Endless Knight by Kresley ColeEndless Knight picks up right where Poison Princess leaves off...almost like it's part of one giant book that they cut in half at the end of a climactic chapter. This second installment in The Arcana Chronicles is excellent...maybe even better than the first book. Endless Knight delves deeper into the world After the Flash and introduces the reader to more Arcana Cards ready to do battle. I wonder if I liked Endless Knight better because you see less of Jackson in it? Oh, Jackson (or "Jack" as he's suddenly called in this book) is still there, no worries...but the focus is definitely on Death - when will Death show up/who is Death/what will Death do to Evie when he gets her/etc? Cole did a great job of creating a sympathetic figure...Death seemed to fall into the gray area of bad, but not quite bad. While we're at it...let's point out the elephant in the room. Evie definitely has a type she goes for, doesn't she? This shouldn't be a huge spoiler since you can see the cover art and all...but inPoison Princess it's all about Jackson...now we are intoEndless Knight and she's easily distracted by Death and their previous history. Yep...Kresley Cole has implemented the tried and true (and tired?) trick of young adult love triangle. So, let's go ahead and pick teams now...are you Team Jackson or Team Death? I know a lot of people are sick of the YA Love Triangle, but it doesn't seem to be a weary plot point in this story. Both guys are sympathetic enough that you can root for either of them and still feel bad that the other guy is going to lose out. I'm curious to see where Cole will take The Arcana Chronicles. This next bit might be a spoiler so stop reading now if you aren't interested in my hypothesis... Seriously - you've been warned - potential spoiler ahead. Ok - so I did notice the one line thrown into this book about the Card that doesn't know he/she is a Card until he/she kills another Major Arcana. Pretty sure that will be Jackson. And I think Jackson will turn out to be the Sun Card. Evie as the Empress is attracted to Death because he is her antithesis...yet, the Sun is what would make the Empress (ie. life) grow and flourish...so the Sun seems like it might be the right choice. I guess we shall see. Going to give this one five stars because it was a great read that stuck with me even after the last page was read. Can't wait for number three! Rating:
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There is a lot of love out there for Angelfall. I think it's well-deserved love.Angelfall is one of those books that hooks you by its bat wings and drags you along for all 247 pages until you finish and go "whoah!". It's compulsively readable and so fast-paced you feel like you are sprinting away from the killer angels right along with Penryn. So you may be asking - if you liked it and if it's such a readable book...why knock it down two stars? It lost a star because it was just too short. Yes, 247 pages is not enough for this book. It easily could have had another hundred pages to flesh out the world and the situations Penryn and Raffe found themselves embroiled within. Because the book IS so readable and fast-paced, it felt like I was flying by each plot point within the book. I know it's set in a modern-ish world, but I still felt like more world-building and more building up of the plot could have really made this book a lot more satisfying. It also lost a star because there wasn't much character development. It's hard to feel anything for a romance or for a character's suffering when you hardly know the character. I think the lack of character development may have been a result of the book being too short...again, another 100 pages would have allowed Ee to really establish the characters. As it stands, I could really care less whether Penryn recovers her sister and/or she gets together with Raffe. *shrugs* Don't get me wrong - I really enjoyed this book. Despite my ambivalence towards the characters and their plights, I already went out and got my hands on the second installment. It really does deserve all the love it's been receiving as well - it's one of those books that makes you scratch your head at publishers wondering why they chose to pass on this gem. It's always great to see an indie book make such a huge splash. Bottom line - check out Angelfall. While I may have not liked its shortness and/or lack of character development, I am definitely in the minority. It's a fun, quick read with an interesting premise Rating:How do you know you have been reading too many Weather Warden books lately? Why, when you are driving home from a relative's Christmas party in the middle of a big thunderstorm and you think "wow - there must be major conflict between the Wardens or the Djinn...", of course. Ok, not really. But I did just drive through a storm and the thought "Weather/Earth/Fire Wardens and Djinn - what an excellent premise for a series!" did go through my head. Windfall is the fourth installment in the Weather