3.5 stars I don't know if I would have enjoyed this book had I not read Dark Hunter first, so please base my rating off of that fact, and not coming f3.5 stars I don't know if I would have enjoyed this book had I not read Dark Hunter first, so please base my rating off of that fact, and not coming from someone who went into this book without knowing anything about this extended world. This series connects to the Dark Hunter (adult) series by the same author, with the main character Nick being a prominent player in that series. I liked Nick in that series, so I came to this series to catch a glimpse of his back story.
Infinity read as very teen boy in a puppy-dog sort of way. It was almost so YA that the book read closer to middle grade. But that's okay. I didn't mind the vibe for this particular story.
I'm jotting notes down about a year after I read the book, so I can't remember enough to give a proper review. I know that I have gotten stuck on book 2, so I don't know what my future will be with continuing the series. ...more
3.5 stars. I'm not sure why, but the writing seemed shakier than I remembered. That said, I'm moving on to the real reason I came back to the trilogy.3.5 stars. I'm not sure why, but the writing seemed shakier than I remembered. That said, I'm moving on to the real reason I came back to the trilogy. I was here for the characters and their journey - and what a journey it was.
All in all, this was still an impressive trilogy. If you haven't read survivalist fiction, or even a zombie story by this point, As the World Dies might be a good place to start because the books contain enough hardcore content to serve its purpose, without forgetting to incorporate enough of the "humanity" side as a draw for the readers who need to see life and love and personal connection.
I'm sure if I'd read the final installment of AtWD immediately after book 2, I probably would have rated it at least 4 stars, but I blame my time spent away from the series as the reason why I took longer to connect than usual.
I'd highly recommend the trilogy - just don't be ridiculous like me and wait forever to read the final installment. You'll have a much better time. :)...more
Never mind my earlier pre-review comment. I'm not even going to try reviewing. I have all of these points in my head but am not sure how to get them dNever mind my earlier pre-review comment. I'm not even going to try reviewing. I have all of these points in my head but am not sure how to get them down into a review.
I decided to get rid of the 3.5 rating and go up to a solid 4. Even though I don't think I was as excited about everything in Half a King on the same level that I might have been with other 4 star rated fantasy books, the emotional pull of rooting for Yarvi the underdog factored heavily into my attachment of the story. The time spent at sea and bonds forged there also played a role in how much I ended up enjoying the read.
The ending had me on the hook for the next installment, so I'm looking forward to it.
Rooftoppers was a fun read. If my ten year old self had read this, surely I would have rated the book 4 stars. My adult self wasn't as invested (sinceRooftoppers was a fun read. If my ten year old self had read this, surely I would have rated the book 4 stars. My adult self wasn't as invested (since I wasn't the target audience; my opinion doesn't count against children!), even though I appreciated the charm of the story. Matteo reminded me slightly of a childlike Han Alister, or perhaps a far more innocent version of a scamp from Oliver Twist.
Caught between the upper end of childrens' and lower end of middle grade, I'm shelving the book as childrens, although readers of both age groups might find something to enjoy with Rooftoppers.
I might keep the book to gift to my younger son in a few years.
The little illustrations present at the beginning of each chapter were a nice addition to the story.
Cade thought he was alone. His parents had prepared him to live in a world ravaged by a pandemic. H
Marooned in an empty, devastated world.
Cade thought he was alone. His parents had prepared him to live in a world ravaged by a pandemic. He was an uncivilized young man living in the wild. He imagined that only a few survivors remained - until the day Dara wandered into his territory while on a camping trip with her boyfriend and shattered the realm of everything he thought he knew.
What I loved best about this story is how authentic it felt. While there was an undercurrent of attraction between the two main characters, the amount of romanticism was dialed down in favor of two characters being simply curious about one another. After all, they were from different worlds.
"There's some guy living in the middle of nowhere in clothes from the 1800s, fishing with a spear, disappearing and reappearing anywhere he wants to, and the only reason you can come up with that I'm interested is that I might want to do him?"
