Timebound and The Line

The first book of the year has been completed! A few days before January 1st, I stumbled upon a new subscription called "Kindle First." If you're a Prime member and subscribe, they send you an email with a choice of four books. Pick one of four, and buy it for free.

The first book I read (last year, hah!) was called Timebound by Rysa Walker. It didn't qualify for my 2014 reading challenge, but I'm compelled to review it any way. Clearly, as the title implies, it's about time travel. More specifically, bouncing in between times, without damaging the timeline. This book asks, "What would happen if someone wanted to shape history?" It's an interesting question, and though the main character is young, the journey was interesting. It really lends credit to the phrase, "Time is relative." I know a few of the reviewers weren't happy with the book, but I soaked up the details. There's a bit of history woven in, (not as seamless and amazing as A Discovery of Witches) and it's interesting enough to keep you flipping pages.

The second book I've read this week, or the first for the year, whichever way you want to look at it, is The Line by J.D. Horn. This is my second pick from the Kindle First subscription. It's about a young woman, Mercy, twin to Maisie, who finds herself powerless in Savannah's most powerful witching family. First, let me say, I was really reticent to read another young adult witch novel. There have been some really great ones, and some really cringe-worthy. This was a really wonderful surprise. Mercy, an almost twenty-one year old, is introduced as a fun-loving girl who gives the Liar's Tour of Savannah. At odds with an old aunt, she's mostly called 'The Disappointment' within the family for not showing any magical ability at all. And she takes it in stride. The journey was full of twists, some expected, some unexpected, but I was really pleased with how the author had Mercy deal with the plot twists. She truly was a young woman to admire. I'm happy that I found this author, and the second book in the series is coming out July 15. (Ironically, the same day as the third book in the "A Discovery of Witches" series.)

Now that I'm two books into the week, I find myself itching for another really good supernatural/fantasy book. Maybe I'll roll the dice and get lucky with an Amazon recommendation. I will say I did buy (paperback) The Diviners by Libba Bray, and I haven't been able to get into it. It's been sitting on my nightstand for two weeks, which isn't a good sign. Sorry to those who like it, but I'm thinking it falls into the 'might be a best seller, but not sellin' me on it' category.