[REWIND] February 2020 Releases

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If you stopped keeping updated on book stuff in 2020, this blog series is for you. A list, organised by month, of 2020 book releases. All are US publication dates, and all buy links are to Kindle Editions. (NOTE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) Goodreads links lead to my star-ratings (out of five) and any thoughts.

FEBRUARY 2020 RELEASES

V. C. Andrews: Out of the Attic: 4 Feb 2020: Buy: Goodreads
Kelley Armstrong: Alone in the Wild: 4 Feb 2020: Buy: Goodreads
Keri Arthur: Blackbird Rising: 3 Feb 2020: Buy
Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre: Honor Lost: 11 Feb 2020: Buy
Megan E. Hart: In the House of Broken Glass: 13 Feb 2020: Buy
Jennifer Iacopelli: Break the Fall: 18 Feb 2020: Buy
Carrie Jones: The Places We Hide: 1 Feb 2020: Buy
Seanan McGuire: Imaginary Numbers: 25 Feb 2020: Buy
Tara Moss: The Blood Countess: 4 Feb 2020: Buy: Goodreads
Tara Moss: The Spider Goddess: 4 Feb 2020: Buy: Goodreads
Tara Moss: The Skeleton Key: 4 Feb 2020: Buy: Goodreads
Danielle Rollins: Twisted Fates: 25 Feb 2020: Buy
Kristen Simmons: Scammed: 4 Feb 2020: Buy

[REVIEW] The Skeleton Key – Tara Moss

Tara Moss
The Skeleton Key (Pandora English, Book 3)
Pan Macmillan (AU: 1st December 2012)
Buy (US) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Finally, Pandora magazine’s editorial assistant Pandora English goes underground in 1 Addams Avenue to the basement, where architect and psychical researcher Dr Edmund Barrett kept his lab. Unfortunately, it seems more stereotypical of laboratories in horror films rather than the in-depth research for which the author is renowned. The metal chair becomes important, though. And good news: Pandora meets the doctor himself. Bad news: he’s not alone. A dark spirit is attached to him as a “passenger” (yes, I thought of Dexter, too), and Pandora’s ghostly boyfriend Lieutenant Luke isn’t the only one at stake.

The Skeleton Key has some genuinely scary moments, thanks to the investigation into Barrett’s experiments I’ve anticipated. By the mystery is far from over. The doctor’s involvement with black magic can’t have been the only thing he was up to, and hopefully future novels will further explore this. (Book 4, The Cobra Queen, will be published in 2013.)

I like this series, though I still can’t relate to Pandora. She’s very much a Special Snowflake (“the Seventh”) with paranormal abilities and an extremely enviable wardrobe (technically Great-Aunt Celia’s), not to mention a great job and a Park Avenue-wealthy love interest. But her voice seems distant, and strangely…well, English in my head, instead of contemporary New York. It doesn’t quite fit. And Pandora hasn’t yet solved the mystery of Celia, of why a supposedly ninety-year-old looks so young.

The Skeleton Key is interesting and enjoyable, yet seems derivative rather than fresh. It’s disappointing, since I was expecting it to be the best in the series so far. It’s a good read, but lacking a spark, which can be said of all the books so far. Of course I’m looking forward to reading more, but I get the feeling it will never be completely awesome. Then again, so few stories are.

PROMOTIONAL IDEA

“Pandora English’s New York Map” would be an excellent promotional piece, highlighting various landmarks that are relevant to Pandora’s life and adventures, with photos showing how the places look in real life. Particularly awesome if a reader finds themself in New York, or someone just wanting to better picture the locations (me).

1st December 2012 Releases

Happy Release Day to:

Kylie Chan
Small Shen (Prequel) [Graphic Novel]
HarperCollins (AU: 1st December 2012)
Buy (US) Buy (Worldwide)
The story follows the stone spirit Gold’s entertaining adventures throughout history. His escapades include seducing a dragon princess, attempting to steal one of the Tiger’s wives, making bets with demons, and working for the Blue Dragon of the East. Eventually, as a result of his crimes against Heaven and his constant philandering, Gold is ordered to join the household of Xuan Wu, the Dark Lord of the Northern Heavens. Xuan Wu is also known as John Chen, a Hong Kong businessman. The story then follows Gold and Jade – the dragon princess – in contemporary Hong Kong. The two small shen must help guard John Chen’s beloved human wife and baby daughter from demon attack. John Chen is vulnerable to attack while living on Earth, but his family are in the most danger of all…

Erica Hayes
Dragonfly
Pan Macmillan Momentum (AU: 1st December 2012)
Buy (US) Buy (UK)
Carrie Thatcher is a tough Imperial counter-terrorism agent. Her mission: pose as a sexy cyber-thief to entrap the notorious rebel Dragonfly, who’s planning a heist on the space station Casa de Esperanza – an orbital casino on the fringe of Imperial space. And this assignment’s personal: Dragonfly murdered her closest friend, and she’s in no mood to show him mercy. Even getting stuck with the partner from hell – Malachite, her sociopathic ex-lover and the Empire’s most dangerous agent – can’t dampen her relish for the kill. With Carrie’s expert weapons skills and penchant for cracking codes, insinuating herself into Dragonfly’s confidence should be easy. But is he the ruthless killer she was led to believe? Or has her precious Empire deceived her? With Malachite watching her every move, the slightest flinch in loyalty means death. Carrie is soon racing to uncover an audacious treachery that will shock the Empire to its core…if she can stay alive for long enough to expose it.

Tara Moss
The Skeleton Key (Pandora English, Book 3)
Pan Macmillan (AU: 1st December 2012)
Buy (US) Buy (Worldwide)
By day Pandora English is a lowly fashion assistant. By night, she is a supernatural scion. The Crow Moon is rising and Pandora has a date with Civil War soldier Lieutenant Luke, who will be flesh-and-blood for one night only. When Lieutenant Luke disappears, Pandora must unlock the mysteries of Number One Addams Avenue with her skeleton key and discover the secrets that lie in the forgotten laboratory of Dr Edmund Barrett. For Pandora has been warned: a powerful force is in the house. As Friday the Thirteenth looms, Pandora English and the citizens of Spektor are in grave danger. For the dead will rise and terror shall reign.

December 2012 Releases

Done with November 2012 Releases? Here are December 2012 Releases. For future releases, check Reading Wishlist.

12 New Covers (Anderson, Barnes, Clarke, Harrison, Jones, Kessler, Littlefield, Mitchell, Moss, Reisz, Rendahl, Rossi)