Category: Fiction Page 24 of 317

The Djinn’s Apple by Djamila Morani, translated by Sawad Hussain: The Scent of Death

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The Djinn's AppleThe Djinn’s Apple

by Djamila Morani , Sawad Hussain (Translator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Neem Tree Press
Publication Date: May 7, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 160 pg.
Read Date: February 24, 2023
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s The Djinn’s Apple About?

Nardeen is a remarkable twelve-year-old. Her father is a physician known for translating medical texts from a variety of languages into Arabic, and Nardeen soaks up his work. She has an astounding memory and ability to understand what she memorizes.

But due to some political intrigue that she doesn’t wholly understand, Nardeen and her family have to flee their home one night. Sadly, she’s the only one who survives.

Nardeen vows revenge on those responsible for her family’s murder—certain that a friend of her father’s is ultimately to blame.

But before then, she finds herself being taken under the wing of a legendary physician and teacher, Muallim Ishaq. He recognizes her gifts and her heritage from her father—he arranges (mostly by the force of his will) to have her learn at The Bimaristan, a hospital of great renown. There, she’s able to hone her skills and knowledge—and sharpen her tools, resolve, and ability to mete out that vengeance.

Father vs. Father

There are a handful of various conflicts in this book (like with any good book), but at the core, this book seems to be a conflict within Nardeen herself. On the one hand, she has her memories of her father and what he taught her—what he showed her by example—about the way to live. She also has to wrestle with what she’s told about her father—by those who profess to have admired him and those who worked against him.

On the other hand, she has her (for all intents and purposes) adoptive father, what he’s trying to teach her—what he shows her by example—about the way to live. She also has to wrestle with what she’s told about him—by those who profess to admire him and those who work against him.

In many ways, these two fathers line up—but in significant ways, they follow and lead her down divergent paths. So much of how the plotlines of this book resolve depends on Nardeen’s acceptance/rejection of what these men stand for.

The Setting

So, this takes place during the “golden age of Baghdad”—Harun al-Rashid’s rule of the Abbasid Caliphate from 786 to 809. Now, everything that I know about this period of time comes from the appendices to this novel “Harun Al-Rashid: The Golden Age of Baghdad” and “The Bimaristan.” As they are appendices, I read them afterward. So I came into this not knowing anything—which is a bit intimidating. And I figure I’m not alone in this (particularly for the intended YA audience, who probably haven’t had much opportunity to study Eigth-Century history).

But honestly? Anyone who reads Fantasy/SFF knows how to approach something like this—sure, this is a representation of actual history, but the same tools and imagination you need to understand Westeros, Panem, or the world of the Shadowhunters equip you to get into this world.

And, like with those worlds, after getting this taste, you’ll likely want to read more about it.

While reading, and since then, I do have to wonder a little bit about how much Morani was stretching things about the opportunities presented to women in this time and place. Not just for Nardeen, either—but all the women she encounters at the Bimaristan (and I’d be saying this if the city was Paris or Rome, not just because it’s Baghdad). But I’m willing to both suspend disbelief for the sake of a good story and to trust that someone who’s as familiar with Arabic literature as Morani is more than my hunches.

So, what did I think about The Djinn’s Apple?

This book hits the ground running—Morani doesn’t give you the opportunity to settle in and get comfortable in this world or anything like that. She thrusts the reader—and poor Nardeen—straight into life-or-death action. Nardeen has a slightly better understanding of what’s going on than the reader does—but not much. This was a great way to start this read—you don’t get the chance to indulge curiosity or get lulled into thinking it’s a different kind of book than it is—you have to rush to catch up and then keep up with Nardeen and only get the luxury of starting to understand the world until she’s (relatively) safe.

There were a couple of times that I wondered about the timelines and how well they worked. I assume I just missed something (and didn’t want to take the time to go back and check). It wasn’t anything that bugged me enough to look into it, but I would’ve appreciated things being a bit clearer.

The characters of Nardeen and Muallim were so well drawn, so vivid, and so compelling that I really wish we had more time with them. Particularly Muallim—this cantankerous genius is the kind of character I really respond to. Now, given the pacing of this book, that’s impossible. And Morani picked the better option for her story. But the eccentric teacher and the stubborn and gifted student is a combination that could’ve made for a lot of fun.

Somehow in the midst of this propulsive pacing, Morani is able to litter the book with some great observations, some drops of wisdom (primarily from the teacher and student), and memorable prose (some of that credit has to be given to Hussain as well).

