After a fairly long absence, Seven Black Diamonds signifies Marr’s return to the fae world, albeit in a somewhat different setting. Her debut series WAfter a fairly long absence, Seven Black Diamonds signifies Marr’s return to the fae world, albeit in a somewhat different setting. Her debut series Wicked Lovely was about the fae and it was extremely successful. I can only assume it’s where she still feels most comfortable. Those who’ve read both Wicked Lovely and Diamonds claim that there are many parallels, which I can neither confirm nor deny. I can only say it wouldn’t bother me if both were successful, but Seven Black Diamonds is a far cry from Made For You, a paranormal thriller and the only one of Marr’s books I’ve truly enjoyed.
Seven Black Diamonds offers so many different points of view in such a brief time that it’s difficult to keep track of all of them and their stories. I felt so confused throughout the first half and I was forced to go back and look up some details just to confirm I wasn’t going crazy. It’s difficult to get attached to any of the characters when so many are pushed in front of you at once. To be honest, most of my focus was on trying to figure out who was who and what might be their agenda.
This was so obviously the first in a series, a ‘meet the characters’ sort of deal. There really wasn’t much of a plot, nothing structured or tangible at least, and all of it was mostly about establishing complicated relationships. There was supposed to be one big revelation, but it was clearly visible from a mile away and it failed to bring any excitement into it. The weak love triangle that really wasn’t a love triangle at all (which made it all the more unnecessary) further complicated things.
I can’t really find much praise for Marr’s writing this time either. We could perhaps blame it on so many brief chapters told from different perspectives, but the narrative didn’t run smoothly and it lacked any real emotions. I wish I could have believed any of it, but it just wasn’t convincing. Seeing as I am a fan of at least one of her books, I can honestly say that Melissa Marr can do much, much better. Perhaps it would help to stick with one or two characters in the future, preferably Lilly and Eilidh (and just btw, it drives me crazy that they routinely call a heavily scarred girl Patches). Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll pick up the sequel and find out.
Could I leave just that in lieu of my review? Because in this unique case, it might just be enough. Ridiculous. And sort of wonder3.5 stars Ridiculous.
Could I leave just that in lieu of my review? Because in this unique case, it might just be enough. Ridiculous. And sort of wonderful, but that goes without saying – after all, we’re dealing with Janet Evanovich, the uncrowned queen of wicked humor and insane sexual tension.
We rejoin our heroes as they continue their search for Seven Stones of Power. The stones reflect seven deadly sins, and with two found in the previous books, it is now time to find the stone of avarice. Lizzy and Diesel are Unmentionables, people with special powers, and although he’s far more experienced (in more ways than one, ahem), Diesel doesn’t stand a chance of finding the stones without Lizzy, who can sense their proximity and authenticity.
The plot is much stronger in Wicked Charms than in the previous two books, but it’s still a far cry from a structured, serious novel. After all, only Janet Evanovich could combine wannabe medieval knights, wannabe pirates, wannabe witches and one very rude monkey into something even close to coherent. Although it’s better plotted, this is still very much reminiscent of Looney Tunes and all the characters are just spectacularly silly. Ridiculous, I tell you.
The sexual tension in this book is insane! We’ve been waiting so long to see Lizzy and Diesel together, but one or both of them could lose their powers if they ever get together. Diesel himself is charming and hilarious, but I find myself even more attracted to his evil cousin and their nemesis Wulf. Everyone loves a bad boy, right?
Aside from his name on the cover, I didn’t notice any differences now that Phoef Sutton joined as co-author, which means that he did so quite seamlessly. I’m not sure how much he’s contributing at this point, but he got the overall tone of Janet’s writing perfectly. And now that he’s here, maybe we won’t have to wait three years for the next book. That last paragraph left me screaming for more.
If you’re looking for something to brighten up your day, you can’t possibly go wrong with one of Janet’s books, and especially not with this series. As long as you don’t expect anything even remotely serious, you’ll find yourself enjoying every word. Also, laughing like a lunatic is good for your abs, soldier. Go for it.
”Why can’t you save the world by yourself?” I asked Diesel. “Why do I have to go along?” “You have to do your touchy-feely thing. I’m big and strong and smokin’ hot, but I’m not touchy-feely.” This was all true.
“And I think he was taking pictures of us,” I said to the guard. “Up our skirts.” “You’re wearing jeans,” the guard said. “So we outsmarted him!” I said.
“I’m willing to trade this unpleasant monkey for the pieces of eight you’ve acquired and a small service from Ms. Tucker.” “Get serious,” Diesel said. “Keep the monkey.”