Wardens series. I'm not going to rehash the plotline because, frankly, this is one of those series that you pretty muchhave to read in order. And, really, the whole series so far has been pretty formulaic - there's trouble, Joanne (main character) is caught up in it and looks to her lover Djinn, David, to save the day...something probably happens to prevent/limit David's power and Joanne is forced to take the lead and something really bad happens to Joanne in the process and/or she loses David or David's bottle...but, she manages to pull through and then the book ends with something big problem looming on the horizon that is just big enough to make you want to go pull the next book in the series to find out how Joanne will beat the odds yet again. Sounds tiring, doesn't it? But, surprisingly, it isn't tiring or redundant. Each of the four books I have read so far have been enjoyable, quick reads. The fashion sense and some of the other things are starting to show their age (I think Windfall is turning 9 years old this year?), but other than that, I have found the series to be a fun read. Plus, there are NO vampires. NO werewolves. NO other overused fae/paranormal/fantastical creature. No, this book has Djinn. And that's a win in my book. The only negative that dropped this one down to 4 stars for me was that there seemed to be a lot of filler and set up interspersed with random bursts of rapid-fire plotline. I would have preferred something a little more balanced to make the in-between parts less draggy. And the villains were projected from the beginning...Joanne kept stumbling through the story clueless about who the bad guy(s) were which I found implausible considering they pretty much had flashing neon signs with arrows pointing to them as "VILLAIN!!". Ah well. Still really enjoyed this one...still really enjoy the series. Like the cover blurb says - you'll never look at the Weather Channel the same again! Rating:I have been putting off reading this book for some reason. Maybe I am overloaded on vampires? What I was *not* aware of, was how long the book had been out...I read the 10th anniversary copy of the book! That's some staying power... All that to say, I don't know why I put it off - it was really enjoyable! It's a fast-paced story written in an engaging writing style which makes it a pretty quick read. At first I was concerned because I just didn't like Anita Blake. She struck me as a self-righteous...well...bitch. And I am still on the fence as to whether she is or she isn't one. But as I read the story I found myself warming up to her quite a bit. She definitely has some flaws which can ultimately make a character interesting. There are about a million books in this series...don't know how far along I will get in the series before I throw the towel in, but as of right now? Bring on the next installment! 4.5 gnomes out of 5 Rating:Dragon Bound by Thea HarrisonFINALLY. That was my reaction about a third of the way into the book --> Finally, it looks as though I have found a series that a) branches away from the typical vampire/werewolf plot line that permeates the genre and b) is written in a style that doesn't irritate the crap out of me. I have a few dragon/shifter books on my to-read list...but this was the first one of the field that I have read. And I loved it! It's steamy and seems to be the start of a really interesting world. It's not just dragons that shift in this series -- it's all the fae creatures you could ever imagine...from gargoyles to gryphons to whatever. And to top it all off, there are Elves! I love me some elves. Not like Santa's Elves...think more like Tolkien, Forgotten Realms, or Dragonlance elves. Dragon Bound starts the Elder Races series which, you guessed it, encompasses all the fantasy races. There's definitely plenty of material here - Thea Harrison could keep writing this series for quite a while and she has enough variety within the fantasy races alone to keep things fresh and interesting. The plot of Dragon Bound was interesting...the romance steamy (but pretty typical if I'm being honest). Was it predictable? Maybe a little...I should have figured out what Pia shifted into before it happened. In fact, the page before Pia shifted I guessed what she was. I predicted the end of the book as well...BUT the other factors of the story/characters/plot made it compulsively readable so I didn't really care that it echoed of other stories I may have read. Thea Harrison has a very readable style to her writing. The story flows smoothly and it's not filled with annoying sayings or choppy plot like other well-known authors/books in the field. Dragon Bound definitely caters to the Alpha Male storyline too. There's a positive review from J.R. Ward on the cover recommending it to fans of the Black Dagger Brotherhood - she's right. There's definitely a similar vibe both in character style and series set up (if that makes sense?. Wrath is to the BDB as Dragos is to the Elder Races. All in all --> 4.5 gnomes...rounded up to 5 because