A stunning finish to this beautiful duology! Where do I start?!? I adore Razhar and so love that he is a POV character in this one. Finding out the seA stunning finish to this beautiful duology! Where do I start?!? I adore Razhar and so love that he is a POV character in this one. Finding out the secrets he’s been keeping had me feeling all the feels. So did El and Lystra and their finally (FINALLY) admitting and acting on their feelings. Each character’s arc is solid and so very satisfying, and I cried at least three times as the Jarkins, the curse, the secrets, and grandma’s plotting all came to a head. Do not miss this duology!...more
Banschbach has done it again! I’m not huge into military fiction, so while I knew I'd love the characters (duh, it's C.M. Banschbach!), I wasn’t sure Banschbach has done it again! I’m not huge into military fiction, so while I knew I'd love the characters (duh, it's C.M. Banschbach!), I wasn’t sure how I’d like the plot of this one, but dang! Kept me on the edge of my seat as plot and character arcs collided! Great stakes and fascinating world. I so loved Cieran’s arc as he struggles with the PSTD and stuffing away his grief for his former teammates, and the heartbond had me alternately laughing and melting throughout. I’m so excited to continue this series and get to know the rest of this team better! On to Faultline!...more
A magnificent story of choosing to live when it seems only death surrounds you. With complex heroes, despicable villains, and secrets around every corA magnificent story of choosing to live when it seems only death surrounds you. With complex heroes, despicable villains, and secrets around every corner, Queen Of Shifting Sands is a book you don’t want to miss!
A few other things to convince you to read it: - marriage of convenience - disability representation (wheelchair-bound MMC) - brothers in bond - slow-burn romance - cursed royalty - cardants (desert dragons!) - Razhar (I can't help it, he's my favorite)...more
A stellar sequel! I so loved getting to follow Gered as he tries to reintegrate into a healthy community, as well as Dayo back at the Barracks. Of couA stellar sequel! I so loved getting to follow Gered as he tries to reintegrate into a healthy community, as well as Dayo back at the Barracks. Of course Laramie is back too (and I still adore her!), but while the first book was primarily her story, this book is Gered's. And, of course, Roshe is back and bad as ever. This book deals with the the same gritty world as the first book, but I would say that this book has even more hope woven into it than the first, even as Gered journeys through PTSD. Healing is hard, but it is also beautiful. Well done, C.M. Banschbach!...more
I enjoyed this book almost as much as the first, blazing through the audiobook in two days' time! Great MC who struggles and learns, the plot was a biI enjoyed this book almost as much as the first, blazing through the audiobook in two days' time! Great MC who struggles and learns, the plot was a bit slower than the first book but still riveting, and the commentary on sexism and racism was challenging without, I felt, getting too preachy.
The reason I'm rating this as a half-star lower than the last was that in the middle section I felt so sad. I wasn't sure why (there's tragedy in the book, yes, but I knew that wasn't it) until Elma realized that she didn't have any friends among the crew. Watching her go through her struggles alone for so long weighed down my empathic heart. Not a problem with the story by any means, but it lessened my personal enjoyment factor for quite a few chapters.
