Tag Archives: 3.5 stars

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Dead Witch on a Bridge by Gretchen Galway

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5

Though I wasn’t particularly fond of the protagonist initially, she grew on me by the end of the book. This is a pretty cosy urban fantasy story about witches, wellsprings, fae, and murder. Yes, there is murder(s), but there are no gory descriptions, so it’s all pretty PG-13.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read, though I found Alma to be very gullible and rather clueless for the better part of this book. You would think that with her horrible upbringing, she would be less trusting of people. And speaking of upbringing, dear old dad doesn’t win any awards there. But when your only parent is a known thief who only cares about himself, I would think you would develop a healthy distrust of other people, seeing how even your dad probably lied to you and betrayed you over and over again in the past.

I did like that Alma stopped wallowing in her self-pity and actually started developing her magical abilities as the story progressed, and that she finally decided what kind of witch she wants to be. Which is one that doesn’t need the approval of the Protectorate to feel important and worthy.

The central mystery wasn’t particularly complicated, and I admit that I knew right around the memorial service scene who the villain of the story was, but it was still pretty entertaining. And the dog survives until the end, so that’s an added bonus!

I had a pleasant time reading this book, but I don’t know if I am invested enough to continue with the series.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Balancing the Scales (Twenty-Sided Sorceress 10) by Annie Bellet

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5

This was a decent final book in a series that I truly appreciated, though it feels like the series as a whole lost its focus once they defeated Samir. The confrontation with Samir was built up to and anticipated in so many previous books that it felt cathartic once it was done. I would honestly been happy if the series had just ended there. The other books before this one felt like filler or side-quests for Jade and the crew now that they had defeated the final boss. And pulling the First and the big bad for this last installment felt… rather anticlimactic, I guess? 

I mean Samir had been built up as this big bad during the course of all the books in the series, and he had done some horrible things both to Jade and to her friends. He was bad, we hated him, so we rooted for Jade to finally triumph while also keeping her freedom and saving the lives of her found family. 

The First though? We didn’t even know he existed until 3 books ago. His motivations are vague to non-existent. His powers are… rather underwhelming.  So he can control shapeshifters… But only a certain number of them at once, and he must be close enough to exert that control. So he used to be able to see the future, but he is so arrogant about it that he doesn’t even doubt the visions he had almost half a century ago. This makes him a rather laughable opponent instead of a real villain to be feared.

I also didn’t particularly appreciate the fact that they turned Alec into a damsel in distress for this book. I mean, you have a badass shapeshifter character that can compel other shapeshifters into shifting with his roar alone. Who is a strong and capable fighter… and the only use you find for him is to make him a hostage to keep Jade properly motivated? That’s wasted potential right there. 

Same with Harper and her other friends. It almost seemed like the author didn’t know what to do with them anymore, and she really wanted to have Jade be the lone hero for this final confrontation with the First, so everyone else is relegated to inconsequential tasks. Again, lost potential for collaboration, comradery, and all in all-in-all badassery during the final battle and even before. 

All in all, though, I am happy that Samir’s heart has been properly eaten and digested so that Jade’s amulet doesn’t have to be this McGaffin that everyone wants anymore. It was also fun to see the Mother of vampires, though her character was greatly underused. I don’t know if the author was planning a spin-off series or more books about Jade, but it feels like she just appeared to solve a problem, and hasn’t been heard since.

I also liked that even though the seal is broken, the world hasn’t ended. In fact, a new life started for some of the characters involved.

I am happy I happened across these books and decided to stick with them til the end.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World 1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5

I loved that we get to explore a world based on something other than the standard european mythology. Don’t get me wrong, I like my elves, werwolves, and vampires, and pseudo-medieval world, but sometimes I want something different. Adn different this is.

This world is based on native american mythology, or at least the mythology of the Dine poeple, and it’s a world completely alien to a Russian-born immigrant like me. It was fascinating and I thouroughly enjoyed exploring it, even though I had one heck of a time with the pronounciation of the names of all the different creatures. This is where I really wished I was able to enjoy audiobooks without getting sidetracked very 5 mins, because hearing how they are pronounced would have helped a lot.

