Reviews in a Minute: January/February Variety Pack

A lovely variety pack from late January and early February, we have a bit of something for everyone here!

We Were Kings by Court Stevens
The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson
Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi
These Deadly Games by Diana Urban

Light Years From Home by Mike Chen
Seven Mercies by Laura Lam, Elizabeth May


Reviews in a Minute: January/February Variety Pack We Were Kings by Court Stevens
Published by Thomas Nelson on February 1, 2022
Pages: 400
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Edelweiss

Twenty years ago, eighteen-year-old Francis Quick was convicted of murdering her best friend Cora King and sentenced to death. Now the highly debated Accelerated Death Penalty Act passes and gives Frankie thirty final days to live. From the Kings’ own family rises up the one who will challenge the woefully inadequate evidence and potential innocence of Francis Quick.

The at-first reluctant and soon-fiery Nyla and her sidekick (and handsome country island boy), Sam Stack, bring Frankie’s case to the international stage through her YouTube channel Death Daze. They step into fame and a hometown battle that someone’s still willing to kill over. The senator? The philanthropist? The pawn shop owner? Nyla’s own mother?

Best advice: Don’t go to family dinner with the Kings. More people will leave the dining room in body bags than on their own two feet. And as for Francis Quick, she’s a gem . . . even if she’s guilty.

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I’ve never met a book by this author that I didn’t like. And this one was among my favorites of all of them! I could simply not put it down. Let’s chat about what I enjoyed!

The Concept

Okay so first, can you just see this happening? Girl is found guilty of murder. But no one wants to pay for her to sit on Death Row when they can just kill her sooner, right? So girl, bye. Truly I am zero percent shocked. These same fools that are over here trying to tell women they can’t remove a few cells from their own damn bodies be killing folks with little-to-no evidence because money? Yep, it tracks. So when Nyla starts sticking her nose into things, I was here for it. I mean, how could she (or Sam, or anyone really) live with themselves if they did nothing, right?

The Characters and Relationships

I really enjoyed Nyla. Like, at first, she was kind of unsure about getting involved, which absolutely makes sense! Who wants to get involved in something so huge to defend someone she literally does not know? But she has a conscience, luckily, and does decide that she needs to do something, here.

I also loved all the family dynamics that came into play here. Since this is a mystery, I will be keeping my review short-ish, and not telling you too much, but I loved the interactions with Nyla and her mom especially. Her mom is obviously going through a lot– her best friend since childhood is about to be executed, she’s thrown back into those memories and her own past, and her daughter has injected herself into the middle of the case. It’s a lot! But I love the development of all of these women, frankly.

Nyla’s relationship with Sam was fun too- I enjoyed their banter, and it provided a bit of levity in an otherwise very serious situation. And I absolutely loved never, ever knowing who I could trust at any point!

The Plot/Mystery

This book is unputdownable because you simply need to know what happened! Bottom line! The pool of suspects is deep, and while they all have redeeming qualities, they all also absolutely have certain character traits/motivations that make you think “hmm, maybe it could be them…”, and this applies to straight up every character in the story, no matter how likable. And it could have been Frankie too, she’s not automatically deemed innocent in all this- but you can tell from the disturbing lack of evidence that she shouldn’t exactly be on death row, either.

As the evidence begins to unfurl, this whole story becomes even more bananas, and I was here. For. It. Again, I am obviously keeping this vague, but I was just so invested in the case, for several reasons, I think. First, because the characters were so compelling, it’s impossible to not care what happens to them. Second, the case itself is, like I said, pretty bananas. Third, there is a lot at stake! Like yeah, Frankie’s life, obviously, but this whole bill is vile. And you can just tell that if Frankie dies without fanfare, it just opens the door to kill more folks (especially more potentially innocent folks) from here on out.

Bottom Line: Tons of twists and turns and full of well-developed characters, this was one thriller I absolutely devoured. 



Reviews in a Minute: January/February Variety Pack The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson
Published by Del Rey Books on February 1, 2022
Pages: 512
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley


A mysterious plague that causes random bouts of violence is sweeping the nation. Now three generations of women must navigate their chilling new reality in this moving exploration of identity, cycles of abuse, and hope.

Chelsea Martin appears to be the perfect housewife: married to her high school sweetheart, the mother of two daughters, keeper of an immaculate home.

But Chelsea's husband has turned their house into a prison; he has been abusing her for years, cutting off her independence, autonomy, and support. She has nowhere to turn, not even to her narcissistic mother, Patricia, who is more concerned with maintaining the appearance of an ideal family than she is with her daughter's actual well-being. And Chelsea is worried that her daughters will be trapped just as she is--then a mysterious illness sweeps the nation.

