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Land of Szornyek #1
Tentacles and Teeth
The apocalypse wasn't what anyone expected--no rising flood waters, no zombies, no nuclear bombs. Instead, monsters. Their sudden invasion left the world in shatters, and now, decades later, all that's left of human civilization are a few nomadic bands struggling to survive off the land. Askari was born to this world, and lives, fights, and survives alongside the community that raised her. But when she breaks one too many of the community's rules, her punishment is leave. Armed with her bow and blade, Askari sets off alone, guided only by a map and the promise that if she can find a book hidden in a nearby town, then she can return. But what can one person do alone in such a harsh, violent landscape? How will she survive? Askari faces a challenge that will force her to learn not only about the world she lives in, but question what she believes about herself.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2019
About the author
Ariele Sieling
64 books87 followersAriele Sieling is a Pennsylvania-based writer who enjoys books, cats, and trees. Her first love, however, is science fiction and she has three series in the genre: post-apocalyptic monsters in Land of Szornyek; soft science fiction series, The Sagittan Chronicles; and scifi fairytale retellings in Rove City. She has also had numerous short stories published in a variety of anthologies and magazines and is the author of children's books series Rutherford the Unicorn Sheep, and a series of books for authors called Writers Reach.
She lives with her spouse, enormous Great Pyrenees dog, and two cats.
She lives with her spouse, enormous Great Pyrenees dog, and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
November 5, 2019
While I enjoyed the story line and the pace was certainly maintained throughout, I felt that it was maybe a bit much. I also would’ve liked more information about how the apocalypse came about, where the monsters came from and where this story takes place even. It seemed like it had happened for ever ago and at the same time not very long ago at all. There were small inconsistencies and illogical things that niggled at me. It was an easy read and interesting enough, that I could recommend it to the 10-14 age range, but older people might find it a bit annoying. And the names. Why such odd names?
I received an ARC of this book for free through Book Sirens in exchange for a review.
I received an ARC of this book for free through Book Sirens in exchange for a review.
January 17, 2023
Interesting concept and was an easy to listen to audiobook. Although I'm not quite sure I loved the world and the characters enough to continue.
February 21, 2021
This was a solid book, and it surprised me.
I am not someone who has read a lot of monster books so I started this tentatively.
I follow this author because of a really long and confusing family connection that I still can't get right. I thought it was about time I read one of her adult books instead of just re-reading Rutherford the Unicorn Sheep (which is fabulous and the book form of a weighted blanket.)
This book was fast-paced but I could definitely keep up with what was happening.
Every monster is unique but I sometimes found myself mixing up the Rarohan and the Gyiks. They were both monster species that traveled in packs and were very violent and there weren't any distinct features that I could remember that differenced them.
The character building is very good, and the friendships between the characters are top-tier. I would like to read more about Harcos; I think he's an interesting character and could really develop into a genius.
I really like the way she presented all monsters as evil in the beginning but then started to slowly show us some examples of peaceful and helpful monsters. This posed a really interesting moral and survival question, "do you just treat every monster as evil, or do you risk finding the ones that are helpful."
I found the domestic conflict between the Baratok peoples to be well constructed and engaging for the reader. I liked how they created almost a religion or way of living around their hatred for monsters. I would have maybe liked to see some other cultural references in the way that they live to show how traditions from the old world passed through the apocalypse and exist in the post-apocalyptic world. I feel like that might make the Baratok community seem more human.
If you would like to support a small(ish) author and read some good monster stuff, please read this.
I am not someone who has read a lot of monster books so I started this tentatively.
I follow this author because of a really long and confusing family connection that I still can't get right. I thought it was about time I read one of her adult books instead of just re-reading Rutherford the Unicorn Sheep (which is fabulous and the book form of a weighted blanket.)
This book was fast-paced but I could definitely keep up with what was happening.
Every monster is unique but I sometimes found myself mixing up the Rarohan and the Gyiks. They were both monster species that traveled in packs and were very violent and there weren't any distinct features that I could remember that differenced them.
The character building is very good, and the friendships between the characters are top-tier. I would like to read more about Harcos; I think he's an interesting character and could really develop into a genius.
I really like the way she presented all monsters as evil in the beginning but then started to slowly show us some examples of peaceful and helpful monsters. This posed a really interesting moral and survival question, "do you just treat every monster as evil, or do you risk finding the ones that are helpful."
I found the domestic conflict between the Baratok peoples to be well constructed and engaging for the reader. I liked how they created almost a religion or way of living around their hatred for monsters. I would have maybe liked to see some other cultural references in the way that they live to show how traditions from the old world passed through the apocalypse and exist in the post-apocalyptic world. I feel like that might make the Baratok community seem more human.
If you would like to support a small(ish) author and read some good monster stuff, please read this.
Shelved as 'dnf'
December 11, 2023Well...at 5%, I'm going to just say 'Thanks but no thanks...'
This is probably just a me thing, but when you have terminology like 'gick', 'garg', and 'nagy'...Well, it just sounds dumb. Sorry 😐 Additionally, the writing is not great, kind of rudimentary from what I heard so far. It could be a better read than listen, though, maybe the terminology would be less weird to read than to hear.
This is probably just a me thing, but when you have terminology like 'gick', 'garg', and 'nagy'...Well, it just sounds dumb. Sorry 😐 Additionally, the writing is not great, kind of rudimentary from what I heard so far. It could be a better read than listen, though, maybe the terminology would be less weird to read than to hear.
December 10, 2020
This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Tentacles and Teeth
Thank you to Book Sirens for providing me a copy in order to give an honest review!
Civilization has collapsed under the invasion of monsters. Humans are now at the bottom of the food chain and fight to survive in whatever communities they can form. Askari’s community is bound by rules she doesn’t always agree with. When she breaks a few too many she is forced to leave to learn why the rules exist. In a fight to survive, Askari will find out just how strong she is and discover startling truths about herself.
Ariele Sieling has boundless creativity when it comes to creature creation. Each monster that was introduced was increasingly different and she wove in their behaviors and ecological backgrounds seamlessly within the story. But I would have liked to see more worldbuilding outside of the monsters. The reader relied on Askari’s lack of knowledge surrounding modern day conveniences and scene setting to show the current state of the world. I would have liked to know a bit more about the history of the world when the monsters first appeared to have a solid foundation. The beginning of the novel was a bit slow for me as I acclimated to the world in Tentacles and Teeth. But I do have to say, Asakri’s fascination with refrigerators was great attention to detail for her character.
Askari is a typical teenager who thinks she knows what’s best, and doesn’t see the full scope of the risks she takes. While she often thinks she is doing the right thing, even if it goes against the rules, she soon finds out that rules are there for a reason. Watching Askari on her journey, and learning for herself what works and doesn’t work in this new world was a great story. The dialogue at times was simplistic and filler, but overall Askari’s progression was an entertaining read. While she learns that some rules are necessary, she still questions the actions of her community. Askari’s constant struggle to discover what she believes is best added to her character development and the overall plot.
Tentacles and Teeth is a great read for those who enjoy both post-apocalyptic and monster stories. It is an imaginative and fast paced novel. I look forward to the next book in this series to see how Askari’s story continues.
Thank you to Book Sirens for providing me a copy in order to give an honest review!
Civilization has collapsed under the invasion of monsters. Humans are now at the bottom of the food chain and fight to survive in whatever communities they can form. Askari’s community is bound by rules she doesn’t always agree with. When she breaks a few too many she is forced to leave to learn why the rules exist. In a fight to survive, Askari will find out just how strong she is and discover startling truths about herself.