I am excited to read where this series will go! [Read Dec. 2013] Rating:Atlantis Rising by Alyssa DayUm. I wanted to like it. I really did It has good reviews on Goodreads and the premise seemed interesting. I just couldn't stand the writing style. This may be one I come back to later, though. The premise seems too good to let go so easily... So, until we meet again, Atlantis Rising, until we meet again. [Read Dec. 2013] Rating:Where has half of November gone already? Life has been busy, but I've managed to squeeze a couple books in...not many more than that, though. Seems like each day something gets added to December's plate, so hopefully I can still manage to fit some reading time into things! The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. JemisinI think I may have found a new favorite author! The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin was excellent. The second installment of the Inheritance Trilogy, The Broken Kingdoms follows a blind artist, Oree Shoth, in the years following the conclusion of the first book - The One Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Oree is in the middle of an on and off again romance with a godling when a dangerous new cult catches a whiff of her magical abilities. To add to the troubles, godlings are murdered across the city and it's up to Oree and her mysterious new friend "Shiny" to not only escape the cult's clutches but to put a stop to whoever is murdering the godlings. To be honest, I was slightly concerned about Jemisin following another heroine in book number two. I was unsure if I would find the new heroine as engaging as Yeine. While she still makes appearances in The Broken Kingdoms, Yeine is not really integral to the plot line. This is definitely Oree Shoth's book. Once I got used to that fact, the book really took off for me. I found the story engaging and the writing style very similar to the style of the first. The world building subtly evolved and grew. I did find that I didn't get as wrapped up in this installment as I did in the One Hundred Thousand Kingdoms...which is why this one got four gnomes as opposed to the full five. I think the reason for that was I just found Yeine's storyline more engrossing. Oree still had her fascinating points, however, and she was definitely a great subject. I am looking forward to wrapping up the trilogy...hopefully it reaches a satisfying conclusion. [Read Nov. 2013] Rating:The Poison Princess by Kresley ColeI really enjoyed this one! I think it's safe to say that it's my favorite "dystopian" genre book at the moment. In a humongoid nutshell, Evie is a tormented teen who discovers that she is part of a group of young adults who embody the various Tarot cards. It's up to Evie and the other young adults to either destroy the world or save it. This book was immensely readable and hard to put down. I'm still on the fence about Cole's Immortals After Dark series...but I wanted to give the YA book a try. I'm glad I did. This book definitely has a different flavor than the IAD series. The only things that kept me from ranking it a full five gnomes were the male lead and the annoying way Cole phonetically wrote out words in a Cajun accent. Jack Deveraux? Yeah, he's a douchebag. I may be showing my age here, but to watch him think with his "other" head for just about the whole book and then see Evie justify it away time after time after time...yeah, no. That just doesn't fly. Hopefully he redeems himself in the next book...otherwise, I am going to root for the other dude in the inevitable love triangle that is to come. Evie was on track to be annoying, but like I figured - she came into her own by the end of the book. Hopefully she doesn't backtrack in book number two just to win JD back...'cause, girlfriend - he ain't worth it! [Read Nov. 2013] Rating:Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie AlenderWith a title like "Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer", how can you **not** read this book? Colette Iselin is going on the trip of a lifetime - Paris with her fellow French class francophiles. After her folks go through a nasty divorce, Colette is struggling to keep her social standing up to par by making nice with the popular (if mean) girls in the class. When the class arrives in France, Colette is confronted with the sticky dynamics of doing what she wants to do (doing the tourist-y things and making eyes at the charming French tourguide, Jules) and what her popular friends want to do (go to all the en vogue night clubs and attempt to snag a sexy, French hunk). Oh, and to make the situation all that much more complicated, the ghost of Marie Antoinette has been killing off wealthy French socialites and it looks like Colette may be next on her list. I thought this was a delightful read! Light and fluffy with a good dash of the murderous paranormal as well. This book fits solidly within the realm of YA - there's plenty of teenage angst/boy drama to go around. With the understanding that it's a young adult