Fortunately for us, Gail Carriger’s sense of humor seems to be as strong and sharp as ever as she keeps providing us with endless entertainment in thiFortunately for us, Gail Carriger’s sense of humor seems to be as strong and sharp as ever as she keeps providing us with endless entertainment in this well-developed world. Waltzing with a bladed fan and using longing looks to seduce unsuspecting young evil geniuses are just some of the things our Sophronia has become quite skilled at in her years at Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.
The cast of characters is still as colorful as ever, although it sometimes borders on ridiculous. I’ve come to adore Sophronia and her friends, as well as her professors at the Finishing Academy, but her family was just a bit too much. At one point, Sophronia’s mother tried to marry her off to 14-year-old Pillover, and her slightly older sister Petunia was just ridiculously stupid and vain.
We learn more about Sidheag in this installment since the main plotline focuses mostly on the troubles of her pack in Scotland. Sidheag is quite possibly the only serious, dignified character in this series which makes her all the more interesting. We know some of this story from the Parasol Protectorate series, but it was interesting to see it all from a different perspective.
For a smart girl, Sophronia is still quite clueless when it comes to matters of the heart. The odd love triangle she has found herself in takes up a large portion of the book, but nothing about it is satisfactory or even handled correctly. Torn between a Duke’s (and Pickleman’s!) son and a sootie (even one as wonderful and loyal as Soap), Sophronia is oftentimes annoyingly oblivious. She has a tendency to stick her head in the sand when it suits her and instead of being endearing like it was at first, I found it all to be very exasperating.
Waistcoats & Weaponry isn’t quite as good as the previous book, but it’s a worthy addition to the series. I’ll be happy to join Sophronia on her next adventure and I have faith that Carriger will find a way to make everything work in the romance department, no matter how impossible it may seem.
3.5 stars Here are the things one can expect in a book by Julie Kagawa: love triangles, enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love.
And here are the things that 3.5 stars Here are the things one can expect in a book by Julie Kagawa: love triangles, enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love.
And here are the things that always end up working in a book by Julie Kagawa: love triangles, enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love.
As strange as it may seem, every single thing I dislike intensely always ends up working when it’s written by her. Having been warned about the love drama, I’ve waited over two months to read Talon, a decision I now regret with all my heart. I should have known she would deliver, but boy, I just never learn.
First of all, here there be dragons. That alone should be enough to make you want to read this book. Admittedly, the dragons mostly stay in their human form, but there’s hope for the future, and even hidden dragons are more interesting than no dragons at all! The dragon lore hasn’t been developed to its full potential, but I don’t doubt that it will be, hopefully in Rogue.
I won’t waste time discussing the love triangle. It’s clear, as it usually is, who the best boy is and who’ll end up with Ember. The whole romantic drama wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. The human part of Ember is drawn to one of the boys, and the dragon part to the other, but while both Riley and Garrett are great guys, I feel that we know her true match.
Danger comes from two sides in Talon: the Order of St. George and Talon itself. The former has worked against dragon for centuries. The Order’s soldiers are young, competent and completely merciless. But if the humans are merciless, Talon’s dragons are vicious, trained while they’re still hatchlings and thought that they’re a superior species.
Ember doesn’t quite see it that way. Her twin brother Dante is completely loyal to Talon which is a source of constant pain between them. The rift between them and her feelings about it were what allowed me to connect with her. The rest – her courage, determination and tendency to think for herself – were just a bonus.
Talon has a pretty open ending, which is another thing I tolerate only from certain authors. From anyone else, it would have infuriated me, but Kagawa can easily get away with it. I’m actually pretty desperate to get my hands on Rogue. Luckily, it’s almost out.
As hard as it is to say goodbye to a beloved trilogy (and it seems we’ve been doing it quite often lately) the Monument kids have certainly earned theAs hard as it is to say goodbye to a beloved trilogy (and it seems we’ve been doing it quite often lately) the Monument kids have certainly earned their happy ending. Although it’s not without its problems, Savage Drift is a worthy conclusion to Laybourne’s post-apocalyptic work, a book that inspires both admiration and a healthy dose of introspection.
Laybourne’s version of the apocalypse was never too difficult to imagine, which made it stand out among others of the same genre. In Savage Drift she completed the picture by finally showing us a disturbingly believable reaction by the government, all things we could easily imagine happening to us if disaster struck. The things she chose to do, and especially things that happened to Josie, were horrifying and thought provoking, and they’ll stay with me for quite a while.
