FBI Agent John Jones has a problem. His brain has been infected by an alien consciousness calling itself “the Martian,” and its perception of reality is utterly incomprehensible to the human psyche. Now he must navigate this new status quo, all while balancing the deeply grounded and important duties of his day job! Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez take the Martian Manhunter into the Absolute Universe on a mind-bending, psychedelic trip!
A mind-melding new interpretation of the Martian Manhunter mythos, the art is what I got to talk about first. Rodriguez’ psychadelic layout takes readers right into the double-occupied mind of John Jones. It feels like classic sci-fi horror with the posession of John’s mind by an alien, screwing everything he sees and thinks. I also like how the color serves to visualize his telepathic abilities instead of only using thought bubbles.
Narrative-wise, Camp builds tension with John trying to regain control and come to a compromise with the martian inside him, and with the unstable psyche, raders have to question the crime scenes John is investigating. Camp also brings emotional pathos as John’s martian abilities can serve as a metaphor for mental illness or insert other abnormality and how much he wants to be normal again, and pushes away his wife/child, and learning to embrace her unconditional love and that he’s still himself. Readers may be disconcerted with the unlinear narrative and schizophrenic hallucinations, but I found the experimental style befittng for the telepath’s space horror genre.
Wally West’s world has been turned upside down. Now quite literally on the run from the people he once trusted, he must navigate an impossible world full of dangers he never knew existed – and he must do so without the help and guidance of his former mentor. The Flash joins the Absolute Universe in a bold new take on the DC Universe’s Scarlet Speedster, written by award-winning author Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth), and illustrated by Nick Robles.
While the Rogues have fresh takes in design, motivations, and how their powers work, Wally’s story feels like a slightly modified reboot of the flash origins. You know, wannabe scientist, gets mentor only Barry is more morally grey and evil. Oh, and Zoom is here wrecking chaos as usual. I’m sure Flash aficianados might have more to admire in regards to the complexities of being trapped in the Speed Force and the ethics of using unstable science stuff to get a person out of it, but I was invested beyond Wally and the rogues briefly teaming up. At least Robles’ art was vibrant with the Silver-Age color palette with the realism of modern character design.
The Devil of Downtown: This was a very tough ranking as the couples below have more memorable, distinct arcs, but I just really, really like the multi-lingual, smooth talking, good with his hands Jack Mulligan. The romance was strong, however I found the sisterly relationship to be lackluster as Florence and Mamie have already been through their romances with a man below their station and go out into the dangerous streets yet continually underestimate Justine. It felt strange like they were different characters.
The Prince of Broadway: If I was being honest I’d switch the titles since Madden is more of a rogue than Frank Tripp, the MMC below but I digress. Prince and Rogue have equal flaws, but what gave this the edge over Rogue is that I loved how equal Florence and Madden were in their headstrong, headbutting personalities. Plus the steamy scenes were hold your chest, panting hot. Very memorable. The big flaw is that Madden stated from the beginning that he was out to destroy Florence’s father and she knew that. That his plans would affect her own should have been a given, but she ignored. It made her seem very naive, especially since he had repeatedly stated his goals and was generally honest for an old-timey mob boss.
The Rogue of Fifth Avenue: Mamie and Frank have such older siblings take on the world mentality, I loved seeing them find trust and comfort in each other. You’d be surprised since it’s ranked on the bottom, but I found Frank’s character arc the most compelling out of the MMCs. And I enjoyed the courtroom scenes and Mamie’s interest in helping the immigrants in the corrupt justice system. It comes last simple because they’re the most vanilla out of the books, focusing on typical tropes of Mamie fighting against her arranged marriage and Frank hiding his true background. Definitly fits with the HBO Gilded Age show though.
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a good ol’ historical romance so why not start with one of the greatest romance writers in the good ol’ west.
Tempest: From Reagan accidentally shooting her intended to Ben learning to stand up for the women in his life against his father, and dealing with his own discomfort and attraction to headstong woman, I loved this story. Reagan’s connection with Ben’s daughter didn’t feel precocious or forced, and I enjoyed her friendship with Ben’s sister, Spring (from previously reviewed Wild Spring!), creating a women’s aid group and being able to get some closure about her neglected childhood by helping another little girl in the same situation.
Forbidden: This ends square in the middle because there was divine tension and historical relevency with Rhine being able to pass throughout much of the book, the privileges it gives him as well as the risk and disconnection from the rest of society. Thus it was especially menaingful that Eddy’s reaction came from one of understanding but firmness that she won’t be a dirty secret to hide or risk his safety/finances if he has to reveal himself. Obviously, he realizes love is worth the danger, but it was delicious reading up to it. Plus I got to learn a lot about the free black towns in the West and the animosities of new settlers and pioneers after the Civil War.
