Book Review: Sword and Pen

TITLE: Sword and Pen

AUTHOR: Rachel Caine

GENRE: Dystopian, Fantasy, Young Adult

PUBLISHER: Berkley Publishing

PUB DATE: 9/3/19

SYNOPSIS: The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain. Jess Brightwell and his friends must come together as never before, to forge a new future for the Great Library . . . or see everything it stood for crumble.

THOUGHTS: This book is the 5th and final installment in the Great Library Series by Rachel Caine. The Great Library is on the verge of collapse facing major threats to its survival. A group of friends are bound to stop at nothing to ensure the survival of the Great Library against the corrupt Archivist looking to take control.

Caine created this amazing world and amazing set of characters. I absolutely enjoyed every page of this book! I am so amazed by the high impact action of the stories and truly made this such an exciting read. Even though I have not read the previous four books, which by the way, is not going to be very long since I have already ordered all of it, I believe that this worked for me and still found it truly entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Pub, and Author Rachel Caine for the opportunity to read this amazing ARC ebook for my objective and honest review.  

RATING: 5/5

Rachel Caine is a pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad.

She has also published as:
Roxanne Longstreet
Roxanne Conrad
Julie Fortune
Ian Hammell

Rachel Caine is the NYT, USA Today, and #1 WSJ bestselling author of more than 50 books in several categories and genres, including adult thriller and adult urban fantasy/SF as well as books for young adults ages twelve to eighteen.

She is the winner of several national awards, and most recently was a finalist in both the International Thriller Writers awards and the Killer Nashville awards for her debut thriller novel Stillhouse Lake.

Rachel is available for school and library appearances, as well as professional conferences and convention appearances. Please use the contact form to request appearances, charitable donations, or for any correspondence.



Book Review: LAST ONES LEFT ALIVE

AUTHOR: Sarah Davis-Goff

GENRE: Sci-Fi, Fiction, Dystopian, Horror

PUB DATE: 8/27/2019

PUBLISHER: FLATIRON BOOKS

SYNOPSIS: LAST ONES LEFT ALIVE is the story of Orpen, a young woman who must walk on foot across a ravaged Ireland in the desperate hope of saving herself, and her guardian Maeve, from the zombie-like menace known as the skrake.

Growing up on a tiny island off the coast of a post-apocalyptic Ireland, Orpen's life has revolved around physical training and necessity. After Mam died, it's the only way she and her guardian Maeve have survived the ravenous skrake (zombies) who roam the wilds of the ravaged countryside, looking for prey.

When Maeve is bitten and infected, Orpen knows what she should do - sink a knife into her eye socket, and quickly. Instead, she tries to save Maeve, and following rumours of a distant city on the mainland, guarded by fierce banshees, she sets off, pushing Maeve in a wheelbarrow and accompanied by their little dog, Danger. It is a journey on which Orpen will need to fight repeatedly for her life, drawing on all of her training and instincts. In the course of it, she will learn more about the Emergency that destroyed her homeland, and the mythical Phoenix City - and discover a starting truth about her own identity.

THOUGHTS: "Last Ones Left Alive" by Sarah Davis-Goff is a story about a post apocalyptic Ireland where the fight to survive and endure means to live another day.

From the first line of this novel, I knew I was hooked. The story alternates from current to the past on how Orpen, the protagonist, was raised in an island called Slanbeg off the coast of Ireland by her mother and her mother’s partner Maeve. Orpen was trained how to fight and survive against what Davis-Goff calls the zombies or “skrakes”. Once bitten, your fate will be met with demise. The novel opens with Orpen pushing a wheelbarrow with Maeve and her dog by her side to find help and other survivors.

I love anything Zombie and I knew I would be a fan of this. I love that women are strong and resilient, and the story is told to understand the human relationships and survival.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron book for the ARC ebook copy of this wonderful story.

RATING: 4/5