This final book is told from two perspectives: this time, Dean shares the narration with Josie, our type O self-sacrificing young heroine. Unfortunately, being inside Dean’s head wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as it was before. The sardonic voice we appreciated so much in the previous installments was lost in favor of jealous rambling and childish behavior. Somewhere along the line, he became almost obsessed with Astrid, who is pregnant with Jake, and the jealousy turned him into someone far less likeable. He handled the entire situation like one would expect from a 16-year-old, which would be perfectly fine, were he not fighting for fatherhood, a task he most certainly wasn’t up to. By the time we reached the last page, we still weren’t convinced that he’s mature enough to handle the responsibilities he was so determined to take on.
While Dean managed to alienate us with his jealous behavior, Josie’s story provoked a completely different reaction. Imprisoned in a camp for people with O blood type and stripped of her rights, this brave young girl gave up on ever finding a normal life for herself. Her plight was devastating to behold, but her defiance and strength were truly remarkable.
While Monument 14 isn’t the best post-apocalyptic YA trilogy out there, it’s thought provoking and riveting, which makes it worth your time.
Get Even is the first in a new series by Gretchen McNeil, author of Ten, 3:59 and Possess. The book is very dynamic and tightly plotted – the story itGet Even is the first in a new series by Gretchen McNeil, author of Ten, 3:59 and Possess. The book is very dynamic and tightly plotted – the story itself is well thought through, and the mystery is almost impossible to solve ahead of time. There are many clues and probably red herrings, but not enough to come to any sort of conclusion about the culprit.
The problem with having four very different point-of-view characters is that it’s hard to form any kind of emotional connection with them. Each of the girls has her own agenda and they are often secretly, or even unknowingly, in conflict with each other, but it’s impossible for us to choose sides since the narrative is divided pretty equally, which also makes it difficult to actually care about the outcome. If anything, every one of these girls is pretty unlikeable at times, and while their initial goal is noble, their overall behavior isn’t commendable in the least.
The lack of characterization and proper emotional connection was most likely intentional - meant to plant a seed of doubt into our minds. We were supposed to question the girls' actions, alibis and motivations. Any one of them could easily be the murderer. In addition, most of the romances were a bit superfluous, nothing more than an unnecessary burden on the narrative.
But even that’s something a more patient reader can easily live with. The biggest issue with Get Even is that it ends with what is basically a cliffhanger. We learn nothing about the murderer(s), nothing about the fate of our protagonists, and not a single thing is actually resolved. The book just ends at a certain point, and while the ending is fairly memorable, it also feels a lot like cheating.
The next book is probably worth picking up, but with caution and a noticeable lack of enthusiasm. Let’s see where it all goes, shall we? We could end up pleasantly surprised.
4.5 stars YA fantasy is one of my favorite (sub)genres, but it’s also the one I’m most picky about. There are examples of almost flawless series everyo4.5 stars YA fantasy is one of my favorite (sub)genres, but it’s also the one I’m most picky about. There are examples of almost flawless series everyone seems to love but me, and then there are some I practically worship and reread all the time. When Snow Like Ashes started being compared to Throne of Glass, I have to admit I was worried. Throne of Glass is one of those books (and even series) that makes me feel like the odd one out –I appreciate it, but I don’t feel compelled to read the next book at all, and even when I do, I tend to be annoyed with the characters and their actions.
While Snow Like Ashes is similar to Throne of Glass in that it’s YA fantasy and that everyone seems to like it, for me, that’s where the similarities end. I had some trouble starting this book (mostly because of my preconceived notions and misgivings), but once it pulled me in, the experience was beautiful and unforgettable. I not only want to read the second book, I would sell my soul to get my hands on it as soon as possible.
The world Raasch created doesn’t have the intricacy of Cashore’s world or the precise beauty of Lumatere, but it is well done and it has so much potential for further development. Eight kingdoms divided into two group of fours – the Seasons and the Rhythms – are ruled by kings and queens with special conduits of magic. Only Winter has no conduit, not since Spring destroyed the kingdom, killed their queen Hannah, and enslaved everyone but a small group of refugees.
Meira is among these refugees, and so is Mather, the rightful heir to the throne. Their small group has been trying to get their conduit back for over 15 years without success, until Meira takes things into her own hands. From the start, Meira is a character we can easily admire and cheer on. She is capable and more than ready to defy authority when needed, and she doesn’t hesitate to put herself in danger if it can somehow help her kingdom. She is one of those heroines that think for themselves at all times, and she doesn’t allow anyone to influence her or tell her what to do. Even when cornered, she finds a way to take control of her own life as much as possible, and this balance she always tries to achieve is what made me like her instantly.