The plot is tight and moving along at a steady pace. I don’t think any part of the book lagged, and there is no dreaded slump in the middle. I would even argue that the plot moved a bit too fast at times, not leaving time for the characters to deal with the aftermath of some of their actions.

My issue with this book, and the reason it’s not a 5 star review, is that Maggie started irritating me by the end of it. I get it that she is a damaged and traumatized woman who has a lot of baggage to unload and process. Problem is, she behaves like an emotionally stilled teenager at time, which grows old pretty quickly. Though I must admit that I saw some character growth in her by the end of this book, so I have hopes for the sequel.

And the fact that she was completely oblivious about the discrepancies in Kai’s behavior when they were so explicitly telegraphed to the reader makes her seem stupider than she is. I mean seriously, every time she starts asking good questions, the conversation is interrupted because plot happens, aka the author wants to keep the mystery going to get the big emotional reveal in the end. I think that did a disservice to both Kai and Maggie as characters.

Despite this, I did enjoy this story and I wil definitely pick up the next book to learn more about this world.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

White Trash Warlock (Adam Binder 1) by David R Slayton

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

This was an okay book and it did a decent job introducing the world and the characters, but I can’t help but feel like something was missing. Some condiment that would have made this book great instead of just a passable read. 

Don’t get me wrong. I loved our main character Adam, and I was fully invested in his story. What his family did to him was horrible and soul crushing. No wonder he has so many hang-ups and insecurities to deal with. No wonder he considers himself a freak – a gay man AND a witch in a white trash trailer park? Yeah, his life was a nightmare. 

I also appreciated the chapters we got from both Robert (Adam’s brother) and Tilla (their mother) perspectives. It helped show us that even though they did a horrible thing to Adam, they are not intrinsically evil. They were all victims of abuse at the hands of Adam’s father, and each one of them dealt with it how they could. And when faced with Adam’s emerging magical abilities, they made a choice as well. One that made their lives easier, true, but can you really blame them? Oh, and the whole truth about Adam’s father is simply heartbreaking.

I loved the interactions between the members of this dysfunctional family, and the slow mending of old and festering wounds. No, they will never be a happy and loving family like Vic’s, but at least they lanced the wounds and let the puss run out. Now they can begin to heal. 

Now, let’s get to the part that didn’t quite mesh with me. 

First of all, I hate insta-love in any way, shape and form, and what happened between Adam and Vic could be qualified that. They don’t know each other at all, the only reason they are even interacting after the initial encounter is because of the magical bond. I think that’s a cheep copout. Also, Vic accepting everything about magic and hidden worlds in stride sounds a little unbelievable to me. I mean, yes, it makes Vic awesome, but it sounds a bit unbelievable. I would have loved a slower and more gradual development of their relationship. With Vic doubting, even maybe being scared of this strange new world Adam is showing him, but then deciding to help anyway, because he is a cop and because he is just awesome like that.

My biggest issue is that this book is thin on plot, and what’s there meanders a lot. So the middle of the book really drags while we watch Adam fumble through his research into the horrible spirit that possessed his sister-in-law. It also feels like none of his discoveries are earned, but more handed to him because the plot gods willed so. Let’s face it, Adam sucks as an investigator. And yes, the book picks up steam by the end, and the final showdown is tightly written, but I struggled to get to that part.

Nevertheless, I liked the characters enough, and there were enough interesting questions left unanswered, that I will definitely pick up at least the next book in the series. I want to know what happened to Aunt Sue, and who was the warlock doing all the black magic and hurting magical creatures.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy, YA

Cast in Fury (Chronicles of Elantra 4) by Michelle Sagara

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

Just like in books 2 and 3, we discover the origin and secrets behind yet another race populating Elantra. This time, it’s the Leontines. Marcus is in trouble, and as usual, Kaylin is in the middle of it all. Oh, and did I mention that there are repercussions from what happened in the end of the previous book? Big tidal wave, anyone? Well, humans are wont to misunderstand everything, so they now think that the race of telepaths summoned the wave to try and murder them, instead of being there to try and stop it. Since they already fear them, hatred isn’t that big of a step. The whole city is a powder keg waiting for a spark to explode into civil war and bloodshed.

