"Ashley Bell" by Dean Koontz

Ashley Bell is a new thriller by Dean Koontz (expected publication date is December 8, 2015). We follow a young writer named Bibi Blair who one day winds up in a hospital and is diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of brain cancer. Two days later she is miraculously healed and is told by a diviner that she was spared in order to save a life, specifically the life of a young woman named Ashley Bell. Thus, Bibi sets out on a quest to find Ashley Bell and save her from the hands of powerful and dark forces.

This book was the first of Dean Koontz' novels I've ever read. His writing is beautiful. I could read it forever. The book was also quite spooky. So if you like ghost stories, mysterious visions, etc, this book is definitely for you. The plot also has an unexpected twist after you get through about 2/3 of the book. I completely did not see it coming. I also found the twist a bit disappointing (those who read the book will know what I mean). Bibi's story was very nicely wrapped up at the end, although I did feel that the final part of the book was unnecessarily long and dragged out, and the ending was too neat for my taste. This book is also perfect for book lovers. Since Bibi is a writer, there are lots of literary references, and I enjoyed them immensely. Overall, I enjoyed the book and if you like suspense and thrillers, definitely check it out. I read an electronic advanced copy of the novel sent to me by NetGalley.com.

"Cress" by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles Book 3)

Cress is the third book in Marissa Meyer's sci-fi fairy tale series called The Lunar Chronicles. I read the first two books Cinder and Scarlet earlier this year, and finally got to book 3. Cress is a retelling of Rapunzel's story. Since this is a sci-fi novel, instead of being held in a tower, Cress is a prisoner on a satellite that orbits the earth. One of the Lunar Queen's thaumaturges brings her food and supplies and in return, Cress hacks into earth's networks and spies on the most powerful people, in particular Prince Kai whom we met in the first two novels. Cress is different from both Cinder and Scarlet. Even though she is extremely good at the high-tech stuff, she is awkward socially, shy and is a hopeless romantic. I really liked this character. The book itself is considerably longer than either of the first two installments in the series and the plot is also much more complex. You can definitely see how Meyer has grown as a writer since the first novel. We got glimpses of Cress in the first two novels and both times she helped Cinder and her friends. In Book 3, we learn about just how much Cress was helping them to stay invisible from both the earthen and lunar law enforcement. Cress is a very likable character and I really liked reading about her adventures as she joins Cinder and her crew in their efforts to overthrow the evil queen Levana. 

"Soundless" by Richelle Mead

Soundless is Richelle Mead's newest book. It is a standalone fantasy novel set in a world resembling ancient China. The main character Fei is an artist living in a gold mining village located  high in the mountains. The villagers have been cut off from the outside world for several generations and do not have access to any farm land, pastures or hunting/gathering grounds. The people survive by sending gold and silver down the mountain via a rope mechanism and people at the base of the mountain send up food and other supplies. The isolation of the village is further exacerbated by the fact that the entire population mysteriously lost hearing generations ago and now some of the villagers are also going blind. Moreover, whatever food and supplies reach the village are not sufficient, and people are always underfed and have to ration everything. When Fei's younger sister starts loosing her sight, Fei is desperate to save her and find the cause of this plight. At the same time, one night, miraculously Fei regains her hearing. She is the only one in the village this has ever happened to. After her childhood friend's father dies in the mines, he and Fei resolve to get down the mountain and find a way to get more food and supplies for their people.

Richelle Mead is an excellent writer. Because most of the characters in the book are deaf, all communication between them is in sign language. Mead does a great job describing what it would be like to be deprived of one's hearing or suddenly regain it. I enjoyed the book and liked how it ended. However, at just under 270 pages it is way too short for a standalone fantasy novel. I really think she could have made the plot more complex and fleshed out the characters and the world a bit better. As it is, it reads more like a fairy tale or a myth and lacks complexity and depth. Nonetheless, it is an enjoyable and fast-paced book. I rated it 4 out of 5 stars.

A Series Review: Lux by Jennifer L. Armentrout

          

Here is another recommendation for those who might need a book to lose oneself in on a long airplane ride, or looking for something quick to read over a weekend. Jennifer L. Armentrout's books are insanely popular. She writes both young adult paranormal/sci-fi novels and adult romance. Her Lux series consists of five full-length novels and a prequel novella. It is a young adult sci-fi story but romance plays a very prominent part in the books. So if you are a sci-fi fan, this might not be for you. I'd say the series is perfect for Twilight fans. The first book especially has the same sort of feel: a girl moves into a small remote town and meets a beautiful enigmatic boy who appears to have some extraordinary abilities. There are no vampires or werewolves in the book. Instead our heroine's love interest is an alien.... In terms of the overall sci-fi plot, the series gets better and much more original with each successive book. The romance in the story is of the fairy tale variety: intense, steamy and all-consuming. Katie and Deamon are completely in love with each other and ready to sacrifice everything to be together. Overall, I enjoyed the series. Armentrout is a talented writer and her books are currently in my "guilty pleasure" reading category. I will plan at some point to pick up her other series. They are quick and addictive reads.

"Stitching Snow" by R.C. Lewis

Stitching Snow is another book in the sci-fi fairy tale retelling sub-genre. As you can guess from the name and the cover this one is a Snow White retelling. Princess Snow evaded an attempt on her life by her evil stepmother and is now hiding on another planet in the company of seven droids.

I personally love fairy tales and their retellings. I thought the story was very original and fun despite a Hallmark movie-like ending. Princess Snow (or Essie) is a very likable character and I enjoyed rooting for her. Last month I read Lewis' newest book - Spinning Startlight (here is my review) and quite liked it. At that time, lots of reviewers thought that Stitching Snow was much better. I have to disagree. Stitching Snow is Lewis' debut novel and you can definitely tell that by the writing. The story could be more fleshed out and the ending could be less rushed. But other than that, it is an enjoyable book and I gave it 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. R.C. Lewis is definitely an author to follow particularly if you like the Lunar Chronicles and other sci-fi retellings.

"The Song of the Jubilee" by Raeden Zen (The Phantom of the Earth No. 1)

The Song of the Jubilee is the first book in a five-part series and is unlike anything I have read before. The story is set far in the future (we are talking thousands of years) and the earth by that point has become completely uninhabitable as a result of biological warfare, contamination and other disasters. Human race itself no longer exists in the way we know it. The earth is inhabited by "transhumans" or the way I picture it, they are technologically/artificially enhanced humans. They physically look like people but have chips in their brains and have many abilities normal humans do not. For example, they are able to monitor each other's thoughts or even influence what the other person sees/perceives as reality. These transhumans have to live deep inside the earth because the surface is infected by a deadly virus they refer to as "reassortment".

The world in this book is extremely well-developed and complicated. It took intense concentration on my part while reading to make sense of all the various bio/technological advancements described in the book. I would therefore only recommend this novel to those who like sci-fi. We follow several different characters. One is the lead scientist of the Great Commonwealth searching for a cure that will allow transhumans to come out and live on the surface of the earth. The other main character is the head of a rebel group whose members live in hiding and plot to overthrow the existing regime.

I had my doubts going into this book. I got the bind-up of all five novels from Netgalley for review and then discovered that the e-book is also available on amazon for free. I had also never heard of the author and none of my friends read the book. However, I found myself quickly drawn into the story and this turned out to be an enjoyable read. Despite the complex world, I thought the author did a good job introducing it to the reader. The world-building is subtle without information dumping sessions and the story moves along at a very nice pace. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books and see where the plot goes.