Tag Archives: 5 stars

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

The Last Sun (The Taro Sequence 1) by K.D. Edwards

Leave a comment

Sponsored link

Stars: 5 out of 5

I loved this book so much that I devoured it in 2 days. Also, that cover is absolutely gorgeous.

The worldbuilding is interesting and based on the taro cards and different houses and aspects those represent. Also, old Atlantis. Though I admit that I would have loved to learn more about how this world works. We get glimpses into the magical system, and mentions of some of the Houses, but less than I would have loved to. There are also mentions of the Atlantean World War, but no explanation as to when it happened, or why.  Hopefully, more of this will be explained in consecutive books of the series.

This however didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story at all, because I absolutely loved the characters. Rune is a gem to read about, and his relationship with Brand is both funny and poignant at the same time. You really got the feel that these two went through hell and back together (and they did), so the bond they share is stronger than Scion and human Companion. They are more than friends. They are brothers who would die for each other. 

The other characters are just as fun to read about. I loved Ciaran and Addam, and OMG I loved Quinn. It’s hard to write a seer right, especially one that doesn’t just see the future, but all the probable futures at ones, and Quinn is done just right. I’m not too sure about Max right now, but that’s probably because he wasn’t the focus of this story, so we only got glimpses of this past and nothing about his motivation. I’m sure we learn more in the next books. 

The action scenes are also well-written and keep you at the edge of your seat. I loved that Rune doesn’t come off as an overpowered scion just breezing through his enemies. Oh no, he had to work and bleed for the victories he got, and a lot of people died in the process. 

I have questions at the end of this book, like who orchestrated the attack on House Sun? Who were the 9 individuals in animal masks that tortured Rune? Who are the people pulling the strings from the shadows, and what does that have to do with the prophecy about Rune? I’m sure we will get more answers in the next books, and I will be along for the ride.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Blood Heir (Aurelia Ryder 1) by Ilona Andrews

Leave a comment

Sponsored Link

Stars: 5 out of 5.

It’s always a pleasure to return to the world of Kate Daniels and discover what our favorite characters have been up to in the years since the main series ended. And it’s a huge credit to the authors that there are so many characters I like to revisit, not just Kate and Curan, and Julie is one of them.

Julie is back in Atlanta, and she is older, and more powerful, and more mature. She’s been through hell and back again. She has a mission, and she will stop at nothing to succeed, because failure would mean the destruction of everything she loves.

Did I already mention that I absolutely love the characters? Kate’s little dysfunctional found family is amazing. They are damaged, some of them used to be evil, and they are all extremely powerful in their own right, but they also love each other and would drop everything and come to the rescue if one of them needed help. I love stories where the protagonist isn’t a lone wolf without friends or family, so Kate’s world gives me the warm fuzees every time I read about it. Be it Kate, or Julie/Aurelia, or Roman, they all have a strong support system and a family who loves them. 

I admit that I was a bit sad to see what became of Atlanta since Kate decided to relinquish her claim to the city and retire to Wilmington. Things… are not great. The Pack is all but falling apart, crime is rampant, and the indifference of the general population to human suffering is staggering. Atlanta is a city on the brink of a disaster, be it Moloch’s invasion or internal civil war, but something is about to happen unless everyone gets their heads out of their collective asses and starts cooperating.

I’m a bit disappointed in Ascanio, though this particular development is on par with his character. Even Kate couldn’t particularly temper his ambition when he worked for Cutting Edge, and now that she isn’t there, he started indulging in the worst of his tendencies. He is definitely NOT Beast Lord material, not unless he does a lot of maturing and fast. 

I am also surprised at Derek. What happened there? How did he become this almost mystical Silver Wolf with magical powers? There is a story there, I’m sure, and I hope that we learn a bit more about it in the next installment in this series. 

I’m happy that Julie and Derek finally got to talk and air their grievances, because there was a lot of pent up resentment there. I’m not sure if it resolved anything, but only time will tell. They work well together, and Julie really needs someone powerful watching her back for what’s coming. 