book, I found it to be well-written and entertaining, if slightly predictable. I refuse to think any deeper on the book (I was a history major/French language minor in college) lest I focus on the ridiculous...Marie Antoinette as a serial killer? A secret order of French nobles sworn to protect the throne? Um...lol. Understanding that this is a light and fun read and going into the story with that mentality will help a lot in how enjoyable one finds the story. At the end of the book, it's a good piece of escapist Young Adult paranormal fiction. I enjoyed the book and now must bid it adieu. [Read Oct. 2013] Rating:A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley ColeI don't even know how to begin writing a review of this book. Let's just say that it was not my cup of tea...but I knew it probably wouldn't be when I picked up the book. In this first installment of the Immortals After Dark series, Kresley Cole introduces us to Emmaline - a half Valkyrie/half vampire young woman who is trying to break free from her sheltered past and learn more about her mysterious parentage. We also meet Lachlain - the uber macho king of the Lykae (werewolves) who has just recently escaped his own personal hell created for him by the king of the vampires. When Lachlain "scents" Emma and recognizes her as his mate, he swoops in and kidnaps her to his Scottish castle and attempts to woo her. Emma is not so easily swayed, however, and with the king of the vampires hunting them both down, things start to get interesting. Or not interesting. Depends on what you're into, I guess? Let me be frank - I only read the book because I spotted a book further down the Immortals After Dark reading list that I wanted to read and I *hate* jumping into a series in the middle. So, I picked up this installment which I think is the first in the series (there may be a novella that gives a prelude to the series? I don't know - Haven't read that one...) simply because it was the first story. I read the back...read some reviews on the book...and determined pretty quickly that this would not be one of my faves. I was right. Kidnapping? Yeah...no. Attempted rape? Yeah...SO not into that. Caveman-ish Alpha Male? Yeah...not into that either. More rape? Still not ok with that. Annoying heroine? Yeah...not into that. How about some more rape/rape attempts? ........... I just felt uncomfortable reading this book. Lachlain was a little to dominant male for me and he definitely attempted some sexual acts without Emma's permission or consent. That's not ok...even if she "eventually gives in" or if he overpowers her and she "discovers" that she likes it...I would still argue that's rape since she initially said NO. The big sexy scene in the story starts with Emma trying to run AWAY from Lachlain...to escape her kidnapper...and then he catches her, overpowers her, and off they go like bunnies. She ends up having a grand ol' time...but to start out with her trying to flee her kidnapper and then just being like, "Well...the Instinct has kicked in so now it's ok to have sex" - yeah, not ok for me. Because of the over-playing of the caveman alpha male and the weak, submissive female, I felt the characters were rather two-dimensional. (spoiler alert...you've been warned...) Even when Emma has a pretty kick-ass moment toward the end of the story, it fell kind of flat. I was more intrigued with some of the side characters which I think will get their own books...so maybe there's still hope that I'll make it to that book later in the series I wanted to read. I am going to give the next few books a try in the hopes that things get better. We shall see... [Read Oct. 2013] Rating:Have you ever read a book that you enjoyed so much you didn't want it to end? Or how about reading a book that was so big and in-depth that you weren't sure what to do when it was over? That's kind of how I feel post-Styxx. Incredible book...incredible story...so where do I go from here? Styxx by Sherrilyn KenyonAbout a third of the way through this beast of a book an earworm of a song just started playing over and over in my head. Ever heard Don Henley's song "Dirty Laundry"? The chorus goes like this: "Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em all around" So yeah - that's what this book was. Kick Styxx while he's up...kick Styxx while he's down...kick Styxx all around. For about 800 of the 836 pages that's pretty much the gist of it. I was so excited to see this book because a) whenever Kenyon writes a huge novel like this I know I'm probably going to like it because she can take her time developing the characters and plot and b) she finally went back to the "normal" Dark Hunter world (ie. Acheron/New Orleans/ect...) and I was craving that after the last few novels being set in Las Vegas/the West with a different pantheon of gods. And a word of warning right here --> there's a lot (and I mean a LOT) of rape in this book. It's brutal. I was prepared for Styxx to go through crap because all Kenyon's male characters go through