Book Review: The Eyes of Tamburah by Maria V Snyder

The Eyes of Tamburah

by

Maria V Snyder

Publisher: Harper Collins

Imprint: HQ Young Adult

Publication date: 17th June 2019

Series: Archives of the Invisible Sword #1

Pages: 512

RRP: $19.99AUD

Format read: ARC - uncorrected proof

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

'He thinks you are the thief...'

Shyla is a researcher who resides in the underground desert city of Zirdai, which is ruled by the wealthy Water Prince and brutal Heliacal Priestess. Even though Shyla is sun-kissed - an outcast, considered cursed by the Sun Goddess - she is still renowned for uncovering innumerable archaic facts, lost artefacts, ancient maps, and obscure historical documents. Her quiet life is about to change when Banqui, an archaeologist, enlists her services to find The Eyes of Tamburah: legendary gemstones that bestows great magic to its wielder. These ancient objects can tip the balance of power and give whoever possesses them complete control of the city.

But chaos erupts when The Eyes are stolen soon after they're found - and Shyla is blamed for the theft. Forced to flee, with the Prince's soldiers and the Priestess' deacons on her trail, Shyla must recover the jewels and clear her name. A quest that will unearth secrets even more valuable than The Eyes of Tamburah themselves..

The Eyes of Tamburah is a fast paced fantasy and the first in a new series by Maria V Snyder.

Shyla is a sun-kissed, the name given to babies born with pale-yellow hair. These babies, believed cursed, are left in the desert to die. Shyla is saved and raised by monks until she turns 18 and chooses to reside in the city. She is shunned by the other citizens of Zirdai and spends most of her time in her room. She manages to find work reading maps and transcribing ancient tablets in order to locate lost artifacts.

Snyder starts with explanations of the world the story is set in. Zirdai is an extensive underground city built on many levels which is necessary to escape the searing heat of the desert.

When the eyes of Tamburah, believed to bestow magic and their owner, are uncovered and subsequently stolen Shyla’s only friend Banqui is imprisoned and unless Shyla finds the eyes he will be put to death.

The story includes plenty of action and danger. Shyla is a strong-willed woman who can hold her own in a confrontation. She soon finds that she can trust no one as she is double crossed many times and her eyes are open to many things happening in the city she was unaware of. With this awareness comes an awakening of a new purpose to her life.

The majority of the story is high on action and very low on fantasy elements which may not appeal to hard core fantasy readers. The story gets a little dark towards the end with talk of torture and sacrifice although there is a small romance introduced and the occasional light-hearted banter keeps the story from becoming too intense. We get a few glimpses of the magic I’m hoping to see more of in the next book.

The Eyes of Tamburah was an easy read and I was totally caught up in the whole world of Zirdai. There are plenty of evil people to despise and Shyla’s character development was well executed.

Recommended for ages 12+ 

Content: mentions of torture

                 mild viloence

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My rating   5/5

Photo credit: Goodreads

Meteorologist turned novelist, Maria's been writing since she was bored at work and needed something creative to do. Over a dozen novels later, Maria's been on the New York Times bestseller list, won a half-dozen awards, and has earned her Master's degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University where she's now a faculty member. As a frequent workshop presenter and speaker for various conferences, Maria enjoys helping other writers. She also has a blast creating new worlds where horses and swords rule, 'cause let's face it, they're cool, although she's been known to trap her poor characters in a giant metal cube and let them figure out how to get out.

  

 

Mailbox Monday - July 1st

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog. Head over and check out other books received during the last week. 

Happy Monday! 

We are now into mid winter here in Australia. Some states have been receiving quite a bit of coastal rain (not much inland where it is needed) but Sydney has not seen much rain in the last few months and we are now on level 1 water restrictions. 
I spent last Saturday outside in the garden, in temperatures of 19°C, reading The Ex by Nicola Moriarty. It was a perfect winter's day reading the perfect thriller.

June was National Scoliosis Month and I had planned to write a post about scoliosis and the scoliosis warriors Facebook group I am a member of. However the time slipped away and here it is July already. Scoliosis affects everyone differently and the group is a good support for those that have recently been told they have scoliosis and also long term sufferers. I still hope to write up a post some time in the future.

Books  received during the past week.

 From the publisher for review

Don't Let the Beasties Escape This Book by Julie Berry
Publication date:  10th September 2019

Godfrey, a peasant boy who works for the lord and lady of the castle, finds a bestiary, or illustrated book of beasts, on the way to do his chores one morning. He begins inventing his own story, placing “Sir Godfrey” at the center of numerous heroic deeds. Sir Godfrey battles a lion, tames a unicorn, defeats a griffin, conquers a bonnacon, and triumphs over a dragon. Godfrey does not realize that each time he says the name of an animal, it magically emerges from the book, causing mayhem and inadvertently accomplishing his chores. The laughs pile up and the tension mounts: When will Godfrey realize that all this outrageous stuff is going on?

Dot is drawn to any book when the title has "Don't"  in it so I know she will love this story.