Meira, of course, has been half in love with Mather her whole life, and not only because he’s the only boy her age around. I saw this infatuation as something childish, caused more by circumstances than everything else, and was thrilled when she seemed to outgrow it and let go. There is another boy, of course, a much better boy for our Meira and it is my hope that the story will further take her in his direction and away from childish fantasies.
The pacing of this story is absolutely brilliant. Raasch’s writes like a seasoned author and rarely gives us time to breathe. I can’t even imagine what comes next for Meira, Theron, Mather and the rest, but whatever it is, I’m confident it will be written flawlessly.
The basic outline of Embers is similar to just about every other YA paranormal romance out there. However, once we start reading it and uncov3.5 stars
The basic outline of Embers is similar to just about every other YA paranormal romance out there. However, once we start reading it and uncovering the world Karen Ann Hopkins has created for us, we quickly realize that it has more than enough to make it stand out. By the time we reach the second half, any comparison is long gone from our minds and the originality of Embers, the sheer strangeness, is all that’s left for us to notice.
Yes, Hopkins’ refreshingly original idea is what makes this read truly worthwhile. Her worldbuilding is dark, bold and interesting and her characters far from being black-and-white. In fact, Ember’s romantic interest is basically a soul-eating monster, and still Hopkins found a way to make us sympathize with him and even like him. The paranormal elements in this book are quite different and extraordinary. Don’t make the mistake of dismissing Embers as just another angel book when it’s, in fact, much, much more than that.
Ember is such a likeable character from the start, perhaps a bit timid and antisocial, but more than ready to fight for her beliefs. She is a leader through and through, our Ember, not easily swayed by the popular opinion. I admired her for standing up for what’s right from the start and not being afraid to stand up for herself or someone else when necessary.
However, due to his long life and morally gray existence, I found Sawyer to be a much more interesting character. His struggle to keep what’s left of his humanity was a constant source of tension, and his occasional slips, while rationalized and perhaps even necessary, quite painful for us to read.
The romance, I’m afraid, didn’t work for me at all. It was instalove for Sawyer and instalust for Ember, with some very understandable caution on her part. The timing of things and the progress of their relationship simply didn’t work for me, and even in the end Ember’s reasons for being with him weren’t quite clear and her feelings weren’t believable to me.
Nevertheless, I’d highly recommend Embers to fans of excellent worldbuilding. The ending left me questioning some choices and fearing for Ember’s future, both with Sawyer and among her own kind. I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.
The Weird Girls series has been a constant favorite ever since the prequel novella was released, but The Cursed Bloodline, its fourth (and hopefully nThe Weird Girls series has been a constant favorite ever since the prequel novella was released, but The Cursed Bloodline, its fourth (and hopefully not final) installment left something to be desired. Apparently there’s such a thing as too much violence, even in urban fantasy, because there came a point in the second half of this book where I just felt that enough was enough.
That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy my time with Celia – I honestly did. Being so familiar with a set of characters has its advantages, the most important being the easiness with which we rejoin them every time. Spending time with them is extremely comfortable, and I’m always eager to learn more about their lives. Emme’s heartbreaking story was particularly important in this installment and her quiet strength and elegance provoked a deep sense of admiration in me. Being someone’s second choice, even when that someone holds no blame whatsoever, would break even the strongest of hearts, but Emme held her head high and her dignity intact.
The thing this book sorely lacks, however, that the others had in spades, is structure. There is simply too much of everything – too much violence, too much drama, too many tragedies and far too many miscommunications – to the point where it all became a heavy burden for the narrative that ended up resembling a too vivid patchwork quilt, but without a solid binding to hold it all together. It was quite overwhelming at times, and unnecessarily difficult throughout.
Another very odd move on Robson’s part was that she didn’t give us a chance to witness the big villain’s demise. Since Celia wasn’t completely present for it, we missed it as well, and it was horribly anticlimactic and disappointing. I felt that this huge, important villain, the strongest of them all so far, tortured, killed and maimed, did irreparable damage to both Celia and Aric, only to disappear from one sentence to the next. Disappointing? Why yes, it certainly was.
However, please don’t make the mistake of giving up on this series before you even started. One weak(er) installment aside, this is really good urban fantasy, and definitely worth your time. Make sure to give it a try or you’ll really be missing out.
3.5 stars Fireborn is not my first book by Keri Arthur, but it’s the first one I truly liked. It’s neither paranormal romance nor urban fantasy in thei3.5 stars Fireborn is not my first book by Keri Arthur, but it’s the first one I truly liked. It’s neither paranormal romance nor urban fantasy in their purest form, but a successful blend of the two, with strong UF elements and plenty of romantic interests.