My only complaint is that the main conflict isn’t resolved by the end of this book. Moloch is still there. The future may still come to pass, even if Julie’s actions made it less certain and bought everyone some time. But she still can’t go home and hug her mother, and she has to stay in Atlanta. 

I will definitely be on the lookout for the next book in this series, whenever the authors decide to come back to it.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy, YA

Between Family (The City Between 9) by W.R. Gingell

Leave a comment

Sponsored link

Stars: 5 out of 5.

Well, that was an explosive start of a book. Our characters are still reeling from the revelations that happened in the previous book, and the bloody betrayal and massacre that they culminated in. They are all copping with this in their own broken and twisted ways. In the case of Zero, by struggling with emotions that he’d spent a lifetime trying to suppress. And then the heirling trials start…

This book was fast-paced and full of tension. Pet and Zero were literally in a life and death situation for most of it. I am glad to see that even when push comes to shove, Pet doesn’t abandon her convictions and her friends. It was rewarding to see her try her best to save everyone she considers family by gathering them all in the only safe place she knows – her house. It was also rewarding to see that those friends returned her friendship and stayed true. There were no further betrayals apart from the one at the end of the previous book. 

I am also glad that this almost love-triangle deal between Pet, Zero, and Jin-Yeong. Pet finally sorted her feelings and understood who was dear to her heart. I also loved her rationale behind it. That Jin-Yeong always saw her for who she really was, and trusted her implicitly, with his life sometimes. He didn’t see her as a pet or damsel in distress. He believed in her abilities even more than she did sometimes.

It was also rewarding to see her finally get a better grip on her powers. Her solution for ending the trials was rather ingenious.

And of course, it was extremely satisfying to see Zero’s dad finally bite the dust in such an… undignified way. Oh how low has the mighty fallen. Killed by two beings he considered so beneath him that they were no more than animals – a human and a vampire.

The ending was another punch in the gut though. The stakes are higher than ever, and the war has been declared. I can’t wait to pick up the last book in the series and see how Pet will be able to resolve this situation.

books, Horror, Reviews

The Possession (The Anomaly Files 2) by Michael Rutger

Leave a comment

Sponsored Link

Stars: 5 out of 5.

I loved The Anomaly, the first book in the series, and this one was just as good. Yes, the story ended up being a little bit out there, but the cast of characters more than compensates for that.

Yes, the characters are the strongest part of this book and this series in general. I love Nolan, and Ken, and Molly, and Pierre. They feel like real people, but more importantly, they read like real friends and even found family to each other. Their interactions are genuine, and you can see that even when they are making fun of each other, there is a deep affection behind the jokes as well. And when push comes to shove, they don’t hesitate to do anything they can to save and protect each other.

Kristi, on the other hand, I could care less about. In the previous book Nolan painted this picture of her as someone brilliant, much better at this journalist thing than he is. He made it sound like she was really good with people and had lots of friends and seemed like a nice person. Well, the reality we see in this book couldn’t be farther from that picture. Kristi comes across as self-centered and unwilling to listen to anyone else’s opinion. She does things without thinking them through and sometimes even when she knows that her actions will only make things worse. She also comes across as very judgmental of others while at the same time blind to her own shortcomings. Needless to say, I wasn’t sad to see her go away at the end of the book. 

And I think this particular characterization was intentional on the author’s part. I think he wanted to show that sometimes our love blinds us to the shortcomings of the people closest to us even when those people hurt us. Nolan spent most of the previous book regretting what happened between him and Kristi and wishing they could find a way of mending this broken relationship. I think he got the much needed closure in this book, even if it wasn’t the one he was hoping for. 

The story itself was intriguing and even horrifying in a rather mind-bending kind of way. I love how the author takes a real world mystery, like the walls found all over the United States. Nobody knows who built them or when, or even what purpose they are supposed to serve. And then the author builds this elaborate story around that one real fact. And honestly, his explanation isn’t any more farfetched than a lot of other conspiracy theories out there.

