A Curious Invasion (The Adventures of Smith and Jones, #1) by Marie Andreas – Review

Tags

4.5 stars, action, Adventure, aliens, Book Review, Marie Andreas, scifi, series, Steampunk, vampires

Review of A Curious Invasion

A Curious Invasion is pure fun! The fact that it is hard to pin down to a genre is half of the reason. Steampunk, scifi, urban fantasy, adventure – all of those! Steam-driven devices, little grey men, vampires, witches and clairvoyants all play not-so-nice together, making for pretty much non-stop action. Really, it never stops. I felt exhausted for the core characters by the end! And based on all these elements, you can only imagine the variety of scrapes the heroines and heroes get into.

The other half reason this book is so fun is Nettie Jones. Miss Jones, Dr. Jones, Agent Jones, or just Nettie. Whatever you call her, Nettie is full of spunk and curiosity. Nettie’s inquisitive and analytical nature is what appeals to me most. This is appropriate for an investigating agent of the Society for the Exploration of the Unexplainable. Though it does sometimes sidetrack the agent when the mission is critical. But she has several fellow agents to help keep her on track.

The evil vampires and invading aliens did not have much a voice in this story, which means I didn’t really get a sense of why they were doing what they were doing. Just that they needed to be stopped. Still, this gives the first book of the series plenty of room to haul out the whole team to show what they can do to save the day.

The series title, The Adventures of Smith and Jones, is misleading. At least for book 1. Jones is the one and only main character. Smith is pretty much secondary. It does make for a great series name though. Perhaps Smith will get a bigger role in the next book.

If you are looking for adventure, fun, absolutely no seriousness, and plenty of tea, A Curious Invasion fits the bill.

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About A Curious Invasion

In an Alternative Victorian London, England has a new queen–she just happens to be undead.

Dr. Nettie Jones is a new agent for The Society for the Exploration of the Unexplainable, a secret organization protecting England from unnamed sources. Being half-vampire is an added complication.

The Society doesn’t yet appreciate Nettie but fate steps in when invaders from a dying planet begin following her the same day Queen Victoria chooses to be turned into a vampire.

Things become dangerously interwoven when Nettie discovers that a supposed accident was in fact an act of betrayal by one of the agents of the Society. The first shot in a larger conspiracy

Nettie and her fellow Society agents must pull together to thwart the alien invaders, fight off the vampire infestation, and rescue the Queen from becoming the longest ruling undead monarch, even if that rescue is against her will.

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The Ice Ghost (Rewilding Reports, #2) by Kathleen O’Neal Gear – Review

Tags

5 stars, Adventure, Book Review, Cli-fi, Ice Age, Kathleen O'Neal Gear, Post Apocalyptic, sci fi, series

Review of The Ice Lion

Quiller is the victim of Trogan’s prophetic visions.  While he forces her to find the Old Woman of the Mountain, Quiller’s husband RabbitEar and her friend Lynx try to rescue her.  The adventure through the underworld will test everyone involved, reveal some of the Jemen’s secrets and raise more questions about how the people living in the current Ice Age came to be and what their purpose is. 

God save me from religious leaders. Especially if the flock is kept ignorant.  The mysterious leaders can make anything up!  I’m talking about Trogan, who Quiller’s people believe is an evil witch.  Evil is a pretty good description for him.  High-handedness, threats and violence are not justified because Trogan, is being led by a ‘god’. 

While Quiller and company are trekking through the underworld, her tribe, the Sealion People are threatened by the Rust People (Trogan’s tribe). Among the tribe is Quiller’s adopted family, which includes enigmatic son Jawbone.

I have found this evolving story to be fascinating.  Between a post-apocalyptic ice age, human genetic manipulation, advanced human abilities, and the humanity of the Ice Age archaic peoples, I have embraced the story arc.  To get the most out of this book, read The Ice Lion first, then pick up The Ice Ghost.  The next installment will be highly anticipated by this reader.

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book so that I could bring you this review.

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About The Ice Ghost by Kathleen O’Neal Gear

In the brutal Ice Age caused by the ancient Jemen war, many archaic human species, including Denisovans and Homo erectus, hover on the verge of extinction. There seems no way out, until the greatest Neandertal holy man, Trogon, has a vision. Legends say the truce that ended the old war left one hostage in the hands of the victorious rebels: the godlike Jemen leader known as the Old Woman of the Mountain. According to Trogon’s vision, only one person knows the location of that burial cave. Trogon must capture young Quiller and force her to lead him there…for the Old Woman may not be dead. She may only have been in stasis for a thousand summers, and when reawakened she will save them from oblivion.

But according to the Denisovans–Quiller’s people–Trogon is the most powerful witch alive. He’s up to something evil that will surely spell their destruction. He must be stopped before it’s too late.

Quiller’s best friend Lynx must brave towering glaciers, dire wolves, and prides of giant lions to save her and stop Trogon.

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Max and the Isle of Sanctus (Secrets of the Twilight Djinn, #2) by John Peragine – Review

Tags

4 stars, Adventure, Book Review, childrens books, djinn, dragon, fantasy, John Peragine, kraken, magic, middle grade, pirates, sailing ships, series, witches

About Max and the Isle of Sanctus by John Peragine

In the second book of Secrets of the Twilight Djinn, Max Daybreaker embarks on all new adventures. Max must battle a Kraken, ride a fire-breathing dragon, and defeat the evil djinn whose powers are growing every day. The stakes are high for Max as he tries to protect his friends from angry sea gods and a vengeful sultan while also saving his mom from a terrible curse! Max must reach the Isle of Sanctus using his unpredictable magic power and foes on all sides before time runs out.

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Review of Max and the Isle of Sanctus

Max and the Isle of Sanctus is filled with pages of non-stop adventure for Max and his friends.  While Max continues to try to reunite with his family, he and the pirates get into more trouble.  Everywhere Max goes, there is someone or something trying to stop him.  Dark and dangerous, the journey is full of daring kids, swashbuckling pirates and loads of magical creatures. 

Max’s gut thinks it knows who is good and who is evil, but he is a kid with little experience to train a gut.  Which leads to never really knowing who is an enemy and who is a friend.  So, constant danger?  Yes.  Scary education for Max?  Also yes.

Captain Cinn is hilarious and is all about the next meal!  Not because he likes to eat but because he loves to cook good food for his friends.  Cinn is my favorite character and I hope he continues to feature in the series. 

I think Max still has plenty of exploits ahead of him.  This is a fun series for the middle graders who want to escape to the adventures of the high seas. 

Thanks to the author who provided a copy of his book in exchange for my honest review.

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