Emberly Pearson, our heroine, is a phoenix, which is certainly new and interesting in both these genres. She is basically immortal. She burns once every century and is reborn from the ashes, free to continue her existence any way she pleases. With each new rebirth she is destined to fall in love just once, but never with Rory, another phoenix and her counterpart, who keeps her grounded and alive.
The thing with me, however, is that I’m a one-man-one-woman kinda gal. I don’t do love triangles, squares or any other shapes or forms, I don’t do multiple love interests and I most definitely don’t deal well with jealousy. It is, therefore, too bad that I constantly get jealous on behalf of my characters. So when my heroine has one counterpart she doesn’t love romantically but has to have sex with in order to survive, one lost-but-never-forgotten love who abandoned her because of said counterpart and one hot, practically irresistible silver-tongued fae vying for her attention, I’m bound to get more than a little uncomfortable. But that’s just me.
The urban fantasy elements however, are very well done, and the plot is extremely tight. Keri Arthur is a seasoned author, and her vast experience shines from every page. She never once loses control of her many characters or her plot and she knows exactly how to steer the reader through her rich and complicated world.
And let me tell you, with vampires and werewolves out in the open and plenty other creatures still hidden from the world, Arthur had a lot to keep track of and it’s very fortunate that she was up to the task. I loved seeing this dark side of Melbourne and I’ll enjoy going back to it every single time. I just hope the romance will be more focused in future installments.
As someone who enjoyed The Queen of the Tearling more than I could possibly put into words, I waited with bated breath for the continuation of Kelsea’As someone who enjoyed The Queen of the Tearling more than I could possibly put into words, I waited with bated breath for the continuation of Kelsea’s story. There was so much left to resolve and so many obvious dangers ahead of this simple yet sharply intelligent heroine. To say that I jumped at the chance to read The Invasion of the Tearling early is somewhat of an understatement. I begged for it and was more than ready to sell some small portion of my soul for it. Unfortunately, I would have paid much more than the book actually deserves.
Most of the criticism for the first book was aimed at its weak worldbuilding. The world we were given was well-built, but the details on how it all came to be were flimsy at best. Tearling may be a fantasy world, but it’s firmly rooted in our own; however, the connection between the two was never properly explained. In The Invasion, Erika Johansen overcompensates by giving us two stories, one in Tearling, and one in a futuristic dystopian version of our own world. The entire novel jumps back and forth between the two, usually at the most inconvenient of times, successfully distancing the readers from both main characters and making the narrative seem choppy and disconnected.
In addition to the extra storyline, Kelsea herself undergoes some serious changes. In The Invasion, she turns into a despicable person, giving us only brief glimpses of that sharp intelligence I admired so much. She becomes a rash, vain girl with only one goal in mind – proving to herself and to others that she’s all grown up. To say that I dislike seeing my heroines so thoroughly and senselessly ruined simply isn’t enough. Everything else that was wrong with this book was forgivable, but the utter ruin of this character was not.
However, at the end of the day, this is a simple truth we need to face: power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We followed a simple forest girl as she turned into a sharp and honest queen, and then into a vain and powerful creature. We haven’t actually seen her redeemed, only partly, but even when she does find her path, I fear that she’s already done some unforgivable mistakes.
Finally, The Invasion of the Tearling wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be, but it deserves some credit for its originality and creativity in worldbuilding. Johansen’s writing is fairly simplistic, but impressively clever as well. Not all is lost, the third book might bring us a once again changed Kelsea and a differently constructed narrative. Let’s hope that it does.
A few years ago, when Kendare Blake first published Anna Dressed in Blood and completely won us over, I never dreamed that her books could become evenA few years ago, when Kendare Blake first published Anna Dressed in Blood and completely won us over, I never dreamed that her books could become even better. Anna was such a spectacular debut that it left very little room for improvement. And yet here we are, in the middle of a new series that is even more beautiful, more mature, written with a surer hand and far greater control over the narrative.
Mortal Gods is exactly what the title suggests – it brings the story of Greek gods divided into two factions and warring among themselves, both groups desperately fighting for survival. Athena leads one side, our side, and Ares leads the other. Their conflicts are merciless and bloody and their only goal is to survive and get revenge.
Just because Athena, Hermes and Odysseus are on our side does not mean that they are in the right. This entire series exists in a morally gray area. Ancient Gods, no matter how well-adapted to our times, have a whole different set of values and moral principles. Human life is not as significant for them, and scruples are often just another word in the dictionary. Even mortal characters like Cassandra and Andy are reincarnations of important mortals from ancient times, and the more they remember their old lives, the more they adapt to the gods’ way of thinking.
