Karen's Library

Corey is back!!

Revisado: 01-05-25

As a huge fan of The Expanse books and TV series, I was thrilled to hear these authors were back with another science fiction series.

In The Mercy of Gods, a group of academic biologists spend quite a bit of time at the beginning academicing (is that a word?) and to be honest, I put this book aside for a few months. I had a hard time staying with it.

When I picked it back up and continued, this time by audiobook (Jefferson Mays is back as narrator!), it finally became much more interesting as the planet is attacked by aliens.

Many humans are killed but some, including our biologist group, are kidnapped and undergo harsh conditions while traveling to their destination. When they arrive, the group is forced to perform experiments for the aliens but in a way that they are never sure why or what they are needing to do. Communication with their capters is extremely difficult as the insectoid aliens are so very different from humans in their values, speech, customs, and everything else.

The story was interesting overall and I will definitely be continuing on with the series.

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Deliciously twisty

Revisado: 03-04-24

John Marrs is up there in my top 5 favorite authors as he never disappoints. And he was at it again in The Stranger in Her House.

Connie leaves her wedding planning business in Italy to come home to take care of her ailing mother who is suffering from vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s.

One day, Paul, a handyman is sent by a charity to help with odd jobs around the house. Connie grows increasingly frustrated as Gwen seems to be falling under Paul’s spell more and more each day, and pushing Connie away.

And in typical John Marrs fashion, the twists are mind blowing. This twisty psychological thriller will have your brain spinning. And I loved it!!

If you haven’t tried John Marrs yet, what are you waiting for?

I switched back and forth between the audiobook and the print book. The audiobook was performed by Elizabeth Knowelden, Soneela Nankani, and Steve West and they were wonderful!

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Love the science!!

Revisado: 01-14-24

Dragon Planet was another lovely MG book from Dan Wells! This time, the colonists make their way to their planet which only has 1/6 of Earth’s gravity and the air knocks you unconscious if breathed for too long. Dragon like creatures also inhabit this new world. Our hero Zero and his friend Nyx once again save the day from a group of colonists who want to steal a mine.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED how Wells incorporated the science of air and gravity and fauna and creatures into this book. The audiobook performances were so well done!!

If book 3 comes out on audiobook, I’ll definitely be listening to it!

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Wonderful progressive fantasy! Love Zee and Jessup

Revisado: 12-30-23

I’m a huge fan of David Estes having started with him back when he was writing the Moondwellers series. So when I heard he was working on a book with Dyrk Ashton about a kraken and his rider, I couldn’t help but be completely intrigued with how that could possibly work.

I’m also a huge fan of bonded dragons and have read all of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series, over and over and over… And just finished the Fourth Wing books. So, yes. I do love dragons!

In Kraken Rider Z, we not only have the ONLY mythological kraken in existence, but we have an entire world which includes dragons, military dragon school, and a whole lot of magic. Count me in!!!

And, as I’ve come to expect from David Estes, I was swept away by the story of 7 year old Zee finding and naming a baby Kraken. I was all in from the beginning chapters.

Zee and Jessup are then separated for about 10 years and both have grown into adults. During this time Zee ends up as a hull scrubber on a ship and Jessup survives in a harsh ocean environment trying not to be eaten while he’s young. Zee spends his time dreaming of become a dragonrider.

Without going into spoilers, all I can say is I fell in love with the two protagonists in this progressive fantasy. The action is non-stop and the ending is very satisfying! Although the book starts with a 7 year old, it’s not an MG book. It’s YA, but reads as adult fantasy.

If you enjoy lovable characters, dragons, magic, or incredible world building in your fantasies, this book is for you.

I preordered and listened to Kraken Rider Z on audiobook narrated by the incredible Tim Gerard Reynolds (does the Red Rising series) and I couldn’t get enough. Between the story and Tim’s performance, I listened to this book every second possible and would force myself to turn off the audio late at night so I could sleep.

Really well done to both authors! I can’t wait for book 2!

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Heebie Jeebies!

Revisado: 09-23-23

As far as I’m concerned, Stephen King did it again with a book that gave me the heebie jeebies so bad, I had to stop reading (listening) to take in what I had just heard. And then rewind so I could hear it again. In several places.

I have been looking forward to this book ever since I first heard mention that a Holly Gibney book was coming out. I loved Holly’s character in the Mr. Mercedes book series and then in Outsider. She also got a short story, If It Bleeds.

Going in, all I knew was that Holly was going to be pitted against an elderly couple of Professors which made no sense to me. But I was all in in.

Well, the first chapter jumps right in and we find out what horror the old couple are a part of. But not quite the why. When I found out the why…?! Oh my!! This is King at his most horrific!

