jjwilbourne's reviews
239 reviews

Voice of War by Zack Argyle

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

4.5

Anytime I buy a novel that looks promising, I don’t tend to read it immediately. My list of books to read is a mountain, and every new book or series has to wait its turn. But sometimes, I bump the book up. Perhaps it was the hype or generally positive reviews, but Zack Arglye’s Voice of War, book 1 in the Threadlight series called to me. And I answered.

Following three different primary viewpoints, Voice of War explores a world where some are blessed with the ability to see and use Threadlight, a magic that allows the user to push or pull on the invisible threads of light that binds all things. But there are a group of people who are stealing and threadweaver blood, and Chrys Valerian, a general for Alchea, is tasked with finding and putting an end to the nuisance. Unfortunately, the blood thieves' plans aren’t as simple as anyone thought, and Chrys soon gets caught up in a world-shaking plot that could spell the end of his land and religion alike.

Argyle’s first entry is full of meticulous worldbuilding that allows the reader to understand the world without any one section being bogged down with exposition. He choices his moments wisely, allowing the reader just enough information at just the right time to see the extent of his slowly panning tapestry.

There are a vast amount of mysteries in this world. The novel is of average length and pace, but Argyle doesn’t waste a word as he uses each of his early chapters to pull back layers of his world, revealing the unknown. And with each reveal, the plot intensifies, placing our protagonists in more danger than before.

The magic system itself reminds me of Mistborn in a number of ways but doesn’t rely on a system of metal alloys to be digested or span as far-reaching in their abilities. It’s not so similar that it feels like a cheap knockoff, but it’s similar enough that it enables Argyle to gain many of the action-based benefits that Sanderson enjoyed.

Even better, Voice of War excelled at placing its characters in situations with tough decisions. At every turn of the building plot, the characters face choices that would be hard to make, forcing the characters onto paths full of complications no matter which route is taken.

I’d also note that the prose in the novel is well delivered. I could tell that a lot of effort was placed into keeping me invested line-by-line. It flowed beautifully with great clarity. 

There’s very little I can point to that would have made this a better read for me. If there’s a complaint to be had, it would be that I wish the story was longer. I devoured this book, and I’m hungry for more. Why did it have to be so short?

Voice of War gets my recommendation if you’re a fan of Sanderson-like novels. I’ll be returning to this world soon because I can’t wait to see the consequences of the sacrifices made by the characters involved. Check this out if you’re looking for a new read.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor Revised Edition: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster

informative

4.75

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

adventurous emotional funny

4.0

It’s MurderBot 4, baby!

Now that MurderBot knows the truth of GrayCris’s transgressions, it must return to save his original team and deliver the truth.

This series continues to be humorous, full of action, and still manages to touch your heart in just over 100 pages. While still episodic in nature, the series did break a bit of the repetition when we see our SecUnit protagonist take a turn—returning to the crew we met in the first installment to help them out.

The story feels like it has concluded a narrative arc that was established in the first entry, but there have been more installments added to the series, and I’m curious to see how MurderBot continues to evolve now that it has found a sense of belonging.

Weremage by Garrett Robinson

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

3.75

The first four books of the Nightblade Saga by Garret Robinson were a study in how to continuously raise the stakes of a story until what appeared to be a large turning point in the series—a midpoint from where we can now see some of the story’s endgame. Weremage is the first step towards an epic finale. 

After the events on the High Seat, the King has officially assigned Loren as the Nightblade to the King, an unprecedented appointment that Loren must herself define. Though the exact extent of what Loren can do on the King’s behalf is unclear to those around her, one thing is certainly clear to Loren: Demaris, her arch-enemy, must be brought to justice. When strange dreams begin to plague Loren with clues to how to accomplish her aims, Loren and her party embark on what might be their most dangerous endeavor to date.

In the previous novel, Loren really steps into her role as the Nightblade. In this novel, she takes another step within that journey, functioning as an arm of the King in order to bring justice to the realm. Watching her function as a leader was interesting. I enjoyed how she seemed to genuinely listen to her companions, even if she didn’t agree with them and did her best to maintain civility between the party even when there was an interpersonal conflict within their ranks.

I also appreciated that Annis and Gem have become more functional parts of the party than before. This is especially true in the case of Annis. Her expertise in political strategy and her enemy made her absolutely invaluable to the party. Gem also had more utility than a mere loyal tagalong, but I’m still waiting for him to become fully useful in their journeys.

What stands out most in this novel is the big twist at its end. Not only did I not see it coming, it was much darker than anything I’ve seen before in a Robinson novel. I don’t think it would at all be a stretch to say that the twist and conclusion of the novel will be divisive. Personally, I enjoyed it. It changed the dynamics and future path of the story in a way that can’t easily be brushed away. I only hope that it’s handled with expert care in the following tale.

There was something that bothered me throughout the novel. I call it “the Chet problem.” I personally found him increasingly insufferable as the story went on. Not just because he was often the dissenting voice within the party, but because he appeared to offer even less value to the party than Gem and with none of the charms that the young hero wields. And because Chet is a big part of the dark twist at the story’s end, I felt I wasn’t as impacted by the consequences of the story as much as I would have been were he handled differently. And perhaps that’s a good thing, because wow… that twist is a lot.