My purchases

The Ex by Nicola Moriarty (The Ex Girlfriend in US)
Publication date: 17th June 2019

Girl meets boy. They fall in love. 
There's just one problem...
She wants him back. She wants you gone.
Luke is The One. After everything she's been through, Georgia knows she deserves someone like him, to make her feel loved. Safe.
The only problem is his ex-girlfriend. Luke says Cadence is having trouble moving on. She texts Luke all the time and leaves aggressive notes on Georgia's car.
Georgia starts to feel afraid. But she decides to confront Cadence ... and that's when things get interesting.

I've been reading so much about this book that I had to rush out and purchase a copy. I read it over the weekend and it is fabulous. My review will be posted during the week sometime.

What Books did your postman deliver, or you downloaded, this week?

Post a link to your Mailbox Monday or simply list your books in the comments below.

   

 

Storybook Corner Book Review: Hide and Seek Little Chameleon (Children's Picture Book)

Hide and Seek Little Chameleon

by

Anita Bijsterbosch

Publisher: Clavis Publishing
Publication date: 15th May 2019
Pages: 18
Format Read: eBook
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

Little Chameleon loves to play hide-and-seek. He knows a few special hiding tricks. Will you help look for Little Chameleon?

A cheerful seek-and-find book filled with colors, numbers, and animal friends. For toddlers ages 30 months and up, with a focus on the child's language development.

Mummy chameleon and little chameleon are playing hide and seek.

Help mummy find little chameleon as he hides and changes colour to blend into his surroundings.

While you are looking for little chameleon each page features a different colour. There are other insects and animals to find; one red spider, two red ladybugs.

As the hide and seek game progresses through different colours the story introduces different animals and the sound they make plus the number of objects to find increases from 1 through to 10. Each page ends with the question: But...... where is little chameleon?

This is a gorgeously illustrated children’s book suitable for ages 2+ which introduces and reinforces colour and counting with a fun repetition to the end of each page. Further education can be made with older children by discussing the way chameleons can change colour to blend into the surroundings just as little chameleon has done.

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Rated by Dot & Jay   5/5

We decided to colour our own chameleon and what better colour for our chameleon than all the colours of the rainbow. 

 

 

Book Review: Solving Cadence Moore by Gregory Sterner

Solving Cadence Moore

by

Gregory Sterner

Publisher: Aperture Press
Publication date: 7th November 2017
Pages: 370
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the author via Book Publicity Services 

Ten years ago, famous young singer Cadence Moore disappeared without a trace on a remote highway in western Pennsylvania. To this day her fate remains unknown. Was she kidnapped or murdered? Or did she simply run away in search of a new life, leaving behind the abuse and heartbreak that haunted her?

Charlie Marx, host of the popular conspiracy radio show "Underground Broadcast," is obsessed with Cadence. Desperate to find her after deceiving his boss to save his job, he launches an investigation of his own, digging deep into the missing woman's past and uncovering her darkest secrets. Working feverishly for weeks, he claims to have solved the mystery and promises to reveal Cadence's fate at the end of a groundbreaking podcast series and live radio special.

But is it all a lie? As years of twisted details slowly unravel, Charlie races to solve the biggest mystery of the decade. If he succeeds, it will mean closure for Cadence. If he fails, his entire world will come crashing down live on air--and the truth may be lost forever.  

Solving Cadence Moore is a uniquely plotted mystery written around a radio podcast series.

With podcasts becoming increasingly popular Sterner’s idea of writing a mystery with a radio personality, not a detective, as the main character and centering it on a podcast series is modern and brilliant.

The disappearance, ten years ago, of popular, young college singer Cadence Moore is back in the headlines after a documentary was recently screened about it.

Charlie Marx, radio personality, thinks he can do a better investigation of the facts of her disappearance. His boss assigns him podcast time and Charlie starts to build the momentum. The podcast becomes a major hit when Charlie declares he will let his listeners in on the truth of Cadence Moore’s disappearance. A truth he doesn’t have, but why let that get in the way of a good story.

The podcast goes through interviews with all the witnesses and friends of Cadence’s last days. It’s ten years on and some recollections may be hazy; some may even be lying!

The mystery of Cadence’s disappearance really pulled me in and throughout the interviews I made, and changed, my own conclusions many times.

The main focus of this story is Cadence and we get a lot of background on her and her friends. However there is not much on Charlie Marx, the producer of the podcast, and his boss, Tyler Ruebens. Both men came across as egotistical fast-talking con-men. Their personalities leapt from the page and brought the characters to life. As unlikeable as they were, they were extremely real.

Gregory Sterner’s debut novel Solving Cadence Moore, a modern day noir, will draw you in and keep you hooked until the very last page.

Content: frequent coarse language

                 mentions of incest/rape

                 mild violence

                                              🌟🌟🌟🌟 1/2

 My rating   4.5/5

Gregor Sterner is an author who enjoys mystery novels, philosophy, conspiracy theory stories, and true crime. His debut mystery novel "Solving Cadence Moore" was released on November 7th, 2017. He has learned so far in his brief membership in the worldwide club of published authors that it is wise to listen to feedback, especially from publishers or agents who have had more success than you. You have to be flexible and open to collaboration in order to move forward in the process of getting your novel published. He thinks it's important to embrace inspiration when it comes and don't be afraid to take risks, as long as you do so in the parameters of good writing and good reading.