Still, one can’t help but feel sympathy for a physically weakened Athena while she coughs out feathers from her lungs, or our poor, likeable Hermes, who eats and eats and eats, but is never full or strong like he used to be. The torture of each god is highly symbolic. For instance, according to the legend, Athena once punished her crow familiar by turning his beautiful white feathers to black and now she is tortured by feathers sprouting painfully from her body. Hermes, god of feasts and banquets (among other things) is never sated and he’s getting thinner by the day.
While Cassandra grieves and despairs, Athena and Odysseus are dancing around each other, never quite reaching a common ground. The love of these two is so painfully obvious, and yet there are so many barriers between them, far too many things that stand in the way of their true feelings, Athena’s pride among them.
Mortal Gods is even darker and bloodier than Antigoddess, which is no small thing, believe me. Blake is known for the vivid imagery she creates with seeming ease. Her descriptions are always detailed and precise, and the emotional reactions she provokes are off the charts. She always achieves the desired effect, be it sympathy, horror or even disgust.
Paula Brackston’s Witch series is actually a series of standalones, with each book set in a different time period, but united by a common theme: a youPaula Brackston’s Witch series is actually a series of standalones, with each book set in a different time period, but united by a common theme: a young witch struggling to find her place. After 17th century England and 19th century Wales, Brackston now takes us to visit the high society of Edwardian England.
At the center of the story is Lilith, a Duke’s daughter and a powerful witch. Lilith’s father just died, and while her brother inherited the title, Lilith inherited something much more important – his position as the Head Witch of the Lazarus Coven, as well as his backbone and his ability to keep the family together. Lilith is young, but she is both powerful and smart, level-headed and emotionally strong. One can help but admire her as she makes the decisions that affect more than just herself and the two men in her life.
At its very center, The Midnight Witch is a story about good vs. evil, but Brackston manages to turn this very basic concept into a truly captivating story. While there are admittedly some inconsistencies in the plot, there is emotional resonance from the opening moments of the story, and the characters are extremely relatable.
If possible, Brackston’s writing is even more elegant than before, combining deep emotionality and superb quality of prose. Even with third person multiple perspectives narrative, by far my least favorite, Brackston keeps a tight rein on her POV characters, never allowing them to take control or blend together. Her narrative mode almost takes us back to European literary realism, albeit with far stronger emotional attachments between us and the characters.
I don’t read historical fiction that often, magical realism or not, but if more authors wrote it like Paula Brackston does, that would change in a heartbeat. These books can be read in any order, so check them all out and see what sounds best, but don’t let them slip by you. They are not to be missed.
2.5 stars Having just recently finished Altered, I more or less knew what to expect from the sequel. Both books are excellent for when I’m otherwise pr2.5 stars Having just recently finished Altered, I more or less knew what to expect from the sequel. Both books are excellent for when I’m otherwise preoccupied: fast-paced, romantic and extremely easy to follow.
Despite its high entertainment value, Erased is chock full of issues. Unfortunately, it’s even more predictable than the previous novel, its every single twist and turn visible from a mile away. The predictability doesn’t matter too much when combined with such rapid pacing, but a few surprises along the way would have been nice anyway.
Even in Altered, I found Anna’s relationship with Sam, her older sister’s ex-boyfriend, extremely creepy, especially because neither of them could really remember Anna’s sister. In Erased, the creepy factor has increased tenfold, to the point that really made me uncomfortable. Both Anna and Sam’s memories have been wiped far too many times and their history is too complicated to allow for a healthy relationship. Instead of making me swoon, I was a bit weirded out by it.
I did enjoy Nick’s much bigger role in this book, even when he was being his usual obnoxious self. Despite guessing his part in Anna’s childhood traumas extremely early, I still liked seeing him realize the depth of their relationship. Funny, lighthearted Cas remains the only source of comic relief, his significance in the main story arc minor, but his importance for the fans and the overall picture monumental.
All things considered, this is not a series I’d recommend for a more demanding reader. It’s fun and the writing is pretty decent (though nothing to write home about), but don’t expect a life-changing reading experience.
Clean Sweep was first published on Ilona Andrews’ website as a serialized online novel, entirely for free. Serial novels seem to be rapidly growing inClean Sweep was first published on Ilona Andrews’ website as a serialized online novel, entirely for free. Serial novels seem to be rapidly growing in popularity, but in many ways, Clean Sweep is still a novelty. What makes it different from other serial novels is the high level of reader–writer interaction. Since it was published by Ilona and Gordon themselves, on their website, and not by a big publishing house (St. Martin’s and Penguin in particular have taken to publishing serial novels), readers were allowed to comment and their comments were taken into consideration.