crap...but Styxx goes through a whole new level of crap that I wasn't prepared for the brutality of it all. Just a warning. Also - I would not read this book out of order...at the very least read Acheron's book first. If you read some of the other DH books about "big" characters (ie. Katra/Sin, Talon, etc...) I think it will help in understanding the over-arching picture. Sherrilyn Kenyon and I have a hit or miss relationship - I enjoy the Dark Hunter world and I want to enjoy *all* of her books. The problem is that some of the books just seem like something she fired off to her publisher with nary a second thought. The writing can be spotty and the characters a little "meh". Kenyon's writing style isn't my favorite either as some of her word/phrase choices often throw me out of the story. Then came the book about Acheron which I just really loved. I loved Acheron - it was an in-depth book about a complex character and Kenyon really spelled out his entire story and didn't skimp on the details. Acheron was a good mix of romance and plot - I loved it. She has done the same thing with Acheron's brother, Styxx. When you read Acheron's book, you leave with a hatred of Styxx. When you read Styxx's story you realize just how wrong about everything you really were. You thought Acheron had it bad? Honey, you ain't heard nothin' yet. Kenyon takes the time to make sure you know each and every injustice that Styxx suffered through. And when you thought you heard it all...he went through more crap. I mean, it never ended. I had to take a break midway through just because the story was so heavy...and yet I felt compelled to return to the story quickly. I had to know what happened with Styxx and if the brothers would reconcile (and how they ever could reconcile). The only thing that knocked it down from 5 to 4 gnomes was that some of the story seemed a bit repetitive. Styxx goes through crap...then he goes through more...then some more...then some more...oh wait - there's more crap to wade through...then more...aaannndd we have more crap. This seriously goes on for 800 pages. While all the crap was crucial to the plot, it almost (and I emphasis the word "almost") became a slog. I don't know how Kenyon could have reduced the amount of crap and still made the points she needed to make with Styxx...but the almost-slog through all the crap knocked it down a gnome in my book. But now...some 830 pages later...I am glad I know Styxx's story. I'm more curious than ever as to how the DH series will conclude (I feel like we are reaching the end-ish of the story arc? I may be wrong...) and I definitely have a renewed interest in the DH lore. I'm sure I don't have to tell you -- but, fans of Kenyon: read this book! [finished Oct. 2013] Rating:Amaryllis by Jayne CastleUm. Yeah... Maybe it was the "InstaLove"? Maybe it was the crappy world building? Maybe it was the utter predictability of the story line? Maybe it was the copious amounts of jelly-ice? Whatever it was - I. Could. Not. Stand. This. Book. I only finished it because I was stuck in the car for 6+ hours and had packed my alternate books. Wow, this was not a winner for me. Amaryllis takes place on a remote planet, St. Helen, that is closed off from earth. Forced to adapt to the planet that's remarkably like earth (except for the extremely handy plot twist that all advanced earth technology doesn't work and disintegrates on St. Helen), the human residents find themselves developing supernatural-like talents. These talents work in tandem with prisms (which also develop in certain people) that focus the talents to accomplish a specific goal. Amaryllis Lark, a professional prism contracts a job with sexy CEO Lucas Trent - who happens to be a talent with off the chart power. They quickly find themselves mixing business with pleasure as they embark on a steamy (jelly-ice filled?) love affair. Throw in a potential murder and Amaryllis and Lucas are in for a wild and bumpy ride full of jelly-ice and arranged marriage agencies. Ok, so here are my issues with this book: a) There was no character development. Telling me that Amaryllis is a stuffy, prim-and-proper Prism isn't developing her character. It's just giving me a description. I need more - SHOW me that Amaryllis is prim and proper. 