REVIEW: Zicky-Wrath of the Rat King by Darin S. Cape

 

Zicky: Wrath of the Rat King is a fast-paced fantasy adventure with a dark, fairy-tale feel. Zicky is not heroic in the grand sense but he is in his world. A rich, imaginative world. He is small not only against the scale of the foes he faces but also in size and age. This gives the story its tension. It is clear and engaging, making the action scenes engaging while allowing readers to connect emotionally with Zicky, his family and his fantasy world. the characters. The Rat King is a dominant villain—both creepy and powerful—which raises the stakes throughout the story. Overall, Zicky: Wrath of the Rat King  is an enjoyable graphic novel, especially for those who like an underdog and adventures with a little  touch of darkness.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Darin S. Cape and SHP Comics for a digital copy (ebook) of #ZickyWrathoftheRatKing  in exchange for my honest opinion. Zicky Wrath of the Rat King will be published on April 16, 2026.

REVIEW: The Merge by Grace Walker

Grace Walker’s The Merge left me both unsettled and deeply moved. Set in a near-future Britain where two minds can be merged into one body, it explores what happens when love and desperation blur the line between salvation and surrender. Through Laurie, a mother fading into Alzheimer’s, and her daughter Amelia, who risks everything to preserve her, Walker asks haunting questions about memory, identity, and how far we’ll go to hold on to those we love. At its heart this is a story about a mother-daughter bond under extreme strain.

Quietly dystopian yet achingly human, The Merge balances speculative intrigue with emotional truth. It’s less about technology than about what it means to be known — and what we lose when we merge too much of ourselves for someone else’s sake.

A powerful, provocative debut that lingers long after the final page. Interestingly, I can't stop thinking about what fragrance Amelia and her mother would be wearing. The Merge embodies the fading memory and speak to Narciso Rodriguez for Her for its nostalgia and Juliette Has a Gun for its minimalism like consciousness pared down. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Grace Walker and Mariner Books for a digital copy of #TheMerge in exchange for my honest opinion. The Merge will be published on November 11, 2025. 

Game of ThronesBook #1 Giveaway

Enter to win a brand new copy of Game of Thrones Book #1 on my YouTube channel. All that is required is (1) be a subscriber and (2) leave a comment -only one- about what is your favorite book of all time. 

My second venture in to YA lit. Clockwork Angel was an enjoyable book and I'm not particularly into ghouls, demons, vampires etc. I found the story flowed except for towards the end where it slowed down a bit just became too wordy. Now onto the main characters Tess and Will. Shadow hunter Will is basically James Dean and a rebel without a cause but does he have a cause, is there something from his past that causes him to basically be a reckless fool? It's hinted to in this book, which is the first installment in the Infernal Devices series. How long do we have to wait to find out what is at the root of Will's internal struggle? At least until December when book two Clockwork Prince comes out.

Now for Tess, I did not like her at all. I found her character to be a huge nag, which exhausted me as if I were Jem coming off the 'stuff'. She needed to be more focused, once she found out Will's story that's all her mind was consumed with as was evident during one 'battle'. Here vampires and shadow hunters are fighting and all she's concerned about is why did Will leave his home and refused to see his parents when thy came to the Institute. OMG! this girl needed to focus her immaturity is so obvious and it made the book unbearable at times. This is one of the main reasons why I have avoided YA books; the immaturity. I hope she 'grows up' by the next book.

I also did not agree with this portion of the synopsis on the book jacket: "She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa." This love triangle did not happen, Tess was not 'torn' between these two guy, her primary focus was on Will and although Jem had obvious feelings for her she didn't see him that way. I personally did not think this was the case. Well overall I did enjoy this book and intend to give the Mortal Instruments a read until Clockwork Prince comes out, I hope they do not disappoint.

BAT

Mailbox Wednesday #1

Which should I read next? 

I intended to read Clockwork Angel next but after browsing through Front Row I intrigued. I admire Anna Wintour ever since watching September Issue. 

                                                                (from Ebay $5.99 including shipping)

Trying to expand my horizons by delving into the super popular YA genre (from Barnes and Noble $21 for the three books).

Also from Barnes and Noble for $16 and some cents. I got Water for Elephants because of my love for elephants and my quest to get books with the word elephant in the title.