I mean, yeah, I was rooting for the wild boy and city girl to get together. How could I not be? But what made this story great is that it wasn't just another romance with little to no plot. Most of the fun was in seeing an untamed person adjust to life as the rest of us know it.
Fingers sliding along the surface, he made it bleat and squeal. Ms. Fourakis popped her head out of the kitchen. "Don't buy anything else from the appstore."
As one could imagine, trying to take a boy from the wild and integrate him into society wasn't going to be easy. Throughout the read, I never really knew if Cade would be able to fit in with his new life. I think most readers are going to struck with a sense of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"It's okay Cade. You're doing fine." Cade closed his eyes. He was so sick of fine.
Not gonna lie. When I saw Cade described with dark eyes and dark hair in dreads, it wasn't hard to immediately imagine Samuel Larson in my head. [image]
I really have no complaints. It probably wouldn't have hurt for the publishers to cut a few chapters because some of the day-to-day happenings started to meander on there for a moment, but hey, I have no problems admitting to skimming those few chapters. Otherwise, I am happily surprised by what a great gem this turned out to be. I'd love to see what others think of the story! This book had characters I could get behind, a unique twist on the Tarzan theme, and the perfect amount of humor and emotional moments to tie everything together.
...and the ending. Never, have I seen an open ending handled quite this perfectly. When I was a few pages from finishing, I started to panic a little, almost unsure if I could handle this story being over without a book 2 to fall back on. But then, the ending came and I loved exactly how it finished.
Two cultures, both building pyramids to lift them to the heavens. People were beautiful.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final version....more
It's the Marines meets Maze Runner meets Unwind meets Fight Club (the cover even reminds me of the FC cove
"Welcome to the post-human age."
It's the Marines meets Maze Runner meets Unwind meets Fight Club (the cover even reminds me of the FC cover) meets some weird version of The Island of Dr. Moreau/Jurassic Park (without the animals) mashup - in this book's version of "it really sucks to go to juvvie."
The show Beyond Scared Straight would probably love to have some of Phoenix Island's tactics at their disposal.
I'm itching to shelve this book as horror lite, but I'll go with science fiction and a nod to dystopia (even though the "off-island" world isn't on the same abnormal scale that Phoenix Island is).
Who would miss them? They were just a bunch of throwaway orphans.
Since the book was something of a slow-starter, I'm not sure if I was on board enough to start caring about what happened to the characters by the time the action finally started kicking in. With some retooling, Phoenix Island would probably work better as an adult offering. I expect YA books of this category to hit harder and faster out of the gate, whereas I am more patient to wait out a slow build with adult literature.
However, all is not lost. This is exactly the type of book that my teenage son would have loved a few years ago. At the first hint of danger and/or violence to come, he would have stayed glued to the pages, waiting for it to happen. He would have cared less about character attachment, and more about seeing how the shit was going to hit the fan. While he and I both read and enjoyed books like Unwind and The Maze Runner, we definitely had different reasons for why we liked those books. In retrospect, Unwind is still a book I think about, while Maze Runner has dulled with time for me (because I've read much better from the genre since then), and I'd actually put it on par now with Phoenix Island, which might not be as good of a compliment as it would have been a couple of years ago.
"They look like the damn Hitler Youth."
Even though I'm sort of half-and-half on this book (the second part was pretty good - I'm just sad that it took me so long to get invested), I'm going to go ahead and recommend Phoenix Island to anyone who wants to get away from the Matched, Delirium, Wither type of romantic sci-fi and delve into something grittier.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final copy. ...more
2.5 stars.It's time for me to finally admit that I've been in denial.
I wanted to believe that the series was still chugging along and doing fine. I 2.5 stars.It's time for me to finally admit that I've been in denial.
I wanted to believe that the series was still chugging along and doing fine. I defended it. I babied it. I noted the hiccups, then focused on the positives. Until we got to this book.
