Review - The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards

Title: The Last Sun (The Tarot Sequence #1)

Author: K.D. Edwards

Publication Date: June 12th, 2018

Synopsis:

Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment's missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home.

With his companion and bodyguard, Brand, he questions Addam's relatives and business contacts through the highest ranks of the nobles of New Atlantis. But as they investigate, they uncover more than a missing man: a legendary creature connected to the secret of the massacre of Rune's Court. In looking for Addam, can Rune find the truth behind his family's death and the torments of his past?

My Thoughts: 

I received a free eARC of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Sun was the first novel I got approved for on Edelweiss, which means it's somehow special to me. The facts that it is an lgbtq urban fantasy, a debut novel and the author based its whole world on the Tarot deck made me want to pick it up as fast as I could. The reading experience was pleasant on the whole, however the book would have required a bit more polishing here and there in my opinion.

The plot was pretty well thought out, it started with an abduction and widened into a power game that sucked in a few scions of important New Atlantean families. I appreciated the mystery that surrounded the enemy because that meant Rune and Brand, our main duo, had to do some detective work to get to the bottom of things, not to mention they had to battle a creature that was part zombie part wizard (I'm gonna call it a zombizard, haha) without having any idea what it was capable of...

The book was very action-packed, and when I say very, I mean extremely, very, very, exceptionally, incredibly... TOO action-packed. I've never thought I'd consider it a disadvantage in a book but it is here. There are so many detailed fighting scenes in The Last Sun, I lost count by the end of the novel and the action seems to have taken the space and time away from the character and world building.

Interestingly enough, the side-characters are way better shaped than the main character. Brand – Rune's bodyguard – got the most attention, other than him, Quinn the seer and Max, the orphaned teenager they have to keep safe, are the ones that got some depth by the end. We see them through Rune's eyes, we receive information about them and see how much Rune cares for them, but Rune himself is somehow forgotten or so shrouded in mystery (perhaps intentionally?) that not even the reader can figure him out. I also kinda felt he was described and defined mostly by what happened to him when his father's court was destroyed and I felt it was a disservice to the character.

The humour in the book is excellent, it really is! I laughed out loud so much. It was something purely good and admirable about The Last Sun. Whenever there was a funny line I forgot about all the minor flaws and let me tell you, it happened often. All the bickering between Rune and Brand is priceless.

Even though the world building could have been a bit more organized, I liked how colourful the world itself was. There were a myriad of different creatures, like zombies, fairies, gargoyles, ghouls and so on. The places the characters visited were interesting and everything was filled with magic.

The magic system was very straightforward; the characters used sigils – objects filled with magic – to fight and defend themselves. I was glad this aspect was very easy to follow and there was logic to it (let's just say there are fantasy novels where the way magic works is not explained well enough).

As you can see I had some pros and some cons as well concerning this book but I'd say if you are a person who enjoys long fighting scenes and humorous pieces, give it a try! 

Goodreads | Amazon

Weekend Wrap-up #4

The Sunday post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things you have received.

This week I tried to pick up the rhythm of everyday life after an eventful week/weekend. 

I got book mail in which The Line of Beauty arrived (read about it below). It made me super happy because I rarely order books these days (I'm broke, ugh) and it's a good feeling to receive the package when I order one now and then.

This week I watched two films on Netflix. That's progress for me because lately I've mostly watched tv shows (the reason for that is that I'm somehow unable to concentrate on one thing for a long time, I find it easier to watch one episode at a time from a series rather than watching a long movie).

The movies I saw were totally out of my comfort zone, too. They were Maid in Manhattan and Crazy, Stupid Love. Romantic comedies are not my type of films so my sudden, fleeting crave for them surprised me. Anyway, both movies were entertaining and in that way they served their purpose.

By the way, am I the only one who now cannot unsee Voldemort when looking at Ralph Fiennes? It's a tragedy because for the longest time I had a crush on that man. And now... Voldy!!??

 

On the TV show front I'm very close to finish Black Sails. The situation in Nassau is very dire at the moment. I'm sad I have to let go of this show after the end of this season but at the same time I'm hoping for a satisfying ending. 'Cause even surly pirates deserve a happy ending sometimes.

Posts on the blog this week:

Monday: March Wrap-Up, April TBR

Wednesday: Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway - Hiding by Jenny Morton Potts

Thursday: My trip to Oradea in pictures

Friday: Book Beginnings on Friday and the Friday 56 - Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that makes it possible to share with other bookworms what books you added to your shelves – physical or virtual – during the week. 

Purchased:

Title: The Line of Beauty

Author: Alan Hollinghurst

Synopsis:

It is the summer of 1983, and young Nick Guest, an innocent in matters of politics and money, has moved into an attic room in the Notting Hill home of the Feddens: Gerald, an ambitious new Tory MP, his wealthy wife Rachel, and their children Toby and Catherine. As the boom years of the mid-80s unfold, Nick becomes caught up in the Feddens’ world, while pursuing his own private obsession, with beauty – a prize as compelling to him as power and riches are to his friends. An early affair with a young black council worker gives him his first experience of romance; but it is a later affair, with a beautiful millionaire, that brings into question the larger fantasies of a ruthless decade.