Breathless: As much as I love a couple that get each other, and forgo the miscommunication trope, the lack of internal or external conflict after Portia and Kent got together made it feel like it should have ended 70 pages earlier. Unfortunate as Jenkins does bring up Apache displacement and retaliation, and as one with some indigenous heritage Kent could have felt that he should learn more or get involved. Same with Portia and the black women’s movement and rights, but those events were just added as information rather than connecting to Portia and Kent’s characterization.
I know I haven’t posted my writing in a while, but since I didn’t get much engagement when I did my previous excerpts. Now that I have this nice new format and more user-friendly site, I hope there will be more comments. If you want to see more excerpts and bts of my work in progress, please say so. Or subscribe.
Previously I gave sneak peeks primarily concerning the main character, Kitty and her potential romance with James. Now here’s the other contender, Frederick Tilney, and what could be better to encourage intimacy than a private singing lesson.
When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List: 1. Run for pep club secretary 2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree 3. Sew a dress for Homecoming 4. Find a steady 5. Do something dangerous But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.
Most girls when they get dumped, eat ice cream and maybe block the ex from their accounts. Mallory’s techno ban was crazy yet impressive even though I found it hard to understand her deep aversion. But that was the point as even she realizes her tech ban may be an extreme reaction to being tech-cheated on and is too embarassed to explain it to others.
Readers may be initially confused by the catalyst for the break-up. Not the cybercheating, but that it is all due to a sims-inspired game, and the ensuing drama and public shaming in the Myspace comments. I know Myspace was a thing when I was a child, but it went bankrupt or disappared by the time I was 9, so I was pretty confused what it was. From what I understand it was like Facebook for teens.
That aside, Mallory’s choice to go tech-free not only stems from cybercheating trauma but becomes part of a deeper prolem of Mallory idealizing her Grandmother’s past. She envisions being a teenager in the sixities as something quaint and trauma-free because there are no mean comments to read.
I enjoyed how Leavitt deconstructs this idealistic view by highlighting the pros (Mallory becomes more proactive of doing things outside the house, doesn’t get sucked into social media) and the cons (inconvience in communicating with family, homework, social scene updates).
Same with her romanticization of the sixities as Mallory’s younger sister pushes back on the lack of women’s rights, and opportunities, professionally and romantically. The reveal of her grandmother’s big secret is a wonderful example of Mallory’s short-sighted which she acknowledges. It’s a nice lesson about the elasticity of history that every generation had its own troubles because being a teenager is hard. Being a human is hard, and there’s never been a “simpler time” no matter how far back you go.
Princess for Hire is a delightful fantasy trilogy. For fans who can’t get enough of the idea of tiaras and enjoy socially-conscious protagonists like Mia from The Princess Diaries, try this. Desi is thrilled to find out that not only she has MP-magical potential, but it makes her eligable to work at the Facade Agency, and substitute for royalty. But Desi isn’t just obsessed with the glam, she wants to help the princesses on a more impactful level, and has greater ambitions for how the agency can use their magic for everyone, status unimportant. Which leads to a lot of trouble.
Farewell to Charms: Admittedly, I read the first two back in middle school, but never got to the finale for whatever reason. I’m glad I got the chance now. Farewell to Charms was a great finale. Not only does Leavitt up the stakes for Desi professionally, but personally and romantically. Leavitt elevates Desi’s empathy and charges her from speculating to taking action which was gratifying to see. Plus the denounment was not what one might expect yet satisfying on its own. It actually reminded me a bit of the ending for Rhonda Stapleton’s Stupid Cupid trilogy. Plus I enjoyed seeing Desi get up to Level Three, her assignment with Princess Vanna, and the endings for the side characters.
Princess for Hire: Leavitt had a interesting premise and made it memorable with her distinctive characters like Desi’s love for silk screening t-shirts, Meredith-her agent and anti-fairygodmother type and the magic of Facade. There’s a reason I still had fondness for the story a decade later and remember most of the hijinks Desi gets into with her first three clients. And now with hindsight, I see how Leavitt cleverly set the seeds for what is to come with Desi and her magic potential.
Royal Treatment: Unfortunately, this hits the sophmore slump. Now to get it the benefit of the doubt, I’m reading this as an adult, so the twist regarding Reed was obvious to me from a mile away. So Desi’s fretting about her feelings for Karl and her attraction to Reed was frustrating. Same with the reveal of Floressa Chase’s royal origins and Desi’s outrage about the magic potential being taken from potential substitutes felt manufactured considering Fake Mackenzie’s incompetence in the trial period. The third book rectified this in illustrating how bad Facade’s magic sucking is.