Ariele Sieling has boundless creativity when it comes to creature creation. Each monster that was introduced was increasingly different and she wove in their behaviors and ecological backgrounds seamlessly within the story. But I would have liked to see more worldbuilding outside of the monsters. The reader relied on Askari’s lack of knowledge surrounding modern day conveniences and scene setting to show the current state of the world. I would have liked to know a bit more about the history of the world when the monsters first appeared to have a solid foundation. The beginning of the novel was a bit slow for me as I acclimated to the world in Tentacles and Teeth. But I do have to say, Asakri’s fascination with refrigerators was great attention to detail for her character.
Askari is a typical teenager who thinks she knows what’s best, and doesn’t see the full scope of the risks she takes. While she often thinks she is doing the right thing, even if it goes against the rules, she soon finds out that rules are there for a reason. Watching Askari on her journey, and learning for herself what works and doesn’t work in this new world was a great story. The dialogue at times was simplistic and filler, but overall Askari’s progression was an entertaining read. While she learns that some rules are necessary, she still questions the actions of her community. Askari’s constant struggle to discover what she believes is best added to her character development and the overall plot.
Tentacles and Teeth is a great read for those who enjoy both post-apocalyptic and monster stories. It is an imaginative and fast paced novel. I look forward to the next book in this series to see how Askari’s story continues.
October 31, 2021
The earth is now populated by gargs - monsters of all shapes and sizes - that kill anyone & anything that gets in their way. The remaining humans have been forced to live a nomadic lifestyle to keep ahead of the monsters, & the group that Askari belongs to have clear rules. Those who break the rules are exiled from the group, but when Askari breaks the rules one too many times, she is sent on a solo mission to retrieve a book from a nearby town. Can Askari survive the brutal outside world or is this punishment a death sentence?
Well this was a surprise! I only read this as it fulfilled a book bingo prompt I was looking for, but it turned out to be an entertaining, if violent & gory, read. The main character is soon joined by two friends, & a third companion, Polly. Polly is a garg who I pictured as a not-quite-so-cute-Gizmo-type creature, but after Askari inadvertently saves their life, Polly returns the favour & then tags along on the adventure. It would have been interesting to find out what had led to the rise of the gargs, but this may be covered in one of the sequels. Askari & the others learn through the mission that there are others out there & that not all the monsters are evil. I was entertained enough in reading this but I doubt I will read the rest.
Well this was a surprise! I only read this as it fulfilled a book bingo prompt I was looking for, but it turned out to be an entertaining, if violent & gory, read. The main character is soon joined by two friends, & a third companion, Polly. Polly is a garg who I pictured as a not-quite-so-cute-Gizmo-type creature, but after Askari inadvertently saves their life, Polly returns the favour & then tags along on the adventure. It would have been interesting to find out what had led to the rise of the gargs, but this may be covered in one of the sequels. Askari & the others learn through the mission that there are others out there & that not all the monsters are evil. I was entertained enough in reading this but I doubt I will read the rest.
June 18, 2019
One of the most action packed books I've read in a while. It starts with the main character trying to escape a "garg" (monster) and just keeps going full speed. There were maybe three resting points in the book where I felt I could stop and take a breather. I would have liked fewer monsters, and more character development, and world building. While I found the monsters interesting, I wanted more focus on individual types, less on quantity.
Askari was okay as a main character. I think she had some good points about adhering rigidly to rules, and the need for flexibility. But she also made some pretty poor decisions, mostly out of thoughtlessness. I really liked her friends, and Polly, very much.
I don't mean to be so down on this book. If you like a lot of action, and exploring a cool post-apocalyptic world, then you might like this book. There are plenty of battle scenes with monsters so this might be a good choice for a reluctant reader.
Askari was okay as a main character. I think she had some good points about adhering rigidly to rules, and the need for flexibility. But she also made some pretty poor decisions, mostly out of thoughtlessness. I really liked her friends, and Polly, very much.
I don't mean to be so down on this book. If you like a lot of action, and exploring a cool post-apocalyptic world, then you might like this book. There are plenty of battle scenes with monsters so this might be a good choice for a reluctant reader.
October 25, 2023
2.5 Stars
I’m so sorry but this did nothing for me. I was so excited when I first heard of this books existence, and then even more excited when I bought it. To say im disappointed would be an understatement. It just didn’t feel like there was anything to this, it was so lacklustre and often dragged. I saw potential and small opportunities to make something pretty cool but it never seemed to work out. I didn’t like the pacing and the writing was downright cringe sometimes, it was hard to follow. Upsetting.
I’m so sorry but this did nothing for me. I was so excited when I first heard of this books existence, and then even more excited when I bought it. To say im disappointed would be an understatement. It just didn’t feel like there was anything to this, it was so lacklustre and often dragged. I saw potential and small opportunities to make something pretty cool but it never seemed to work out. I didn’t like the pacing and the writing was downright cringe sometimes, it was hard to follow. Upsetting.
February 6, 2020
Overall, this was a pretty solid intro to a trilogy that leaves me wanting to read the next book. What I liked was that there was plenty of action and that there wasn't a distinction between male and female warriors and male and female leaders. If you were qualified, then you go the job. Of course, the most obnoxious and close-minded leader happens to be female, but her gender just happens to be part of who she is. Although the main character is clearly a strong warrior, she is also rash and doesn't always think things through. But she has two best friends who complement her strengths and weaknesses. Although living in a world where monsters are at the top of the food chain and humans are just trying to survive should feel horrible, overall, the feel of this book isn't horror. As much as I like the author's writing style in terms of story-telling (I really enjoyed her Cinderella retelling), I don't really get the sense of atmosphere that I get from some authors. She's not an emotion-invoking author, which I tend to gravitate towards. But I like many elements of her writing, including her subtle humor and lots of action. As much as battles played a role in this book, I actually enjoyed it (I don't normally enjoy "war" books that contain battle after battle, which says something for her writing), and kept on reading just to find out how she was going to get them out of this one. I absolutely loved Polly, and hope she continues to play a role in the next book.
Special thanks to #ArieleSieling and #BookSirens for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
Special thanks to #ArieleSieling and #BookSirens for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
January 7, 2021
3.5/5 Stars
This is a very interesting look at a post apocalyptic world and the monsters that would inhabit it. I enjoyed that each chapter was dedicated to a specific monster.
It was an intriguing premise and I thought the pacing was rather decent. I wish we had gotten a bit more in depth world building, however I expect that will happen in the next books. There were a couple discrepancies that I think got overlooked in editing, but ultimately it wasn't a huge deal breaker.
I'm excited to see how the next book goes.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy through BookSirens
This is a very interesting look at a post apocalyptic world and the monsters that would inhabit it. I enjoyed that each chapter was dedicated to a specific monster.
It was an intriguing premise and I thought the pacing was rather decent. I wish we had gotten a bit more in depth world building, however I expect that will happen in the next books. There were a couple discrepancies that I think got overlooked in editing, but ultimately it wasn't a huge deal breaker.
I'm excited to see how the next book goes.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy through BookSirens
October 3, 2020
I thought that this was a fun book. I thought that Askari as a character was pretty relatable. I found the monsters to be quite scary at times. I felt like the tone of this book was done well and the pacing. For a dystopian book I would have liked a little more explanation as to how the world got to where it was in the books present day as well as how the monsters even arrived on earth. I think for the first book in the series it was definitely a fun spooky read.
Thank you BookSiren for the ARC and the ability to read this fun atmospheric read.
Thank you BookSiren for the ARC and the ability to read this fun atmospheric read.
June 27, 2019
An interesting premise flawed with nonsensical choices and situations. I'm not sure if I will continue on with the series or not. There are some things I did like, but I don't know if they are worth the frustration of the rest of the story.