This is a fast, immersive read that’ll leave you guessing from the beginning right up to the end. You’d be doing yourself a favor if you pick it up.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Neem Tree Press and The Write Reads via NetGalley.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

 

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Djinn’s Apple by Djamila Morani, translated by Sawad Hussain

This morning, I’m very pleased to welcome The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour for Djamila Morani’s The Djinn’s Apple. In addition to this Spotlight, my post about the book will be coming along soon. In the meantime, go check out https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours—we’re in the middle of this tour and several bloggers have been writing interesting things about this book and and there are more to come you can find them all there. But for now, let’s learn a little bit about the book, shall we?

The Djinn’s Apple  Tour Banner

Book Details:

Title: The Djinn’s Apple by Djamila Morani, translated by Sawad Hussain
Genre: Historical Fiction / Crime & Mystery / Family
Age Category: Young Adule
Publisher: Neem Tree Press
Release date: February 29, 2024 (UK), May 7, 2024 (US)
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 160 pages
The Djinn’s Apple Cover

About the Book:

Winner of an English PEN Translates Award.

Historical fiction meets crime fiction in The Djinn’s Apple, an award-winning YA murder mystery set in the Abbasid period—the golden age of Baghdad.

A ruthless murder. A magical herb. A mysterious manuscript.

When Nardeen’s home is stormed by angry men frantically in search of something—or someone—she is the only one who manages to escape. And after the rest of her family is left behind and murdered, Nardeen sets out on an unyielding mission to bring her family’s killers to justice, regardless of the cost…

Full of mystery and mayhem, The Djinn’s Apple is perfect for fans of Arabian NightsCity of Brass, and The Wrath and the Dawn.

Book Links:

Neem Tree Press ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Djamila Morani Djamila Morani is an Algerian novelist and an Arabic language professor. Her first novel, released in 2015 and titled Taj el-Khatiaa, is set in the Abbasid period (like The Djinn’s Apple), but in Kazakh- stan. All of her works are fast-paced historical fiction pieces. She is yet to have a full-length work translated into English.

Author Links:

Twitter/X ~ Instagram

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Secrets of PEACE by T. A. Hernandez

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for the first book in T. A. Hernandez’ Secrets of PEACE! If you take a look at the feed for https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours over the next few days, you’ll see a lot of bloggers who did find the time to write interesting things about it. Secrets of PEACE was aone of fifteen finalists for the 2023 Book Blogger’s Novel of the Year Award, so you know there’s a lot of good to be said about it–but before getting to this Spotlight, let’s start with a word about BBNYA. But in the meantime, let me tell you about the book.

BBNYA:

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Secrets of PEACE Tour Banner

Book Details:

Title: Secrets of PEACE
Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller
Age Category: New Adult
Format: Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 273 pages
Publication Date: July 24, 2016
Secrets of PEACE Cover

About the Book:

Open your eyes. See the truth. Make a choice.

Nearly 30 years ago, the PEACE Project rose from the ruins of a global war to take power over a new America. Providing stability in exchange for absolute authority, the Project controls every aspect of citizens’ lives through each of its five units:

Protect
Enforce
Advance
Control
Eliminate

Raised in the Project since infancy, eighteen-year-old Zira has been trained as an assassin under the stern guidance of unit E-2’s Chairman Ryku. After she makes a careless mistake on an assignment, the chairman partners her with Jared, the best operative in her unit. Their partnership transforms into friendship as they work together and learn to rely on each other. But when misinformation causes a solo mission to backfire, Zira’s deepest loyalties and strongest relationships are tested in a place where even a hint of doubt can be perceived as treason.

The life she knows is falling apart, and nothing will ever look the same again.

Book Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon Canada ~ GoodreadsThe StoryGraph

About the Author:

T. A. Hernandez is a science fiction and fantasy author and long-time fan of speculative fiction. She grew up with her nose habitually stuck in a book and her mind constantly wandering to make-believe worlds full of magic and adventure. She began writing after reading J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings many years ago and is now happily engaged in an exciting and lifelong quest to tell captivating stories.

She is a clinical social worker and the proud mother of two girls. She also enjoys drawing, reading, graphic design, playing video games, and making happy memories with her family and friends.

Author Links:

Website ~ Instagram ~ TikTok ~ Twitter/X


My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 48: Setup by R. T. Slaywood: The Providence of the Unseen Path

The Ballad of BonadukeThe Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 48: Setup

by R.T. Slaywood

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #47
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: February 23, 2024

My fear was rising quickly.

