Book Review: Sycorax, by Nydia Hetherington

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

My father was of the Sun, and my mother of the Moon, I said, gulping at the air.

Dripping in sweat, I wiped my face and wrapped the muslin over my eyes, as I’d done so many times before. Then, taking a deep breath, letting agony run through me in a silent cry, I concentrated on the sound of my mother’s bells, tinkling around my angle, and stumbled on. Forwards again. Step by step. Forwards. Breathing. Living. Moving.

The crow, patient with my slow advance, flew in circles, soaring above the path it knew so well, now lost within the storm’s debris. As we reached the lane to the market, it alighted on the branch of an upturned tree, before settling gently on my shoulder. It was a powerful act of solidarity, a message I couldn’t help but understand.

We’d enter the town together.

I wasn’t alone.

Without knowing the full story of The Tempest, Sycorax’s story of life before was still fascinating.

Official synopsis:

Born of the sun and moon, shaped by fire and malady, comes a young woman whose story has never been told...

They call her Sycorax. Seer. Sage. Sorceress.

Outcast by society and all alone in the world, Sycorax must find a way to understand her true nature. But as her powers begin to grow, so too do the suspicions of the local townspeople. For knowledge can be dangerous, and a woman's knowledge is the most dangerous of all...

With a great storm brewing on the horizon, Sycorax finds herself in increasing peril - but will her powers save her, or will they spell the end for them all? Find out in this gripping and vivid narrative exploration of one of literature's most mysterious figures.

Sometimes the retelling of one imagined lifetime feels like it lasts even longer. This book was like that. Spanning from the meeting of her parents to the fate of her son, the story of the magic woman born Raven and eventually renamed by the townsfolk to Sycorax, encompassed so many more legends, lessons, and tales than there seemed room for in one life.

The voice and descriptions contributed to a beautiful story with a full range of emotions clearly shared. This book will be readily recommended to those who enjoy period fiction, stories with amazing female characters, and of course expansion on Shakespeare classics. Sycorax earned 5 out of 5 stars.

{click here to purchase this book via my affiliate link}

Becki Bayley is a wife, and mother who does her best traveling through reading, while cozy at home. Find out more about her life and reads on her blog, SweetlyBSquared.com.

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Book Review: Kingston and the Magician's Lost and Found, by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

I’m sitting outside on the stoop and I can’t imagine hitting the pillow. I am wired, my heart racing like it’s got enough voltage running through it to power the county grid.

At 4:00 a.m., the street is so quiet I’d believe I’m back in the suburbs. Must be how they grow trees in Brooklyn, extra thick and gnarly and lush. The leaves swish in the breeze like they’re whispering secrets.

The one word that keeps playing in my head, from all the info my uncle just dumped on me, is sacrifice…

Because that’s what I understand now that maybe I never understood before.

Kingston didn’t think he could return to his old home with his mother and actually find his father, but forces beyond his control seem to be making him look at things a little different. 

Official synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Kingston has just moved from the suburbs back to Echo City, Brooklyn—the last place his father was seen alive. Kingston's father was King Preston, one of the world's greatest magicians. Until one trick went wrong and he disappeared. Now that Kingston is back in Echo City, he's determined to find his father.

Somehow, though, when his father disappeared, he took all of Echo City's magic with him. Now Echo City—a ghost of its past—is living up to its name. With no magic left, the magicians have packed up and left town and those who've stayed behind don't look too kindly on any who reminds them of what they once had.

When Kingston finds a magic box his father left behind as a clue, Kingston knows there's more to his father's disappearance than meets the eye. He'll have to keep it a secret—that is, until he can restore magic to Echo City. With his cousin Veronica and childhood friend Too Tall Eddie, Kingston works to solve the clues, but one wrong move and his father might not be the only one who goes missing.

At 12 years old, of course Kingston doesn’t get much of a vote in what’s going on with his life. So when his mom says they’re moving back to the city where his dad disappeared during a magic trip, but redoing the family’s old magic store to be a coffee shop, Kingston is just along for the ride. He’s a good kid, and usually does as his mom says.