August 19, 2020
Not what i expected
I liked the book, but the title and the story were not really on the path i was thinking. There were a few tentacles and I wasn’t so sure about the teeth. I expected fights with tentacle monsters perhaps having big or many teeth :). However the story was not about tentacles at all and until the end of the book I didn’t understand the teeth part. Anyways, the story was pretty good and only 2 mistakes that i remembered seeing where a word was omitted or wrong word... I like the main character and her minket. The story was rather good and I’m glad i took the time to read this. I feel some of the names where just letters drawn from a hat, but what do I know of this land. I look forward to reading more.
I liked the book, but the title and the story were not really on the path i was thinking. There were a few tentacles and I wasn’t so sure about the teeth. I expected fights with tentacle monsters perhaps having big or many teeth :). However the story was not about tentacles at all and until the end of the book I didn’t understand the teeth part. Anyways, the story was pretty good and only 2 mistakes that i remembered seeing where a word was omitted or wrong word... I like the main character and her minket. The story was rather good and I’m glad i took the time to read this. I feel some of the names where just letters drawn from a hat, but what do I know of this land. I look forward to reading more.
March 16, 2021
Review of: Tentacles and Teeth (Land of Szornyek Book 1)
I usually don't read stories of the end of the world, as we know it, but this was different. This takes place 80 years later after our civilizations doom. The writing stays interesting, the characters are interesting. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading the book.
I usually don't read stories of the end of the world, as we know it, but this was different. This takes place 80 years later after our civilizations doom. The writing stays interesting, the characters are interesting. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading the book.
March 5, 2020
In the near distant future, the world has fallen into ruin. Humanity has fled from the cities into the wilderness. Communities cluster together as nomadic hunter - gatherer bands to survive attack by the monstrous Gargs that seek to consume human flesh. No one knows where the Gargs came from but Askari is a warrior 2nd class trained to defend her community, the Baratok, from all threats.
However, the Baratok has many rules that she does not understand or agree with. Why do they run and hide when they can learn so much from studying the Gargs? Why put their community through added hardship by not confronting Garg threats that stand in their way? Why do they avoid the cities where they might be able to scavenge more supplies?
Askari has finally broken the Baratok’s rules for the last time. As punishment, she is sent away from the Baratok ton a suicide mission to retrieve a book in the city. If she survives, she will be welcome back into the community with a deeper understanding of why they need to obey the rules to survive. If she dies, she is not as skilled of a warrior that she thinks she is. Will she survive on her own or will she fall prey to a Garg?
Tentacles and Teeth is an action packed young adult science fiction creature feature told in third person from Askari’s point of view. Each chapter focuses on an encounter with a different monstrous creature, collectively called “Gargs”. Each chapter’s episodic nature is a holdover from their original release as a tier of Sieling’s monthly Patreon rewards. The post-apocalyptic world feels oppressive but open. If you fear what lurks in the dark, then open places are the most dangerous places you could be.
Askari is a warrior that has just come of age but we do not see much growth from her this book. If this is a hero’s journey to make her see the error of her ways and grow then, this theme it is undercut. Askari is not surviving on her own devices because she gets unrequested help. Perhaps, this is a point that Askari will reflect on in later books, how while she thought she was a badass warrior, she actually needed help to complete and survive the task. Her education about the world was too sheltered. Her illiteracy, which is common in her community save for a select few, would have gotten her killed. Also withheld was vital information about the reasons why that particular town was dangerous.
Without getting into much deeper spoilers, we get more monster information than anything else including Askari. I was rather excited to read this since I saw the POC on the cover but we do not actually get much description of what anyone really looks like. I did not sympathize with Askari since she is a brat, thinking her way is the best way though she has no grounds for believing so. She was blessed with supportive friends and incredible luck. She takes mostly a passive role in the most crucial part of what should be her development arc.
Survival is the overarching theme of this novel but I had hoped that it would be about Askari figuring it out on her own initiative and ingenuity. I can sympathize with the elders of her tribe because a lone warrior that seeks out danger for her ego is the type of thing that does endanger the community. It makes them short a warrior and weapons in the event of an attack. There is not a consequence for Askari’s actions only rewards. This is a young adult novel so it gives the lesson that it is okay to knowingly abandon and endanger people that are counting on you to feed your ego.
Kudos for Sieling for writing a dystopian young adult science fiction novel without a romance subplot or a love triangle. I assume that Sieling will flesh out the rest of the world and the band in later books but right now, it feels more like a monster encyclopedia than a novel about people.
Tentacles and Teeth makes for a quick read with all of the action but the story lulls where the characters get a chance to relax make it drag since there isn’t enough development of who they are to make them truly interesting. This is essentially the literary equivalent of a Syfy monster movie. We get a light explanation of the world as we run like hell from it but sometimes, that is really all you want to relax at the end of a day.
However, the Baratok has many rules that she does not understand or agree with. Why do they run and hide when they can learn so much from studying the Gargs? Why put their community through added hardship by not confronting Garg threats that stand in their way? Why do they avoid the cities where they might be able to scavenge more supplies?
Askari has finally broken the Baratok’s rules for the last time. As punishment, she is sent away from the Baratok ton a suicide mission to retrieve a book in the city. If she survives, she will be welcome back into the community with a deeper understanding of why they need to obey the rules to survive. If she dies, she is not as skilled of a warrior that she thinks she is. Will she survive on her own or will she fall prey to a Garg?
Tentacles and Teeth is an action packed young adult science fiction creature feature told in third person from Askari’s point of view. Each chapter focuses on an encounter with a different monstrous creature, collectively called “Gargs”. Each chapter’s episodic nature is a holdover from their original release as a tier of Sieling’s monthly Patreon rewards. The post-apocalyptic world feels oppressive but open. If you fear what lurks in the dark, then open places are the most dangerous places you could be.
Askari is a warrior that has just come of age but we do not see much growth from her this book. If this is a hero’s journey to make her see the error of her ways and grow then, this theme it is undercut. Askari is not surviving on her own devices because she gets unrequested help. Perhaps, this is a point that Askari will reflect on in later books, how while she thought she was a badass warrior, she actually needed help to complete and survive the task. Her education about the world was too sheltered. Her illiteracy, which is common in her community save for a select few, would have gotten her killed. Also withheld was vital information about the reasons why that particular town was dangerous.
Without getting into much deeper spoilers, we get more monster information than anything else including Askari. I was rather excited to read this since I saw the POC on the cover but we do not actually get much description of what anyone really looks like. I did not sympathize with Askari since she is a brat, thinking her way is the best way though she has no grounds for believing so. She was blessed with supportive friends and incredible luck. She takes mostly a passive role in the most crucial part of what should be her development arc.
Survival is the overarching theme of this novel but I had hoped that it would be about Askari figuring it out on her own initiative and ingenuity. I can sympathize with the elders of her tribe because a lone warrior that seeks out danger for her ego is the type of thing that does endanger the community. It makes them short a warrior and weapons in the event of an attack. There is not a consequence for Askari’s actions only rewards. This is a young adult novel so it gives the lesson that it is okay to knowingly abandon and endanger people that are counting on you to feed your ego.
Kudos for Sieling for writing a dystopian young adult science fiction novel without a romance subplot or a love triangle. I assume that Sieling will flesh out the rest of the world and the band in later books but right now, it feels more like a monster encyclopedia than a novel about people.
Tentacles and Teeth makes for a quick read with all of the action but the story lulls where the characters get a chance to relax make it drag since there isn’t enough development of who they are to make them truly interesting. This is essentially the literary equivalent of a Syfy monster movie. We get a light explanation of the world as we run like hell from it but sometimes, that is really all you want to relax at the end of a day.
March 15, 2021
Odd, terrifying and deadly monsters now rule the world as humans struggle to survive. This is a story of friendship, family and perseverance against all odds. Very well written with intriguing world building and great characters.