I love how little things mentioned in previous books come to play in the consequent books in the series. That one scene in the previous book where Kaylin came to help a lone Leontine to give birth in book 3 is front and center in this book. And we finally get an explanation why that mother was completely alone with noone to watch over her and her new baby (something unheard of for this race).

I already mentioned in reviews for previous books that the world of Elantra is fascinating, so I really enjoy uncovering a new aspect of it with each book. It’s also wonderful to see how all the pieces tie together into one complex story. For example, the Outcaste dragon from book 1 plays a major role in this book as well. We we are probably not done with him yet.

I also enjoy seeing Kaylin gather a little found family around her. It’s wonderful to see a protagonist who isn’t a lone wolf. She has friends, surrogate parents (Marcus and his pridelea), even siblings (the foundlings hall), and now an adopted son. She’s come a long way from the almost feral child from the fiefs, terrified of her own powers and traumatized by her past. Now she has something to fight for, and people she cares deeply about, and who care about her.

My complaint about this book is Kaylin herself. While she grows and mature in some ways, she remains just as ignorant and pigheaded in others, and that’s starting to get on my nerves. For example, she is told repeatedly by her teacher and other very powerful people that she needs to master her magic. Her life literally depends on it. Yet she is less then diligent in her studies. Or just general knowledge of the city around her? Kaylin sees times and times again that she is severely lacking some basic knowledge of history, racial differences and etiquette, and that ignorance landed her in hot water more than once… yet she doesn’t seem to want to do anything to remedy this. Why? She is a smart and resourceful woman. She should jump on the opportunity to broaden her horizons, but instead she grumbles and moans about it, and never really pays attention to what everyone is teaching her. This is becoming rather annoying.

My other complaint is with Severn, or rather the lack of any evolution for him as a character. He is a wonderful character, and I would like to know more about him, but as it stands. He has no agency of his own, he is just an extension of Kaylin. The silent friend and protector who seems to not have a life of his own. That’s a great disservice to a wonderful character. I hope he gets to act more independently in consecutive books. 

I also would like to know what happened to Kaylin in the six month between when she fled Nightshade and when she joined the Hawks.

All in all though, I’m still very invested with this series and I want to see more of that world.

books, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Deadline (Blood Trails 1) by Jennifer Blackstream

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

This was an interesting first book in a new (to me) series. It has the usual assortment of supernatural creatures living alongside ordinary people but puts enough spin on it to make this entry into the urban fantasy genre interesting. 

I loved the mention that unless a person is open-minded enough to even entertain the idea of supernatural or “other”, they won’t see it even if it smacks them in the face. For example, the protagonist killed a lobster monster, and of the two joggers who found her with the body, one saw it for what it was – a body of a monster, but the other’s mind made him believe that it was just a thrown out vacuum cleaner. 

It’s also interesting to see that people have different reactions when confronted with the supernatural and forced to “see” it for the first time. And in most cases it’s a shock to their belief system. Some even go crazy. Or that once you saw the supernatural side of life, you can’t unsee it, no matter how much you try.

I must admit that I didn’t love the protagonist that much though. I found Shade rather judgmental of other people and prone to jump to conclusions about others without any proof, based solely on first impressions. Not the best trait for a village witch who is supposed to help her community. Case in point – the old woman and her kitten. Had Shade taken this seriously and listed earlier, she would have seen the unnatural spell on the animal and spared the cat a lot of suffering.

Also, for someone who wants to be a private investigator, she sure makes a lot of stupid decisions and not much in the way of actual investigating. In fact, it seems like all of the clues just kinda fall in her lap. Honestly, she seems pretty incompetent as a witch and as a private investigator. It is implied that she is pretty young and inexperienced though, so I am willing to give it a pass in this book and hope that her character will grow and evolve as the series progress. 

I am also glad to say that there is no romance at all in this book. We have some hints at possible romantic interest later on, but that’s a story for another book. And I’m glad about that. I loved exploring this world and Shade’s difficult relationships with people without adding insta-love to the picture.