This type of writing had to have been extremely stressful for the authors since it doesn’t come with a rewind button. Once something is posted, it can’t be un-posted and if it later proves to be detrimental to the plot, they just have to find a way to work around it. On the other hand, since every part has to bring something of import, the pacing is tight and basically flawless.
Once again, Ilona and Gordon put their vast imaginations and their impressive knowledge on all things mythological to very good use. Clean Sweep is full of wonderful surprises, interesting (and horrifying) creatures, and faraway worlds. Theirs is not a worldbuilding done pro forma, it is thorough and quite remarkable.
Dina is an innkeeper, a young girl in charge of a magical inn. The inn is supposed to be neutral ground for all alien species, and it’s Dina’s job to keep everyone calm and safe. As the daughter of two innkeepers who have gone missing a few years back, Dina takes her job – and her neutrality – very seriously, but when something starts threatening her small community, she can’t stop herself from getting involved.
With pretty much everything about this book close to perfect, something somewhere had to go wrong… and it did, with the love triangle that somehow reared its ugly head. Admittedly, it’s not a real, fully developed, angsty LT. It’s pretty much clear who Dina wants to be with. But the very existence of it, no matter how mild, pretty much ruined the romance for me. And just like always, Ilona and Andrew are taking their sweet time with Dina’s romantic interest; rushed relationships aren’t a part of their repertoire.
Book two has been announced for early 2014, published exactly the same way, with an extra person to moderate the comments. I needed Clean Sweep to wash away the bitter disappointment that was Magic Rises and to restore my faith in Ilona and Gordon – and lo and behold, that is exactly what it did.
Sometimes it’s nice to start a book knowing exactly what to expect: good parts, bad parts and all. The Naturals is a pretty simple, straightforward boSometimes it’s nice to start a book knowing exactly what to expect: good parts, bad parts and all. The Naturals is a pretty simple, straightforward book. A single review should tell you pretty much everything you need to know about it, and you should be able to judge right away whether it’s something you’ll enjoy.
It is part murder mystery and part teen love triangle drama, so I think it’s safe to say there’s something in it for everyone. Personally, I can’t stand love triangles at the best of times and I thought this one was particularly badly executed, but I’m certain that the readers who usually enjoy them will feel differently and get very invested in the romance, one way or the other.
For me, the serial killer part was part was what saved this book, a least in part. Nothing could quite make up for the torturous and rather pointless love triangle, but I was completely captivated by the mystery and I failed to guess the identity of the killer until the very end. I don’t usually appreciate chapters from the killer’s point of view, although they are inherent to the murder mystery genre, but in this case, I felt they were done remarkably well.
It’s extremely hard to determine whether The Naturals is a paranormal book or not, and yet, I am inclined to think not. The talents these kids have seem to be precisely that – extraordinary talents, but all within range of realistic human capacity, or just beyond. Instead of being bothered by this uncertainty, I found it refreshing and rather intriguing, especially Leah’s lie detecting abilities.
The narrator, Amber Faith, has one of those soft, indistinct voices that are pleasant enough, I suppose, but don’t really stand out in any way. She struggled a bit with voice characterization, especially for male characters, but overall, she falls somewhere around the middle: nothing about her narration rubbed me the wrong way, but I wouldn’t rush to buy a book narrated by her.
All in all, I don’t regret spending 8 hours listening to this book and I’ll likely even pick up the sequel once it becomes available, but while The Naturals was an entertaining read, spectacular it was not.
One should really be able to trust a blurb by someone as brilliant as Elizabeth Wein, but apparently, that’s really not the case. Sekret is a book thaOne should really be able to trust a blurb by someone as brilliant as Elizabeth Wein, but apparently, that’s really not the case. Sekret is a book that held so much promise, with a story about young psychic spies in Soviet Russia blackmailed into working for the KGB. And yet somehow, it ended up being my biggest disappointment of the year so far, made even worse by my extremely high expectations.
I can’t really fault Lindsay Smith or the publisher for false advertizing. We were promised a story about psychic spies in a very interesting historical setting, and that’s exactly what this book is. What’s more, it is clearly extremely well-researched and even thrilling, at least at first.