It started with the sensation of my stomach being empty. Then the nerves in my entire body switched on, ready to run or fight.

My money was on run.

The Story So Far…

A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.

He’s abducted by some representatives of a mysterious group who subject him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.

Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. He takes refuge in a homeless encampment shortly before a police raid. He’s apprehended and finds himself an interrogation room and shortly escapes after using his grift (but with results he didn’t quite intend). He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good. He attempts to rescue her before he even realizes what he’s doing, and seems to have succeeded—well, the two of them got away from the group anyway—breathing but bruised. They make their way to a fast-food taco joint and Bonaduke really needs to refuel to keep going. He tries, but fails to get food because he keeps passing out. Thankfully, the clerk is the same guy from the liquor store and he both recognizes him and gives him first aid. The woman (Zero) wakes up and shows some abilities of her on as she helps them escape from her captors who’ve tracked her down. One thing leads to another—Zero and Bonaduke’s magics don’t mix well (at least until they understand what each other can do?), and they end up in a video-game race against the squatters in a tricked-out version of Eric (the clerk’s) car. Note, I said video-game race, not a video-game-style race. They’re actually in one. When dumped back into reality, he’s surrounded by bruised and broken bodies (of people and cars). And then he gets into a supernatural fight and survives…just.

Or maybe not. But he gets better. And then his new…friends? Acquaintances? People who keep popping up in his life?…start explaining exactly what’s going on to him while they set up a new HQ and try to teach him about his abilities (and everyone tries to understand them).

What’s Setup About?

We come In medias res, Bonaduke and the rest are starting some sort of heist of a book. It becomes clear pretty soon that the member of the team who knew the most about the book and the security around it (and therefore came up with the plan) was less than forthcoming about the details surrounding the book’s security and who was transporiting it. I’m not sure if that’ll be addressed in the future, but I’m pretty curious about why.

Anyway, they’re committed now and have to move—the big question is: will the plan still work, or are they well over their heads?

So, what did I think about Setup?

There’s at least two meanings to the title of this episode—it may not be the first time Slaywood’s done that in this series, but it’s probably the most effective (I honestly don’t remember that). And that was only the first thing he did right with this.

Good rising tension, some good character moments from several of the characters, we see some new abilities from Bonaduke’s allies (for lack of a better term), and we start to see some of what the Omnicrats are capable of—which seems like a lot.

I don’t think I really have much to complain about—and I’m very glad about that. This was good build-up for the next episode or two, and I’m eager to read on. It’s not a complaint or a quibble, but I am very curious about what “two small silver guns without barrels” would really look like. I’m sure they’re magical and don’t need barrels, but my imagination is having a hard time conjuring this image. Still—bring on episode 49.


3.5 Stars

Grandpappy’s Corner: Taco Tuesday by Brick Puffington, Amy Blair (Illustrator): It’s Not Quite “Eat Mor Chikin,” But…

Grandpappy's Corner Taco Tuesday Logo

Taco Tuesday

by Brick Puffington, Amy Blair (Illustrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Cottage Door Press
Publication Date: September 03, 2019
Format: Board Book
Length: 12 pg.
Read Date: February 18, 2024
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s Taco Tuesday About?

This book is a taco trying to convince the reader to eat something other than tacos—it talks about the problems with eating a taco, and how great other foods are in comparison.

It’s a fun idea, right?

Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute

It’s bright, it’s simple in a way that will attract a very young reader. It’s playful and cheery. Just what the doctor ordered, basically.

How is it to Read Aloud?

There’s not a lot to it—it’s a super quick read, if you’re just about the reading and not playing with the puppet. The pages are tiny and have very few words on them. The rhymes are fun enough. I’m pretty sure by the time I finish this post I’ll have used 5x the words in the book (at least).

So, what did I think about Taco Tuesday?

Let’s see…the little finger puppet taco is pretty cute (it’s the Grandcritter’s favorite part, as far as I can tell). That should be mentioned first off.

Secondly, man, am I glad that the audience for this book is not going to remember—or fully understand—this book. Because, really—it’s about a cute little taco trying to get the reader to eat anything, anything, but them. And the book closes with the reminder it’s Tuesday. That’s pretty dark for a board book. But again, the target audience isn’t going to think that hard about it.