November 1, 2019
Four stars for this sci fi fantasy, book one in a trilogy to come, which I can not wait to read! When you are impatient to get back to an Earth overrun by monsters and where humans are no longer at the top of the food chain you know you have found a great read. I applaud the author of Tentacles and Teeth. I was kept on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. The last page came and I actually exclaimed "Noo!" aloud. Needless to say in this post apocalyptic Earth learning through the eyes of fifteen year old warrior Askari, that humans are scarce and must fight to survive, is a journey I would take again and can not wait to continue. Well done!
November 13, 2019
I received this ARC for free from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
The novel is an action-packed post-apocalyptic adventure that is entertaining and fun but with only surface-level depth. It also wavers between whether it’s YA or a book for younger audiences.
It is an exciting and easy-to-follow story about a strong young woman trying to survive in an inhospitable world. I would argue that this book is almost perfect for the pre-teen audience. It has some blood and guts (which, when I was twelve, I would have loved), but nothing too gory and nothing overly traumatic for a younger reader. There wasn’t a love story, which was nice. It seems like a romance is a staple for YA (which makes sense given, well, teenagers), but this one has no love story. It moves so fast there’s no time.
I liked the main character, but I thought she acted far too young for being “of age” (which I’m assuming was 18)? She acted more like a 14-year-old, but this could be because she doesn’t express a lot of inner turmoil and her emotions are often base, such as anger or relief. This is part of the reason why I say it lacks depth – she has no real inner turmoil. She has anger towards the harsh punishments doled out by her elders, but she does not have an arc in the sense of growing as a person. Things happen to her to change her view on the world somewhat, but I wouldn’t say she changes. She’s strong, smart and capable from the get-go and never wavers in this regard. Likewise, the other characters aren’t very deep either – her friends are distinguishable only by their names and the elder, Kira, is so vindictive in her punishments it didn’t make sense to me. I don’t understand why they would send a young woman, barely of age, out alone in a monster-infested world. If she’s such a great fighter (which she is proven to be) why would they risk losing her? There wasn’t enough focus on how the community was run to make this anything but a hyperbolic gesture on Kira’s part, which serves to work well for a younger audience struggling with (perhaps) overbearing parents, but for adult readers, it seems a little unrealistic.
Still, the story moves at a fast pace and the action scenes are very fun – the monsters are so unique and given such a focus that I never had trouble remembering their names or their attacks (and usually I’m awful with that sort of thing). There’s a lot of repetitive slicing and dicing and Askari sweating, but for a younger reader, this would be very fun. Hell, I enjoyed it too!
The strongest section of the story is in the town – no spoilers – but for those enjoy future characters without knowledge of the past sifting through our current technology and items, this was a treat.
Despite not being a stand-alone book, the novel does wrap up in a way that is satisfactory, though I still had questions about the world-building.
Overall though, a great book for an edgy kid who wants to read something dark and bloody, but you don’t want to give them Stephen King or another adult horror just yet.
The novel is an action-packed post-apocalyptic adventure that is entertaining and fun but with only surface-level depth. It also wavers between whether it’s YA or a book for younger audiences.
It is an exciting and easy-to-follow story about a strong young woman trying to survive in an inhospitable world. I would argue that this book is almost perfect for the pre-teen audience. It has some blood and guts (which, when I was twelve, I would have loved), but nothing too gory and nothing overly traumatic for a younger reader. There wasn’t a love story, which was nice. It seems like a romance is a staple for YA (which makes sense given, well, teenagers), but this one has no love story. It moves so fast there’s no time.
I liked the main character, but I thought she acted far too young for being “of age” (which I’m assuming was 18)? She acted more like a 14-year-old, but this could be because she doesn’t express a lot of inner turmoil and her emotions are often base, such as anger or relief. This is part of the reason why I say it lacks depth – she has no real inner turmoil. She has anger towards the harsh punishments doled out by her elders, but she does not have an arc in the sense of growing as a person. Things happen to her to change her view on the world somewhat, but I wouldn’t say she changes. She’s strong, smart and capable from the get-go and never wavers in this regard. Likewise, the other characters aren’t very deep either – her friends are distinguishable only by their names and the elder, Kira, is so vindictive in her punishments it didn’t make sense to me. I don’t understand why they would send a young woman, barely of age, out alone in a monster-infested world. If she’s such a great fighter (which she is proven to be) why would they risk losing her? There wasn’t enough focus on how the community was run to make this anything but a hyperbolic gesture on Kira’s part, which serves to work well for a younger audience struggling with (perhaps) overbearing parents, but for adult readers, it seems a little unrealistic.
Still, the story moves at a fast pace and the action scenes are very fun – the monsters are so unique and given such a focus that I never had trouble remembering their names or their attacks (and usually I’m awful with that sort of thing). There’s a lot of repetitive slicing and dicing and Askari sweating, but for a younger reader, this would be very fun. Hell, I enjoyed it too!
The strongest section of the story is in the town – no spoilers – but for those enjoy future characters without knowledge of the past sifting through our current technology and items, this was a treat.
Despite not being a stand-alone book, the novel does wrap up in a way that is satisfactory, though I still had questions about the world-building.
Overall though, a great book for an edgy kid who wants to read something dark and bloody, but you don’t want to give them Stephen King or another adult horror just yet.
May 21, 2019
I loved the pace of this book. Each chapter brought a new challenge (and monster!) for the characters to overcome as they wandered throughout an apocalyptic wasteland. The detail and attention given to Askari's garg(antuan) adversaries was well-served and provided a truly visceral touch point. I definitely think the Kover was my favorite monster, closely followed by Polly.
If you like fast-paced, action-packed YA sci-fi, this is a great book to pick up.
If you like fast-paced, action-packed YA sci-fi, this is a great book to pick up.
January 11, 2024
I’m a sucker for a good creature story. This one was fun, had interesting characters, and a good storyline. The most frustrating aspect of the story was the village leadership’s shortsighted view and that’s the feeling I’m meant to have. I’ll be reading the next in this series soon.
June 18, 2024
Good story
This was a good read. Well paced story with characters that fit their parts well. Enjoyable reading for any age I reckon
This was a good read. Well paced story with characters that fit their parts well. Enjoyable reading for any age I reckon
April 11, 2019
Received free copy in advance in exchange for review.
This book is the story of Askari and the Baratok people. They are living in a post apocalyptic world where the planet has been overrun by various type of monsters that have managed to kill off, from what I can tell, most of humanity. The Baratok are a small community of survivors constantly on the move so that they are not tracked down and killed by the various monsters roaming the world.
At the start of the book Askari breaks community rules by going off on her own to find a missing friend, in the process running into and almost being killed by several gargs (the general slang term for monsters). She apparently has a history of breaking minor rules in their group and Elder Kira (one of the people that basically run the Baratok) takes the opportunity to send her on a extremely dangerous solo mission to retrieve a book from a nearby town because she has a personal grudge against her.
What follows is basically a creature feature. Every chapter is based upon a new type of garg that Askari runs into on her mission and details how they try to kill her and how she fights against them. I can see why people wouldn’t enjoy this but I loved the different monsters and how they were described. You can tell a lot of thought went into each one. My personal favorites are probably the kover (a gigantic slug that can shoot spines from its back) and the hulla (giant vulture type creatures with human faces).
My main problem with the book is how the synopsis made this big deal about how she was going to have to make this trip on her own and how the elders picked her for this because she’s one of the strongest warriors they have but she basically survived the trip through pure dumb luck. First she befriends a friendly garg called a minket by saving it when it was being attacked. This creature is the only reason she survives multiple garg attacks. It wakes her up when she stupidly slept on the ground and was about to be attacked by another large group of gargs (and the only reason she survived them was because she happened to be near a tree that got stuck by lightning that killed/scared off there rest of them). It constantly distracts monsters that are attacking her so she can get away. It discovered a vital weakness to one of the strongest gargs in the whole book just in time for them to be able to take advantage of said weakness. She only survived the town with the book in it because someone happens to be living there. She only finds the book because two of her friends followed her and one of them could read a map to find the building. The hulla I mentioned before seems to know her family and they are the only reason the entire group survived two separate monster attacks. So many things had to go perfect for her to survive. Almost none of it ended up being thanks to her. I��m not knocking her entirely. She did fight and put down a huge number of monsters in her trip. None of that would have mattered though. If it wasn’t for a combination of extreme luck, her minket, and her friends she never would have made it back to the group alive.