Feverborn read like there was originally a different story which had been scrapped. I can't quite put my finger on why, but I don't feel like it melded as well into the entire arc. Maybe this is because KMM is still recovering from adding the Dani PoV, then deciding to scale it back from the original plan. Whatever the cause, I just didn't gel with this installment. It took me months to read my way through.
Some people were excited that Feverborn had more similarities to the original 5 books, but I felt like we were going backward to move forward. Simply put - I don't care about Mac anymore. She bores me, and I don't need the crutch of her as my main character to carry the series. Yeah, yeah. I know...there's the issue of the Sinsar Dubh that isn't going anywhere, and we know that Mac has a destiny regarding the book, so she has to be there. But I still can't shake the feeling that so much of what's being written for Mac now was retrofitted to replace other directions that the story could have/should have gone. Poor Jada (view spoiler)[slash Dani (hide spoiler)]. We'll never really get to know her on the level that we could have.
And I feel like I'm missing something here, but will someone explain why (view spoiler)[Christian was built up as a love interest for Dani (I was getting a 'you are my destiny' vibe), then dropped? Do I need to go back and re-read to grasp something that I'd missed before? Since my original theory of Dani and Jada being split between two bodies can't work anymore, with Jada admitting now that she is Dani and not a separate personality, is there the possibility of Ryo and Christian being merged into one? Otherwise, I'm not fully understanding this 'love triangle that wasn't.' (hide spoiler)] I will say though that the scene with Ryo and the fire...*swoon*.
There's still time for KMM to tie up all of her loose ends, but with the series coming to a close soon, I don't know if I'll ever be fully satisfied, when some characters (Christian, Dani, Cruce, etc.) never got the page time that the story called for. Maybe a spin-off would fix this. I wouldn't argue against more time with the rest of the characters, especially The Nine. ...more
I'm going to skim read this book again before reading book 2 and will write my review then. I feel like I'm not ready to write something down just yetI'm going to skim read this book again before reading book 2 and will write my review then. I feel like I'm not ready to write something down just yet. In the meantime : big thumbs up. It took me a few chapters to wrap my brain around things happening which seemed like they shouldn't be happening, but when I finally started to let some of my own thoughts of reality fall away, I found myself more willing to enjoy the story.
I was a freak, but at least I was a meticulous freak.
Get. Your. Freak. On. This is the book for any 3.5 stars. Another day, another death.
I was a freak, but at least I was a meticulous freak.
Get. Your. Freak. On. This is the book for any person who (as a kid) took their Star Wars, G.I. Joe, and Thundercat toys out into the backyard and found a way to invent a new world where they would battle each other. Unless you were me, and had to make due with a Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Ponies, and a generic She-Ra doll (hey, I was a sheltered kid. I only got to play army men and Star Wars at my friends' houses).
Who was I? Why couldn't I remember anything before a year ago? Why didn't I stay dead?
Katanas, guns, wands, and staves. Gargoyles, dragons, lie-detecting ticks, and evil overlords. Strap on your seat belts, kids. This ride's about to get bumpy, especially when the man driving the bus has no clue who he is.
(btw - I think I was more scared of a lie-detecting tick than anything. Too many years spent at summer camp gave me a phobia of those horrific little shits.)
I hate to classify Urban Fantasy into either of the dreaded "romantic" vs. "action" categories because almost all (non-PNR) UF will have a fair amount of action and pseudo-fantasy happening. Some of my favorite UF series provide an equal dose of ass kicking and sexual tension. However, this book landed closer to the "action" side of the spectrum. Fans of grittier, darker Urban Fantasy are going to be more likely to gravitate toward Dying.
The last few male-driven UF series I've read have been somewhat snarkier. The tone of this book was firmly rooted in the mystery surrounding our main character and the obstacles he had to overcome on his path to finding out who he is. While humor isn't a strong element in Dying, there were random moments which amused me. When I stumbled across these moments, I smiled the smile of a person who got to be part of an inside joke. Either you'll find yourself amused, or you'll sail right on by, never the wiser.
