Deep State by Chris Hauty

Hayley Chill is one of the White House's newest interns. Recently discharged from the Army, she seems an unlikely candidate for an internship, especially one with the chief of staff himself. Her resume aside, however, Hayley is incredibly smart, quick witted, and cunning. She's also gifted with an eidetic memory and a tenacious determination that works just as well inside the White House as it has in every other aspect of her life. But her mettle is tested when she finds the chief of staff dead in his home.

The death is initially determined to be due to a heart attack, but Hayley is in possession of evidence that could prove otherwise and those responsible will stop at nothing to ensure their agenda is carried out without complications. 

There's a lot of set up for Hayley. We meet her as she's about to fight, boxing for the army. Then she's discharged and heads to the White House. She meets her fellow interns, she has a chance to endear herself to the chief of staff, winning him over with her accent and her smarts. And then she wins over the president himself. The other interns are jealous, the chief of staff's assistant is jealous, and then Hayley catches the eye of a handsome secret service guy and gains his interest as well.

And all of that happens BEFORE anyone dies.

Hauty also takes the time to include some little asides letting us know, for example, that one of the interns will go on to lead a cult while another becomes a hedge fund manager. And while these asides were amusing, I did have to wonder what it had to to with the main plot. I also had to wonder if Chill is being set up as a series lead, although nothing so far indicates this.

It's pretty clear in the reading, even without seeing Hauty's bio, that he has a background in screenwriting. Scenes within the story are absolutely set up the way a screenwriter would do so. Amazingly, this and the meandering bits mentioned above don't actually hang up the pacing of the story all that much. The story moves quickly and has enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and amply entertained.

Since I listened to it on audio while my husband was out of town and I was hanging out with my one year old, I should note this is the kind of book where, if you're distracted by a child intent on pulling every item out of your pantry and you realize suddenly that you missed the last few minutes of narrative, you can still easily hold the thread of the story. Which is not a bad thing, except that in a thriller I kind of want some blink and you miss them clues.

Deep State is an entertaining debut, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that I loved it. I wanted it to be smarter—it wasn't a predictable plot but the players were all exactly what I'd expect out of a spy novel.

Skitter by Ezekiel Boone

I admitted in my review of Ezekiel Boone's The Hatching that I really don't like spiders. I mean, who does!? But I'm also a sucker for a book that's going to creep me out, so of course I've continued with Boone's killer spider series.

Skitter picks up right where The Hatching left off.

The first wave of spiders is gone but everyone knows it can't be over. Egg sacks are being found the world over and while most are dry and chalky to the touch, dormant for all intents and purposes, some are definitely ready to hatch. What's more, a number of survivors of the initial spider attack now appear to be vectors for new spider hatchings. As the survivors brace for the inevitable next wave, researchers search desperately for anything that can help defend the remaining population from what's to come. 

Like The Hatching, Skitter is a fun and fast-paced read. And like The Hatching there are again way too many characters and too little attention to detail to make it much more than a surface fun read. A popcorn read, if you will.

If you're looking for great character development or deep plot, you won't really get that in this series. Sure, there are a handful of returning faces and yes, we do get a bit more detail on them. Overall, though, the story bounces from one character to another too quick to really give the reader a chance to get to know any of them. Each new chapter, some less than even a page in length, is a glimpse into one more facet of the horror of the tale, but it's a glimpse and nothing more.

I'd say more of the focus on the series is the gross out creep factor. Which is fine for a take your mind off everything read. And I'm not going to turn my nose up at that at this point in time. Take my mind off everything reading is kind of what I'm looking for these days.

Consider this series palate cleansing, icky and skin crawling amusement, and you'll do just fine!

The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone

A tech tycoon is attacked by spiders on a trip to Peru. At the same time, an ancient egg sac is discovered at a dig in that same country. Melanie Guyer, an entomologist specializing in spiders, has always been fascinated by the creatures and the opportunity to study a calcified egg sac that dates back thousands of years is the chance of a lifetime. But there's something very different about this particular egg sac - in spite of its age, it seems to be hatching. 