I have a couple of super picky complaints too. I realized this isn’t a very long book but I would love to see a little more world building. They don’t talk much about the time around when the first monsters showed up. I would love to know more about then. It’s hard to see how a bunch of basically animals could have snuffed out humanity quite so efficiently. Maybe material for a prequel? Askari is supposed to be this badass warrior but she seems a little... dumb. Camping out in the open when she has seen aggressive monsters around just isn’t smart. And she always took a lot longer than the people around her to figure even basic problems out. The writing style was a little too repetitive. When a particular word is used enough for you to be annoyed by it it’s been used too much. People were constantly exclaiming things. Maybe use a different word for that once in a while. There were also several minor typos but I had an advance copy so for all I know that has been fixed already.
It also super annoyed me that the author plugged their Patreon page at the end of the book. I really hope that is only going to be in the free copies. It’s tacky to sell someone a book and then ask them for more money in the thing they just bought from you.
Overall I have to give the book a solid 3.5 stars. I liked the story, the plot flowed well, I liked the monsters. I hope there will be more books released in this world. Recommend for all dystopian readers of appropriate age. (Major violence and bloodshed, not recommending for younger readers).
This book is the story of Askari and the Baratok people. They are living in a post apocalyptic world where the planet has been overrun by various type of monsters that have managed to kill off, from what I can tell, most of humanity. The Baratok are a small community of survivors constantly on the move so that they are not tracked down and killed by the various monsters roaming the world.
At the start of the book Askari breaks community rules by going off on her own to find a missing friend, in the process running into and almost being killed by several gargs (the general slang term for monsters). She apparently has a history of breaking minor rules in their group and Elder Kira (one of the people that basically run the Baratok) takes the opportunity to send her on a extremely dangerous solo mission to retrieve a book from a nearby town because she has a personal grudge against her.
What follows is basically a creature feature. Every chapter is based upon a new type of garg that Askari runs into on her mission and details how they try to kill her and how she fights against them. I can see why people wouldn’t enjoy this but I loved the different monsters and how they were described. You can tell a lot of thought went into each one. My personal favorites are probably the kover (a gigantic slug that can shoot spines from its back) and the hulla (giant vulture type creatures with human faces).
My main problem with the book is how the synopsis made this big deal about how she was going to have to make this trip on her own and how the elders picked her for this because she’s one of the strongest warriors they have but she basically survived the trip through pure dumb luck. First she befriends a friendly garg called a minket by saving it when it was being attacked. This creature is the only reason she survives multiple garg attacks. It wakes her up when she stupidly slept on the ground and was about to be attacked by another large group of gargs (and the only reason she survived them was because she happened to be near a tree that got stuck by lightning that killed/scared off there rest of them). It constantly distracts monsters that are attacking her so she can get away. It discovered a vital weakness to one of the strongest gargs in the whole book just in time for them to be able to take advantage of said weakness. She only survived the town with the book in it because someone happens to be living there. She only finds the book because two of her friends followed her and one of them could read a map to find the building. The hulla I mentioned before seems to know her family and they are the only reason the entire group survived two separate monster attacks. So many things had to go perfect for her to survive. Almost none of it ended up being thanks to her. I��m not knocking her entirely. She did fight and put down a huge number of monsters in her trip. None of that would have mattered though. If it wasn’t for a combination of extreme luck, her minket, and her friends she never would have made it back to the group alive.
I have a couple of super picky complaints too. I realized this isn’t a very long book but I would love to see a little more world building. They don’t talk much about the time around when the first monsters showed up. I would love to know more about then. It’s hard to see how a bunch of basically animals could have snuffed out humanity quite so efficiently. Maybe material for a prequel? Askari is supposed to be this badass warrior but she seems a little... dumb. Camping out in the open when she has seen aggressive monsters around just isn’t smart. And she always took a lot longer than the people around her to figure even basic problems out. The writing style was a little too repetitive. When a particular word is used enough for you to be annoyed by it it’s been used too much. People were constantly exclaiming things. Maybe use a different word for that once in a while. There were also several minor typos but I had an advance copy so for all I know that has been fixed already.
It also super annoyed me that the author plugged their Patreon page at the end of the book. I really hope that is only going to be in the free copies. It’s tacky to sell someone a book and then ask them for more money in the thing they just bought from you.
Overall I have to give the book a solid 3.5 stars. I liked the story, the plot flowed well, I liked the monsters. I hope there will be more books released in this world. Recommend for all dystopian readers of appropriate age. (Major violence and bloodshed, not recommending for younger readers).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2019
Tentacles and Teeth by Ariele Sieling is the first book in her Land of Szornyek series. This book takes readers and throws them in a dystopian world that is full of strange monsters and where humanity is fighting to survive. If you are expecting to first understand what brought about this change...I hate to say it but you'll be disappointed with that aspect of this story. This story focuses on the main character, Askari. She knows no other world than this one because she was born into it. She doesn't always follow the rules and so that gets her into trouble. She wishes to better understand this place she must call home and how to survive it. There are dangers all around her and her friends, but could the biggest danger be something that is closer to home?
Tentacles and Teeth is an engaging novel from beginning to end. That I cannot dispute. The author hooks me in with the blurb and then hooks me in further with Askari. Askari is a young woman, but I feel from the beginning that she is being "bullied" by the Elders. Well...one in particular. I must say I applaud Askari for how resilient she is at getting out of trouble and how clever her friends are. They all really work well together and I like that about them. The storyline flows really well from beginning to end and gives readers a glimpse here and there of the "old world." I like and appreciate this because it allows me to have a glimpse of what has changed. I like the variety of monsters and the overall descriptions of most of them. I do feel that some could use it with more detail, but for the most part the majority are described enough for you to get a good mental image of what they look like.
My biggest disappointment with this book is the lack of backstory. The author teases us with an inkling of how the world ended in the blurb, and then again in the blurb, but I want to know what happened. Obviously it happened suddenly because of the traffic jam Askari and her friends come upon in a town, but I need to know what happened. Also, the author is pretty vague for a while as to how many are in Askari's "village." It's more of a group/community as they don't ever settle in one place for long so there are no buildings. I initially thought there were no more than 50 to 75 at most, but the author later says in the hundreds. How did they feed everyone? They gather food and hunt, but that wouldn't be enough to feed so many. How did they get everyone up and moving so quickly each time? Packing takes time and even with a set routine, there are bound to be times when someone said "no" or just took too long. With monsters hunting them obviously time is of the essence, so a smaller encampment would make sense than to be one huge group of people. I also want to know more about the monsters. Yes, we get some light shed on one of them, but I want to know how the others came about into being. Also, how does Askari's friend know so much about technology and how it works? Everything has been out of commission for decades, so it's not like any of them have experienced it. The Elders could have revealed some things, but from the way they act, I find that a bit unlikely. Plus, she's younger and was held by slavers for years. It just seems odd and causes me to be suspicious of her.
I'm honestly hoping that either we get some answers in the next book or that the author will dedicate a prequel to then ending of the old world and the beginning of the new so that we can have a backstory for that. I really enjoyed this book, but it does have it's flaws and story gaps which causes it to fall short. The storyline is engaging with good characters, but I need more done to this book for it to come together to be a really good story.