It's hard to write about the characters because they were hard to get to know at first, due to the fact that the main voice had absolutely no clue what was going on, but that sort of lent itself to the fun. I wanted to know why this person had landed himself in the middle of New York's seediest and scariest happenings, so I was willing to tag along and find out where we wound up.
My one complaint would be that I wish there'd been more of a focus on a select group of paranormals, instead of this story being yet another version of paranormal stew. My shelf categories blew up again with the addition of this book. When there are too many things in a story which need to be explained, you tend to start tuning some of it out. A little more focus on a specific theme would take this series from good to great.
Even so, I'm in!
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final copy.
Man, am I eating my words now.Crown of Midnight was so much better than Throne of Glass was. I think I might have been a little too stubborn by assumMan, am I eating my words now.Crown of Midnight was so much better than Throne of Glass was. I think I might have been a little too stubborn by assuming that I couldn't be surprised.
Egg on my face? Maybe.
Had the first half been as epic as the second half of the book, this would have shot straight to my favorites list. For as much as I ended up loving Crown of Midnight, I can't discount the pokiness of certain parts before all of the crazy showed up.
Chaol. Wrap him up with a bow. I'll take him. He was on my imaginary maybe-watch list before, but I might have to go ahead and add him to my favorite guy list now. Everything that I loved about him in book 1 was magnified here. I do love me those badass guardian types.
Dorian. He's still boring.
Celaena. Holy plot twists? There were a few moments I wasn't expecting, although I really should have been, considering that these plot twists have happened before in plenty of other books. In a way, the two biggest reveals sort of bugged me. I would have preferred some things to have stayed the way they were. Don't click if you don't want to be spoiled - (view spoiler)[The fae queen thing - I'm sort of tired of people in fantasy finding out that they have more abilities down the road. What was wrong with how she was before? (hide spoiler)] Ah well. She's sort of growing on me though.
"I'm afraid severed heads don't travel well."
I'm happy with the turn of events. There was more action, more cutthroat behavior, and more intrigue. I even kind of like how the forbidden attraction thing was turned on its ear and I was forced to have to wonder how situations were going to be rectified.
Everything has changed. That ending...sigh. How long do I have to wait for book 3?
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
In the Seven Realms, truer words have never been spoken.
4.5 stars I'm so sad to see the Seven Realms series com
"Everything's a risk."
In the Seven Realms, truer words have never been spoken.
4.5 stars I'm so sad to see the Seven Realms series come to an end.
Mystery! Intrigue! Adventure! Danger! Magic! Fighting! Forbidden Love! How many rounds of awesome can we squeeze into one book? I don't know the final tally but the count is high (along with the dead bodies).
Han is incredible. Were it not for him, this series wouldn't have had the same edge to it. Everyone likes to root for the underdog, and Han had a full deck stacked against him. His ability to take repeated life-beatings and keep on pushing forward endeared him to many a reader.
And it didn't hurt that he had crazy ninja skills.
As if in answer to her prayers, someone swarmed across the ceiling of the cathedral, swinging from one fixture to another, finding handholds where none existed. He dangled over their heads, arrows pinging all around him, then dropped to the floor.
I'm still a softie for Amon though. I like those protective types. Always have. Maybe he wasn't all magic flash and ninja technique, but he'll always have a place in my heart. I wish (view spoiler)[he'd almost had his own part of the story, since he was such a focus in the first book. (hide spoiler)]
The best part about Crimson Crown was that it gave us plenty of happy without crossing every t and dotting every i. We got enough to satisfy without knowing exactly how everything in the future would be laid out.
"I want to breathe you in for the rest of my life."
Few authors know how to end a series right and this is one of them. Happy cheer for a job well done!
[image] Leto's side :Three matches. Keep her alive. Then his comatose younger sister would be protected forever.
Nynn's side :Leto was the alpha she n[image] Leto's side :Three matches. Keep her alive. Then his comatose younger sister would be protected forever.
Nynn's side :Leto was the alpha she needed in order to survive. To get her son back.