But strange things happen almost right away, and Kingston is given the idea that maybe he could bring his dad back from wherever he disappeared to, and they could go back to being a happy family again. He doesn’t want to go against his mom, but magic is practically happening to him without him doing anything, so it really isn’t his fault.

The book had a plot way more intricate than expected for middle grade fantasy/fiction. The world-building was clear, which is great since it’s apparently the first in an extensive series. The story would be easily recommended to those who enjoy magical realism and fantasy that is entertaining for middle-grade or adult readers. This first book in the series earned 4 out of 5 stars.

{click here to purchase via my affiliate link}

Becki Bayley is a mom and escape reader. She enjoys parenting and hanging out with middle grade kids, since you never know what they’ll say next. Check out some of her favorite reads and her life on her blog, SweetlyBSquared.com.

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Book Review: The Athena Protocol, by Shamim Sarif

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

I have a mouthful of dirt. Damp earth and pine needles. I fight to twist my way out, but my attacker has legs on either side of me and an arm on my head, and I can’t move. Feeling paralyzed sets me off into panic, but somewhere in my head, there’s a sense of the familiar. The look of the hands that are grasping mine, the scent of the person on top of me. My brain makes a connection. I stop resisting and wait, suddenly realizing who it is. Slowly, Hala releases the pressure of her arm, so I can moore my head to look at her.

“I missed you,” I say.

My face hits the dirt again. Okay, maybe there was just a hint of sarcasm in that comment.

“Let go of me,” I try, but it comes out a garbled mess with my mouth against the forest floor. But suddenly Hala’s grip softens again, and it’s almost easy for me to twist and cuff her off me entirely. I sit up.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, spitting a few times to get rid of the dirt in my mouth.

“I just landed a micro drone on that van,” she says.

While already part of a rogue justice organization, Jessie can’t resist the urge to do something against her direct orders. Those running the organization force her to pay the price, and she misses those she’s used to working with more than she expects.

Official synopsis:

Jessie Archer is a member of the Athena Protocol, an elite organization of female spies who enact vigilante justice around the world.

Athena operatives are never supposed to shoot to kill—so when Jessie can't stop herself from pulling the trigger, she gets kicked out of the organization, right before a huge mission to take down a human trafficker in Belgrade. 

Jessie needs to right her wrong and prove herself, so she starts her own investigation into the trafficking. But going rogue means she has no one to watch her back as she delves into the horrors she uncovers. Meanwhile, her former teammates have been ordered to bring her down. Jessie must face danger from all sides if she's to complete her mission—and survive.

Jessie and two other agents are the brawn of the Athena Protocol, executing the plans made by a handful of powerful women and based on exhausting research on those they’re bringing to justice. The women in charge, of course, leave nothing to chance, and expect their orders to be followed immediately and exactly. When Jessie steps out of line, the consequences are swift and strict. She’s out, even after planning their next mission which puts one of the main women in charge at risk.

They chose Jessie to join the Athena Protocol because she was determined and resourceful, so she utilizes these skills to not be left behind on their next mission. Expecting her to work relentlessly toward vigilante justice and then stop when they say so may not work out as the women in charge expect.

The story earned a high 4 out of 5 stars. This all-female crew was brilliant, talented, and strong, inside and out. There was also a small element of family drama encased in their found family. The book would be enjoyed by those who like strong female characters, justice, and intricate action plans.

{click here to purchase via my affiliate link}

Becki Bayley is a homebody who enjoys reading and building LEGO when she’s not at work. See what else she and her family are up to on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

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Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Fog and Fury, by Rachel Howzell Hall {ends 8/4}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Saturday morning brought with it thick fog. But as I drove north on Highway 1 – before I could even begin to list types of gems – the fog thinned, and sunshine spread like butter across the blacktop. And then I saw the blue sky and the gray ocean, and ahead of me, there was nothing but a straight road without one curve or bend.

This was not the devil’s highway.

Why couldn’t all of this highway be straight? Why was it crooked headed back to LA?

My grip loosened, and I unclenched my sphincter and rolled down the windows. I was now driving like I wasn’t on my way to court-mandated therapy.

I’d save that list of gems for a true emergency.

Sonny initially thinks life with her mother in Haven will be a relaxing change from LA. Soon enough, Haven is showing her its other side, and even destroying what she thought she’d miss from LA.