This is a critically acclaimed LGBTQ fiction novel from the year 2004. I have only read one LGBTQ book that was set in the 80s so far, Tell the Wolves I'm Home. I have the feeling the AIDS epidemic that touched the lives of the characters in that book will influence the happenings in The Line of Beauty as well. I'm a bit afraid this book will be a bit heavy on politics, given that the MC goes to live with an MP and his family but at least I'll have the chance to learn more about the Thatcher era. Political history is part of history after all.

How was your week? Please leave a link to your STS and Sunday posts below so I can go and comment on them! Happy reading!

Review - Oops, Caught by Alli Reshi

Title: Oops, Caught (Expanding Horizon #1)

Author: Alli Reshi

Synopsis:

Mark Noland can’t figure out how he got into such a fix. How does an ex-mercenary (okay, an almost-reformed mercenary) get himself caught, stuck in a holding cell, on a hostile alien planet? Held captive by strange bug-like creatures who’d just as soon eat him as look at him. How can a simple mission go so awry? To make matters worse, Noland’s not alone. His fellow prisoner, a certain high-ranking, elite Stella officer holds him responsible for their failed plan. Yeah, it was supposed to be a quick in and quick out sort of mission. But no… Officer Gavnson just can’t let it go.

It’s not so easy trying to plan an escape when Noland keeps getting distracted by how his mission partner so very nicely fills out his uniform. And he suspects Gavnson is hiding something, too. As tensions run high, secrets are revealed that will change the both of them. There’s nothing like gunfights and running for your life to make that special bond.

I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts:

I would give the first half of this novella a higher rating than I'd give the second half. I rarely come across a situation like this but here it is. The first part deserved three stars (pineapples) in my book, the second, one. The overall result: a sad two-star rating.

Noland and Officer Gavnson are shut up in a cell together. A mission went wrong and they both got caught by the Awoknain, nasty bug-like creatures who aren't famous for their hosptality. They have to plan their escape and define a not-so-clear relationship between the two of them.

The beginning was so much fun! What I expected. I liked Noland, he had a few tricks up his sleeve and he had an entertaining personlaity. He bought time for them coming up with an insane idea, they were also able to escape the cell because of his heroism. 

The way out was exciting too: first they hid, then they fought their way through the bugs; at this point the book had all the potential to turn into a very decent Firefly-esque story. However, once they reached a spaceship that was fit to escape in, this sci-fi tale started to bleed from many wounds.

It was obvious while they were at the bug-base that something was not right with Gavnson. He wanted to sacrifice himself all the time, it seemed like he was eager to die. Noland started to ask him about the war they fought on the same side and what happened since, but Gavnson didn't open up easily.

He was also very willing (almost pushy) to engage in sexual activity with Noland who kept turning him away (even though he wanted him too... the bugs told them they have to mate and Noland thought Gavnson was only willing because he didn't want to be tortured, but it was so clear it wasn't the only reason). 

The second half of the novella was a huge disappointment. Stuck on a spaceship with hours to spare Noland finally prodded Gavnson into telling him about his past and why he chose to come on the mission with Noland and his group. 

The story we get is confusing and incoherent. Noland's fleeting presence in it doesn't really explain Gavnson's infatuation with him since they'd never actually talked or at least it is not clear if they've talked since the war or not. I found this part a bit muddy, past happenings were too vaguely described to give us a full explanation regarding Gavnson's motivations or his behaviour.

The writing takes a turn for the worse here too. It is repetitive and preachy. The subject they talk about is important but the converation is full of clichés, not to mention a talk like this is unlikely to occur between two persons who have started to get truly close to one another only a few hours ago.

Yet another unfavorable review from me, I know. At least I liked the beginning this time...

Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads Monday #7

 Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren @ Lauren’s Page Turners. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back to Lauren’s Page Turners and link up to the inlinkz so others can see what you picked!

The following book is intended to be my first ever Christopher Isherwood experience. Now, you have to know that Christopher and his kind – Isherwood's autobiography – has been sitting on my shelf for ages, however I promised myself I'd read a novel by him before diving into that. 

A Single Man is an LGBTQ modern classic about a middle-aged man who is grieving for the love of his life. I expect it to be very emotional but all in all I feel it conveys a positive message to the reader.

I've come across this book many times in second hand bookshops, yet never purchased it, because I always find it with the ugly green Penguin Vintage Classic cover (click here to see). I usually love the cover of these vintage classics; not this time. One day when I'll buy it, I'll buy it with the cover you can see below.

A Single Man

by Christopher Isherwood

Synopsis:

When A Single Man was originally published, it shocked many by its frank, sympathetic, and moving portrayal of a gay man in midlife. George, the protagonist, is adjusting to life on his own after the sudden death of his partner, determined to persist in the routines of his daily life. An Englishman and a professor living in suburban Southern California, he is an outsider in every way, and his internal reflections and interactions with others reveal a man who loves being alive despite everyday injustices and loneliness. Wry, suddenly manic, constantly funny, surprisingly sad, this novel catches the texture of life itself.

What gem do you have on your Goodreads TBR? Please leave a link to your Goodreads Monday post below if you have one, if not, just say hi :)