More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download William Gibson's Mona Lisa Overdrive for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

William Gibson, author of the extraordinary multiaward-winning novel Neuromancer, has written his most brilliant and thrilling work to date . . .The Mona Lisa Overdrive.

Enter Gibson's unique world—lyric and mechanical, sensual and violent, sobering and exciting—where multinational corporations and high tech outlaws vie for power, traveling into the computer-generated universe known as cyberspace. Into this world comes Mona, a young girl with a murky past and an uncertain future whose life is on a collision course with internationally famous Sense/Net star Angie Mitchell. Since childhood, Angie has been able to tap into cyberspace without a computer. Now, from inside cyberspace, a kidnapping plot is masterminded by a phantom entity who has plans for Mona, Angie, and all humanity, plans that cannot be controlled . . . or even known. And behind the intrigue lurks the shadowy Yazuka, the powerful Japanese underworld, whose leaders ruthlessly manipulate people and events to suit their own purposes . . . or so they think.


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Ann Leckie's The Raven Tower for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Gods meddle in the fates of men, men play with the fates of gods, and a pretender must be cast down from the throne in this masterful first fantasy novel from Ann Leckie, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards.

For centuries, the kingdom of Iraden has been protected by the god known as the Raven. He watches over his territory from atop a tower in the powerful port of Vastai. His will is enacted through the Raven's Lease, a human ruler chosen by the god himself. His magic is sustained via the blood sacrifice that every Lease must offer. And under the Raven's watch, the city flourishes.

But the power of the Raven is weakening. A usurper has claimed the throne. The kingdom's borders are tested by invaders who long for the prosperity that Vastai boasts. And they have made their own alliances with other gods.

It is into this unrest that the warrior Eolo--aide to Mawat, the true Lease--arrives. And in seeking to help Mawat reclaim his city, Eolo discovers that the Raven's Tower holds a secret. Its foundations conceal a dark history that has been waiting to reveal itself...and to set in motion a chain of events that could destroy Iraden forever.

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (June 15th)

In hardcover:

Stephen King's Never Flinch debuts at number 1. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rachel Gillig's The Knight and the Moth is down one position, ending the week at number 3. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Devney Perry's Shield of Sparrows is down three spots, finishing the week at number 8. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Onyx Storm is down one position, ending the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Rebecca Yarros' Iron Flame is down six positions, ending the week at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses is down three positions, ending the week at number 11. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing is down three positions, ending the week at number 11. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale returns at number 13. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Margaret Atwood's The Testaments returns at number 14. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire 5-book omnibus for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

For the first time, all five novels in the epic fantasy series that inspired HBO’s Game of Thrones are together in one eBook bundle. An immersive entertainment experience unlike any other, A Song of Ice and Fire has earned George R. R. Martin—dubbed “the American Tolkien” by Time magazine—international acclaim and millions of loyal readers. Now this bundle collects the entire monumental cycle in the most convenient format available:

A GAME OF THRONES
A CLASH OF KINGS
A STORM OF SWORDS
A FEAST FOR CROWS
A DANCE WITH DRAGONS


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Elizabeth Moon's Sheepfarmer's Daughter for only 5.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter may be the daughter of a humble sheep farmer in the far north end of the kingdom, but she dreams of so much more. After refusing her father’s orders to do the sensible thing and marry the pig farmer down the road, Paks, runs away to join a band of mercenaries, dreaming of daring deeds and military glory. But life in the army is different than she imagined, and her daydreams at first seem to be turning to nightmares. But Paks refuses to let her dreams die—and does her duty with honor and integrity. Her path is an arduous one, but it will transform her into a hero remembered in songs, chosen by the gods to restore a lost ruler to his throne.

The Compton Crook Award‑winning first novel from Nebula‑winning author Elizabeth Moon. The first in the Paksenarrion Trilogy—now with an all‑new introduction by the author.


Targeted: Beirut


Thoughtful and poignant, Jack Carr and James M. Scott's Targeted: Beirut is an excellent work of scholarship.