Meanwhile, a remote mining village in China has recently been nuked and the Chinese government is mum on the subject. But intelligence suggests there was much more to the incident and it's something involving a bug...

Readers, I, like many of you, hate spiders. With just one exception really - these super cool looking orb weavers. But I don't hate them as much as I hate roaches. And most of the reason I hate them is because they sneak up on you. And their webs are itchy and blech! So yeah, I still love Arachnaphobia and Sarah Pinborough's The Breeding and Feeding Ground hold a very special place in my heart as two of the ickiest creep fests I've ever had the extreme pleasure of reading. So you can imagine how utterly giddy I was at coming across Ezekiel Boone's debut.

The Hatching has all the hallmarks of a summer blockbuster read. It's quick and packed with tension and action, and of course killer spiders. Monstrous and gory killer spiders.

And it is a fun read. But it's first in a trilogy, which makes The Hatching feel much like a prologue to what should have just been a longer book. Even halfway through there were still characters being introduced, and with twenty pages left to go I wasn't sure there was any way the book would resolve at all.

Of course it doesn't really. It ends on a cliffhanger that makes it certain readers like me will snatch up the second installment, Skitter, as soon as it hits shelves next spring.

I can probably go on and on about what I would have liked to see in this read (more streamlining, less characters, and all three volumes in one book, mainly) and it would all be based on my own preferences. Which matter very little, to be honest. So in spite of all of that I'll simply state that this was an amusing and skin crawling read that may not blow you away but will certainly keep you entertained for the few hours it takes to zip through it.

And now I'll begin the long wait for the second installment.

Rating: 3/5

Pre Pub Book Buzz: The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone

When I heard about Ezekiel Boone's debut I immediately knew it was something I wanted to add to my TBR. Of course as I said this I also had a gut clenching ewwwww reaction as well!

An astonishingly inventive and terrifying debut novel about the emergence of an ancient species, dormant for over a thousand years, and now on the march.

Deep in the jungle of Peru, where so much remains unknown, a black, skittering mass devours an American tourist whole. Thousands of miles away, an FBI agent investigates a fatal plane crash in Minneapolis and makes a gruesome discovery. Unusual seismic patterns register in a Kanpur, India earthquake lab, confounding the scientists there. During the same week, the Chinese government “accidentally” drops a nuclear bomb in an isolated region of its own country. As these incidents begin to sweep the globe, a mysterious package from South America arrives at a Washington, D.C. laboratory. Something wants out.

The world is on the brink of an apocalyptic disaster. An ancient species, long dormant, is now very much awake.

This creepy crawly horror read hits shelves in July thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler. 

Short Fiction Friday: The Demon by Douglas Nicholas

I did warn y'all that I would be binging on this series this week! Overkill or not, I also read this little e short this week. It's fun - doesn't add much to the series as a whole, but it is a nice bonus. Plus, it's free and includes a sample of The Wicked to give you a further taste of Nicholas's work.

The knights of Castle Blanchefontaine have been tasked with a possibly deadly mission: a merchant passing through the area reported that he and his guards were set upon by a great demon and his minions. They ran, leaving behind their wagon, and sought shelter at Blanchefontaine. Now, the castellan and his man must confront this evil head on if their lands are ever to be safe again. 

Again, this one serves as just a freebie bonus. It's super short on its own - even with The Wicked sample it's only around 40 pages in length. It was nice to see the men-at-arms of Blanchefontaine and Sir Balthasar in action.

I really wanted to include it this week for those of you that might be on the fence and curious about the series - it's a no risk sample :)

You can download "The Demon" from any e book retailer here.

Throne of Darkness by Douglas Nicholas + a Giveaway

Hi, all! It's been a fabulous reading week chez moi. I'm hoping it continues beyond this week, but I am ending on a high note with the third title in Douglas Nicholas's excellent dark fantasy series, Throne of Darkness. And thanks to the publisher I'm able to offer up a copy of this latest release to one of you lucky readers. (If you haven't read Something Red or The Wicked just yet, I am giving away a copy of Red here.)