So, I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. The storyline carries it through but the flaws bring it down and keep it from being a total package story. I will be continuing with this series in the hopes that the author gives us backstory and explains a few things concerning the characters and how everything works. If you like dystopian novels full of monsters in a world where technology is, in essence, a thing of the past then this is a good book to pick up.
I received a copy from BookSiren, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Tentacles and Teeth is an engaging novel from beginning to end. That I cannot dispute. The author hooks me in with the blurb and then hooks me in further with Askari. Askari is a young woman, but I feel from the beginning that she is being "bullied" by the Elders. Well...one in particular. I must say I applaud Askari for how resilient she is at getting out of trouble and how clever her friends are. They all really work well together and I like that about them. The storyline flows really well from beginning to end and gives readers a glimpse here and there of the "old world." I like and appreciate this because it allows me to have a glimpse of what has changed. I like the variety of monsters and the overall descriptions of most of them. I do feel that some could use it with more detail, but for the most part the majority are described enough for you to get a good mental image of what they look like.
My biggest disappointment with this book is the lack of backstory. The author teases us with an inkling of how the world ended in the blurb, and then again in the blurb, but I want to know what happened. Obviously it happened suddenly because of the traffic jam Askari and her friends come upon in a town, but I need to know what happened. Also, the author is pretty vague for a while as to how many are in Askari's "village." It's more of a group/community as they don't ever settle in one place for long so there are no buildings. I initially thought there were no more than 50 to 75 at most, but the author later says in the hundreds. How did they feed everyone? They gather food and hunt, but that wouldn't be enough to feed so many. How did they get everyone up and moving so quickly each time? Packing takes time and even with a set routine, there are bound to be times when someone said "no" or just took too long. With monsters hunting them obviously time is of the essence, so a smaller encampment would make sense than to be one huge group of people. I also want to know more about the monsters. Yes, we get some light shed on one of them, but I want to know how the others came about into being. Also, how does Askari's friend know so much about technology and how it works? Everything has been out of commission for decades, so it's not like any of them have experienced it. The Elders could have revealed some things, but from the way they act, I find that a bit unlikely. Plus, she's younger and was held by slavers for years. It just seems odd and causes me to be suspicious of her.
I'm honestly hoping that either we get some answers in the next book or that the author will dedicate a prequel to then ending of the old world and the beginning of the new so that we can have a backstory for that. I really enjoyed this book, but it does have it's flaws and story gaps which causes it to fall short. The storyline is engaging with good characters, but I need more done to this book for it to come together to be a really good story.
So, I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. The storyline carries it through but the flaws bring it down and keep it from being a total package story. I will be continuing with this series in the hopes that the author gives us backstory and explains a few things concerning the characters and how everything works. If you like dystopian novels full of monsters in a world where technology is, in essence, a thing of the past then this is a good book to pick up.
I received a copy from BookSiren, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 14, 2020
Tentacles and Teeth is a story about a girl named Askari and her tribe called the Baratok people. I’m not sure where exactly this story takes place, if it’s in America or Europe or Asia but it’s during the post apocalyptic time where instead of nuclear bombs, zombies or floods, they were invaded by monsters. We never find out where these monsters came from or really anything about them except that they seem to have wiped out most of the humans.
We meet Askari as she is off searching for a friend of hers that wandered off from the tribe. Apparently this is a big no-no, and Askari and her friend Shujaa run into several different monsters on their return back to their tribe. Askari, being of age (which I assume is 18) is in more trouble than Shujaa who I assume is only 16. We are told that Askari has a problem with breaking the rules and has done so repeatedly. This causes Elder Kira, the leader of the group, along with several other Elders to give Askari a choice, leave the tribe permanently or go on a dangerous solo mission to retrieve a book from a town several days away and come find the tribe after. Before she can leave the tribe is attacked by monsters and Askari believes this is her chance to prove herself and why she should stay. After the attack she is still sent on this mission.
The rest of the story basically follows Askari and her friends Shujaa and Harcos (who snuck out of the tribe to help her despite being told not to) and their quest to get to this town and retrieve the book. Along the way Askari saves and then is saved by a creature called a minket, who she names Polly, and Askari comes to realize that not all monsters are bad. The rest of the their journey has them facing monster, after monster, after monster which honestly got very tedious. There was no real character development, no information about where they are, how it got that way, nothing.
One of my biggest issues with this book was Askari herself. She comes off as very arrogant and angry. She breaks all these tribe rules but it is never explained why she does it. We are made to believe that Elder Kira has it out for her and doesn’t like her and her only reason that we know of is because Askari keeps breaking rules and puts the tribe in danger. I wouldn’t like Askari either if I was in charge of keeping hundreds of people safe and this teenage girl is running around doing whatever she wants. The book also makes this big deal about how good of a warrior Askari is. Maybe it’s just meant to be her opinion of herself, but nothing really showed how she was a great warrior. She was constantly saved by Polly, or her friends, or a freak tree catching on fire at just the right time, or a random stranger stepping in to help. I really don’t remember her conquering anything on her own.
The idea of this book is great, don’t get me wrong, but either a prequel is needed or a lot more world building and character background. Readers don’t like to be told something is the way it is and to just accept that with no reasons why. I’m interested to see if the author takes a lot of these recommendations and uses them in the sequel, so I will be reading the next one.
I received an advanced review copy from Book Sirens, in exchange for an honest review.
We meet Askari as she is off searching for a friend of hers that wandered off from the tribe. Apparently this is a big no-no, and Askari and her friend Shujaa run into several different monsters on their return back to their tribe. Askari, being of age (which I assume is 18) is in more trouble than Shujaa who I assume is only 16. We are told that Askari has a problem with breaking the rules and has done so repeatedly. This causes Elder Kira, the leader of the group, along with several other Elders to give Askari a choice, leave the tribe permanently or go on a dangerous solo mission to retrieve a book from a town several days away and come find the tribe after. Before she can leave the tribe is attacked by monsters and Askari believes this is her chance to prove herself and why she should stay. After the attack she is still sent on this mission.
The rest of the story basically follows Askari and her friends Shujaa and Harcos (who snuck out of the tribe to help her despite being told not to) and their quest to get to this town and retrieve the book. Along the way Askari saves and then is saved by a creature called a minket, who she names Polly, and Askari comes to realize that not all monsters are bad. The rest of the their journey has them facing monster, after monster, after monster which honestly got very tedious. There was no real character development, no information about where they are, how it got that way, nothing.
One of my biggest issues with this book was Askari herself. She comes off as very arrogant and angry. She breaks all these tribe rules but it is never explained why she does it. We are made to believe that Elder Kira has it out for her and doesn’t like her and her only reason that we know of is because Askari keeps breaking rules and puts the tribe in danger. I wouldn’t like Askari either if I was in charge of keeping hundreds of people safe and this teenage girl is running around doing whatever she wants. The book also makes this big deal about how good of a warrior Askari is. Maybe it’s just meant to be her opinion of herself, but nothing really showed how she was a great warrior. She was constantly saved by Polly, or her friends, or a freak tree catching on fire at just the right time, or a random stranger stepping in to help. I really don’t remember her conquering anything on her own.
The idea of this book is great, don’t get me wrong, but either a prequel is needed or a lot more world building and character background. Readers don’t like to be told something is the way it is and to just accept that with no reasons why. I’m interested to see if the author takes a lot of these recommendations and uses them in the sequel, so I will be reading the next one.
I received an advanced review copy from Book Sirens, in exchange for an honest review.
September 30, 2019
Entertaining but flawed
Entertaining but flawed, in my opinion. In the last battle they have a hundred fighters. If you assume a mate and a child for half of them, that is a band of at least 200 people. These people have no fixed place of living. That means no agriculture. Hunter/gatherers can't live in such large numbers. The American indigenous people could only have groups of as large as around maybe 60 before having to split up. Yeah, they could assemble into the hundreds and sometimes even thousands, but those were short-term events.
