It has been an insane period at work… those days when you thought the summer was a quiet period are long gone, and I struggle to recall a time where I’ve been as busy as I have been over the last two months. That of course has lead to a dismal reading performance, and complete neglect of my book reviewing duties. Nonetheless, I have managed to slightly move down my reading list and cross some books I was very much looking forward to reading during this time. So here are the reviews:

  
Queen of Fire – Anthony Ryan (courtesy of Netgalley)

Third and final chapter of the Raven’s Shadow trilogy. I’ve previously reviewed the first two instalments in this blog. In short, the first one was amazing – among the best epic fantasy books I’ve ever read. The second, well, it was okay but not nearly as good as the first. So obviously, the pressure was on for Queen of Fire… Will it make it a memorable story, a masterful conclusion, or will it become just one more could’ve been but wasn’t… Alas, it was not meant to be. Over God knows how many pages, we are presented with a number of somewhat disjointed stories following different characters as they tried to wrap an ever more confusing story. What worked so well with the first book, the focus on main character Vaelin, is forgotten in this book, to the point that at the end you no longer really care what happens to the characters. The book just fails to grip you, to keep you engaged in the story, and at the end leaves you with a sense of “was this really worth it?” When you commit to these type of books, epic stories told over bible-size volumes, they better be worth it. This wasn’t. If you like fantasy, do read the first book, Blood Song. It really is an incredible read. But then, skip the next two and just use your imagination and picture how you would’ve ended it, saving you precious reading time. 2.5 out of 5.

  
The Book of Speculation – Erika Swyler (courtesy of Goodreads)

This book has been on my to-read list for some time, given the strong hype that surrounded the debut novel. I received a copy via Goodreads, and dove straight in. Told across centuries, the story follows a family of carnival performers from 1800s America to present day, seemingly affected by a curse that make the women in the family drown at an early age. In the meantime, you’re provided an insight into carnivals and performer troupes throughout time, the workings of tarot readers, mermaid acts, and countless other carnival acts. The book is very atmospheric, and I found it quite enjoyable. To a point. The main mystery to solve the curse was a bit weak, and I just failed to engage much with the story. A good read, but not necessarily as good as I thought it would be. 3.5 out of 5