I’m seeing a lot of buzz about the political overtones in Holly. And yes, this book was written at the height of COVID so I get it. And yes, it did seem a little overmuch at times. But I was into the storyline, and Holly, and Jerome and his sister Barbara. (It was nice to see that the gang was all there.) Stephen King even mentions this in his Author’s Note. If you follow him on his social media, he’s never been shy before about his political feelings.

I listened to this book on audiobook with Justine Lupe narrating. Justine played Holly in the Mr. Mercedes TV series so it was like hearing an old friend.

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Gruesome Dystopian

Revisado: 07-01-23

Although extremely gruesome, this dystopian book really makes you think. It’s The Hunger Games meets The Gladiator meets Squid Game.

In a world much like we have today, prisoners with 25 years or more sentences or on death row are offered the chance to become gladiators where they have to kill each other about once a month in fight to the death matches.

If they survive for 3 years they are freed, so many sign up because it has to be better than prison and they’re going to die anyway. There’s low-freed (they die) and high-freed (they earn their freedom).

The entire event is broadcast live, and their down times can be viewed by the public as a reality show. The gladiators are pretty much being streamed live their entire day.

The story centers around Thurwar and Staxxx who are on the same chain of about 8 gladiators (they live together, train together, and sometimes fight together in melees, but never are forced to fight another member of their chain). Thurwar and Staxxx are both the best of the best and they love each other. Thurwar is the leader of her chain and she is a few weeks away from being freed.

The story is told by different POV’s of the individual fighters, the executives running the show, and audience members, with footnotes of the history of this world and/or our world’s real history and facts. The entire book is very eye-opening about our prison system.

I’m still trying to to reconcile that ending and I think this story will be with me for a while!

The narrators all did a great job, although I was confused by the footnotes until I picked up my print copy and reread a few chapters. Then I got into the flow of the story stopping every so often with facts, histories, and odd statements being thrown in.

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So much fun!

Revisado: 04-02-23

I’m a HUGE fan of Ready Player One so when I saw a recommendation of Dungeon Crawler Carl for fans of RPO, I thought I’d give it a try. This genre, LITRPG, is fairly new for me, and I listened to the audiobook. By the way, the narrator Jeff Hayes, ROCKED it!

This was seriously brain candy for me after my tough work days. Princess Donut!? I was constantly snorting with laughter.

This was The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Ready Player One and I loved it! Cheesy, yes! Fun? Absolutely!

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So much fun!

Revisado: 04-02-23

I’m a HUGE fan of Ready Player One so when I saw a recommendation of Dungeon Crawler Carl for fans of RPO, I thought I’d give it a try. This genre, LITRPG, is fairly new for me, and I listened to the audiobook. By the way, the narrator Jeff Hayes, ROCKED it!

This was seriously brain candy for me after my tough work days. Princess Donut!? I was constantly snorting with laughter.

This was The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Ready Player One and I loved it! Cheesy, yes! Fun? Absolutely!

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Thought provoking

Revisado: 08-16-22

Interesting Audible audiobook about an alien communication. This was narrated by a full cast and I actually really enjoyed all the characters.

This one really makes you think. That ending! Loved it!

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Epic fantasy at its best!!

Revisado: 12-05-21

I’m not sure why I’m always surprised whenever I read a new David Estes book that I always think it’s his best book ever. It’s because his writing and his stories just keep getting better and better and his latest and greatest is, once again, his best book EVER!

Magefall continues the Kingfall epic tales with our favorites, Peony, Dane, Danius, King Jarrod, Sampson, Roman, Quill, and so many others…. I seriously cannot love these characters any more than I do, or that’s what I thought. And then there I go falling in love with each one and each story even more than I did.

I’m not sure where David’s ideas come from, but some of the storylines absolutely blew me away (and some gave me nightmares- moths anyone?). The dragons?

I’ve read all of David’s books, and I love love love his dystopian and sci-fi tales. But… I think high fantasy is where he absolutely excels! His idea of Godblades is so completely creative, I can’t even imagine how he’ll top these first three books of this five book series. With two more to come, I have no doubts he will. Can’t wait for Nightfall in 2022!!

And then… In addition to having the best books possible, his publisher manages to secure Tim Gerard Reynolds to perform the Kingfall books!! All five of them!! For me, these are the best audiobooks out there! I may have dragged on my listen for longer than I normally do, but that’s because I refused to speed up these books as I had to listen to them as TGR and David Estes intended. So many nights I fell asleep to Tim’s soothing voice, and if there was any chance I missed even a minute, I’d rewind the next day and listen to the last part just to be sure.

How am I going to be able to wait for Nightfall? Another WELL DONE from one of your biggest fans, David!!

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