What I’ve Been Reading: Rapid Fire Book Reviews & A Look Ahead!

Whenever I’m drafting a book, my reading falls wayyy wayyy off the wagon. Now that I have a baby to add to the mix, I’m extra slow. But such is life! I have gotten a few books read (including the popular READY PLAYER TWO and THE MASK FALLING) though, so I’m going to count that as a victory.

Dreamwalker Paige Mahoney has eluded death again. Snatched from the jaws of captivity and consigned to a safe house in the Scion Citadel of Paris, she finds herself caught between those factions that seek Scion's downfall and those who would kill to protect the Rephaim's puppet empire.

The mysterious Domino Program has plans for Paige, but she has ambitions of her own in this new citadel. With Arcturus Mesarthim-her former enemy-at her side, she embarks on an adventure that will lead her from the catacombs of Paris to the glittering hallways of Versailles. Her risks promise high reward: the Parisian underworld could yield the means to escalate her rebellion to outright war.

As Scion widens its bounds and the free world trembles in its shadow, Paige must fight her own memories after her ordeal at the hands of Scion. Meanwhile, she strives to understand her bond with Arcturus, which grows stronger by the day. But there are those who know the revolution began with them-and could end with them...

The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon is the fourth (of seven) book in The Bone Season series, and it doesn’t disappoint. This one is simultaneously packed with a TON of action and an abundance of intimate dialogue between Paige and Arcturus. It’d go from calm to chaos in a matter of pages. It’s clear the series is ramping up, and Shannon manages to weave even more into the story that now has loose ends to tie. This one certainly wasn’t my favorite, but that’s because THE MIME ORDER will always have my heart. Regardless, I am so excited to see where the next novel takes us.

And if you haven’t checked out The Bone Season series yet, YOU MUST. It’s simply phenomenal.

Wanted:
One (fake) boyfriend
Practically perfect in every way

Luc O'Donnell is tangentially--and reluctantly--famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he's never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc's back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.

To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship...and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He's a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he's never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.

But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that's when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don't ever want to let them go.

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall is a COMPLETELY ADORABLE love story. And while the love story is fun and exactly what you hoped it’d be, it’s so well written (and hilarious and clever) that I’d read almost anything Hall writes even if the source material was entirely about dung beetles. I would definitely recommended this one if you want something to make you LOL when you’re reading past your bedtime.

Days after Oasis founder James Halliday's contest, Wade Watts makes a discovery that changes everything. Hidden within Halliday's vault, waiting for his heir to find, lies a technological advancement that will once again change the world and make the Oasis a thousand times more wondrous, and addictive, than even Wade dreamed possible. With it comes a new riddle and a new quest. A last Easter egg from Halliday, hinting at a mysterious prize. And an unexpected, impossibly powerful, and dangerous new rival awaits, one who will kill millions to get what he wants. Wade's life and the future of the Oasis are again at stake, but this time the fate of humanity also hangs in the balance.

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline is a sequel to READY PLAYER ONE (one of my all-time favorite books). So, of course, it had BIG shoes to fill. Of course it can’t be perfect (how could it, when RPO WAS perfect?!). But goodness, it does have all the same charm and fun of the first. Another scavenger hunt amidst 80’s/90’s pop culture.

For me, the ending isn’t what I hoped because I had incorrectly anticipated that Cline was going to take us in a different direction. BUT that’s okay, because I know a lot of people will love the ending.

I would absolutely recommend diving in if you loved the first one. Again, it won’t be the same, but it will still scratch that itch.

So what’s next for me?

Audiobooks:

As dorky as it is to admit, I’m currently listening to the audiobook of my novel. I wanted to re-read my novel while drafting the sequel, SON OF THE SALT CHASER, because I wanted to draw on loose threads and ensure world building is consistent and what not. I figured it was a good opportunity to listen to the audiobook, and HOLY COW, I LOVE what the narrator did with this book. It honestly doesn’t even feel like something I’ve written. My next audiobook is going to be BLACK SUN by Rebecca Roanhorse, because I’ve heard it’s amazing.

Physical books:

My current physical read is CAPTIVE PRINCE by C. S. Pacat. I honestly had no idea what it was about going into it, I’d just had it recommended to me a bunch. Um, holy smokes it’s racy! After I finish with that, it’s on to A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES (yes, yes I know I’m way behind on this). I hope I enjoy it as much as ACOMAF… but you know, can anything top that amazing beast of a book?

Now tell me: have you read anything good lately? Or, have you read any of the above books? What did you think?

A.S. Thornton

A.S. Thornton has evolved from book blogger to author with a particular fondness for writing forbidden love in ancient deserts. When not writing, she’s caring for dogs and cats as a veterinarian. You’ll never find animals at the center of her writing, though, because those fictional worlds don’t have veterinarians and her literal brain can’t accept that the poor critters would be without parasite prevention. Thornton’s debut, DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING is available wherever books are sold.