Well-researched, it goes without saying, but I loved how the book focuses on everyone involved, from the Marines to President Reagan. What also sets it apart is the fact that it humanizes the casualties and the survivors. Once again, this work shows how the USA, and the rest of the Western world for that matter, never quite understood the intricacies of Islam and the various factions that came into play in Lebanon and the rest of the Middle East during that period. The Reagan administration, beset by infighting among top cabinet members regarding the Lebanese issue, is yet another example of America's doomed ventures in the Middle East over the years.

A compelling read that shines some light on one of the darkest days in the history of the US Marine Corps.

Here's the blurb:

The first in a new “authoritative, shocking” (Brad Meltzer, #1 New York Times bestselling author) nonfiction series examining the devastating terrorist attacks that changed the course of history from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr and Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott, beginning with the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut.

1983: the United States Marine Corps experiences its greatest single-day loss of life since the Battle of Iwo Jima when a truck packed with explosives crashes into their headquarters and barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. This horrifying terrorist attack, which killed 241 servicemen, continues to influence US foreign policy and haunts the Marine Corps to this day.

Now, the full story is revealed as never before by Jack Carr and historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott with this “definitive, behind-the-scenes account of a mission and a fight that changed America” (Doug Stanton, #1 New York Times bestselling author). Based on comprehensive interviews with survivors, extensive military records, as well as personal letters, diaries, and photographs, this is “a masterwork of research and storytelling” (Peter Schweizer, #1 New York Times bestselling author).


For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go for 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Remains of the Day and When We Were Orphans, comes an unforgettable edge-of-your-seat mystery that is at once heartbreakingly tender and morally courageous about what it means to be human.

Hailsham seems like a pleasant English boarding school, far from the influences of the city. Its students are well tended and supported, trained in art and literature, and become just the sort of people the world wants them to be. But, curiously, they are taught nothing of the outside world and are allowed little contact with it.

Within the grounds of Hailsham, Kathy grows from schoolgirl to young woman, but it’s only when she and her friends Ruth and Tommy leave the safe grounds of the school (as they always knew they would) that they realize the full truth of what Hailsham is.

Never Let Me Go breaks through the boundaries of the literary novel. It is a gripping mystery, a beautiful love story, and also a scathing critique of human arrogance and a moral examination of how we treat the vulnerable and different in our society. In exploring the themes of memory and the impact of the past, Ishiguro takes on the idea of a possible future to create his most moving and powerful book to date.



You can also download Hugh Howey's The Silo Series Collection: Wool, Shift, Dust, and Silo Stories for only 3.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

For the first time ever, The Silo Saga Omnibus brings together all of the work in Hugh Howey's ground-breaking, best-selling, acclaimed series, including the individual novels Wool, Shift, and Dust, as well as original essays by the author, and a bonus chapbook of short fiction, Silo Stories.

The remnants of humanity live underground in a vast silo. In this subterranean world, rules matter. Rules keep people alive. And no rule is more strictly enforced than to never speak of going outside. The punishment is exile and death.

When the sheriff of the silo commits the ultimate sin, the most unlikely of heroes takes his place. Juliette, a mechanic from the down deep, who never met a machine she couldn’t fix nor a rule she wouldn’t break.

What happens when a world built on rules is handed over to someone who sees no need for them? And what happens when a world broken to its core comes up against someone who won’t stop until things are set to right?

Their world is about to fall. What—and who—will rise?


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Alastair Reynolds' Aurora Rising for only 2.99$ By following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Tom Dreyfus is a Prefect, a law enforcement officer with the Panoply. His beat is the Glitter Band, that vast swirl of space habitats orbiting the planet Yellowstone, the teeming hub of a human interstellar empire spanning many worlds.

His current case: investigating a murderous attack against one of the habitats that leaves nine hundred people dead. But his investigation uncovers something far more serious than mass slaughter -- a covert plot by an enigmatic entity who seeks nothing less than total control of the Glitter Band.


Ilium


I received a review copy of this book from the folks at HarperCollins way back in 2005 before the release of its sequel, Olympos. That was the year I created the Hotlist! Not sure why it took me two decades to finally give it a shot. When the digital edition of Ilium went on sale a few weeks back, I realized that it was high time to read it.

Yes, I'm extremely late to this party and I have no excuse. I was afraid that maybe Ilium had not aged well, but it turned out to be a great ride!