Molly and her troupe find themselves in an odd situation, conscripted by none other than the Roman Catholic Church to deal with issues involving King John. Seems the nation's ruler has enlisted the help of a sorcerer who leads a group of shapeshifters intent on ridding the country of John Lackland's northern enemies. These shapeshifters, two hundred in number, would decimate the northern lords, including Sir Jehan and Sir Odinell. Having heard of their past deeds involving issues of a more otherworldly and evil nature, the Church hopes that Molly, Nemain, Jack, and Hob can rid the country of these monstrous beings and the magus who controls them. In exchange for their help, the Church's representative promises their support for Molly and also swears forgiveness of her heathen ways. 

So Molly and all are blackmailed into service, so to speak. If they are successful in their task, Molly won't burn at the stake (according to the Pope's man) and if they aren't, they'll most certainly be dead anyway. But how can Molly and team refuse when to do so would greatly impact their friends and supporters in the north?

While Nicholas doesn't delve too deeply into the history of the time, Throne of Darkness is woven around the unease and restlessness of England in 1215 and the signing of the Magna Carta. King John (for those of us who can't keep the monarchies straight) is the very same of Robin Hood fame. He's also the king who lost Normandy to France causing all sorts of upheaval. And he did indeed war with Pope Innocent III but no mention of attempted alliances with Muslim nations.

There's quite a bit of folklore in Throne of Darkness, indeed in the series as a whole. The bouda, magical white cows, and of course the Irish mythology with Molly at it's center. For a book I'd been so greatly anticipating, Throne did not disappoint. I had hoped, though, that we would finally get Molly's story in Ireland. I don't know if that's in future plans at all but I do know that I for one would welcome another installment!

Rating: 4/5

And now for the giveaway: to enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, April 20. US only and no PO boxes please.

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The Wicked by Douglas Nicholas

It's been a little over a year since Hob, Molly, Nemain, and Jack helped free Castle Blanchefontaine from the wrath of a murderous beast. Their efforts have earned them friends and patrons in the lord and knights of Blanchefontaine, and notoriety for being the only ones able to fight the evil that plagued those parts. And so, on one of their returns to the castle, they are informed that an acquaintance of Sir Jehan's, one Sir Odinell, now has a problem that Molly and her caravan might be able to help with. 

It seems Sir Odinell has a new neighbor, a lord whose lands have been appointed by the king himself. The neighbor is odd and his arrival has brought much trouble to the area, leaving Sir Odinell certain that the cause lies at the feet of said lord. But dealing with the issue is problematic for two reasons: first, the lord's connection to both the king and the pope makes him virtually - and officially - untouchable; second, Sir Odinell believes this lord's power to be most unnatural and evil. Sir Odinell once fought alongside Sir Jehan and trusts him when he says that Molly is his best chance. In return for her help, he promises he will also become a patron and ally when Molly returns to her native land to claim her place as queen of her clan. Though the task set forth is a difficult one, Molly is certain it is the fate of her family to intervene. But what she discovers when they arrive is an evil worse than any she's encountered. 

If you read my review of Something Red last week, then you know that I was quite anxious to return to these characters. And what a rewarding return it was! While The Wicked is equal in atmosphere and detail to Something Red, the pacing on this second book in the series is much faster. Within just a few pages, Molly and her group are on their way to Sir Odinell's stumbling upon dead bodies and fighting off minions sent by the wicked Sir Tarquin.

Nicholas seems to really have found his groove with this one! Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy Something Red quite a bit. But where I enjoyed that one, I loved this one! I don't know that I can honestly say that I've ever read a thirteenth-century dark fantasy based book in one sitting, until now. And as with Something Red I turned the final page on The Wicked desperate to get to the next installment, Throne of Darkness, an undeniable indication of just how well this author has hooked me.

