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Read Shadow & Bone Before the Streaming Premier!

21 Apr

April means many things to many people. To some, it’s the sign of the Easter Bunny coming with chocolates and sweets. Others might see it as the start of spring, warmer weather and vibrant gardens. 

But to many others, April 23 brings the premier of the Netflix adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s YA fantasy, Shadow and Bone, also know as the Grishaverse series. So for the month of April, I will be reviewing the original trilogy for this premier.

The first book in the series, Shadow and Bone, introduces us to the world of Ravka and our protagonist, Alina Starkov, a soldier and map maker entering a shadowed scar on the world known as the Shadow Fold, filled with only monsters and darkness. It is while there that she discovers and learns to control a newfound power.

The narrative is done through first person and Bardugo does an excellent job of letting us experience things through Alina’s eyes while still keeping things interesting and fresh. The magic system is simple enough that those new to fantasy will understand it, but interesting enough to add just enough flavor to the story and world.

So whether you’re just curios about the series as a whole or wish to read the books after watching the show, Shadow and Bone is one that I can firmly recommend. You can borrow it as an ebook from both eBCCLS and eLibraryNJ and in print from BCCLS libraries.

Written By:
Lauren Lapinski
Circulation Assistant

Don’t miss our exciting live Zoom event tonight: Meet the Author Book Talk with Chip Cheek, author of “Cape May”! Wednesday, April 21, at 7 pm EST
In honor of National Library Week, best-selling author Chip Cheek will present a Virtual Book Talk/ Meet the Author event tonight (Wednesday, April 21) at 7:00 pm to discuss his popular debut novel “Cape May.” Chip will read passages from the book, describe his writing process and the inspiration for the book, and answer your questions. This program will be hosted on Zoom, so registration is required.

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A Suspenseful Country Noir: The Captive

24 Mar

Typically, I’m not drawn to fast-paced, high-tension adventure stories that pit man against nature  in a survival of the fittest scenario. However, Fiona King Foster’s debut novel The Captive is not only a propulsive wilderness adventure, but a suspenseful and tightly written country noir with considerable plot substance and gritty well-developed characters. I was lured in by the author’s  vivid descriptions of what seemed like an Old West landscape and a family struggling to survive  during a harrowing exploration of loyalty, trauma and resilience. 

Brooke Holland, once involved with her family’s drug war with the rival Cawley clan, has  established a new identity with her husband Milo and her two preteen daughters, who knows nothing of her violent past. They are content operating a small farm in the remote wilderness, miles from any form of established civilization. All seems well until Brooke learns that Stephen Cawley has escaped federal prison and is probably hunting for her with the intent of settling an  old score. When Cawley raids their farm, Brooke subdues him and attempts to transport him on foot to a distant federal outpost, thereby claiming the $5,000 bounty, which could save their  failing farm. Thus, she begins a harrowing trek with her husband and children across a forbidding and dangerous winter landscape. 

Along the treacherous journey, Foster intersperses detailed flashbacks from Brooke’s past, which further propel the current tension and danger and allows the reader to feel compassion for her as she develops a steely determination to save her loved ones. The rough winter poses obstacles and various unsavory and ruthless characters that they meet along the way pose threats to Brooke’s ultimate plan. Even getting separated from her children during a winter blizzard adds suspense to this fast-paced adventure and keeps the adrenaline pumping. 

The suspenseful thriller builds as strained family dynamics are brought to a breaking point and old wounds between rival family drug wars resurface. The ghosts, both real and imagined, from  Brooke’s past still haunt her and she questions her motives and well as her actions and the  consequences they may have. Ultimately, the chilling adventure leads to an explosive climax  involving an intense stand-off, a fire, and a gun-shooting duel, all reminiscent of the wild west.  Granted, this denouement may seem outlandish and larger than life, but it seems to fit the suspenseful buildup and tension and gives the reader a sense of hope for Brooke, her family and  their future. 

Available from Hoboken and other BCCLS libraries.

Written by:
Ethan Galvin
Information and Digital Services Librarian

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