Here's the blurb:

The Trojan War rages at the foot of Olympos Mons on Mars—observed and influenced from on high by Zeus and his immortal family—and twenty-first-century professor Thomas Hockenberry is there to play a role in the insidious private wars of vengeful gods and goddesses. On Earth, a small band of the few remaining humans pursues a lost past and devastating truth—as four sentient machines depart from Jovian space to investigate, perhaps terminate, the potentially catastrophic emissions emanating from a mountaintop miles above the terraformed surface of the Red Planet.

Dan Simmons' Ilium is epic science fiction at its best. Unlike a lot of hard scifi, this book is quite complex yet can be enjoyed by any SFF readers. Indeed, it's dense but still makes for compulsive reading. It's easy to understand why it was nominated for the Hugo Award for best novel.

A retelling of Homer's The Iliad as the Trojan War takes place on Mars and pseudo-gods get involved to influence one side or the other. The worldbuilding is quite impressive, the more so since we have to wait for the sequel for Simmons' universe to come fully realized. Ilium is a convoluted tale that echoes with depth. Beyond the war on Mars, back on Earth what's left of mankind have forgotten all about their past since the departure of the post-humans for the rings in the planet's orbit. Until a woman known as the Wandering Jew reveals the truth to a small group of people, setting them on a path that will have grave repercussions for what's left of their civilization. Meanwhile, bio-mechanical organisms known as Moravecs are sent on a secret mission to Mars to investigate what could be a threat for the entire solar system. It's a lot to take in, yes, but the author pulls it off in brilliant fashion.

The characterization is particularly well done. Thomas Hockenberry is probably the closest thing to a main character found in Ilium. It's through his perspective that we see the Trojan War unfold. A dead scholar rebuilt from his DNA, as a scholic he is tasked to report to the Muse on how the war waged on Mars compares to the conflict chronicled in Homer's poem. It's through him that we learn about the Gods and the conflict between the Achaeans and the Trojans. When Aphrodite approaches him to spy and kill another Goddess, the man knows that he's in over his head. When the proverbial shit hits the fan and he believes that he only has a few hours left to live, I loved that he spent what little time he had left to have sex with Helen of Troy, said to be the most beautiful woman in the world. I didn't expect the Moravecs to have such endearing personalities. But Mahnmut, aficionado of Shakespeare's sonnets, and Orphu is Io, a Proust enthusiast, make the most unlikely pair of likeable protagonists. It's the Earth's contingent that's the hardest to like, at least until Savi's arrival. From that point on, Harman, and especially Daeman, a frivolous womanizer, truly come together.

The pace can be slow at times, especially in the first half of the novel. There's a lot of groundwork to be laid out and Simmons is juggling a number of storylines simultaneously. And though every new answer raises its share of new questions, I feel that the author did a great job in weaving all those disparate threads into a cohesive whole. The rhythm picks up in the second portion of the book, and especially in that last 200 pages or so when the various plotlines converge. It does take a while for the overall story arc to start to make sense, but not once throughout Ilium does it feel like you're totally lost. You just need to buckle up and enjoy the ride.

The endgame raises the stakes even higher, which in turn raised my expectations for Olympos. Since this was always meant to be a duology, while it offers some resolution, the ending of Ilium just leaves the door open for what comes next in the second installment. The grand scale of this story looks like it's going to take on an even wider scope in the second volume. To all ends and pruposes, it looks as though Ilium is just the set-up for what will be an even more ambitious work of science fiction in the sequel. Can't wait to sink my teeth into that one!

Recommended.

The final verdict: 8.5/10

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Brandon Sanderson's The Lost Metal for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Return to #1 New York Times bestseller Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn world of Scadrial as its second era, which began with The Alloy of Law, comes to its earth-shattering conclusion in The Lost Metal.

For years, frontier lawman turned big-city senator Waxillium Ladrian has hunted the shadowy organization the Set—with his late uncle and his sister among their leaders—since they started kidnapping people with the power of Allomancy in their bloodlines. When Detective Marasi Colms and her partner Wayne find stockpiled weapons bound for the Outer City of Bilming, this opens a new lead. Conflict between Elendel and the Outer Cities only favors the Set, and their tendrils now reach to the Elendel Senate—whose corruption Wax and Steris have sought to expose—and Bilming is even more entangled.

