⚓️ I Read Historical, Nautical Non-Fiction Because I'm Well Rounded and an 😹 Amazing Fantasy Series 👾 🎮

    I had heard about Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman from a daughter with a middle school boy sense of humor, but then also had it recommended by Jeremy Cotter- a friend and fellow Star Trek fan. It pushed me to find it. I reserved one on Libby, I was number 212 on the list, and they offered me a lucky copy to listen to, the catch being I could only have it for seven days. It was 13 hours and 31 minutes. I can listen to books at 2x, which means it would take around six hours and 45 minutes. Maybe. I'm not great at base six math. Mission accomplished!

    Dungeon Crawler Carl is an apocalypse scenario that begins with most of the world's population dying as everything with a roof is pulled underground for its matter to be redistributed into a multi-level dungeon. Carl and his ex-girlfriend's prize-winning Persian, Princess Donut, enter the dungeon and become players in a first-person shooter game. To survive, they must level up their skills, collect loot, and charm the universe of beings who are watching. Fortunately, Carl has a cat on his team.

    Even though the story is low fantasy and, at times, ribald in its humor, the characters feel genuine as they wrestle with who to help survive and what lengths to go to survive. The writing is dark and funny. It is reminiscent of Hunger Games if it were a comedy. The dungeon has 18 levels. Book one covers set-up, level one, and level two, so it ends on a cliffhanger. 

    In book two, Carl's Doomsday Scenario, only one level is covered. I think that's how it will go. Dinniman keeps the momentum going, as does character development. Because the cat is newly sentient, she is childlike in her thoughts and approaches; however, it's not creepy that she's a successful player because she's a cat. I sense a lot of planning and thoughts have gone into these books. There is the driving core story of Carl and Donut trying to survive and other multiple stories being excavated over the series' arc. I found an interview with Matt Dinniman, the author, who predicts the series might have ten books. Book seven is coming out soon. I almost regret starting a series that isn't entirely out because I don't like to fight for copies or wait for the next book. Life is sometimes difficult, but I persevere.

Here is a link to the interview I referenced: https://beforewegoblog.com/interview-matt-dinniman-author-of-dungeon-crawler-carl/

🧌🐈‍⬛😹 👴🏻🦼👽👾 🎮

    I want to be a person who also reads nonfiction--well-rounded and erudite--however without a strong story, I fall asleep. Also, there is the sheer horror of events happening to actual people, not fictional characters. I saw The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann on several lists as one of the best nonfiction books of 2023, with this comment: it reads like a novel, so I gave it a try. I wanted to give up almost immediately. Terrible things happen. TERRIBLE. Grann says upfront that what actually happened can't be determined because the surviving accounts conflict. What? I like novels that wrap it neatly without loose ends. 

    I persevered. The tale is riveting, and David Grann masterfully fleshes out the 1742 journey of the Wager and its crew. I recommend it, especially if you like nonfiction, historical, or nautical.

⚓️🏝️😱

🫣 Intense Thriller😱, More Time Travel⏳, and Almost Done with My Latest Fantasy Series⚔️

 

    Master of the Revels is the second in a series about time travel and witches. Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland wrote the first book, The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. The series is continued solely by Nicole Galland. Galland does an adequate job of moving the story along using the original characters. If you are a Shakespeare enthusiast, Galland's knowledge of the details of the people and theater of that time is extensive, and she weaves it into her plot skillfully. Master of the Revels is less science-y than other Stephenson's books, but if you enjoyed the first book and wonder what happened to them--the first book ended on a cliffhanger then it is worth the time to read it.

Here is a link to a review of another Stephenson's book: https://barbpruittwrites.blogspot.com/search?q=Stephenson

🎭⏳🧙‍♀️

    I found The Fury by Alex Michaelides a tense "locked room" mystery thriller. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was stellar. The murder takes place on a remote island during a fierce windstorm. Michaelides kept me off balance for the entire story. I kind of, sort of figured out some of the big reveals, but the ending caught me by surprise. He does an excellent job of obfuscating significant clues and lulling the reader into a sense of trust only to shatter it. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say I found this book intense and compelling.