As it stands, I am invested enough in this series that I will definitely pick up the next book.

books, Reviews, science fiction, Space opera

Neptune’s Brood (Freyaverse 2) by Charles Stross

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

First, I need to point something out for those who just finished the first book in the series. The sequel has absolutely no ties to the first book, apart from happening in the same universe, so be warned if you expect to learn more about Freya – she isn’t even mentioned in this book. My husband launched into this book right after he finished the first one, and he didn’t enjoy it as much precisely because of this. He said the disconnect was too big at the beginning of the book – it is the same universe, but all the characters are new. 

I, however, started book 2 about a year after I read book 1, so I didn’t mind the fact that we are told a completely different story a few thousand years in the future from the events of the first book as much. Sure, I would have loved to find out more about Freya and her sibs, but I was happy enough to explore this new evolution of the world introduced in book one.

And it’s a fascinating world where humanity (at least a variant thereof) spread into the stars and created a vast society of colonies almost everywhere in the universe close to their point of origin (Earth). I found the structure of their society fascinating. When warp drive or hyperspace or faster than light travel don’t exist, interstellar travel takes dozens, sometimes hundreds of years. Even laser uploads via laser arrays, the fastest form or interstellar travel, takes dozens of years. It’s fascinating to read about a society that thinks in scopes of centuries and even millennia when founding a new colony or engaging in any type of financial transaction.

The whole financial and economical system is very interesting as well, and, as far as I remember, this is the first science fiction story in which this aspect of a society is explored in so much detail and is so integral to the story. In fact, it’s a little bit too integral to the story, and the endless explanations on how slow money works and different fraudulent manipulations thereof were a bit tedious to go through after a while.

The biggest problem of the book, at least for me, was the main protagonist, Krina. She is a very passive character that reacts more than acts on her own. For the duration of the book, she had been a victim of the circumstances, kidnapped, altered, thrown into the deep end of a water planet, etc. And when she finally gathers enough power to have her own agency… the story ends. That was very disappointing, especially when you compare Krina to Freya from the first book.

Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, even if I could have used a little less exposition about the different financial instruments. This is definitely a series worth your time and effort.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Magic to the Bone (The Twenty-Sided Sorceress 7) by Annie Bellet

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5

A lot of things happen in this book despite it’s small page count. First of all, Jade finally reunites with Wolf and integrates her into her own psyche so to say. This makes their bond stronger and more seamless than before. And she gets back her magic that she almost completely burned out in the previous books by rewinding time to save her friends from Samir.

Oh, and the final confrontation with Samir that we have been building up to for six books now, finally takes place. WARNING – SPOILERS:  So ding dong, Samir is dead by the end of this book. I am not sure how I feel about that. For six books he was built up as this ultimate big bad that Jade was so afraid of, so the final battle was a little… underwhelming? Don’t get me wrong, it was still intense and the stakes were high, but not high enough in my opinion. I guess that’s the issue with creating an ultimate big bad and hinting at how badass he is for six books – the reader has very high expectations of the final confrontation.

That disappointment notwithstanding, I liked Jade’s progress in this book. She finally realized that she can’t shelter her friends from danger all the time. And by trying to do that, she paints a big target on their backs and weakens herself as well, since she has to spread her attention so much. She realized that her friends weren’t hapless either, and that the best thing she could do was trust them to do their part in the fight.

That’s a lot of growth on Jade’s part, because all her life she was on the run, trying not to get attached, trying (and failing) over and over again to protect any found family she would create. 

I also liked that her friends trusted her enough to know she didn’t just run on them, even though they had no memories of the horrors that happened before she rewound time. I love protagonists who have a strong support system and wonderful friends.

The only question is what happens now? The big bad that loomed over Jade’s life for seven books is dead (or as good as dead), and there are three more books left in the series. What can be worst than an immortal sorcerer hell-bent on harvesting your heart and destroying everyone you love in the process? I guess I will have to pick up the next book to find out.

I am also a bit sad that Harper decided to leave town for a bit, though I understand why. 

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Cast in Shadow (Chronicles of Elantra 1) by Michelle Sagara

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

This is a good first book in the series. It does a good job setting up the world and the characters, as well as establishing the stakes and hinting at an overarching plot.