Official synopsis:
After ten years on the force, LAPD cop Sonny Rush relocates with her elderly mother to peaceful Haven, California, to join her godfather’s burgeoning PI business. What crimes could possibly happen in a town nicknamed “Mayberry by the Sea”? Sonny’s first case: find Figgy, a missing goldendoodle last seen sporting a Versace collar. At least scouting out a dognapper gives Sonny a chance to get to know her new neighbors.

Forty-eight hours in town and Figgy’s disappearance entangles Sonny in an unwelcome reunion with her ex, one of Haven’s wealthiest citizens. And when the body of a teenage boy is found along a popular hiking trail, Sonny is drawn into a web of strange beyond anything she ever saw in LA.

Then comes a local’s warning: question everything. Haven hides secrets that could destroy its idyllic facade. Or destroy Sonny first.

Oh, Sonny. Leaving the LAPD and moving to lil' Haven was supposed to be a re-start and refresh. She was ready to set up somewhere safe to live with her mom while her mother’s dementia progressed. Instead, her first intro to the community where her godfather was welcoming her to his business was clients with a definite link to the past she was trying to leave.

Before long, Sonny’s detective skills have connected a missing dog, a murdered high school boy (who wasn’t even her case!), and the whole image built on lies of what’s supposed to be a delightful and stereotypical small town. Unfortunately, there are some residents of blissful Haven who aren’t appreciating her ability to make the connections, and she and those she loves are being threatened. What’s meant to scare Sonny off the case instead strengthens her resolve to get to the bottom of things.

Fog and Fury is the first Haven Thrillers book, and introduces lots of complex characters. While the story presented within this book resolves the initial plot points, there are several loose ends to be wrapped up in subsequent books. Overall, this strong intro to the series earns 3 out of 5 stars. Sonny is an engaging and positive character with reasonable flaws, and she inspires a reader to want the best for her. Those who enjoy small town stories with a bit of police procedural and strong female characters will enjoy this book, and likely those to come in the Haven Thrillers series.

{click here to purchase on Amazon via my affiliates link - currently FREE for Kindle Unlimited users!}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys reading, counted cross-stitch, and tending to her flowers to watch birds and butterflies through the summer. Check out some of what she sees on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of Fog and Fury!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Monday, August 4th, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be contacted via email the next day and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

Fog and Fury, by Rachel Howzell Hall {ends 8/4}

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Book Review: The Speed of Falling Objects, by Nancy Richardson Fischer

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

I sleep fitfully, waking again and again in the dark morning hours to insects burrowing beneath my sweatshirt. The worst part is that I have to look at them in the firelight, hairy legs, twitching antennae, stingers and pincers, to make sure they’re not deadly before I brush them away. Some sting, some don’t. They’re all repulsive. When Gus leaps to his feet, shakes out his shirt, shivers in revulsion, I’m glad. He sees me watching in the flickering light, hesitates like he’s considering coming over, trying to talk. I turn my back. He can spoon with my dad since he likes him so much.

The rains start like someone flipped a light switch. Rivulets find their way through the piled palm fronds. Each time I shift, another drips on me. It’s like water torture. Sometime before dawn, the switch flips again and the rains stop. Without the steady patter of water, I can hear Cass sniffling. She’s sitting at the edge of our shelter by the fire, feeding it with branches and pages from Jupiter’s book to keep it going. I’m furious at her. Beyond furious. I crawl over. “What’s up?”

Danny Warren would do anything to be closer to the father who left her life after an accident left her with only one eye. She’s watched every episode of his adventure show, and is sure his invite to star with a teen movie idol will be the ticket to the relationships her mother kept her from having with her father.

Official synopsis:

Danger “Danny” Danielle Warren is no stranger to falling. After losing an eye in a childhood accident, she had to relearn her perception of movement and space. Now Danny keeps her head down, studies hard, and works to fulfill everyone else’s needs. She's certain that her mom’s bitterness and her TV star father’s absence are her fault. If only she were more—more athletic, charismatic, attractive—life would be perfect.