'Cause seeing her rip off her shirt for Lucas in, like, chapter two isn't indicative of a prim and proper character... b) Attack of the InstaLove! Ugh. I hate InstaLove. I don't know why authors think that you can introduce two characters, not develop them any, and then think it's ok to have them suddenly in love. In the second chapter. Nope...doesn't work for me. I don't buy it. c) Jelly Ice. What a horrible name for anything. All I can picture is a jello jiggler shaking it's jelly ice bottom at me. Ick. d) World building - or lack thereof in this case. I'm sorry, but you can't explain it as "it's a new world...but the same as earth...except that it's not because all convenient technology disintegrates". That's not world building...that's making it easier for you to include crappy substitutes like "jelly ice" and not develop it any further. I think if Castle could have spent a little bit longer fleshing things out, she could have created a really fun world. Instead it's two-dimensional and seems to be a lazy way out of thinking through the world building process. e) Foreshadowing, anyone? It was super easy to peg whodunit and why WAY early on in the story. Maybe some non-essential characters would have helped add mystery to the story? I don't know... So why, if I hated it so much, did I give it two gnomes? Well...I only did that because I have read some of Jane Ann Krentz's other stuff under various other pseudonyms (she has so many!) and enjoyed it just fine AND I am remotely curious about the other two heroes that were briefly mentioned in Amaryllis...so two gnomes because I have a small inclination to read at least one more...jelly ice and all. [Read Sept. 2013] Rating:Lover Awakened by J.R. WardI liked but most definitely did not love the first two books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood...but Holy Zsadist, I loved Lover Awakened! Ok, but before I go into all that - let me just say that adding the extra letters [like the "Z" in Zsadist...or the "H" in "ahvenge"...so on and so forth] DRIVES ME CRAZY. Also, the copious mentions of "shit-kickers", "leathers", and 50 Cent/G-Unit are just plain ridiculous. Ok, so these guys are bad asses. Got it. Can we just say..."Hey, the BDB are badasses...just wanted to let you know" and be done with it? I also can't stand the "what's doing, my brother?" or the other fake-jock-fratboy speak that Ward throws into the dialogue. What Ward is doing with all of this just seems like a cheap way to add pseudo-depth to the characters and cheap way to manufacture cohesiveness among the BDB. It doesn't work for me...rather than provide depth, I just laugh out loud and get thrown out of the story. And I shudder to think that it will be like this for the whole multi-book series. That's a lot of shit kickers, leathers and out of date rap music...you feel me, my brother? Sigh... So, despite the shit kickers and leathers - I loved Zsadist as a character and I loved the story between him and Bella. I also enjoyed the background stories that are building up as well - I think there may be some good books coming up in my BDB future. Unfortunately, I had had some spoilerage happen regarding Wellsie and John so I wasn't too surprised by those developments [and I shan't say anymore about those plot points lest I spoil it for somebody else]. I think if I hadn't been aware of what was going to happen on those fronts I would have loved this book even more. I am slightly worried about the future books I have yet to read...I was most interested in Zsadist and now I've read his book so...am I going to be as invested in the other BDBrothers? I don't know...I've looked ahead and see the next one is about Butch which is the character I (as of right now) care the least about so...we'll see. I am curious as to John's story and Phury's story...so hopefully those are in my future as well. Looks like there will be more BDB in my future - here's to hoping they are all on Zsadist's level or higher. [Read Sept. 2013] Rating:Blood Bound by Patricia BriggsI know I'm kind of late to the game with this series - but I really enjoyed Blood Bound! Such a fun read! In Blood Bound, Stefan the vampire calls in the favor Mercy owes him and the two of them go off after a serial-killing vampire who seems more ruthless than usual for a vampire. Shifted as a coyote, Mercy discovers that the evil vampire they are tracking is actual a demon-possessed-sorcerer-vampire which spells trouble for the whole community - for regular humans and supernaturals alike. Briggs definitely sets up a bit of a love...triangle?...quadrangle?...well, whatever it is, it's shaping up to be a hot mess. I usually am rooting for a specific party to win the romance war, yet with this series I am as of yet undetermined. I would be ok with any of the guys winning Mercy's affection...and I would NOT be ok with any of the guys being left out...so it's shaping up to be an interesting read as the series progresses. The Mercy Thompson has some flavors of the Sookie Stackhouse novels (I'm not sure which series came first?)in that there are vampires, werewolves, and shifters (oh my!)...yet the characters are SO. MUCH. BETTER. I just can't stand Sookie or Harris' writing (hence why I gave up mid-series on that one)...but I really enjoy Mercy Thompson and crew. Mercy isn't your average female lead and it's nice to have a lead character who doesn't quite fit the average heroine mold. I like the world Briggs has constructed as well - she tries to make her world blend seamlessly into the world as we know it and I think she does a pretty good job with it. Definitely a great read in a great series that will scratch that paranormal fantasy itch you have. [Read Sept. 2013] Rating: |
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