After Wax discovers a new type of explosive that can unleash unprecedented destruction and realizes that the Set must already have it, an immortal kandra serving Scadrial’s god, Harmony, reveals that Bilming has fallen under the influence of another god: Trell, worshipped by the Set. And Trell isn’t the only factor at play from the larger Cosmere—Marasi is recruited by offworlders with strange abilities who claim their goal is to protect Scadrial...at any cost.

Wax must choose whether to set aside his rocky relationship with God and once again become the Sword that Harmony has groomed him to be. If no one steps forward to be the hero Scadrial needs, the planet and its millions of people will come to a sudden and calamitous ruin.


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Trudi Canavan's The Magicians' Guild for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

This year, like every other, the magicians of Imardin gather to purge the city of undesirables. Cloaked in the protection of their sorcery, they move with no fear of the vagrants and miscreants who despise them and their work—until one enraged girl, barely more than a child, hurls a stone at the hated invaders . . . and effortlessly penetrates their magical shield.

What the Magicians' Guild has long dreaded has finally come to pass. There is someone outside their ranks who possesses a raw power beyond imagining, an untrained mage who must be found and schooled before she destroys herself and her city with a force she cannot yet control.

Quote of the Day

"Beirut is not hell," became a common phrase, "but you can see it from here."

- JACK CARR AND JAMES M. SCOTT, Targeted: Beirut

This is another fascinating read!

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


Once again, you can download Christopher Buehlman's The Blacktongue Thief for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path.

But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.

Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants.

Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva's. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few can afford.


This week's New York Times Bestsellers (June 8th)

In hardcover:

Rachel Gillig's The Knight and the Moth debuts at number 1. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Devney Perry's Shield of Sparrows is down one spot, finishing the week at number 5. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Onyx Storm is up one position, ending the week at number 8. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Danielle L. Jensen's A Curse Carved in Bone is down eight positions, ending the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Dani Francis' Silver Elite is down two positions, ending the week at number 14. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Rebecca Yarros' Iron Flame debuts at number 1. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses is down two positions, ending the week at number 8. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing is up one position, ending the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Geneva Lee's Filthy Rich Fae debuts at number 10. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Mist and Fury is down two spots, finishing the week at number 14. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Tasha Suri's Empire of Sand for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

A nobleman's daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. Empire of Sand is Tasha Suri's captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy.

The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.

When Mehr's power comes to the attention of the Emperor's most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda.

Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance...

Empire of Sand is a lush, dazzling fantasy novel perfect for readers of City of Brass and The Wrath and the Dawn.


You can also download R. F. Kuang's The Complete The Poppy War trilogy, which is comprised of The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic, and The Burning God, for only 3.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

A "Best of May" Science Fiction and Fantasy pick by Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Audible, The Verge, SyFy Wire, and Kirkus.

A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.

When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Cassandra Clare's Sword Catcher for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Two outcasts find themselves at the center of world-altering change in the start of a riveting epic fantasy series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Shadowhunter Chronicles.

In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, the richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common: the constant search for wealth, power, and the next hedonistic thrill.

Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword-Catcher—the body-double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are close as brothers, but Kel knows he has one destiny: to die for Conor. No other future is possible.

Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community who still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls in the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend Mariam without access to forbidden knowledge.

After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane’s underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces. As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will Lin and Kel’s discoveries plunge their nation into war—and the world into chaos?


Never Flinch


Little did I know when I first read the Bill Hodges trilogy during my Camino de Santiago that Holly Gibney, then a secondary character, would become one of my favorite King protagonists of recent years. Then came The Outsider, followed by Holly, and that anxious and hypochondriac woman has truly come into her own. Indeed, I was thrilled when I learned that Never Flinch would feature her as lead once again.

The blurb immediately piqued my curiosity and I knew I'd be reading the novel as soon as it came out. It looked as though this one would be made up of several disparate storylines, yet now that I've read the book I can say that the plot suffers from too many moving parts. And even if King brings it all together near the end, a lot of it feels contrived to a certain extent.