When her dad calls with an offer to join him to film the next episode of his popular survivalist show, Danny jumps at the chance to prove she’s not the disappointment he left behind. Being on set with the hottest teen movie idol of the moment, Gus Price, should be the cherry on top. But when their small plane crashes in the Amazon, and a terrible secret is revealed, Danny must face the truth about the parent she worships and falling for Gus, and find her own inner strength and worth to light the way home.

A life-or-death adventure really brings out the best—and worst—in people. The beginning of the story was full of foreshadowing about nothing going quite the way Danny and her dad expected them to go. While Danny’s obsession with her dad’s show was certainly never healthy, when wildlife survival skills were needed, all the knowledge she had gleaned from just trying to get to know her dad saved her life, and others.

The characters who continued through the story showed dramatic evolution between their public personas, or who they even planned to be, and who they really were, when their lives boiled down to only survival.

Overall, the story and setting were fascinating, and the book earned 5 out of 5 stars. Those who enjoy books with engaging and varied characters, action/adventure stories, and rainforest or wildlife survival stories will love this one.

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys nature from the safety of her porch, with pretty birds, butterflies, and even snakes, but no biting or stinging creepy-crawlies. Check out the delightful view from her porch on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

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Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Into the Leopard's Den, by Harini Nagendra {ends 7/14}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Kaveri gave Ramu a watery smile, gripping his hand. ‘Last week, on her sixtieth birthday, Uma aunty told me that she feels like her life has restarted all over again.’

‘Of course it has,’ Ramu agreed. ‘Her son and daughter-in-law constantly tell her that she is old and should sit at home. But ever since she became part of the Bangalore Detectives Club, a whole new world has opened up.’

‘I hope she is careful tomorrow,’ Kaveri fretted. ‘If we are right, then the killer is a very intelligent and careful person. Someone who plans well ahead and doesn’t like to make mistakes.’

Ramu nodded. ‘It was only by accident that Venu found Kupamma so soon after she was stabbed. The murderer must have expected that the death would be discovered only later the next morning, when Hiramma arrived with her daily tiffin. Perhaps he even planned to pin the murder on defenceless Hiramma.’

‘Not defenceless anymore,’ Kaveri reminded him. ‘Now she has us to uncover the truth.’

Kaveri Murthy’s reputation as a good detective has spread, and people continue asking for her help to solve cases involving their loved ones, even while she is pregnant with her first child. Luckily she has the unwavering support of her husband, doctor Ramu.

Official synopsis:

Bangalore, 1922: Pregnant and confined to the house by her protective mother-in-law, Kaveri Murthy has resolved to take a break from detection. But when an elderly woman is murdered at night and dies clutching a photograph of Kaveri while asking for her help—how can she refuse? Missing the assistance of her husband Ramu, who is working in Coorg, Kaveri investigates her new case with her able assistants, milk boy Venu and housemaid Anandi. They find a trail of secrets that lead them to suspect the killer may be in Coorg.

Eager to be reunited with her husband, Kaveri sets off to Coorg to investigate. When she arrives, she encounters a thorny thicket of cases. Why does a ghost leopard prowl the forests at night, terrorizing the plantation workers? And who is trying to kill Colonel Boyd, the Coffee King of Coorg? She finds suspects in every coffee bush and estate—from Boyd’s surly plantation manager and security guard to the feuding brothers who own the neighboring plantation—and the many women the Coffee King has pursued and abandoned.

When two vulnerable children appeal for her help, Kaveri is drawn deeper into the case, becoming emotionally involved in finding the killer. Soon, one murder turns into two—and then a few days later into three. Now the killer has tasted blood and needs to be stopped. Racing against time, Kaveri must take on her most complex challenge so far, with the assistance of Anandi and Venu in Bangalore, and with Ramu and Inspector Ismail in Coorg. In this stunning new novel by an acclaimed master of the form, the Bangalore Detectives Club must find and expose a brutally intelligent killer before they strike again.

In this, the fourth book in the Bangalore Detectives Club series, Kaveri again is asked for help with  multiple cases with some similarities. Is there a link between the ghost leopard, the murder of an old Bangalore woman, and the attempts on a plantation owner’s life in Coorg? When so many random occurrences seem to overlap, it seems inevitable that solving one will lead to solving the rest.

