Showing posts with label James R. Hannibal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James R. Hannibal. Show all posts

Sunday, October 29, 2017

The Fourth Ruby by James R. Hannibal

The Fourth Ruby by James R. HannibalSince their last adventure a year ago, Jack and Gwen haven't been speaking too much. Jack has been working with another (more advanced) Quartermaster while also keeping another secret... he might be losing his power. It's no wonder Gwen hasn't been talking to him lately.
The book opens with Jack being in the middle of the Hunt (an annual game) and betraying the fact that he can spark. Keeping that secret causes him to get kicked out of the Hunt. Life doesn't get any better after he gets set up for the theft of the Royal Crown jewels. And just like that, Jack, Gwen and even his sister Sophie are off on a trip that will take them to exotic locales.
This book started off both slow and confusing. If you haven't read the first book, I would definitely suggest starting there. It did get better though and I am looking forward to the third book in the series.

Three stars
This book comes out October 1
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Friday, November 4, 2016

The Lost Property Office by James R. Hannibal

The Lost Property Office by James R. HannibalJack Buckles, American, is in London with his mother and sister trying to find out what happened to his father, a man who was reported dead but now they can't seem to find his body. While Jack's mother goes out to search the hospitals and morgues, Jack is supposed to stay in the hotel with his eight-year-old sister. But when she sees a man that looks like their father and runs out of the hotel. Jack finally finds her but a sinister man rushes them into a nearby building, the Lost Property Office. There he meets Mrs. Hudson, who is in charge of helping people find lost items and people and she seems to be really in love with forms and making sure they're filled out. Jack is about to leave but it stopped by Gwen Kincaid who introduces him to the real Lost Property Office, the one that his father is part of, a world where Jack's apparent ADHD is really a superpower.
This is a great book for world-building -- explaining Jack's role as the 13th Jack Buckle, combining history and current day, showing how Gwen and Jack would work together in the future. I've been reading a lot of Sherlock Holmes adaptations and this one really worked for me. Sally, the sister, was WAY too plot-moppet-y but there are signs that she may grow some character in later books.

Four stars
This book comes out November 8