My rating: 5 of 5 stars
One of my biggest indicators of a well-written book is if I am transported to that world in such a way that I can see, hear, and even smell it. Sara Gruen sweeps a 93 year old Jacob Jankowski quickly into your heart before tossing you into the world of his 23 year old self. We are there to witness the moment in this man's life when the smooth path he is on is up-heaved with the death of his parents and the loss of his future veterinary practice. His new course turns out to be on the tracks and with the belly of the circus.
With the help of an old roustabout, Jacob learns the language and hierarchy of the circus, and eventually lands a job as the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth's vet. We learn with our protagonist the dirty reality of day to day life of a traveling circus in 1931. A colorful host of secondary characters help Jacob on his journey, with the most important being Marlena, the show's star equestrian, and her husband, the cruel animal master, August.
Jacob and Marlena's paths soon become twisted and intertwined as the fall in love, and try to find their escape from her insane, brutal husband and the circus that they are trapped in serving. Their answer comes in the form of an elephant named Rosie, and a fateful disaster that destroys those holding them back, while free the lovers to their happily ever after.
This story comes full circle in the end as 93 year old Jacob finds himself once again at the gates of the big top, and is given a chance to go home once again.
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My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This quick read is essential for any loyal Browncoat. If you ever pondered the past of our good Shepard with his mysterious knowledge of the Alliance, fighting, and weaponry, you will enjoy The Shepard's Tale. You hop through time starting with Shepard's death, as depicted in the movie Serenity, back to the boy who first left on this adventure. Watch as his life unfolds in reverse to see who the man was before Kaylee convinced him that Serenity was the place for him.
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With Shadow of the Sun, first time author, Laura Kreitzer, illuminates us with the first book in her Timeless series. The story starts off as her heroine, Dr. Gabriella Moretti, receives three bodies from an archeological dig in Italy. Dr. Moretti is a supernatural specialist for the Zelko Corporation, and the bodies have been sent to her for investigation. She walks into her lab and looks into the crates to find the supposed 2000 year old bodies to have no decomposition what-so-ever. She immediately contacts the dig to make sure she was sent the correct bodies, for these seem minutes dead and not centuries. She is soon emailed pictures of the bodies that were taken just four days prior, and images of three leathery, decayed corpses appear on her screen. Eager to find some answers, Dr. Moretti takes a tissue sample from the arm of one of the bodies, and in the time it takes her to turn around, the flesh has regenerated. For the first time in her tenure with Zelko, her skepticism is rocked to it's foundation.
Dr. Moretti seals her lab and rushes to contact her supervisor, both anxious and eager to return to her lab once he arrives to see what they will find there. While waiting in her office, her assistant delivers her dry cleaning and a mysterious box. Wanting to make herself presentable after practically living at her lab as of late, Gabriella puts all thoughts of the box aside. While in the en-suite bathroom of her office, she begins to hear noises in her office. Peaking out into the room, she sees nothing, until she realizes that the box appears to be punched opened. Soon a darkness overcomes her, and a shadowy creature appears warning her not to wake the angels. The mysterious bodies below are angels.
Soon her boss arrives along with the FBI, who want to take this whole operation under their jurisdiction. Feeling very protective of these creatures, with only Gabriella knowing their true identity, she is included in the detail to remove them from her lab. Hidden in the ranks of the FBI agents are a Shadow, Jeff, and an angel, Karen. Gabriella finds herself back in her office with Karen, who reveals herself. She tells Gabriella that she is her guardian angel sent to keep her and the bodies safe. More importantly, Kreitzer uses Karen's explanation that angels are immortals who protect humanity, and their depiction in religious texts was written by her self-righteous angel brothers. With this, Kreitzer has given herself creative liberty for her world of angels to not follow the archetype that angels are the messengers of God, and in turn frees the reader to accept Kreitzer's world as she unfolds it to us.
Karen accompanies Gabriella as she goes home to pack for the trip, and in the processes is presented with the angel elders. She is told she is the “Darkness Illuminator”. A prophesy was made stating that the Darkness Illuminator would come and be the key to end the war between the angels and the Shadows. Because Gabriella survived her visit from the Shadow, which no human and few angels have survived, they believe she is the one who will save them and bring them peace.