The clues in this story lead Kaveri to travel by car and driver to Coorg from her home in Bangalore. She leaves a few members of their detective club working the clues in Bangalore and joins her husband who is in Coorg at a clinic helping local plantation workers. She’s certain the death of an old woman in Bangalore is related to a rumored trip to Coorg not long ago, so Ramu already being there is quite convenient for her to disguise her motives for traveling while pregnant.

Kaveri, Ramu, and their cast of friends and family are such likable characters. This book also wrapped up with some of the recipes Kaveri enjoys while visiting Coorg. The book earned 4 out of 5 stars. Publication information states this is the final book in the series. This story and the earlier three in the series would be enjoyed by those who like strong female characters, historical fiction depicting 1920s Bangalore, and warm family and found-family relationships.

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link}

Becki Bayley is a Gen X mother who likes reading by her flowers, and taking breaks to watch the birds and butterflies and to refresh her drink. See what else she’s been up to on her blog, SweetlyBSquared.com.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of Into the Leopard's Den!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Monday, July 14th, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be notified via email the next day and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

Into the Leopard's Den, by Harini Nagendra

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Book Review: Knife River, by Justine Champine

Review by: Becki Bayley

Later that night as I tried to fall asleep, I remembered a woman, a self-described psychic, who called us at the house years ago. It was just weeks after our mother disappeared, and we were still sleeping with the phone then, the receiver resting between both our heads on the floor in our mess of quilts. Liz answered on the first ring. It was after one in the morning. My sister put the call on speakerphone just as the woman began to say that our mother’s body was in water. She couldn’t say exactly where, but described a lake with a faded red boat house and two Adirondack chairs at the end of a dock. Liz grabbed her notepad and began to furiously jot it all down, tearing the pages off as she filled them and letting each one fall to the side. I remember the chill that came over me then, lying there in the dark still dressed in my day clothes, eyes crusted over with sleep, listening to the sound of this strange woman’s voice fill our living room.

The lives of Liz and Jess are forever changed when their mother, Natalie, doesn’t return home one night. The police never charge anyone with a crime, and can’t even find Natalie’s body. When her bones are discovered fifteen years later, Jess moves back home to hopefully find closure with her sister.

Official synopsis:

When Jess was thirteen, her mother went for a walk and never returned. Jess and her older sister, Liz, never found out what happened. Instead, they did what they hoped their mother had done: survive. As soon as she was old enough, Jess fled their small town of Knife River, wandering from girlfriend to girlfriend like a ghost in her own life, aimless in her attempts to outrun grief and confusion. But one morning, fifteen years after their mother’s disappearance, she gets the call she’s been bracing for: Her mother’s remains have been found.

Jess returns to find Knife River—and her sister—frozen in time. The town is as claustrophobic and rundown as ever. Liz still lives in their childhood home and has become obsessed with unsolved missing persons cases. Jess plans to stay only until they get some answers, but their mother’s bones, exposed to the elements for so long, just leave them with more questions. As Jess gets caught up in the case and falls back into an entanglement with her high school girlfriend, her understanding of the past, of Liz, of their mother, and of herself become more complicated—and the list of theories more ominous.

Knife River is a tense, intimate, and heartrending portrayal of how deeply and imperfectly women love one another: in romantic relationships, in friendships, and especially as sisters.

Jess was a unique character to narrate this story. She was only 13 when her mother disappeared, so her high school years were spent with her sister raising her, and the constant suspense of hoping their mother would return while knowing she was probably already dead. Liz sacrificed her dream of college to stay in their small town and see her sister to adulthood. They were different girls with not much in common when their mother disappeared, and suddenly having to navigate life without their mother did not make them closer.

When some children playing discover human bones and the authorities contact the sisters, Jess leaves her suburban life with her girlfriend to return to the small town where she never felt like she belonged. Liz still lived in the same house, so she would be there if their mother was ever able to return. The sisters anxiously anticipated finally getting some answers.

The book earned 5 out of 5 stars. The story was complicated, but well told and resolved by the end. This could be recommended for those who like family dramas and small towns as a setting.

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link}

Becki Bayley is a Gemini who enjoys reading in her flower garden with a refreshing drink when she’s not on-the-go having adventures with her kids. See what they’re up to on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

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