WOMEN ARE DRAGON KINGS. BAD-ASS.
There's so much to love about Caged Warrior. Aside from the "women can be kings" angle, there's the whole "cage match" thing going on. Leto and Nynn have their own reasons for needing to fight, and much of their interactions revolve around Leto training Nynn to become the strong warrior that she was born to be. In theory, this should be the type of heart-pumping action which would normally hook me, and it did...up to a point. I wasn't fully grasping why the training went on...and on...and on. At least a small portion of the training could have been hinted at happening off-page. The dragon ancestry and lore should have been more developed in favor of cutting back some training scenes.
Leto is one of those characters who should tick all of the boxes for being a dynamic male lead, but his jackassery at the start left me feeling lukewarm to his appeal until extremely late in the game. I don't care how tough a trainer needs to be in order to break through to the person they're training, when I see a passage in which the male lead thinks nothing of grabbing an abused female by the crotch, I'm going to be turned off. As well, the scene in which he (look only if you want to know) (view spoiler)[taunted a man to take Nynn sexually, just to prove a point (even if he wouldn't have allowed it to happen) (hide spoiler)] was something that took "pushing someone to their breaking point" way past a place that I wanted to see. Just because you need to be hard on someone in order to get through to them, it doesn't mean it has to happen in that specific way.
It took far too long for Leto to show that he could be a hero worth cheering for. I wanted to know more about this "god bent on laying waste to cities" than we were shown.
When they stepped into a Cage together, they moved and breathed as one. Unified and deadly. He didn't want that - not permanently. But to feel it just once?
My prediction : fans of traditional PNR are going to be split down the middle about this series. There is a strong sexual element present, but romance is not really the focus. I felt that the direction of the story was focused mainly on character growth and discovery, with some raw primal urges thrown in to make the it fit within the parameters of PNR.
There was almost an old-time Gladiator feel to the presentation. Even though magic and dragon-lineage was the explanation given for the abilities and talents, we were shown fight training and survival tactics more than the magic itself. While Nynn did get a chance to grow into her magic, the execution of her completion was a feeble addition to the bigger picture.
I do love when genre lines get blurred and readers get to experience a mix of writing styles. The fantasy-meets-apocalyptic survival clash was excellent, but going back to my point from earlier, this could have been so much better with a stronger infusion of the lore and character personalities.
What will make me keep reading on in the series is that curiosity to want to know more about the racial characteristics and lifestyle outside of the fighting system. In terms of uniqueness, the setup is genius. Now I just have to wait for win to happen.
This book provided from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All quotes taken from the pre-published copy and may be changed or omitted from the final copy.
3.5 stars Don't let the cover fool you. This is not a girly romance book. This is fun Urban Fantasy all the way! Guys, you can come out of hiding!
Anyw3.5 stars Don't let the cover fool you. This is not a girly romance book. This is fun Urban Fantasy all the way! Guys, you can come out of hiding!
Anyway...*cue dramatic sigh* We've probably all been where I'm at right now. I've managed to avoid it for a while, but I finally hit the dreaded reading-slash-reviewing slump. I'm going to chalk it up to summer coming to an end and me realizing that there's still a bunch of summer-type things I want to do which don't involve reading and reviewing. Here's my half-assed review.
Charming was a lot of fun. I'll be wanting to check out book 2 when it's available.
Actually, my complaints are fairly minimal. Charming probably had enough moments to make it more of a 4 star book than a 3 star book, but something held me back from rounding up. Come to think of it, the amount of world and character information really didn't bother me as much as it did my buddy reading partner. I'm guessing that this might have something to do with me being a huge fan of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series, so I'm sort of used to this style of writing.
I could EASILY throw out a good twenty or so quotes from the book because the wit is fabulous. And there's a good chance I could sell you on the book just from the wit alone. The chapter headers were silly in a fun way, ranging from gems like Blood, Bath & Beyond to Which One of You Ordered the Stake? And the banter was just the way I like it (One second you're sounding metrosexual talking about coffee preparation, the next you look like you're going to rip my heart out and eat it).