The Wicked is dark and suspense driven. It also clues us in further on Molly and Nemain's powers and history. Nemain and Hob's relationship really blossoms in this second title as well, which is nice since they're betrothed at the beginning. Hob's come into his manhood quite nicely and proves to be even more of an asset to the group as well, something Molly apparently foretold when they enlisted him into their family in the first place.

You can absolutely read The Wicked without having read Something Red first, but if I've piqued your interest at all (and you haven't read the Something Red review) you can hit the link above and throw your name in the hat to win a copy of Nicholas's first outing. Be sure to check back tomorrow as well for my review of Throne of Darkness and a chance to win that one as well!

Rating: 5/5

Something Red by Douglas Nicholas + a Giveaway

Hob has only been traveling with Molly and her caravan for a short time now, so many of the stops on their regular trek through England are new to him: the St. Germaine Monastery, for example, where the monks have made it their business to protect travelers, and Osbert's Inn, a welcome respite for weary pilgrims. Bandits target the road beyond and Molly has trained her people well in the event of an attack, but something worse than bandits is on their trail this time.

Hob felt it on the road outside the monastery. He felt it again before they were safely behind the walls at Osbert's Inn. It's an evil that thirsts for blood. A presence that weighs heavy on those sensitive enough to feel it coming. And it's hunting Hob and his new family.

Something Red is a deliciously atmospheric debut. It's quite dense, packed with detail and imagery, and much of the dialog works best sounded out as the author employs an almost old English approach (NOT Old English, but as if it's meant to be and still readily readable). But in spite of that, it does read rather more quickly than I'd expected, in part because of my own anticipation about what was coming and in part because it's the kind of tale that does grab hold and drag you along as Hob's group progress in their travels.

The story is set in a bone-chilling winter during the thirteenth century. Molly, or Queen Maeve, is an Irish exile who makes her way through England trading in remedies and music. Hob, an orphan, was discovered at priest house, having been taken in by an aging man of the cloth. Though Molly has yet to explain why she convinced the priest to relinquish the boy into her care, Hob is grateful and has learned much in the year and a half he's traveled with them. At just thirteen years of age, he's proven himself to be a good addition to their group. Also traveling with Molly are Jack Brown, a former crusader and her sometime lover, and her niece, Nemain.

Do be warned, it does take a while for something beyond looks and feelings to happen but the ride along the way is quite fun. This is the first in a trilogy, with the third installment due out Tuesday (March 31). There's a lot of character development but the reader is still left with questions about Molly/Maeve, Nemain, and Hob, particularly with respect to Molly's exile and her powers.

Something Red stands on its own - there's no crazy cliffhanger, but these characters are the kind you won't want to leave for long.

Rating: 4/5

And now for the giveaway! With the trilogy rounding out so soon, I'll be binging on the series myself. I though I would share the love and give away a copy of this first book to one of you lucky readers. To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, April 13. US only please.

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Conquest by John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard

They are called the Illyri and after discovering how to find and use wormholes for travel, they set about colonizing planets like their own. They arrived on Earth just over sixteen years ago and have ruled the planet ever since. 

Syl Hellais holds no hate for this planet. It is her home after all; she was the first of her kind born here. But her movements are restricted. As the daughter of the governor of the islands of Britain and Ireland she is forever protected and guarded. Much of the human resistance has been quashed over the years, but militant parties still exist and Edinburgh is home to one of the most active. Still, the area near the castle Syl and her father call home is generally free of such worries. So When Syl escapes on her sixteenth birthday, intent on exploring the nearby village, she has no way of knowing that she's walking straight into a war zone. 

Paul and Steven Kerr are part of the resistance but aren't involved in the bombing that almost kills Syl and her friend. In fact, they come to the rescue saving Syl from the blast and hiding her from the search party. By the time they meet again, Paul and Steven are to be executed for a crime Syl knows they're innocent of. 