I really liked discovering the world of Elantra. This is a city build on the ruins of a much older civilization, and those ruins still contain magics that nobody can understand or harness, but which are deadly nonetheless. This is also a city where a multitude of mortal and immortal races manage to coexist in relative harmony, probably thanks to no small part to the efficient policing by the Hawks – Elantra’s police force. 

I loved discovering the different races, their customs, behaviors, and reactions ingrained into who they are. I think that the author put a lot of thought into the worldbuilding, so all those races feel “real” and organically woven into the story. I love book like that. We don’t have your run of the mill elves and werewolves (or were something else), but races with long histories and logic behind the way they act.

I liked the various relationships that Kaylin formed with her colleagues in the Hawks. I especially loved that she has several female friends and those friendships aren’t tainted by jealousy or competition over men. Too many urban fantasy authors make their female protagonists into special snowflakes in a world of men or surrounded by horrible female characters. Glad to see that it’s not the case here. Believe me, we women can coexist perfectly fine with each other without backstabbing and undermining each other. Shocker, I know.

I was less trilled about Kaylin though. I understand that she is young and had a traumatic childhood, but this girl has zero impulse control. She never stops to consider the consequences of her actions BEFORE she does anything. And while in some instance it’s warranted and understandable, it gets old really fast. Hopefully, having resolved the biggest trauma from her past, she will be able to grow and mature in the next books. I am certainly willing to check out the next book to see if there is any character development.

My biggest complaint about this book is that the narrative is rather confusing at times. We pay so much attention to Kaylin’s thoughts, flashbacks, feelings, etc. that it bogs down the actual story sometimes. So the action scenes stretch out into pages and loose their intensity. 

Also some of the subtext in the conversations isn’t clear. Like I get the feeling that I should get what the hidden meaning is, but I simply don’t. That makes for a rather frustrating read at times.

All in all however, I am definitely willing to give the next book in the series a try to see if Kaylin matures a little, and to learn more about the fascinating city of Elantra.

books, Dark fantasy, Fantasy, Reviews, Uncategorized

Warded by JB McDonald

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

It’s always interesting to pick up a book written in a world other than the traditional European medieval fantasy. In this case, I think I can see some African roots. To me, that was a breath of fresh air, because I could set aside all of my expectations as to how this story would unfold and just enjoy discovering something new.

The characters are interesting enough, though Jahal started getting on my nerves after a while with his constant repetition that he is not a warrior but a healer. He finds the courage to fight when it counts though. Dalak is… supposed to be alien, I guess. But she mostly comes across as a petulant child who does as she pleases and doesn’t listen to anyone, not even her minder. Isn’t she supposed to be at least a century old? Anaye is by far my favorite – complex and broken, but also very loving and human.

The story itself could have benefited from a good re-read or a good editor. Some passages are really confusing. This is especially the case with the final battle between Dalak and the demon. It’s written in such a confusing way that half the time I wasn’t really sure what was going on. 

However, the biggest weakness of this book is that the story is too short. The the author doesn’t have time to explore the world in the details it deserves. There are mentions of demons that only come at night, and that human eye cannot see. There is a mention of two moons. There is even mention of ancient ruins belonging to a different and forgotten civilization… But we never dig any further than that.

So is this a different planet than Earth? Are the demons the native species? Are humans descendants of some colonists that landed on this planet, so the ruins are all that remain of their advanced civilization? Have demons always been there? If so, how did the humans even manage to survive that long? From the little we know, not every village has a warder like Dalak, so how do they defend themselves? It’s repeated several times that a human cannot kill a demon. And if just breathing the spores of a dying demon results in the creation of a child like Dalak, why aren’t there more of them? Why isn’t this known? 

In fact, there is no sense of a bigger world in this story. We have these two villages in the jungle. Are there more? Anaye mentions at the beginning of the story that they get refugees sometimes, but it’s never mentioned again. So is humanity reduced to just a series of isolated villages that barely communicate? Are there bigger cities? What about trade? Surely, the population must move around at least a little or there is danger of interbreeding? Those are all the questions I would have loved to have answers to in this story, or at least hints of an answer, but then again, I love digging into the lore of a world the author created. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. 

PS: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.