Here's the blurb:

From master storyteller Stephen King comes an extraordinary new novel with intertwining storylines—one about a killer on a diabolical revenge mission, and another about a vigilante targeting a feminist celebrity speaker—featuring the beloved Holly Gibney and a dynamic new cast of characters.

When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to “kill thirteen innocents and one guilty” in “an act of atonement for the needless death of an innocent man,” Detective Izzy Jaynes has no idea what to think. Are fourteen citizens about to be slaughtered in an unhinged act of retribution? As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realizes that the letter writer is deadly serious, and she turns to her friend Holly Gibney for help.

Meanwhile, controversial and outspoken women’s rights activist Kate McKay is embarking on a multi-state lecture tour, drawing packed venues of both fans and detractors. Someone who vehemently opposes Kate’s message of female empowerment is targeting her and disrupting her events. At first, no one is hurt, but the stalker is growing bolder, and Holly is hired to be Kate’s bodyguard—a challenging task with a headstrong employer and a determined adversary driven by wrath and his belief in his own righteousness.

Featuring a riveting cast of characters both old and new, including world-famous gospel singer Sista Bessie and an unforgettable villain addicted to murder, these twinned narratives converge in a chilling and spectacular conclusion—a feat of storytelling only Stephen King could pull off.

Thrilling, wildly fun, and outrageously engrossing, Never Flinch is one of King’s richest and most propulsive novels.


As was the case with Holly, and unlike The Outsider which worked well as a standalone, the same cannot be said of Never Flinch. Events featured in the novella If It Bleeds are once again referred to, but it's not necessary to have read it. However, you must read the Bill Hodges trilogy and the other two novels featuring Holly to fully understand what's going on. Once more, not just for knowing more about Holly's background, which in turn gives you more insight into her character. No, it's important to have witnessed Holly's evolution to fully appreciate how far along she's come since we were first introduced to her in the original series. It's also important to understand the relationships between Holly and the supporting cast for the plot to make sense.

Like its predecessor, Never Flinch reads like a murder mystery/police procedural. There are no paranormal elements underpinning this tale, just messed-up individuals. Because as Holly has come to realize in the previous book: Just when you think you’ve seen the worst human beings have to offer, there’s no end to evil. This one features a deranged man who wants to avenge the death of an innocent person convicted of being a pedophile who got shanked in jail by killing a number of people, as well as religious nutjobs who wish to silence women’s rights activist. This would have been enough for a compelling story. Trouble is, the author needed to find a way to get young poet Barbara involved and thus came up with the gospel singer's thread, which sort of derailed the plot from time to time.

With her strengths, and especially with her weaknesses, Holly remains an extremely endearing main protagonist. I particularly enjoyed how her relationship with Izzy has evolved and how the detective has learned to trust Holly instincts. Trig is an interesting villain, and so is Chris. The more we discovered about each of them and their past, the better everything became. It was interesting to follow the interactions between bossy Kate McKay and the more timid yet capable Holly. Corrie was also nice addition to the supporting cast. Again in this novel, even if Holly is in the spotlight, I feel that too much limelight was given to both Jerome and Barbara. Neither were really necessary for the story to make sense, and more often than not they both got in the way of the plot. I'm aware that they've been part of everything that has occurred thus far, but at some point they need to somewhat fade in the background and Holly must stand on her own. Did we really need to have such a big chunk of the book dedicated to Barbara joining Sista Bessie's gig and have one of her poems turned into a song? I mean, there is someone murdering people to make the jury who convicted an innocent man feel guilty for his death and religious fucktards trying to kill a woman who stands for everything they oppose. That's more than enough for a captivating novel.

Although the Sista Bessie/Barbara storylines is woven into the plot, more often than not the sequences featuring them seem to get in the way of the more interesting stuff. Still, Never Flinch makes for another entertaining read. The Guns and Hoses charity baseball game added a bit of humor and levity to what are decidedly darker themes. All in all, you'll get through this book in no time. Having said that, Barbara and Jerome are becoming bigger and bigger distractions with each new work, so here's to hoping that Holly can get her own moment in the limelight without having to rely on her young friends in the next book that features her.

Never Flinch was good, but not as good as The Outsider and Holly.

The final verdict: 7.5/10

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Guy Gavriel Kay's A Song for Arbonne for only 4.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

From the critically-acclaimed author of The Fionavar Tapestry comes an epic fantasy novel of love, both courtly and forbidden, and two kingdoms endlessly opposed...