So here's a quick rundown. Charming was :
Cram-packed with sarcastic humor.
Filled to the brim with crazy antics.
Absolutely full of offbeat lore.
Overflowing with unique characters.
Who would I recommend this to?
Fans of Kevin Hearne (the writing style is VERY similar).
People who are tired of flowery writing.
Anyone who likes to roll with the punches.
Who would I not recommend this to?
People who need instant gratification when it comes to any sort of romance.
It is possible to like a book because it's unbelievable.
However, it is also possible to dislike the exact same book becaI learned something new today.
It is possible to like a book because it's unbelievable.
However, it is also possible to dislike the exact same book because it's unbelievable.
Miki was having a bad day when a car crash resulted in her waking up inside of a game where she was stuck killing aliens in order to get back to her life before. Well, as long she could keep her bracelet from turning red, that is. Avoid those alien attacks kids, or your day might just go from bad to worse!
The concept of Rush is bad-ass. I love alternate reality/virtual reality type scenarios. Unfortunately, the reader is first dragged through a lot of action without getting many answers up-front. Is this only a game? Or is it real?
Strengths of this book include a unique world, plenty of action-packed fight sequences, and writing which is entertaining enough to keep you turning pages.
Weaknesses of this book include limited world information at the start, an attempted info dump near the end which only brings more questions, and characters who are too heavily invested with each other extremely fast (this is a series, after all - I wouldn't have minded the slower build). I didn't buy the connection between Miki and Jackson because we were "told" the reasons for the connection.
Jackson reminded me of a watered-down version of Four from Divergent. While Divergent had similar world-building issues, I was always intrigued with Four. I feel like the author wanted me to form the same admiration for Jackson that I have for Four. And it just didn't happen for me. Is Jackson an interesting character? Not really. He's super hot and holds answers to Miki's questions, harping on the "man of mystery" angle. And he sort of hangs around and helps people even though he says it's not what's supposed to be done. So he fits into the formula for a standard hero; I didn't see much of a personality spark though.
One of my groups has a "what song is stuck in your head today?" topic. Today's song will most definitely be Luka by Suzanne Vega.
Was there even a point for the Luka character? By the end of the book, I was thinking that Jackson could have taken up his space in the book. Luka came into the story with a bang and then he sort of faded out. *shrug* Don't know what's going on there.
Back on the original part of my review : like/dislike holding equal parts here.
The best reason to read the book : If you're a fan of action-packed sequences or have a love of gaming, here is the draw. This was worth the read for me strictly for entertainment value. It might not have been as good as say, Ready Player One, but I can honestly say that I was never bored. Not even for a second. Having something to read which is engaging enough to keep you reading is worth a 3 star rating minimum for me, even if there are flaws in the telling.
The least convincing reason to read the book : The world details (especially the info dump near the end) felt completely ridiculous. Fiction does allow for authors to come up with whatever they want to, and the idea can be spun to meet the author's desires, but I wasn't buying the alien invasion as it was being spun. On a lesser note, the love story felt way too rushed and will make haters of insta-love squirm with discomfort.
This was good enough that I'll check out book 2.
This book provided from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review....more
Yet, I still hate reviewing fantasy - with an added emphasis on the word hate.
Most books = Point A to point b.
Fantasy boYay! I love fantasy again!!!
Yet, I still hate reviewing fantasy - with an added emphasis on the word hate.
Most books = Point A to point b.
Fantasy books = Point A intersects with person C on the way to meeting person F at point Y.
How the heck do you review that?
I'll reiterate what I've loved about Seven Realms so far. These books meet the criteria for what I'd like to see more of in YA fantasy. There is action and adventure. There are plenty of varied characters from all walks of life. There is an element of romance without it choking out the rest of the story. The books will appeal to a broad base of readers, even lovers of adult fantasy. Nothing here feels dumbed down or excessively youthful. In fact, I'd say these books are more mature than a good portion of the adult crap I've read lately. No joke.