London, 1930. The five greatest women crime writers have banded together to form a secret society with a single goal: to show they are no longer willing to be treated as second class citizens by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club. Led by the formidable Dorothy L. Sayers, the group includes Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. They call themselves the Queens of Crime. Their plan? Solve an actual murder, that of a young woman found strangled in a park in France who may have connections leading to the highest levels of the British establishment.
May Daniels, a young English nurse on an excursion to France with her friend, seemed to vanish into thin air as they prepared to board a ferry home. Months later, her body is found in the nearby woods. The murder has all the hallmarks of a locked room mystery for which these authors are famous: how did her killer manage to sneak her body out of a crowded train station without anyone noticing? If, as the police believe, the cause of death is manual strangulation, why is there is an extraordinary amount of blood at the crime scene? What is the meaning of a heartbreaking secret letter seeming to implicate an unnamed paramour? Determined to solve the highly publicized murder, the Queens of Crime embark on their own investigation, discovering they’re stronger together. But soon the killer targets Dorothy Sayers herself, threatening to expose a dark secret in her past that she would do anything to keep hidden.
I had already read two by Marie Benedict (The Other Einstein, and Her Hidden Genius) and while I enjoyed the first, I thought the latter was retreading the same plotline with the same archetype. Luckily, this one was totally different, and combined one of my favorite genres with historical fiction. While I knew about Agatha Christie and Baroness Emma, the other authors were unknown to me. Even cooler, they were all actually friends and contemporaries in real life. It was fun to see the dynamic personalities banter and push up against each other with their different investigative styles. Unfortunately, Margery felt lost in the mix and I often forgot she was there.
The mystery was engaging, although it was overtaken in the middle with Sayers relating to May Daniels too much, and bringing up ghosts from her past.
Benedict’s prose is engaging, but I found some of the themes to be didatic. The characters would literally state them out-loud and while the themes of disposable/forgotten women/personal autonomy will always remain relevant, it felt like the way it was conveyed, it was through 21st century language that took me out of the book. Same with Baroness Emma’s agitation with Ngaoio calling her old-fashioned and reminding her that the rights Ngaoio has now are thanks to women like her who had lived with narrow options. A relatable arguement of two different generations, but the execution felt too modern.
In the fall of 1942, the United States is still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor. While the US starts sending troops to the front, the March family of Concord, Massachusetts, grieves their own enormous loss- the death of daughter Beth.
Under the strain of their grief, Beth’s remaining sisters’ fracture, each going their own way, with Jo nursing her wounds and building planes in Connecticut, Meg holding down the home front with Marmee, and Amy living a secret life as a Red Cross volunteer in London-the same city where one Mr. Theodore Laurence is stationed as an army pilot.
Each March sister’s point of view is written by a separate author, three in prose and Beth’s in verse, still holding the family together from beyond the grave. Woven together, these threads tell a story of finding one’s way in a world undergoing catastrophic change.
When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his new wife, her children, and the rest of her recently upended life in America. It’s been a long time since Charlotte has felt hopeful, let alone loved. Maybe doing something as outrageous as donning a bonnet and staying at an English manor house can help re-start her damaged heart.
Yet once the parlor games begin at Pembrook Park, Charlotte finds herself more uncertain than ever. Can she trust the feelings she has for a certain actor, or is his roleplaying that quality? Is the world-famous starlet concealing more than her real name? Has the respite of the country given her too much time to question her life choices? And when Charlotte suspects murder among them, she can’t help but wonder how much of their true selves everyone may be hiding. . .
Although Charlotte states P&P is her favorite novel on her Pembrook Park application, she is getting the Northanger Abbey experience. Hale’s sophmore novel in the series was delightful as she melds the personal journey of Charlotte wreastling with her anxiety and self-doubt with the locked-door murder mystery.
Jane Hayes is what some might call a hopeless romantic. Normal life (and men) continuously disappoint her. Why can’t she find anyone remotely like literary heartthrob, Mr. Darcy? Why can’t real life feel like a novel?
When a wealthy relative bequeaths Jane a trip to an English resort for Austen superfans, Jane’s fantasies become realer than she ever could have dreamed. Dressed in empire waist gowns and torn between a charming gardener and an actor playing the brooding Mr. Darcy role, Jane attempts to master the Regency-era etiquette and the flirtatious games. But when it’s time to bid Austenland farewell, will she be able to leave her sincerest fantasies–and the men who helped bring them to life–behind for good?
I had originally decided to read Austenland, and other Austen-inspired novels when I finished my big ol Austen novel, and was going to read this in May. However, when I found out about the new delux editions I held myself back to read the new ones and then compare them side by side.
Rachel Reads & Reviews 
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