Not much description is given on the wagons. Are the wheels iron rimmed? If so, there is a ton of technology involved. Where does the source material come from? Is it salvaged or shelter from are ore? Once you've got iron or steel, how is it shaped? You've got to have a forge of some sort. A forge large enough to shape a sword is far too large and heavy to be portable. Perhaps they have built forges at certain way-points along their travels. This might answer the agriculture objection as well. They plant and move on, leaving their crops to grow wild. The group follows the seasons, harvesting as they go.
These people have cloth for clothing and bandages. Where did the fibre come from and how was it woven? Assuming the cloth is will and there are sheep not mentioned in the story, you still need a loom. Looms capable of producing anything larger than handkerchief sized pieces of cloth a large, heavy pieces of equipment. That would be like having to carry around a small, upright piano. Again, maybe this is something hidden away at one of their way-points.
These wanderers have storage pots, presumably fired clay. To produce these, you need a kiln. These are large, heavy items that are also left at way-points.
The people burn their dead. They don't cremate them. Wood fires, even with a good air supply, only burn about 700 degrees. To destroy none and teeth you need temperatures much higher. I think to customize bone, I think you need at least 1400 degrees, preferably higher. So, if you burn your dead and leave the area, when you come back, there will be a pile of bones. These can be referenced a number of ways. I would think the easiest would be to gather them into special funeral jars, seal them, and bury them, possibly at special places at the way-points.
I am sorry to be nit-picking. Perhaps you have addressed these points in other volumes, or will do so in the future.I
Best of luck in your future endeavours!
Entertaining but flawed, in my opinion. In the last battle they have a hundred fighters. If you assume a mate and a child for half of them, that is a band of at least 200 people. These people have no fixed place of living. That means no agriculture. Hunter/gatherers can't live in such large numbers. The American indigenous people could only have groups of as large as around maybe 60 before having to split up. Yeah, they could assemble into the hundreds and sometimes even thousands, but those were short-term events.
Not much description is given on the wagons. Are the wheels iron rimmed? If so, there is a ton of technology involved. Where does the source material come from? Is it salvaged or shelter from are ore? Once you've got iron or steel, how is it shaped? You've got to have a forge of some sort. A forge large enough to shape a sword is far too large and heavy to be portable. Perhaps they have built forges at certain way-points along their travels. This might answer the agriculture objection as well. They plant and move on, leaving their crops to grow wild. The group follows the seasons, harvesting as they go.
These people have cloth for clothing and bandages. Where did the fibre come from and how was it woven? Assuming the cloth is will and there are sheep not mentioned in the story, you still need a loom. Looms capable of producing anything larger than handkerchief sized pieces of cloth a large, heavy pieces of equipment. That would be like having to carry around a small, upright piano. Again, maybe this is something hidden away at one of their way-points.
These wanderers have storage pots, presumably fired clay. To produce these, you need a kiln. These are large, heavy items that are also left at way-points.
The people burn their dead. They don't cremate them. Wood fires, even with a good air supply, only burn about 700 degrees. To destroy none and teeth you need temperatures much higher. I think to customize bone, I think you need at least 1400 degrees, preferably higher. So, if you burn your dead and leave the area, when you come back, there will be a pile of bones. These can be referenced a number of ways. I would think the easiest would be to gather them into special funeral jars, seal them, and bury them, possibly at special places at the way-points.
I am sorry to be nit-picking. Perhaps you have addressed these points in other volumes, or will do so in the future.I
Best of luck in your future endeavours!
April 13, 2021
Series Info/Source: This is the first book in The Land of Szornyek series. I got this ebook for free for my Kindle.
Story (3/5): This story follows Askari, who is living in a post-apocalyptic monster infested future Earth. She is kicked out of her community for not following rules. She has to adventure through the monster-infested landscape on a mission for her village elders if she is going to be given sanction again. The story is okay but is fairly simple. It has a very middle grade tone to it, but also has some very viscous monster fighting scenes. There is adventure and a bit of a mystery as well. It was fairly predictable and I struggled with the monster names and descriptions, but I didn’t hate it.
Characters (3/5): The characters in here are fairly stereo-typical and show very little growth throughout the story. Askari is a hot-headed warrior, one of her friends in the typical female healer type, and her other friend is a typical weak, but super smart, male type. I really struggled with the monsters in here; they are given goofy names that are hard to remember and their descriptions make them hard to picture.
Setting (3/5): This is an interesting setting, even if it’s been done many times before. I enjoyed exploring this monster-infested post-apocalyptic world. The description was really lacking though and made the world and creatures in it very hard to picture and engage with. The story also takes place in a very small area, so there isn’t a ton of world-building here.
Writing Style (3/5): The writing here is okay but feels somewhat juvenile. Descriptions aren’t well done and characters feel very stereotyped. The story is very straight-forward and the language and dialogue are simple. This really feels like an early middle grade novel but with a lot of gorey descriptions and gory fights. Those things combined make this an odd book that doesn’t really fit well into an age category. It’s too simple for young adults but too gory and scary for younger kids.
My Summary (3/5): Overall this was okay, I liked the premise and enjoyed the adventure and the monsters. However, there is a lot lacking here as well. The story and characters are simple and the monsters are hard to picture. Some of the battles are very vicious and things the monsters can do are very gory. This makes it an odd book that doesn’t really fit well into any age group. I didn’t hate it but I don’t plan on reading any more books in this series.
Story (3/5): This story follows Askari, who is living in a post-apocalyptic monster infested future Earth. She is kicked out of her community for not following rules. She has to adventure through the monster-infested landscape on a mission for her village elders if she is going to be given sanction again. The story is okay but is fairly simple. It has a very middle grade tone to it, but also has some very viscous monster fighting scenes. There is adventure and a bit of a mystery as well. It was fairly predictable and I struggled with the monster names and descriptions, but I didn’t hate it.
Characters (3/5): The characters in here are fairly stereo-typical and show very little growth throughout the story. Askari is a hot-headed warrior, one of her friends in the typical female healer type, and her other friend is a typical weak, but super smart, male type. I really struggled with the monsters in here; they are given goofy names that are hard to remember and their descriptions make them hard to picture.
Setting (3/5): This is an interesting setting, even if it’s been done many times before. I enjoyed exploring this monster-infested post-apocalyptic world. The description was really lacking though and made the world and creatures in it very hard to picture and engage with. The story also takes place in a very small area, so there isn’t a ton of world-building here.
Writing Style (3/5): The writing here is okay but feels somewhat juvenile. Descriptions aren’t well done and characters feel very stereotyped. The story is very straight-forward and the language and dialogue are simple. This really feels like an early middle grade novel but with a lot of gorey descriptions and gory fights. Those things combined make this an odd book that doesn’t really fit well into an age category. It’s too simple for young adults but too gory and scary for younger kids.
My Summary (3/5): Overall this was okay, I liked the premise and enjoyed the adventure and the monsters. However, there is a lot lacking here as well. The story and characters are simple and the monsters are hard to picture. Some of the battles are very vicious and things the monsters can do are very gory. This makes it an odd book that doesn’t really fit well into any age group. I didn’t hate it but I don’t plan on reading any more books in this series.
June 7, 2020
i received this book as an ARC and am giving it my honest review.
This book wasn't quite what I expected. With tentacles in the title, I thought it might be a seafaring tale. I guess I didn't read the fine print closely enough. This is definitely a land born tale. Its a coming of age story centered on a girl-warrior named Askari. Askari questions the validity of the rules under which her community lives and due to that finds herself in trouble a lot. She is also the victim of internal politics of which she is not aware.
In the first part of the story of Askari is being 'punished' for her insubordination by being sent on a dangerous quest. Along the way, two of her best friends join her and she makes a couple of new ones. The second part of the story deals with the struggles her community encounter on their way to a new home base.