The problem, for me, was the emotional aspect of this book. Sekret reminded me of a delicious treat tightly wrapped in cellophane: I could see, but not touch or smell or taste or feel in any other significant way. When I try to pinpoint a reason for it, it all comes down to Yulia. Sekret desperately needed a stronger, clearer heroine, someone with far more character and strength. She should have been the light leading us through this horrible and dark story, but instead, we ended up blundering in the dark right alongside her.
So unlike Elizabeth Wein, who says that this beautiful novel left her aching, I was left severely disappointed, hoping that this young author with so much potential might do better next time.
As a book reviewer, I sometimes have to struggle very hard to keep even a semblance of objectivity. With some books it’s easy: I either get a combinatAs a book reviewer, I sometimes have to struggle very hard to keep even a semblance of objectivity. With some books it’s easy: I either get a combination of technical excellence and great chemistry between myself and the story, or there’s an unfortunate lack of both. But sometimes, a book is technically good, with very little I can objectively criticize, but there’s no chemistry to speak of. In other words, it’s written fairly well, but I don’t like it. Born of Deception is one such book.
Anna van Hausen’s story intrigued me greatly in Born of Illusion. Combined with Teri Brown’s excellent writing, it made for an excellent read, perhaps one of my favorites in 2013. Needless to say, I waited with bated breath for my advanced copy of Born of Deception to arrive, but the initial reviews that preceded it had me worried that it wasn’t quite up to snuff.
The biggest letdown wasn’t the story or the pacing, it was Anna’s relationship with Cole. Like everyone else in the known universe, I adored these two in the previous book, but this time they just didn’t fit together very well, and their lack of communication combined with Cole’s reluctance to show his feelings made me doubt that they should be together at all. By the end I still wasn’t convinced that these two were right for each other, and the final chapter did absolutely nothing to ease my worries.
Adding a love triangle to a relationship that’s already shaky didn’t go very far toward endearing this book to me. I despise love triangles at the best of times, but having one so poorly constructed, with no other purpose than to put even more distance between Anna and Cole, made me extremely uncomfortable. I liked Billy a lot, but I never really considered him to be a true love interest, just a means to an end.
However, I enjoyed the rest of the story. While the villain was painfully obvious almost from the start, the crimes were gruesome enough that I didn’t particularly mind. After all, I had death curses, exsanguinations, powerful mages and a very large group of Sensitives like Anna to entertain me. Anna faced a formidable enemy in this book, and her abilities weren’t all that helpful in this case. In the end, she had to rely on others to stay alive, and unfortunately, Cole wasn’t really among them.
Since Anna moved to London to work on her own show and be with Cole, Born of Deception introduced a number of new characters, most of them really interesting. I loved seeing Anna on her own in a new city, she was able to prove that she’s more than capable of taking care of herself.
As far as I can tell, this is the second part of a duology, but it felt vastly unfinished to me. I don’t have to have a neatly tied ending, but in this case, far too many things were left open, which made me uncomfortable. I hope we’ll get at least a novella that will clear things up a bit.
2.5 stars I love that the New Adult genre is starting to stray a bit from the usual format. I’ve stopped reading it altogether because of its repetitiv2.5 stars I love that the New Adult genre is starting to stray a bit from the usual format. I’ve stopped reading it altogether because of its repetitive, formulaic nature, but Trouble Comes Knocking seemed different from the start, which is why I decided to give it a chance. Romance is an important part of this story, but it’s not at the forefront. The characters here are young and Lucy still lives with her aunt, but she is out of college, and so are her friends/romantic interests. They have already started living their adult lives.
Lucy is someone I could have liked a lot, were she sufficiently developed as a character, but she wasn’t. The length of the story, which is somewhere between a novella and a full length novel, made proper development of characters and plot virtually impossible. The only thing that was fully developed (which I suppose says enough about the planning of this narrative) was the dreaded love triangle. Lucy has feelings for two men – one she’s allowed to be with, and one she’s not. What bothered me was that she started having feelings for both of them in a matter of days, which made me doubt the quality and intensity of those feelings. It was, however, clear who she really wanted to be with, but that didn’t make me feel any better at all.
The story constantly jumped back and forth in time, between Lucy’s questioning at the police station, and past events she was being questioned about. These jumps happened without any kind of warning, which made them a bit awkward and exhausting at first. Even when it’s well done, it is a narrative technique that never works for me, and it didn’t work now. I would have much preferred a linear story.
The last 10% opened up a whole new story for Lucy, a mystery that will probably be pursued in the next book. I doubt I’ll read it myself, but I might change my mind once it’s out. If I do, I hope I’ll get a better understanding of these characters; wasted potential always makes me so sad.
Maja (The Nocturnal Library)
>
Books:
annoying-love-triangle
(108)
Loading...
