A young woman in a dead end government job gets an unusual career boost when she agrees to become a "bridge". Her new role has her assisting Commander Graham Gore who died in 1847 as part of the doomed Franklin Arctic Expedition. He has been brought forward in time and the bridge must help him acclimate to present day England. They live together, eat together and go to pubs with the others 24/7 Their relationship, along with the others in the program is remarkable, funny and not without its challenges - one of which is not falling in love. A very original debut complete with witty dialogue, great characters and ponders some weighty issues like a less than honest government and all that space-time continuum stuff. Fans of Matt Haig, Diana Gabaldon, Connie Willis and Kelley Armstrong's A RIP THRUGH TIME will zip through this book and demand more. 4 1/2 stars
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The first book in a new series that focuses on powerful women of mixed cultures. Yaferi is stolen from Africa and sold to Vikings as an attendant to Princess Freydis. Freydis treats Yaferi with respect and friendship after an incident binds them together. Freydis teaches her customs, language and what she needs to know to stay alive and in return Yaferi teaches Freydis how to fight. They will need all this knowledge in order to defeat the diabolical men in charge. Yaferi longs to become a shield maiden and fight in battle alongside Freydis's warrior aunt. There is a mix of shared mythologies as well as the usual violence and political backstabbing which makes this an intriguing addition to the genre. Again we see strong women who are willing to risk everything to take back control of their lives instead of leaving their fate in the hands of self-serving men. This will appeal to fans of Vikings, A FATE INKED IN BLOOD, CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE and books by Nnedi Okorafor. 4 stars
A fantasy richly infused with all the vicious history and power struggles of Spain and the Inquisition. Luzia is a scullery maid able to perform small miracles that help her survive and go largely unnoticed. When a nobleman does notice them he sets about grooming Luzia and her magic to help elevate his own status placing her doubly in danger by performing forbidden magic and her Jewish background. Walking this tightrope between nobility and an overcrowded jail cell ending in torture, Luzia epitomizes the gap between the haves and have nots and not knowing who to trust. Leigh Bardugo paints a lush portrait of how the Spanish throne used the Inquisition to rid the country of those they deemed unworthy in Luzia's story. It is both romantic and cruel, historically accurate with the edges blurred by fantasy and the unexplained. This will appeal to both fantasy and historical fiction fans and both young adult and adult readers. 4 stars
Dr. Ophelia Bray wakes from cold sleep and is introduced to her new crew mates only to find out that none of them want her or any other psychologist on their mission. She is there because the crew has suffered the loss of one of their own but she needs to break through to them to be of help. They have landed on an abandoned planet with no lifeforms and will leave as soon as they get samples but horrific storms are making it difficult. Then strange things begin to affect Ophelia and the crew. Is something out there in the snow? How long can Ophelia keep her own past secret? Solid space horror amplified by being on a sketchy abandoned planet, huge storms messing with their communication and exit strategy and a group of people you don't know or trust. 3 1/2 stars Manchuria is under siege and occupied by Romans who use bullets and opium to kill and conquer. Ruying and her sister Meiya along with their grandmother are just trying to survive but it is not going well. Meiya is an opium addict, their grandmother is frail and Ruying's magic is death which she needs to hide from everyone. A Roman prince discovers Ruying's power and uses her sister's addiction to make a deal with Ruying. He needs her to assassinate someone at the top of the food chain in assurance that her family will live. In the tradition of "enemies now allies" - they are very attracted to each other. I enjoyed the storyline and Asian fantasy influence but felt early on that the story got mired down with reminders of Roman suppression and Ruying's hatred of them. The cost of her unusual magic, trust issues, attraction to the enemy and constant action carry the novel. 3 1/2 stars
This unique story is so hard to jam into just one genre - a bit fantasy, a bit adventure, a bit coming of age and a search for self in a magical library. As a child Aubry won't give up a wooden puzzle ball and is cursed with a life spent on the run. If she stays more than a few days in any one place she will bleed out. With only a bit of money, her wits and a good deal of luck she travels the world many times over always traveling along a new path. Years go by and Aubry now an older woman tired and fed up, finds an exhausting underground library where alone she is able to magically stay reading her way through. Douglas Westerbeke knows of what he writes since he is a librarian and has used those research skills and considerable imagination to concoct this fantastic story of loss and longing while having adventures enough to fill several volumes . Fans of AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS , THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE and the solitary life of the caretaker in PIRANESI will adore Aubry and will fight a losing battle of reading each adventure slow and will instead be unable to put the book down. There is plenty to discuss for book clubs. 4 1/2 stars
What if you found yourself able to go back and explore the path in life you almost took? Frankie's untimely demise offers her an unusual "It's a Wonderful Life" moment where she can go back and see what her life would be like with some of the ex boyfriends or no partner or where some of those career paths could have led her. Would she be happier with no money but living on the beach or way too much money but losing herself and friends in the process. The writing is witty, the humor keeps it light (if you can do that while speaking of the hereafter) and we all love a "what if " scenario. Fans of OONA OUT OF ORDER or THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY will find much to love here. I listened to the audio and enjoyed the accents. 4 stars THE HUSBANDS by Holly Gramazio
Lauren comes home from a night out to meet her husband at the door except she doesn't have a husband. This begins an array of potential mates that come and go as soon as they travel up to the attic where a new man descends. This debut starts off at a crazy pace as Lauren changes husbands as often as outfits some only staying a few minutes. Lauren herself stays the same as do her friends and her house. I expected a big revelation at the end and it was a bit hard to keep up with all the different husbands but this is clearly a unique fable and one that follows "be careful what you wish for" and "a bird in the hand is better than a flock in your attic". Clearly a British look at finding the perfect mate because every dilemma is made better with a cup of tea. 3 1/2 stars Alex and Holly are in love and they think that it will last forever. It might have if Alex had not been attacked and tossed into the river to drown. When he comes to it is in a different year randomly landing on future days or past days only to wake in unfamiliar surroundings. A chance meeting with an unusual professor leads to some answers but not many. Can he alter his life by making small changes? What if he went to Cambridge instead of singing for cash on the corner and wasting away drunk and high? What if random acts of kindness changed his life course. The only outcome he can live with is if he is with his true love Holly. For fans of OONA OUT OF ORDER and THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY and those of us who question how much of our lives are coincidence and how much fate.The audiobook was made more enjoyable by the lively British slang and accent. 3 1/2 stars
Annie is a robot who is designed for pretty much one thing pleasing her owner in and out of bed. She might not be the best cleaner but from Doug's eyes she is pretty darn perfect. Annie meets Doug's best friend and does something unforgivable which spirals into really radical behavior. Annie is learning to be human (to please Doug of course) but finally when Annie takes matters into her own hands and stands up for herself it makes her feel even more human and Doug look like a class A jerk. At some point in the book you start to forget that Annie isn't human (which is a nod to the ability of the author) only to be reminded how confusing it must be for her to have to navigate independent thoughts and her own needs first. The audio was wonderful but this is one that you shouldn't be played around young ears. 4 stars
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