Known as The Violence, this illness causes the infected to experience sudden, explosive bouts of animalistic rage and attack anyone in their path. But for Chelsea, the chaos and confusion the virus causes is an opportunity--and inspires a plan to liberate herself from her abuser.

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**CW, provided by author at start: The Violence deals with themes of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and includes animal death and graphic violence. Some of these scenes may be distressing for some readers.

This book saved me during a sleep study. Not my own, mind. I was stuck in the most uncomfy chair in the history of modern furniture, and I couldn’t make any noise, use any lights, etc. What better than a 500+ page exploration of what would happen if murder became more an illness than a crime to pass the time? Literally nothing, IMO!

It’s a long one, and that is probably my only minor qualm- perhaps a few parts in the early chapters felt a bit long. But once I got into it, I was into it. So it’s like, barely an issue. Anyway, we’re basically following three generations of women who must figure out how to survive after a plague of violence destroys life as they know it- and maybe, that is a good thing. Chelsea is trapped in an abusive marriage. She uses the plague as a means of escape, but in the process, must take her daughters to her mother. Her mother, Patricia, is… okay look, Patricia is the actual worst, at least at this point. She’s married to some dude for his money, but she thinks she can get the vaccine that a private company owns and is only available for the filthy rich. She basically tells Chelsea that the girls can stay, but Chelsea can hit the bricks.

Chelsea wants to protect the girls, so she is off to try to earn some money to get the vaccine. Meanwhile, Patricia’s rich husband abandons her and the girls, and when Ella leaves to go grab some stuff from home, she finds herself locked out of Grandma’s compound. So basically, all three generations of women end up on their own, fending for themselves, trying to figure out how the heck to navigate a world in which anyone can turn murderous at any  given time, and the only way to get a cure is to pay an exorbitant amount that no normal person will ever be able to come up with.

It’s both a fabulous commentary on society (loved the bits about Covid, about how *certain* “leaders” shat the bed and then some), and on the strength that we can find when we have no other choice. All three of these women find themselves in situations beyond their wildest nightmares. And all three find themselves alone, without any safety nets. And it is a nightmare. Not only is the world falling apart, not only do they have to worry about the violence of others, but they have to worry about catching the illness themselves and turning violent.

The character development was equally incredible to the world development, and I loved watching the women change and grow stronger as the story went on. I also loved watching them make and develop new relationships, and rethink their relationships with each other, as they were forced to look at the world through the others’ eyes at times.

Bottom Line: Incredibly thought provoking concept with wonderful character development made this one a huge win!


Reviews in a Minute: January/February Variety Pack Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi
Published by Tordotcom on January 25, 2022
Pages: 336
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

In the 2050s, Earth has begun to empty. Those with the means and the privilege have departed the great cities of the United States for the more comfortable confines of space colonies. Those left behind salvage what they can from the collapsing infrastructure. As they eke out an existence, their neighborhoods are being cannibalized. Brick by brick, their houses are sent to the colonies, what was once a home now a quaint reminder for the colonists of the world that they wrecked.

A primal biblical epic flung into the future, Goliath weaves together disparate narratives—a space-dweller looking at New Haven, Connecticut as a chance to reconnect with his spiraling lover; a group of laborers attempting to renew the promises of Earth’s crumbling cities; a journalist attempting to capture the violence of the streets; a marshal trying to solve a kidnapping—into a richly urgent mosaic about race, class, gentrification, and who is allowed to be the hero of any history.

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This book is probably smarter than me. No, this book is definitely smarter than me, and that is why I didn’t fully get it. Like- don’t misunderstand, I got the importance of it- of the experience of its characters, the gentrification of its world. I just. Look, I mostly had no idea what was happening? Or, I suppose, if anything was? All of that said, I had an incredibly difficult time rating and reviewing, because it absolutely has merit and good points, but I also felt like parts of it were a bit unappealing to a reader.

As the story begins, we’re introduced to quite a few characters. It was a lot, but I did sort out who was who after some time, and did become invested! And then… bam, we switch to some other people’s stories and I am sure those people’s stories are important too, but I was invested in those other guys which took a lot of time and… whew. It was just overwhelming, is what I am saying. Add to the many points of view, it’s told in quite a non-linear way, which sort of went over my head.

To be clear, I did understand the main points, and they’re certainly worth reading about, without question. The characters whose stories I did fully grasp, I did deeply feel for, which was great, and that alone makes the book worth reading. The author is an incredible writer (and I wholly recommend Riot Baby, while we’re on the topic), and I love reading his work, I just didn’t click as much with this story format as I’d hoped.

