book.

While Firewalker was essentially a thrill of a read for me though, I must admit it did suffer a little middle (or second) book syndrome. It seemed to exist mainly so the characters could get from Point A to Point B and so we (characters and readers) learned everything we needed to know for The Big Reveals in Book 3. That said though if you loved the first book you should love the second book, hang the MBS.

Lily and Rowan continue to be my one and only serious ship, despite some serious angst I did not see coming in this book. But Lily and Rowan are so much more than just Lily + Rowan, and I think that's what really makes their relationship - they are so perfect together, but they are also just as amazing apart. Lily is a true pillar of strength in the face of great adversity, growing and adapting but still maintaining her true self even as her similarities to unbalanced Lillian begin to show. Lillian continues to be a redeemable character for me though, and while it feels like a serious long-shot I'll be holding out hope for her until the last page of the series. Rowan strained my emotions something awful in this book as he showed sides of himself we hadn't previously seen before (not all of them good), but he took an interesting turn at the end that I'll be very interested to see play out in the final book.

As with the first book there was a darker vibe to the story that left me tense with dread expecting sexual assault (a deal-breaker for me), this time from the reason behind Lillian's dark change of heart. Luckily it turned out to be non-sexual, but was still rather disturbing - this book is definitely not for the faint of heart (or weak of stomach).

Conclusion: I absolutely loved returning to the world and magic of this thrilling series and spending more time with its amazing characters! Although it did suffer a little from middle book syndrome, if you enjoyed the first book you should definitely enjoy this second one. Now, for the long wait until the final book: Traitor's Pyre...

Scribble Rating: 

4 of 5 Scribbles

Review: Trial By Fire (Josephine Angelini)

Title: Trial By Fire
Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy, Book 1
Author: Josephine Angelini
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Dark Contemporary Fantasy
Told: Third Person Omniscient, Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (violence, minor gore, strong sensuality, soft torture, a few words of language)
Format Read: ARC (EpicLibrarian)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily's other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.

*          *          *

In a Sentence: Unique, epic, and completely engrossing, this is a fantasy that no one should miss!

I've been craving more fantasy this summer, and since this received such amazing reviews last year I decided it was time to give it a try. I tend not to side with the majority though so I really didn't know what to expect, but this book completely blew me away with its vivid story and unique magic.

Although I was a bit hesitant at first when the story began with little more than a bad romance and weird illness, once Lily was transported to New Salem and met Rowan I did not want to put this book down. I read for hours on end without realizing it (which I almost never do), engrossed by Lily's journey of discovery as she learned about the worlds and her complicated but intriguing powers through intense action and engaging magic. Compared to Lily's present-day Salem, Lillian's more dystopian New Salem, with its mishmash of uptown lofts and magical green energy beside rustic encampments and perilous forests, was a little hard to picture but fascinating to try and wrap my head around. The Third Person Omniscient point of view and high fantasy overtones made the writing seem a bit dense, but the slightly slower reading pace made the world richer and gave the story more substance - and caused the amazing book to last just a little longer.

Lily, Rowan, and Lillian were all characters of conviction and never wavered no matter what they faced, be it friends, enemies, monsters, love, or especially each other. All Lily wanted was to get back to her world, but she never turned away people who needed her help or shied away from a fight for something she believed in. Although Lily was at odds with him most of the time, Rowan was the perfect match for her in every way, not just as a steamy romantic interest but a companion and partner and teacher. Their crucible-mechanic dynamic was what really powered this book for me, and with these two I finally came to understand the concept of the ship: Lily + Rowan all the way! As for New Salem's Lillian, she proved an interesting conundrum as, although she was supposed to be the "evil queen," the reasons for her actions were rooted in good intentions, even if said actions were despicable. This left me without a definitive "bad guy," and I liked it - I'm a sucker for redeemable characters.

The only thing that gave me pause with this book was the darker vibe to the story. Through the whole book I had the feeling that someone was going to be sexually assaulted, and since that's one of my deal-breakers I read in constant fear of the worst. I'm happy to report that while there were one or two minor close calls nothing came of them, and I look forward to re-reading this book soon and enjoying it even more with a mind at ease.

Conclusion: A captivating fantasy with an engrossing story and engaging characters that I couldn't put down - highly recommend for any type of fantasy lover! I couldn't wait to get my hands on Book 2 (Firewalker), and read it immediately upon receiving an early ARC from the generous publisher. Check out my review of it next!

Scribble Rating: 

4.5 of 5 Scribbles

Review: Splintered (A.G. Howard) + Giveaway

Title: Splintered
Series: Splintered Book 1
Author: A.G. Howard
Publisher: Amulet
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Dark Contemporary Fantasy
Told: First Person (Alyssa), Present Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (sensuality bordering on sexuality, some language, disturbing images, violence)
Format Read: ARC (trade)
Find It On: Goodreads
Summary: 

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

*          *          *

Writing: Beautiful, dark prose. Skillfully written and a breeze to read.

Setting: The "real world" was realistic and engaging, while Wonderland was spooky, creepy, warped, and overly enthralling. Tim Burton would have been proud to call it his own.

Story: It began a little rough, but I knew that was just me trying to relate to MC Alyssa, who I personally didn't have anything in common with. The real world lead-up was just right (aka not too long) and engaging, even though I was itching right from the start for the Wonderland part to begin. When it finally did, I immensely enjoyed every moment of it. The familiar scenes and places shown in a different and disturbing light - I was engrossed all the way through. The end... I didn't feel it was quite believable (removing a single number from a huge equation alters the equation - and more importantly the answer - entirely), but I let it go. Wonderland is supposed to be a bit off anyway. All in all it was a highly entertaining story that kept me riveted.

Characters: I had a hard time connecting with artiste and skater girl Alyssa in the beginning (again, I had nothing on common with her), but once she hit Wonderland I was behind her all the way. Jeb was the protective and passionate older-brother type that a lot of girls (including me) secretly wish for in a boyfriend, and I enjoyed watching his [steamy] romance with Alyssa unfold. Morpheus was chilling and seductive and I couldn't help rooting for him and Alyssa as well, even when I knew he was bad for her. The rest of the Wonderland cast was individually creepy and entertaining in their own right, and Rabid in particular still makes my skin crawl just thinking about him.

Favorite Bit(s): Cover love - SO gorgeous. And, of course, Alice/Wonderland is an addiction of mine.

Conclusion: Beautifully rendered and warped, I highly enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it!

Scribble Rating: 

4 .5 of 5 Scribbles

And in honor of my love for Splintered, I have official swag to give away!

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win one of two swag packs signed by the author herself, A.G. Howard! Good luck! :)

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