Whether you're new to fantasy or it's an old love, I'd say this series is worth checking out. It has a little bit of something for everyone.
I might add more later, but maybe not. Fantasy still owns my ability to review, apparently. ...more
3.75 stars. I'm sure that only a handful of you have seen the car commercials in which the company brags about how they have both
"And" is better.
3.75 stars. I'm sure that only a handful of you have seen the car commercials in which the company brags about how they have both "this" AND "that" when it comes to features. They poke fun at the concept of not having enough by showing a couple choosing "bed" instead of "breakfast," or "sour" instead of "sweet" chicken.
In theory, I'd love to read more "and" books, in which an author can figure out how to balance two things without making the elements compete with each other for attention. Sometimes, the balance doesn't work for me because I don't get enough of either element to keep me interested (i.e. most romantic suspense).
I got to have my "and" here. Sarah Fine somehow figures out how to write dark, gritty, and action-packed conflicts, but still manages to play up a romantic tension which works for me. Imagine that.
To be honest, I was a little nervous at the end of book 1. The biggest "oooh" factor about the series starter was the purgatory-like world and the beings who inhabited the place. When a twist happened and our main characters ended up relocated, it made me ponder whether I'd be as interested in what would happen next.
It turns out, I was okay with where things went, even though I missed some of the creepy vibe from the previous installment. I got my elements of danger and conflict, yet still had a few moments along the way to swoon, which is just the way I like it.
There were a few brief sections of the book where my focus started to wander (I wasn't sure if it was me or if the book itself had a couple of slow chapters), but when the big moments hit, I was back in the game. Once we jumped a few hurdles... all I can say is wow.
And now, I'm needing to know what happens next. Book 3, come quick.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars. I'm pretty sure I've already made the Hex Hall meets Sky High comparison, but I can't not bring it up again. This is the kind of comparison3.5 stars. I'm pretty sure I've already made the Hex Hall meets Sky High comparison, but I can't not bring it up again. This is the kind of comparison which should be perceived as a good one, though. Burn Bright followed a promising (yet shaky) first book and amped up the danger, adventure, and (somewhat) forbidden attraction.
There's still one part superhero sci-fi...
"You just told us the world is ending. I'd like to know how much time I have to prevent it."
And several parts paranormal romance...
"Our first date is not going to include hospitals, Harrowers, apocalyptic predictions, or my mother."
But it's not a confused genre thing which has me liking what's going on. And it's certainly not the hodgepodge of different character traits and plot points that I've seen in other, popular series, because these books are not working with the freshest ideas or most unique story.
This is simply all about the fact that an author came along and decided to bring the fun and adventure and romance - and it all came in a smartly written package.
I have absolutely no notes in my book copy about stupid decision making or awkward social skills. Imagine that.
Leon was willing to die for me. It was the sort of thing that sounded romantic in theory; the type of wild, passionate declaration you hear in movies. But this wasn't a vow. It wasn't a promise. It was a fact. Cold, hard, inescapable. And it didn't feel romantic. It felt terrifying.
A female lead who gets it? Who knew?
Moms with young teen daughters might enjoy the experience of reading the Dark Star books together. The emphasis on family and loyalty is a positive message set in a story which doesn't feel preachy or disingenuous.
This would be a cute little movie franchise. Go, Disney, go.
Book provided from publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final version.
You ever notice the rampant child neglect going on in fairy tales?
4.25 stars and my favorite installment to date. It's all a bit unconvent
You ever notice the rampant child neglect going on in fairy tales?
4.25 stars and my favorite installment to date. It's all a bit unconventional, but I love the kitchen-sink mythology going on here. You want to see your favorite god or myth represented? I can almost guarantee you'll find it in the Iron Druid Chronicles in one form or another. Norse gods? Native American legends? Fairy tales? That's a check, 1, 2, 3.