Another part that was really incredible was the world building. I mean, all the awful rich white guys who destroyed the environment use their money to just… leave? Yeah, that tracks. And then when that isn’t as fun as they’d hoped, they come back and kick POC out of their houses? Again, sounds like something deplorable that would absolutely be happening in a few decades. That is the best/worst part of the book- its staggering believability. The best, because the author paints this picture so well. The worst, because as a society, we are still being like this. But just as with Riot Baby, the accuracy of this book will and should infuriate you.

Bottom Line: There is definitely a lot worth reading here, tons of fabulous commentary, but done at a much slower pace with a lot of characters to digest.


Reviews in a Minute: January/February Variety Pack These Deadly Games by Diana Urban
Published by Wednesday Books on February 1, 2022
Pages: 416
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Let’s play a game.
You have 24 hours to win. If you break my rules, she dies. If you call the police, she dies. If you tell your parents or anyone else, she dies.
Are you ready?

When Crystal Donavan gets a message on a mysterious app with a video of her little sister gagged and bound, she agrees to play the kidnapper’s game. At first, they make her complete bizarre tasks: steal a test and stuff it in a locker, bake brownies, make a prank call.

But then Crystal realizes each task is meant to hurt—and kill—her friends, one by one. But if she refuses to play, the kidnapper will kill her sister. Is someone trying to take her team out of the running for a gaming tournament? Or have they uncovered a secret from their past, and wants them to pay for what they did…

As Crystal makes the impossible choices between her friends and her sister, she must uncover the truth and find a way to outplay the kidnapper… before it’s too late.

Author of All Your Twisted Secrets, Diana Urban’s explosive sophomore novel, These Deadly Games, will keep you riveted until the final twist is revealed.

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Me: Requests thriller to review.

Also Me: “What the heck can I say about thriller in review!?”

Seriously guys, how to review thrillers without giving stuff away!? It’s hard. Does this one deliver on said thrills? Yes, yes it does! I was quite on the edge of my seat, trying to guess who exactly was behind these games. I had a few theories, most of them wrong. And while I don’t like being wrong in life, I do love being wrong in books! Means the author is doing their job! I did figure it out eventually, but not too long before the reveal, which is good! And even if you figure out who, there are more questions to be answered. Some of the situations do get solved a bit quickly, but for the most part, the excitement is on point.

The whole concept is pretty creepy, right? Definite points there. Crystal is forced into doing tasks designed to hurt her friends, and the Gamemaker tells her that if she refuses, they will kill her sister. Talk about no good choices! I kept asking myself “my goodness, what do you do here!?” because I genuinely could not think of a good way for Crystal to get out of this mess. Which, ultimately, is one reason the book is so good- you don’t like that she ends up doing some of this stuff, but you certainly understand why. And yeah, she makes some mistakes, no doubt. But again, it makes sense in context.

I liked that friendship was a big theme in this story, too. A lot of times in thrillers, there is not really any character or relationship development, but that was not the case here. And because I liked the characters, I became more invested in the outcome.

Bottom Line: Exciting and entertaining, this was a fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing.


Reviews in a Minute: January/February Variety Pack Light Years From Home by Mike Chen
Published by MIRA on January 25, 2022
Pages: 352
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Every family has issues. Most can’t blame them on extraterrestrials.

Evie Shao and her sister, Kass, aren’t on speaking terms. Fifteen years ago on a family camping trip, their father and brother vanished. Their dad turned up days later, dehydrated and confused—and convinced he'd been abducted by aliens. Their brother, Jakob, remained missing. The women dealt with it very differently. Kass, suspecting her college-dropout twin simply ran off, became the rock of the family. Evie traded academics to pursue alien conspiracy theories, always looking for Jakob.

When Evie's UFO network uncovers a new event, she goes to investigate. And discovers Jakob is back. He's different—older, stranger, and talking of an intergalactic war—but the tensions between the siblings haven't changed at all. If the family is going to come together to help Jakob, then Kass and Evie are going to have to fix their issues, and fast. Because the FBI is after Jakob, and if their brother is telling the truth, possibly an entire space armada, too.

The perfect combination of action, imagination and heart, Light Years From Home is a touching drama about a challenge as difficult as saving the galaxy: making peace with your family…and yourself.

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So you need to know upfront, this story is focused way more on the family unit and the individuals in it, and way less on the extraterrestrials. Which isn’t a bad thing! But if you came for aliens, this isn’t it.