🎭🇬🇷🏝️🔎😱

    I read Daindreth's Sorceress by Elisabeth Wheatley, book four of her series Daindreth's Assassin. Wheatley is good at crafting plots that are believable and inventive for the genre, and occasionally, she produces a gem of a metaphor. She likes the word smear and uses it a lot. 

He smeared his wet hair back. She smeared sweat from her face. 

It seems like an unusual use, but it does bring a clear visual to mind. 

Vesha is a sympathetic and ruthless villain. Wheatley supports her actions with understandable desire. I can see why Vesha pursues her awful path, and I wish she would choose differently for her sake and others.

There are as many court politics as sword fights that occur, and it elevates the series.

I'm looking forward to spending my next audible credit on the final book of the series.  

🧝‍♀️🧙‍♀️⚔️

More Elisabeth Wheatley🐴 and 2 Excellent Mysteries🔎🔎

 

    I have clearly fallen down a Daindreth Assassin series wormhole. This week, I read Daindreth's Outlaw and  Daindreth's Traitor by Elisabeth Wheatley. She is strong on plot, sending the storyline in unexpected and unique directions. Her main characters, Amira and Daindreth, haven't undergone much emotional change. They are still seeking to free Daindreth from his curse and declaring their love for one another. Another character given a voice is Thadred, Daindreth's cousin and best friend, who is enslaved to him. Thadred is maturing, understanding who he is and what he might become. I found him the most complex character in books 2 and 3. The hook is firmly planted, and I want to read the entire series eventually.

🗡️🌳🐴

 This has been an excellent week for mysteries!

    I've read many mysteries and have learned what to look for to know the murderer. I still get fooled, especially in the hands of a good writer. Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister is a mystery that starts with the murder and then travels back in time to find the source. This book is everything I love--time travel, true love, self-discovery, and surprise plot twists. This book is my favorite mystery and favorite time travel book for 2024. It is a strong contender for best book of the year. 

⌛️🕰️⌚️📱

The best part about having a reputation as a crazy book person is people give you terrific recommendations. My mom's best friend, Connie, pointed me to How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin. It is a cozy mystery--not too violent, set in an English village--that's done exceptionally well. Here is the premise: weird, rich Aunt Francis has always believed she was going to murdered, so she has been gathering information about everyone in her orbit. When she dies, her great-niece, Anna, steps in to attempt to solve the murder, save her mother's home, save the village from becoming a golf course, and restore her aunt's reputation. There is a lot at stake! Anna is an aspiring murder mystery writer who faints at the sight of blood, or needles or the thought of blood or needles. It creates narrative tension as I root for this young woman to endure the process of figuring it all out before it's too late. 

🔎🧥📔🪶🔍

👹 Demons Were a Theme this Week😈

 

    All's Well by Mona Awad is one of the weirdest books I've read. I wanted to put the book down several times but was desperate to know what happened. It was creepy in a get-in-your-head way but also unique and well-crafted. Awad weaves the plots of Shakespeare's Macbeth and All's Well That Ends Well into a modern-day tale of being powerless and power-hungry and how this can lead one to betrayal and worse.

😈🎭💊

    One of my daughters pointed me to Elisabeth Wheatley's channel on YouTube called Book Goblin. It's very accurate and funny. Here is a link:

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ly9s9YzkvsE?feature=share

    Wheatley's channel also features books she has written. I've looked on Libby to find them and have yet to be successful. I pictured Wheatley as a self-publisher. However, I did find her books on Audible and spent a precious credit to listen to Daindreth's Assassin, the first in the Daindreth's Assassin series. She could have benefited from a better editor. She rocks the plot, and her characters strive to be more than stereotypes. I enjoyed the book and am wrestling with the question of how many credits do I want to use on this five book--quintology?--series. I'm guessing that her writing, especially dialogue, will improve with time. I would like to access her books less expensively but should suck it up and support a creative making it work.

⚔️🥷👹