Our happy druid-slash-dog team went through even more than usual this time around. Just when I was wondering how the series was going to keep from getting stale, we got a few new twists thrown at us. I was surprised to see Kevin Hearne taking chances with his characters the way that he did but I'm glad that he did.
We got to see some of the story from Granuaile's point of view and I enjoyed being in her head, more than I'd expected to. I honestly didn't think before that I'd want time away from Atticus but it worked here. The peril was ramped up a notch and it was interesting to see how the new kid on the druid block handled herself.
As always, the star of the show was Oberon the dog. I'm pretty sure that this is the one constant which will never change. All of the fans want an Oberon of our very own, even if he will annoy you to death with his constant obsession of poodles and sausage. He's still so lovable and brings all of the best lines in the story.
Side effects from doggie joy may include face slime and leg-humping.
She's so beautiful! Can I sniff her ass yet?
If you're looking to find a series full of action, adventure, hilarity, and just a little bit of crazy, here it is.
This book provided from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes are taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final copy.
Now I get why it took me 3 tries to finally buckle down and read Into the Still Blue. The final in[image]
The trilogy-ending curse has been broken.
Now I get why it took me 3 tries to finally buckle down and read Into the Still Blue. The final installment was good in its own right, but it was very different in execution. I had been expecting one thing, and when I got something else, I think I balked at it without realizing. Once I got over the fact that the character-driven vibe of the past two books wasn't going to be as strong of a factor here, I settled in to enjoy the one thing that I always say YA sci-fi books need more of : actual sci-fi.
While I still missed some of what made UTNS and TTEN so special to me, I understood why the trilogy ending needed to branch off and kick some ass.
All in all, this was a satisfying (okay, so one thing could have been more satisfying...but I get it...sigh) end to an excellent trilogy. Well done, Ms. Rossi.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
I'm right there with you, Gwen. Not a whole lot can really beat LFQ, although hanging out with a bunch of flying gryp
Logan Freaking Quinn.
I'm right there with you, Gwen. Not a whole lot can really beat LFQ, although hanging out with a bunch of flying gryphons comes pretty close!
As if the talking sword and the wolf as a pet weren't awesome enough, the "Stacia really wants one of those" factor was increased with the addition of gryphons. WHY CAN'T I HAVE A GRYPHON??? That Gwen Frost gets everything. Never mind that evil beings are trying to kill her at every turn, because she gets cool toys. And Logan Freaking Quinn. Sometimes life is a trade-off. Danger for all the swag, right?
These books are so much fun. I don't get near enough fun in my book-reading life. I need more crazy adventures with mythical creatures, apparently.
Daphne's black eyes fixed on the dead reapers. "So," I asked. "How was breakfast?" Daphne arched an eyebrow. "Obviously not as exciting as yours."
This installment of the Mythos Academy series surprised me. I was happy to see much less repetitiveness of character descriptions this time around. Estep's writing appears to have been been polished up quite a bit, of which I wholeheartedly approve.
I wasn't happy with having to wait SO darn long to see Gwen's my Logan (before you start worrying that I have strange creeper tendencies, I always picture book characters as older than they are), but when he showed up, he showed up in a big way and made the wait worthwhile.
One of my favorite things about Midnight Frost was getting to see everyone pulling together as a team, even more so than they have in the past. Nickamedes has inched his way into my heart, so it was sweet to see Gwen really pulling for him. In a way, this band of misfits has become their own sweet little family and I love it.
I can't wait to see what everyone else has to say about Midnight Frost. Those of you who have been reading along so far, I'm hoping that you'll enjoy this as much as I did. The start was a little slower than I would have liked (which seems to be a weird thing about this series in general), but the second half of the book was great. Those of you who haven't been reading and like mythology and adventure, put this series on your list. It can be fluffy at times but sometimes that's okay - especially when you're having too much fun to care.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes were taken from the pre-published copy and may be changed or omitted from the final copy.
Stacia (the 2010 club)
>
Books:
action-and-adventure
(47)
Loading...