Conquest kicks off a brand new series coauthored by John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard. This first installment in the Chronicles of the Invaders is awesome in scope and premise. Not only do we have conquering aliens, which of course means an almost certain looming all out war between humankind and the invaders, but the politics of the Illyri are in question as well. There are some pretty big revelations in Conguest, some twists I didn't quite see coming that leave much to look forward to in subsequent books. And while it's clear throughout Conquest that this is only the beginning - there's an obligatory cliffhanger-esque ending, too - it's a highly engaging first book.

Connolly and Ridyard seem to work together fairly seamlessly. The collaboration here has resulted in a smooth and well written series debut with great characters, lots of intrigue, and pretty fantastic world building. No word yet on when we can expect the second book in the series, but it's already on my must have list!

Rating: 4/5

Game by Anders de la Motte

It begins easily enough, a phone on a train and a question: Wanna play a game? Course HP wasn't thinking about games when he found the sleek new cell phone apparently forgotten on the seat next to him. When the text appears again, this time calling him out by name, he finds it hard to resist. He's certain it has to be a joke - someone watching nearby, waiting for him to fall for it. The game starts with a stolen umbrella. After successfully completing this task, HP is let in and the points begin to rack up. The tasks escalate but HP doesn't think much of it until his own sister is injured as part of the game. Still he wants to continue in spite of being kicked out. But HP will soon learn that the game isn't a game at all and the consequences are far more dangerous than he could ever anticipate.

This first in a new trilogy by Anders de la Motte initially struck me as being very similar to Ursula Poznanski's teen thriller Erebos. True, both books do concern a suspicious game that has real life consequences, but ultimately that's where the comparison ends.

Game divides its time between HP, Henrik Pettersson, and Rebecca Normén, a member of Sweden's Security Police. Much of the beginning of the book is propelled by the story of the game itself and HP's participation. Rebecca's portions in this early part are her work and her development as a character, which makes for a nice set up once her story begins to intersect with that of HP.

Game is an intriguing premise and I've no doubt that it's one that could really happen. The author has some interesting things to say about his inspiration here - things I agree with on a lot of levels - but I'll let you hear it straight from him in this video from the publisher:

Tech meets conspiracy theory all wrapped up in a tense and action packed plot - with more than one twist as well. Game is hard to resist! Since this is the first in a trilogy, it's to be expected that there are still some questions yet to be resolved. The second release, Buzz, is due out Jan 7, and the final title, Bubble, is due out Feb 4.

I should also point out that while this is a translated work, beyond the fact that it's set it Sweden I don't think I would have had a clue that a translator was involved. The narrative flows incredibly easily. Frankly I was kind of amazed.

Rating: 4.5/5

Pre Pub Book Buzz: Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield

I've been dying to post this one on Pre Pub Book Buzz and have been waiting for a cover to go up. And now it has! So here it is!

Here's a bit about Bellman and Black from Goodreads:

As a boy, William Bellman commits one small, cruel act: killing a bird with his slingshot. Little does he know the unforeseen and terrible consequences of the deed, which is soon forgotten amidst the riot of boyhood games. By the time he is grown, with a wife and children of his own, William seems to be a man blessed by fortune—until tragedy strikes and the stranger in black comes. Then he starts to wonder if all his happiness is about to be eclipsed. Desperate to save the one precious thing he has left, William enters into a rather strange bargain, with an even stranger partner, to found a decidedly macabre business.

As soon as I heard that there was a release date for a new Diane Setterfield book, I had a total OMG-I-can't-freaking-wait reaction! It's been almost seven years since The Thirteenth Tale came out and considering how much I adored it, anything new from Setterfield is a definite for my must have list. 

Seriously, I CAN'T FREAKING WAIT!

Bellman and Black is due out from Atria/Emily Bestler Books in November for those of us in the States. UK readers can get their hands on it a month earlier from Orion. And in other cool Diane Setterfield news, there's a BBC adaptation of The Thirteenth Tale currently under production and set to star Vanessa Redgrave and Olivia Colman.