The story was straight forward. The world building was slightly above average. I could envision most of what was described but some was a little difficult to see in my mind's eye. It seemed that although Askari had a good heart and a different perspective on the world from her peers, she wasn't as bright as her two companions. I was annoyed by the excessive and misused use of the verb to stride. These characters were striding everywhere under all circumstances. I got tired of seeing the word. I can't think of one instance where is was used properly; the verb conveys a different meaning from how it was used. The writing, while sufficient, was simplistic. The book is long enough to target middle grade to high school, but the writing just wasn't very sophisticated. Maybe if they stopped striding everywhere...
It wasn't a bad book. I liked a lot of it. It just wasn't my favorite and I never became emotionally involved with the story or the characters and that, for me, is a hallmark of good writing.
This book wasn't quite what I expected. With tentacles in the title, I thought it might be a seafaring tale. I guess I didn't read the fine print closely enough. This is definitely a land born tale. Its a coming of age story centered on a girl-warrior named Askari. Askari questions the validity of the rules under which her community lives and due to that finds herself in trouble a lot. She is also the victim of internal politics of which she is not aware.
In the first part of the story of Askari is being 'punished' for her insubordination by being sent on a dangerous quest. Along the way, two of her best friends join her and she makes a couple of new ones. The second part of the story deals with the struggles her community encounter on their way to a new home base.
The story was straight forward. The world building was slightly above average. I could envision most of what was described but some was a little difficult to see in my mind's eye. It seemed that although Askari had a good heart and a different perspective on the world from her peers, she wasn't as bright as her two companions. I was annoyed by the excessive and misused use of the verb to stride. These characters were striding everywhere under all circumstances. I got tired of seeing the word. I can't think of one instance where is was used properly; the verb conveys a different meaning from how it was used. The writing, while sufficient, was simplistic. The book is long enough to target middle grade to high school, but the writing just wasn't very sophisticated. Maybe if they stopped striding everywhere...
It wasn't a bad book. I liked a lot of it. It just wasn't my favorite and I never became emotionally involved with the story or the characters and that, for me, is a hallmark of good writing.
March 31, 2021
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a pleasant diversion and a change from the usual apocalyptic fiction that I read.
In Tentacles and Teeth, we don't get a reason for the sudden upsurge of monsters other than a throwaway paragraph about a possible alien invasion. The story is defiantly more post-apocalyptic in that it focuses on survival rather than trying to either explain or reverse the end of the world.
The monsters were all described very well and you could picture the battle between them in wonderful detail. I especially loved the thought of the giant slug with acidic trails waiting patiently to trap their prey.
I also like the juxtaposition of Askaria and Minda's opinions about the creatures as opposed to the elders. It gave a great conflict point but also a nice discussion on what constitutes evil.
Askaria was a great protagonist and I enjoyed her relationship with both her friends and Polly.
I do think that the constant battles with monsters got a little repetitive and most of the plot was tied up in action scenes.
I think I would have enjoyed exploring the new world more.
I was also a little dubious that only 40 years had passed and the cultural differences between the children and the adults were so stark. I understand never having seen a television or a computer but not even knowing what one was is a little far-fetched, although I suppose when you are focussed on survival you might not tell your children about TV shows when they couldn't possibly understand.
Maybe what I would have liked was to hear things from the adults' point of view but this is a YA so that's on me.
Overall I really did enjoy this book and will more than likely look up the next in the series.
This was a pleasant diversion and a change from the usual apocalyptic fiction that I read.
In Tentacles and Teeth, we don't get a reason for the sudden upsurge of monsters other than a throwaway paragraph about a possible alien invasion. The story is defiantly more post-apocalyptic in that it focuses on survival rather than trying to either explain or reverse the end of the world.
The monsters were all described very well and you could picture the battle between them in wonderful detail. I especially loved the thought of the giant slug with acidic trails waiting patiently to trap their prey.
I also like the juxtaposition of Askaria and Minda's opinions about the creatures as opposed to the elders. It gave a great conflict point but also a nice discussion on what constitutes evil.
Askaria was a great protagonist and I enjoyed her relationship with both her friends and Polly.
I do think that the constant battles with monsters got a little repetitive and most of the plot was tied up in action scenes.
I think I would have enjoyed exploring the new world more.
I was also a little dubious that only 40 years had passed and the cultural differences between the children and the adults were so stark. I understand never having seen a television or a computer but not even knowing what one was is a little far-fetched, although I suppose when you are focussed on survival you might not tell your children about TV shows when they couldn't possibly understand.
Maybe what I would have liked was to hear things from the adults' point of view but this is a YA so that's on me.
Overall I really did enjoy this book and will more than likely look up the next in the series.
December 27, 2020
Reading the blurb I was super excited to get and read this book. The way it was written is so different.
While it is does contain a lot of the standard ingredients of the genre, what sets this story apart are the creativity of the MANY types of monsters and the sheer amount of action that takes place. It has a very Horizon Zero Dawn-esque feel (in a good way) and I appreciated how the main character became more thoughtful regarding the "monsters" as the story went along. My only real critique is that there is a final (for this episode, anyway) battle that feels like it gets started without much of a build-up beforehand, but that is a minor and subjective issue. I look forward to reading the next book and learning more about the characters and society they have built.
Survival is the overarching theme of this novel but I had hoped that it would be about Askari figuring it out on her own initiative and ingenuity. I can sympathize with the elders of her tribe because a lone warrior that seeks out danger for her ego is the type of thing that does endanger the community. It makes them short a warrior and weapons in the event of an attack. There is not a consequence for Askari’s actions only rewards. This is a young adult novel so it gives the lesson that it is okay to knowingly abandon and endanger people that are counting on you to feed your ego.
Its great but it could use some more details for the history at the begining. The author jumps straight into it. Kinda in the middle of where everything is going on and it makes it hard to follow.
I see so much potential in this author.
3 stars
August 6, 2020
I can honestly say Tentacles and Teeth is one of the best books I've read in a while. Author Ariele Sieling tells the story of Askari, a young woman living in a post-apocalyptic world with dangerous monsters around every corner. When her community's leaders send her on a mission in punishment for a sleight against their careful balance, she must face the harrowing world alone to regain her place amoung the people. Along the way, she finds new allies and friends, making her question everything she's been taught.
I followed Askari's quest and her growing discontent with the ways of her community with bated breath. Askari is blunt, loyal, and has that little spark of rebellion that I admire in any character. While the plot is a bit predictable, there are more than enough twists to keep a reader on their toes, with a refreshing lack of the cliches that seem to be in every YA novel. With no romantic plot line, Sieling doesn't disappoint - in place of a star-crossed lover or a doomed triangle, Askari has loyal, well-written friends and a mysterious family weighing on her mind.
My favorite part of this book is Askari's own growth: learning her lessons about glory and the cost of battle without sacrificing her own initial principles.
I adored this book, and once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. Fans of post-apocalyptic fiction, alien invasion tales, and those who are just a little tired of teens in love? This one's for you.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I followed Askari's quest and her growing discontent with the ways of her community with bated breath. Askari is blunt, loyal, and has that little spark of rebellion that I admire in any character. While the plot is a bit predictable, there are more than enough twists to keep a reader on their toes, with a refreshing lack of the cliches that seem to be in every YA novel. With no romantic plot line, Sieling doesn't disappoint - in place of a star-crossed lover or a doomed triangle, Askari has loyal, well-written friends and a mysterious family weighing on her mind.
My favorite part of this book is Askari's own growth: learning her lessons about glory and the cost of battle without sacrificing her own initial principles.
I adored this book, and once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. Fans of post-apocalyptic fiction, alien invasion tales, and those who are just a little tired of teens in love? This one's for you.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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