All in all, this was an enjoyable book, and I wouldn’t mind following Nolan and crew for another adventure if the author ever decides to continue this series.

books, Reviews, science fiction, Space opera

Ghostdrift (The Finder Chronicles 4) by Suzanne Palmer

Leave a comment

Sponsored link

Stars: 5 out of 5.

When we last saw Fergus, he had been saved from imminent and very painful death by the Asig, while he in turn saved the known galaxy. But all is not sunshine and roses in this book. Yes, Fergus is alive and even whole, but he is the most wanted man in the humanity settled cosmos, with a hefty price on his head and a lot of powerful enemies. So he has been in hiding. Which means that he has been alone with is cat and no contact with his family and friends. But when one such friend finally comes calling and asks for his help to free another friend from pirates, of course he will say yes.

Suzanne Palmer has a gift for creating likeable characters. I mean, we are dealing with a ship full of pirates here, yet I grew rather fond of all of them in the end. I think this is also due to the fact that Fergus always tries to see good in people, or at least to find ways to coexist with those he has no choice but to interact with due to various circumstances. It also helps that all of the characters are painted in different shades of gray and all have their own needs, wants and motivations. The villains aren’t even just for the sake of being evil, they have their own reasons behind their actions. The good guys aren’t always exactly good either. Everyone is human and bound to make an absolute mess out of things.

I also liked the main mystery of this book – a missing ship, possible rogue active jump points. A solitary planet in the middle of the Gap between two sections of the galaxy. Oh, and new kinds of aliens, who turn out not so evil in the end after all. Oh, and Fergus being his usual “interesting” self. We get more Asig as well, and get introduced to some of the other humans they changed.

I had a lot of fun with this story, and I am looking forward to following Fergus on his future adventures.

PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Between Homes (The City Between 5) by W.R. Gingell

Leave a comment

Sponsored Link

Stars: 5 out of 5.

This was the best book in the series so far, at least in my opinion. Mostly because the ending of the last book brought home that it’s not all fun and games anymore. Pet made a serious choice and must live with the consequences in this book. I’m glad to see that she is sticking to her guns and decides to do what’s right, and to help where she can, even if she doesn’t have the looming presence (and protection) of two fae and a vampire at her back. Well, she has the vampire eventually, but that’s a different story.

I love that Pet continues to accumulate friends and found family around herself. Now she has Morgana and Daniel, and a whole werewolf pack to book, and mysterious kids on the roof of a mysterious house. I think this ability to empathize and make friends with the underdogs is her real magical power, not the fact that she can pull stuff out of Between into human world. She has a keen sense as to who is fundamentally a good person even if they did something stupid or harmful, and who isn’t, and she hasn’t been wrong so far.

The two cases that are investigated in this book are also very interesting. One is a killer that attacks fae and that nobody can see it seems, and the other is the case of a child that the Behindkind took a particular interest to. We learn a bit more about heirlings and harbringers and maybe who Pet really is and why she and her parents lived like they did. Hopefully, this will be explored further in consecutive books. 

I also liked that Pet managed to get her point across to Zero in the end and explain why helping humans mistreated by Behindkind maters to her. And maters enough that she was willing to live her home and the safety that the Troika offered her because staying would have betrayed her moral principles on that matter. 

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

The Phoenix Illusion (SPI Files 6) by Lisa Shearin

Leave a comment

Sponsored link

Stars: 5 out of 5

This book starts with a bang… or with a literal building being dropped almost on top of our characters… and then catching on fire. Wow, that was an intense opening scene, let me tell you! The rest of the book is a fun romp in search of other vanishing buildings and figuring out who the baddies are and what they want. Side note, still not clear on that last part. 

This series continues to shine, and it’s because of the characters. I love Mac and her team. Heck, I even hooked my husband on these books, and he isn’t usually a big fan of urban fantasy. Mac, Ian, Rake, and especially Yasha have made a convert out of him. 