Save for “the Chet problem,” Weremage is an ambitious entry into the Nightblade saga. Robinson takes on an incredibly difficult to execute plot twist while simultaneously delivering on many of the conventions I have come to expect from the series. 

*Full Disclosure — I work for the publisher, but I wasn't paid to review this book. While this is an honest review, I was involved in the production of the audiobooks of other books in this series, and I receive a small royalty for purchases of those audiobook versions.*

The Fall by Ryan Cahill

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

4.0

Some beginnings are slow, and that’s the natural way of things with many epic fantasy tales. On the contrary, Ryan Cahill’s prequel to his The Bound and the Broken series starts with a novella that’s almost nonstop action, a thrill ride of war, magic, and legendary creatures. The Fall is set four hundred years before the first book in the series, the novella is a head-first dive into the deep end of Cahill’s legendarium, following the fall of an empire and the rise of a new world order. Immediately I can see overtones of The Stormlight Archive, The Wheel of Time, and The Dragonriders of Pern. I can’t wait to see the repercussions of the regime change in the first full-length novel.

Prelude To Insurrection by J.C. Kang

adventurous fast-paced

4.5

Have you ever tried a new author and knew from the very start that you were going to read every single book in the series? I had that with JC Kang’s Prelude to Insurrection. Quick and stuffed with stealthy action, Kang’s effortless ability to draw me into the world and action sequences has me hooked and wanting more. I don’t want to go into detail about what the story is about because it’s rather short and it’s an easy (and free) read, but I can’t wait to read more in this world.

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

5.0

It’s time to get the band back together!

Tasked with slaying the most dangerous creatures known to man, Clay Cooper was once in one of the most famous mercenary bands of all time, Saga. Many years have past and now Clay lives a comfortable life with his wife and daughter, content to live out his days as a father rather than a warrior. But his old bandmate, Gabriel, finds him to reunite Saga for one last job: to find and save his daughter from certain death. Can Clay and Gabriel convince the other members to join in, cross the dangerous Heartwyld, and complete what is certainly a suicide mission for even the spriest of bands?

Ever since I saw the cover for this book, I knew I wanted to read it. Once I read the description, I added it to my TBR list. And it only took a gentle push from a friend who wanted to buddy read it to get me to pull it to the front of the list and tackle the story. And I’m so glad I did.

I have a history of being in a rock/metal bands, and it feels like this book was quite literally written specifically for me: a guy who hung up his guitar and mic and settled into life with a bit less risk so that I can enjoy a new adventure: parenthood. But sometimes the call to adventure comes to disrupt your peace, and you must answer it. Throughout the novel, Clay struggles to define himself now that he’s been nudged back in the game, a game that left him feeling like a monster.

Besides Clay, we meet his former band members. While the novel focuses on Clay and follows his perspective exclusively, it doesn’t isolate character development to our primary protagonist. We learn a lot about each member—who they were, who they became, and who they need to become at the end of this epic tale. Each has a distinct personality, and their relationships are so very natural, reminding me of the kind of bonds you gain when you’ve played hundreds of gigs, driven thousands of miles in a van, and slept on more floors than you can remember for a few other people in order to fulfill your purpose in life.

I mentioned that this book was written specifically for me, right?

The plot is episodic in nature while using the need to reform the band as the backbone of the structure for the first half of the story. Eames uses that time to develop the world and characters so that we’re invested in them as people before we embark on the real meat of the adventure in the story’s second half. 

And speaking of worldbuilding, Eames does two things that I enjoy. First, a lot of the worldbuilding is based around the mercenary band world. The author chooses to focus on that element of the world rather than trying to explain geopolitics or culture. This works brilliantly and makes the novel especially entertaining for readers who don’t care for those elements. Second, there’s a playfulness with traditional westen mythology like we see in something like Harry Potter, where you have the sense that every creature and traditional fantasy element that might exist in their world probably does. He off-handedly mentions this creature or that in a way that makes the world feel infinitely large—as big as it needs to be to accommodate any of your imaginings.

Of course, I can’t fail to mention that the book is quite humorous. The tone feels somewhat similar to a comedic action movie like Thor: Ragnarok. Callbacks, long-running gags, quippy lines, and fantastic wordplay blossom in this tale, and you can tell that Eames had a blast writing the story.

As you can probably tell, I absolutely recommend this novel, and I suggest it moreover for those of you who are like me: a washed-up musician whose days of glory are long past. However, I have to say, I wrote a lot of songs while reading this novel. So if you’re ready to rock’n’roll again, this might be the book for you.

Newsletter Ninja 2: If You Give a Reader a Cookie: Supercharge Your Author Mailing List With the Perfect Reader Magnet by Tammi L. Labrecque

challenging funny informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment's Notice by Todd Henry

challenging hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

4.5

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin

challenging informative medium-paced

4.0