What I Loved:

The journey of the characters and the family was spectacular, and what I have come to expect from Mike Chen. It’s incredibly heartfelt, told from the points of view of three adult siblings trying to pick of the pieces of their broken family. Kass has become the Responsible One™, staying at the homestead, taking care of their ailing mother. She’s bitter, and I understood why. Mom has some form of early dementia, and it’s rather heartbreaking. Kass has pretty much no one to turn to, save a delightful nurse and a kind ex-husband. Sure, she’s chosen to take the weight on her shoulders in its entirety (flat out not telling her sister Evie about their mom’s diagnosis), but she has her reasons.

Evie is across the country, trying to find herself, her purpose. She’s teamed up with some folks who are hardcore UFO believers, because she is sure that Jakob was taken by some form of extraterrestrial being. Kass thinks Evie has a few screws loose.

When Jakob wakes up in a dumpster back on Earth, he has to figure out how to reconcile his decades-long absence with his family, all while tracking down the clues to help stave off an intergalactic war. Problem is, Kass is fairly certain that he was just being a jerk, wandering around Europe or something, ignoring the family while dad died and mom slowly loses her faculties. Frankly, Kass is so convinced that Jakob was uselessly trolling around the planet, that she convinced me at various points.

The story mainly focuses on the characters’ exploration of both their relationships with each other and themselves. Where do they fit in their family? Who are they at their own core? It’s really very character driven, and they’re so well developed that it definitely works on that front.

 What I Wanted a Bit More Of:

I mean, the aliens? No, but maybe just a little more oomph? I don’t mind a quiet story, but there were times that perhaps this was a bit too quiet? It’s beautiful, make no mistake. But the story’s bread and butter lies in its characters.

Bottom Line: A lovely novel about family and finding oneself, this will appeal to fans of character driven stories with a little sci-fi for good measure.


Reviews in a Minute: January/February Variety Pack Seven Mercies by Laura Lam, Elizabeth May
Series: Seven Devils #2
Published by Daw Books on January 25, 2022
Pages: 464
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

The second book in a feminist space opera duology that follows the team of seven rebels who will free the galaxy from the ruthless Tholosian Empire--or die trying.

After an ambush leaves the Novantae resistance in tatters, the survivors scatter across the galaxy. Wanted by two great empires, the bounty on any rebel's head is enough to make a captor filthy rich. And the seven devils? Biggest score of them all. To avoid attacks, the crew of Zelus scavenge for supplies on long-abandoned Tholosian outposts.

Not long after the remnants of the rebellion settle briefly on Fortuna, Ariadne gets a message with unimaginable consequences: the Oracle has gone rogue. In a planned coup against the Empire's new ruler, the AI has developed a way of mass programming citizens into mindless drones. The Oracle's demand is simple: the AI wants One's daughter back at any cost.

Time for an Impossible to Infiltrate mission: high chance of death, low chance of success. The devils will have to use their unique skills, no matter the sacrifice, and pair up with old enemies. Their plan? Get to the heart of the Empire. Destroy the Oracle. Burn it all to the ground.

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Gosh, I love the duology trend. And this series exemplifies all the reasons why. Seven Mercies ended on such a perfect note, left me so completely satisfied, it just reaffirmed my love for the format. I quite enjoyed the first book, Seven Devils. But I have to say, I enjoyed this sequel even more! IT did take me a minute to get back into the world. There are quite a few characters to remember, and it had been a year and a half, after all. But once I got back into the swing of it, this sequel delivered.

I adored the characters in the first installment, and they were even more developed here. I won’t lie, some of their arcs reminded me of character arcs from The 100, and that is always a good thing. There’s a lot of great rep here, in terms of sexuality and disability, too. I felt like while I really enjoyed the characters in the first book, I really got to know them in this one. And as such, it made the already high stakes feel even higher, because I was so invested.

Without giving too much about either book away, this was exciting and adventurous, while being very heartfelt and full of character growth. So it’s for you no matter your preferences. The relationships between all the characters were really well developed, too. Likewise, I enjoyed the world building, and the politics of the universe. Add to it, the ending was definitely satisfying, while not being too easy, and felt fully appropriate. I’ll say nothing else, so you can enjoy this series for yourself.

Bottom Line: If you are looking for space action, it delivers, and if you are looking for amazing characters you will grow to love, it also delivers. What I am saying is, this series delivers across the board.

Have you read any of these books? Plan to? Let us chat about them!  

Posted January 29, 2022 by Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight in In a Minute, Review / 7 Comments

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7 responses to “Reviews in a Minute: January/February Variety Pack

  1. This is an interesting bunch. Seems like you really enjoyed the darker book. Court Stevens – Courtney Stevens, no? I read and like four of her books, but the newer ones lean a bit dark for me.

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