Blaise of Gorhaut is a warrior. He fought for his king and country, until the king died with an arrow in his eye at the battle of Iersen Bridge, and a dishonorable treaty ceded a good part of his country to foreign hands. He has broken relations with his father, adviser to the king of Gorhaut, and abandoned the use of his family name.

Now, Blaise is a mercenary. He never expected to work for the lords of Arbonne, the warm, fertile lands south of Gorhaut, whose people praise the love of women—they even worship a goddess, instead of the god. They are a soft people, or so he thought. But for all their nonsense about love, their troubadours and songs, they will fight for their country, when invasion comes from the north.


You can also get your hands on the digital edition of Benjamin Liar's The Failures for only 4.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Welcome to the Wanderlands.
A vast machine made for reasons unknown, the Wanderlands was broken long ago. First went the sky, splintering and cracking, and then very slowly, the whole machine—the whole world—began to go dark.

Meet the Failures.
Following the summons of a strange dream, a scattering of adventurers, degenerates, and children find themselves drawn toward the same place: the vast underground Keep. They will discover there that they have been called for a purpose—and that purpose could be the destruction of everything they love.

The end is nigh.
For below the Keep, imprisoned in the greatest cage ever built by magicians and gods, lies the buried Giant. It is the most powerful of its kind, and its purpose is the annihilation of all civilization. But any kind of power, no matter how terrible, is precious in the dimming Wanderlands, and those that crave it are making their moves.

All machines can be broken, and the final cracks are spreading. It will take only the careless actions of two cheerful monsters to tip the Wanderlands towards an endless dark...or help it find its way back to the light.


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's Sisterhood of Dune for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

The inspiration for the HBO original series DUNE: PROPHECY, coming Fall 2024!

It is 83 years after the last thinking machines were destroyed in the Battle of Corrin, after Faykan Butler took the name of Corrino and established himself as the first Emperor of a new Imperium.

The war hero Vorian Atreides has turned his back on politics and Salusa Secundus. The descendants of the disgraced Abulurd Harkonnen have sworn vengeance against Vor, blaming him for the downfall of their noble family.

Raquella Berto-Anirul has formed the Bene Gesserit School and, through a terrible ordeal, has become the first Reverend Mother.

The descendants of Aurelius Venport and Norma Cenva use mutated, spice-saturated Navigators who fly precursors of Heighliners.

And Gilbertus Albans, ward of the hated thinking machine Erasmus, is teaching humans to become Mentats…while hiding an unbelievable secret.

Led by the fanatic Manford Torondo, the Butlerian movement, fiercely opposed to all forms of "dangerous technology," sweeps across the known universe in mobs, millions strong, destroying everything in its path.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.


This week's New York Times Bestsellers (June 1st)

In hardcover:

Danielle L. Jensen's A Curse Carved in Bone debuts at number 1. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Devney Perry's Shield of Sparrows is down three spots, finishing the week at number 4. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Joe Abercrombie's The Devils debuts at number 5. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Onyx Storm is down two positions, ending the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Dani Francis' Silver Elite is down seven positions, ending the week at number 12. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses is up one position, ending the week at number 6. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing is up three positions, ending the week at number 10. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Mist and Fury returns at number 12. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download George R. R. Martin's Fire and Blood for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

With all the fire and fury fans have come to expect from internationally bestselling author George R. R. Martin, this is the first volume of the definitive two-part history of the Targaryens in Westeros.

Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire and Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.

What really happened during the Dance of the Dragons? Why did it become so deadly to visit Valyria after the Doom? What is the origin of Daenerys’s three dragon eggs? These are but a few of the questions answered in this essential chronicle, as related by a learned maester of the Citadel and featuring more than eighty all-new black-and-white illustrations by artist Doug Wheatley. Readers have glimpsed small parts of this narrative in such volumes as The World of Ice and Fire, but now, for the first time, the full tapestry of Targaryen history is revealed.

With all the scope and grandeur of Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Fire and Blood is the ultimate game of thrones, giving readers a whole new appreciation for the dynamic, often bloody, and always fascinating history of Westeros.