The same content warning as for the last book applies, with more scenes talking about sex and fewer actual scenes (still all fade-to-black), and a similar amount of f-bombs....more
I think this is the fastest I've ever breezed through a contemporary novel. It's not my normal cup of tea (or coffee, really). But man, did I love thiI think this is the fastest I've ever breezed through a contemporary novel. It's not my normal cup of tea (or coffee, really). But man, did I love this book! Great for content creators and fandom geeks, has a lovely cinnamon roll romance, and touches on mental health (trigger warning for thoughts of suicide). It's a book I know I'll want to read again and soon!...more
A solid continuation of the series, with many reveals that make me excited to know how it all ends (and to read the in-between novellas I just found oA solid continuation of the series, with many reveals that make me excited to know how it all ends (and to read the in-between novellas I just found out about! On to Sunreach!). I love how Sanderson weaves mental health into all of his books (or, at least, all of the ones I've read so far), this one dealing with grief and the importance of holding onto relationship. And M-bot is still my favorite AI character I've ever read ...more
A thrilling conclusion to the duology. Chivalrous heroes, strong heroine, despicable villains, hurt and healing, finding strength in the midst of weakA thrilling conclusion to the duology. Chivalrous heroes, strong heroine, despicable villains, hurt and healing, finding strength in the midst of weakness and brokenness, and a beautiful romance—this book kept me enthralled to the end!...more
This book started out slow for me, but man, what a finish! I love the examination of grief and other deep, "shadow-y" emotions and the effects of bottThis book started out slow for me, but man, what a finish! I love the examination of grief and other deep, "shadow-y" emotions and the effects of bottling them up, allowing oneself to feel them, and never allowing yourself to let go of them. Peter's growth in this book was especially great, and getting to explore Neverland, even its shadow-y version, was wonderful. If you liked Dust, I think you will love Shadow!...more
UPDATE: Read for a second time (this time via audiobook) and I still love the heart in this book! A line near the end even made me tear up when the auUPDATE: Read for a second time (this time via audiobook) and I still love the heart in this book! A line near the end even made me tear up when the author/narrator read it. ...more
4.5 stars. Wow! Just, wow! I don't read sci-fi very often (I like to watch sci-fi more than read it), and I am really not a fan of historical fiction,4.5 stars. Wow! Just, wow! I don't read sci-fi very often (I like to watch sci-fi more than read it), and I am really not a fan of historical fiction, but this blend of the two was sooooo good! Basic premise—what if the movie Hidden Figures were set just after a meteorite has hit the earth and started a 50-year countdown to extinction? Then mix in mental health rep (MC with anxiety disorder) and some some stellar (ha!) action sequences (MC is also a pilot in addition to being a mathematician/physicist)! I just finished the audiobook and literally immediately downloaded the sequel so I could keep going. Also also, the author read the book and did a phenomenal job of it, complete with character voices and accents. Great book!
Content warning: our MC is very happily married (also an awesome part of the story—I so love how supportive the husband is) and there are multiple fade-to-black scenes with innuendo leading up that did make me blush a bit. If I were reading on the page, I would have skimmed or skipped those parts, but that is far harder to do in audio format. If that would make you feel uncomfortable, I suggest reading the physical / ebook version. Also, there are infrequent uses of the f-bomb. That didn't really bother me because it was used sparingly and only when really bad things happened (aka, NOT just to put artificial grittiness into the book), but I know it will bother some readers....more
A beautiful story about a chatty human princess who suddenly is married off to a reserved elf prince to establish an alliance between their peoples. OA beautiful story about a chatty human princess who suddenly is married off to a reserved elf prince to establish an alliance between their peoples. One thing I adore about this series (besides the couple themselves) is the way Essie chooses to respond to less than great circumstances. Repeatedly, she chooses joy over sadness and fear, chooses to press forward despite the hatred directed at her by some of the elves, chooses to ensure her marriage is beneficial to her people even if love isn’t an option for her (spoiler alert, it is). And Farrendel is precious. The end....more
Note from the author: This short story is a special freebie for readers either interested in checking out my writing style, or for those who have alreNote from the author: This short story is a special freebie for readers either interested in checking out my writing style, or for those who have already read Songflight and want to know a bit of Alísa's backstory. Get for FREE here: ...more
3.5 Stars. Dust was a good book. The writing is wonderful—thoughtful with just enough flowery prose to be beautiful but not enough to get me bogged do3.5 Stars. Dust was a good book. The writing is wonderful—thoughtful with just enough flowery prose to be beautiful but not enough to get me bogged down by it. The sheer whimsy throughout the story was beautiful and fun, and the main characters' inner struggles kept me invested in them. I also loved Tiger Lily—what a queen!
I liked the beginning of this book, and I loved the ending, but the middle was rough for me—I had to push to get myself through it. This is due solely to the very large presence of a trope I despise: the "you'll hate me if I tell you the truth, so I'm going to pretend to be someone I'm not in order to earn your trust first" trope. If you don't hate this trope, you'll be fine and have a great time. If you do hate this trope, you'll probably have a hard time in the middle like I did.
Despite the trope, though, the beauty, the whimsy, and the characters themselves kept me going until I hit the last act and couldn't put the book down. I look forward to reading the second book and discovering the answers to all of the mysteries that book one opened up....more
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