Their parents (or whoever is reading this to/with them), on the other hand, will understand that—and it’s a dash of fun to help out with a book that doesn’t offer a lot for us.

This is cute, it’s fun. It’s multifaceted—a kid to play with the pages, the puppet, and look at some pretty colors and bright pictures. That’s more than enough for me to recommend it.


3 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson: Events and Developments

Fortune SmilesFortune Smiles

by Adam Johnson

DETAILS:
 Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: August 18, 2015
Format: Hardcover
Length: 301 pg.
Read Date: February 5-19, 2024
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

If that doctor’s right, Nonc’s dad is going to die for sure this time. But the truth is, it’s just an event. Life’s full of events—they occur and you adjust, you roll and move on. But at some point, like when your girlfriend Marnie tells you she’s pregnant, you realize that some events are actually developments. You realize there’s a big plan out there you know nothing about, and a development is a first step in that new direction.

What’s Fortune Smiles About?

This is a collection of short stories—longer than most short stories I end up talking about here, but not novella length by any means. I’m not remotely sure how to describe the book or the themes as a whole…I guess I could steal that line from Semisonic, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” These stories occupy the overlap of the new beginning and the end of the other beginnings.

Nirvana

Loss. Personal Grief. Dealing with disease, AI, and national grief. It was funny and gut-wrenching at the same time. I didn’t expect effective and affecting speculative fiction to start this collection (I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but definitely not that), but it was a dynamite start and raised my expectations for the rest.

Hurricanes Anonymous

This is not your typical post-natural disaster story. I don’t know what to say beyond that. I mean, I guess you could say there are somethings that are worse than the devastation a hurricane leaves in its wake—and we see at least one example of it here.

Other than to note the above quotation, the only thing I wrote about this was “I really don’t know what to think of it, but I’m glad I read it.” That kind of applies to the collection as a whole, but it really describes my reaction to this story.

Interesting Facts

This was hard to read—the emotions are so raw. This story is about the collapse of a marriage and the damage cancer wreaks—on the lives of the person with it and those around them.

George Orwell was a Friend of Mine

Years after the fall of the Berlin Wall—and everything that went with that—we spend some time watching the former Warden of a Stasi prison. His wife has left him, his adult daughter is having questions about him, and he’s still trying to adjust to the world he finds himself in and what the world thinks of his former career.

This was powerful stuff. I don’t know what else to say—for the longest time, you find yourself pulling for a guy you’d typically think was a monster (thankfully, while never thinking he was a stand-up guy). And then…well, maybe your perspective shifts a bit.

Darkness Falls

I could not finish this one—I’m willing to believe that there’s a decent ending to this, and there was a compelling reason to deal with this amount of darkness. But, I just couldn’t finish it because of the subject matter.

Fortune Smiles

This story is about a couple of North Korean men who defected to the South (one willingly, the other possibly less-so). Culture shock isn’t the right way to describe what they’re going through. I hope this doesn’t come across as dismissive—but it’s almost like Brooks Hatlen’s time after being paroled in The Shawshank Redemption, that’s the quickest way I have to describe their adjustment.

This story is just stunningly good, and it makes sense that the collection is named for it.

So, what did I think about Fortune Smiles?

This wasn’t a collection I could sit down and read back-to-back stories in. Frequently I had to take a day or more off between them (and sometimes I ended up taking more for other reasons)—Allyson Johnson’s recent WWW Wednesday comments* indicate that I’m not the only one who reacts this way.

* I’m expecting her to tell me how wrong I am about “Darkness Falls,” incidentally.

The stories, the points of view, the characters, circumstances, etc., etc., etc. are so varied from story to story that it’s hard to consider them as a collection. But here’s a few takeaways:

  • Adam Johnson can write. Seriously great stuff.
  • Adam Johnson will make you think. Particularly about things you haven’t spent (much?) time on before or actively try to stay away from.
  • Adam Johnson will make you feel all sorts of things that you didn’t expect.
  • Adam Johnson will not take a story where you expect or necessarily want him to. Until it’s over and you’ll regret your earlier dissension.
  • Did I mention that this man can write?

I don’t know what else to say beyond that I’m glad Allyson put this on my radar, and I’m definitely recommending 5/6 of this to you all.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Another Girl (Audiobook) by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson: A Different Focus Keeps The Series Fresh

Another GirlAnother Girl

by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: A Kings Lake Investigation, #4
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication Date: January 23, 2024
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 38 min.
Read Date: February 13-15, 2024

What’s Another Girl About?

