by Anie Zinter ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 15, 2024
Unsettling and frightening: a worthwhile and fast read.
In Zinter’s contemporary fantasy novel, a woman must free herself from a powerful demon.
Doris Draker, an innocent woman, had a regular life working as a secretary when a demon possessed her. The demon made Doris kill nine people—she was finally caught standing in a pool of blood over her last victim. She is sentenced to the notorious Tokema State Hospital for life. While Tokema is a horrible institution in which patients are treated as less than human, Doris finds an oasis of peace and humanity in her sessions with her therapist, Dr. Vernirelli. Being locked up doesn’t keep the demon away (he taunts her throughout her stay), but what’s stranger is the visions she begins to have. She sees herself outside Tokema, but in the blink of an eye she’s back in her room, with her feet covered in dirt. Dr. Vernirelli tries various methods to learn the truth behind Doris’ crimes, attempting to come face to face with the demon himself. A different therapist—a very different one—who’s treating Doris at Tokema is Dr. Tracy, who’s not as comforting as Dr. Vernirelli and indeed seems intent on breaking Doris’ spirit. (“See, my job here is not like all the other psychologists,” Dr. Tracy cheerfully and chillingly confesses.) Doris will need to persevere through the cruel treatment, rely on Dr. Vernirelli’s support, and find the truth behind her demon to exorcise him and end her suffering. This story is both a thriller that builds suspense with surprising plot turns and a horror story that incorporates the supernatural. (The description of the demon swallowing Doris in order to possess her is a creative twist on a traditional horror element.) The worldbuilding of Tokema feels effectively disturbing while toeing the line between fantastic elements that enhance the story and unrealistic elements that detract from its believability; Dr. Tracy’s reconditioning room, in which a great amount of abuse befalls Doris, typifies the latter. The narrative is a roller-coaster ride of twists and shocking revelations that will please readers of both genres.
Unsettling and frightening: a worthwhile and fast read.Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781665755139
Page Count: 226
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Rebecca Yarros ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
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SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
by Rebecca Yarros ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2023
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
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