Serena Butler is loaned out to do some plainclothes intelligence gathering in a nearby city. She misses a check-in with her handler, right after saying something tantalizing about making some new friends. This galvanizes her team back at King’s Lake and her DCI pushes her weight and rank around to get involved in the investigation into her disappearance–and the drugs investigation Butler was helping with.

At the same time, there’s an apparent hit and run for the Murder Squad to look in back at home–and while they do their due diligence with that, their concern for one of their own clearly has captured their attention (also, an absent pathologist means a delayed autopsy, so they can only do so much).

A Change of Focus

Initially, DCI Cara Freeman and DC Serena Butler carried most of this book–although DI Tom Green gets a lot more focus than he’s ever received before. And that was just great, I always liked him, but I wanted to see him get to shine a bit. Freeman and Butler are a great pairing and really establish this as a different kind of entry in this series.

Yes, when Waters shows up roughly mid-way through the book, he ends up getting a lot of the focus, as we’re used to. Still, the narrative really does take advantage of Waters’ absence and explores the team and uses the multiple POVs to a greater advantage than Grainger has in the past. I don’t want Waters to get pushed to the background on a regular basis–but man, I really appreciated this.

But this is Serena’s book, really. We start with her assignment hitting a bump in the road and we finish by it going deeper than she was ready for. But throughout, we get to learn a lot more about this character that’s been around for twelve books and really takes on new life and a greater depth. She’s been a favorite of mine from early on in her first appearance–and I like her more now that I understand her better. Honestly, if she got her own spin-off series in the future, I’d be game, or just for more books like this. (a book that uses Green more would also be welcome, but given the way his character typically operates, I’m not sure that’s possible).

DC’s Shadow

DC Smith (it still feels strange to call him David) has always loomed large over these King’s Lake books, but it seemed to me that it was a little larger this time than it had been since Songbird (but it’s not like I keep statistics or anything). He’s either mentioned in conversation (by people on all sides of the law) or thought of by Chris and Serena–who will remember some advice/guidance he gave them–which allows Granger to slip in a line or two using his DC voice–and I’m always going to be in favor of that.

Which, I guess, brings us to:

A Word About the Narration

This is an audiobook, so I need to talk about the narration. But as I keep saying, I don’t know what to say about Gildart Jackson’s work on this series that I haven’t said umpteen times.

When his voice starts coming out of my phone, my mind instantly settles in for a good time. There’s a calmness that he evokes in me almost instantly (note: it’s not his voice, I rarely felt calm during the Alex Verus books). He catches the humor, the tension, the camaraderie, the…I don’t know, the spirit of these books. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, I’m not picking these up in print (although, I know at least one non-audiobook person who says they’re great in print), I have to have Jackson’s voice.

So, what did I think about Another Girl?

Grainger doesn’t frequently put his King’s Lake characters in peril (I thought about listing exceptions to that rule, but I won’t–but the point stands), this series is about typical investigations. But when he does, he does it effectively. And boy howdy, he does so here. I haven’t been this concerned for the fate of a Grainger character since A Private Investigation‘s close.

But more than just the danger aspect, watching Serena deal with the pressures of working undercover (especially as she initially wasn’t supposed to go as deep as she ended up) was so well done. Equally well done was watching her team fret about her when they couldn’t contact her and weren’t sure what was going on.

The hit-and-run story never got the time I initially expected, but the way that Grainger worked it into the overall storyline was his typical well-done work. He was able to weave it into the drugs story and show how it is about much more than drugs.

This tied this particular novel into something we first saw in On Eden Street and will likely show up for at least one more novel. Which isn’t to say that this novel isn’t largely a stand-alone like the rest, but there’s something that will tie it to further books.

I think I’ve rambled enough–possibly too much. I had a great time with this one, and as always I strongly encourage you to give this one a try. It would serve as a fine jumping-on point to the series (like every book so far), but if you have the time and means, I’d suggest starting at the beginning. Or somewhere. Just start with Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson, and the detectives in and around King’s Lake Central.


4 Stars

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The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 47: Coming Clean by R. T. Slaywood: Some Progress

The Ballad of BonadukeThe Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 47: Coming Clean

by R.T. Slaywood

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #47
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: February 15, 2024

The Story So Far…

A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.

He’s abducted by some representatives of a mysterious group who subject him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.

Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. He takes refuge in a homeless encampment shortly before a police raid. He’s apprehended and finds himself an interrogation room and shortly escapes after using his grift (but with results he didn’t quite intend). He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good. He attempts to rescue her before he even realizes what he’s doing, and seems to have succeeded—well, the two of them got away from the group anyway—breathing but bruised. They make their way to a fast-food taco joint and Bonaduke really needs to refuel to keep going. He tries, but fails to get food because he keeps passing out. Thankfully, the clerk is the same guy from the liquor store and he both recognizes him and gives him first aid. The woman (Zero) wakes up and shows some abilities of her on as she helps them escape from her captors who’ve tracked her down. One thing leads to another—Zero and Bonaduke’s magics don’t mix well (at least until they understand what each other can do?), and they end up in a video-game race against the squatters in a tricked-out version of Eric (the clerk’s) car. Note, I said video-game race, not a video-game-style race. They’re actually in one. When dumped back into reality, he’s surrounded by bruised and broken bodies (of people and cars). And then he gets into a supernatural fight and survives…just.

Or maybe not. But he gets better. And then his new…friends? Acquaintances? People who keep popping up in his life?…start explaining exactly what’s going on to him while they set up a new HQ and try to teach him about his abilities (and everyone tries to understand them).

What’s Coming Clean About?

His experiment continues, but as he tries to get some equipment to help him understand what he’s doing, he ends up having to tell Alan what he’s up to. This results in–you’ll never believe this–the two of them having a conversation, Alan helping Bonaduke understand what he’s doing and how to improve things. Then they go to involve the others.

So, what did I think about Coming Clean?

I actually grinned at one point where Bonaduke’s cleverness came back to bite him a little. But more importantly, wow…a conversation, coming clean about something–treating each other like people. It’s about bleeping time. And the way this episode resolved–both in terms of plot and character? I really, really liked it.

I have some measured optimism for the next episode or two…


3.5 Stars

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Vanitas & Other Tales of Art and Obsession by Jake Kendall

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for Jake Kendall’s The Vanitas & Other Tales of Art and Obsession! The Tour has been going for a couple of days now–go check out https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours from now until the 26th to see a what those who’ve read it have had to say. But in the meantime, let me tell you about the book.

The Vanitas & Other Tales of Art and Obsession Tour Banner

Book Details:

Title: The Vanitas & Other Tales of Art and ObsessionClytemnestra’s Bind
Genre: Art History Fiction, Short Stories
Publisher: Neem Tree Press
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 272 pages
Publication Date: February 22, 2024
The Vanitas & Other Tales of Art and Obsession Cover

About the Book:

Spanning three hundred years of art history, The Vanitas & Other Tales of Art and Obsession tells the stories of those with an insatiable hunger for creation – those who may sacrifice friendships, careers, romance, and even their own happiness in pursuit of a vision.

Weaving art styles such as Cubism, Surrealism, and the Baroque into his prose, Jake Kendall has crafted a vivid and inventive collection. Each story is complemented by a black and white illustration, drawing out the visually evocative nature of the writing and offering readers a unique artistic delight.

Book Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Jake KendallJake Kendall was born in Oxford and studied an MSc in Creative Writing with the University of Edinburgh. He takes inspiration from the visual arts, a theme that formed his debut collection. The Vanitas & Other Tales of Art and Obsession (Neem Tree Press) refracts contemporary issues and anxieties through timeless imagery and artistic movements. Jake lives and works in Edinburgh and spends his free time visiting bookshops, exhibitions, theatre, and independent cinemas.

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

Opening Lines: City on Fire by Don Winslow

We all know we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover (yet, publishing companies spend big bucks on cover design/art and we all do judge them that way). But, the opening sentence(s)/paragraph(s) are fair game. So, when I stumble on a good opening (or remember one and pull it off the shelves), I like to throw it up here. There are so few writers that can grab you like Winslow can from the get-go.

from City on Fire by Don Winslow:

Danny Ryan watches the woman come out of the water like a vision emerging from his dreams of the sea.

Except she’s real and she’s going to be trouble.

Women that beautiful usually are.

Danny knows that; what he doesn’t know is just how much trouble she’s really going to be. If he knew that, knew everything that was going to happen, he might have walked into the water and held her head under until she stopped moving.

But he doesn’t know that.

So, the bright sun striking his face, Danny sits on the sand out m front of Pasco’s beach house and checks her out from behind the cover of his sunglasses.

Opening Lines Logo

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