Mac continues to be a sassy, but competent protagonist who reads very human and relatable. Yes, she has powers, since she can see through glamor and cloaking spells, but she isn’t overpowered. She definitely isn’t a one woman army. She knows her strengths and weaknesses and can think on her feet. And kudos for bringing one of the previous book’s baddies down with a bottle of perfume and a handy storage closet. That was hilarious.

My only complaint is that at one point this book almost became a Tam and Rake show, and the other characters, including Mac, were kinda pushed into the background.  And there was very little Ian again, which was very disappointing. Yes, I love Mac and Rake as a couple, and their interactions are always fun to read about. But I also love Mac and Ian, and their partners/siblings relationship. I want to read more of their banter and how they bounce ideas of each other and have each other’s back during tough cases. 

But all in all, still loving this series, and I will definitely finish it. Also thinking about picking up the Raine Benares series afterwards.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Four Roads Cross (Craft Sequence 5) by Max Gladstone

Leave a comment

Sponsored link

Stars: 5 out of 5.

This book is a direct continuation of Three Parts Dead, book 1 in the Craft Sequence series, since it describes events that happen almost immediately after the ending of that book. So technically, you could skip books 2-4 and just read this one. Why though? All books in this series are excellent, and some of the characters we followed in those books make a brief appearance in this one as well. I would say reading them in order listed is an enjoyment in itself.

As we remember, book 1 ended with Tara helping bring the goddess Seril back to life, only this is far from a happy ending for both Seril and Kos, as well as Alt Coulumb. Seril is weak, her cult is small, and she poses a serious financial and reputational risk to Kos and his church. Now Tara and her friends will have to fight for the future of their city and answer a few important questions about themselves and their beliefs.

This book raises a few very interesting questions. What is better? The cold and clinical approach of the Craft, where everything is a transaction, and there is no room left for such things as sentiment, love, friendship, etc. Or faith that sometimes requires self-sacrifice and acts of kindness without expecting anything in return. Or is there a way to combine both of those approaches and to find a happy medium? 

This battle of identity is most evident in Tara’s arc in this book, because she has to go against everything she’s been thought in the Hidden Schools. It’s by daring to open her heart to faith and friendship that she wins her case and, I think, finds a home she’s secretly been longing for all her life. 

This is also evident in Abelard’s journey in this book, who undergoes a crisis of faith and feels betrayed and used by his god, only to find his own quiet strength in the middle of the chaos. Acceptance is also the theme when it comes to Cat and Raz, who finally face their own demons and emerge victorious from those battles. 

In a way, this book is a catharsis for all the events that started in book 1 of the series, and a beautiful resolution for some of those characters I grew to love so much. I know there are more books in this series, and I will definitely pick up the next one.

books, Ghost Story, Reviews, Urban fantasy, YA

The Empty Grave (Lockwood and Co 5) by Jonathan Stroud

Leave a comment

Sponsored Link

Stars: 5 out of 5.

I loved this book and the series as a whole! What an original idea with wonderful characters that I learned to love and care about during the 5 books. And yes, even though this series is told from Lucy’s perspective, all the other characters are fully fleshed-out and lovable, even if some took a bit to grow on you, like Kipps or the Skull.

This book picks up a few months after the events of the previous book in the series and the pretty earth-shattering revelation at the end of that story. And as an aside, this book can’t be read as a standalone. In fact, all of the books in this series have to be read in order, because each book builds on the events and revelations of the previous one. But hey, who would want to start a series on the last book instead of experiencing the joy of discovering this world and the characters and growing with them from the beginning?

I will try to review this book without giving out too many spoilers for the events in this whole series, but let’s just say that things put in motion in the first book and even before then are finally getting to a head in here. Our little agency has fallen afoul of some very powerful people… with deadly consequences. Things looked pretty dire for most of the book. 

Not to mention that the whole world in this series seems to get grimmer and grimmer as the books progress. The Problem isn’t going away, no matter how many agencies fight on the frontlines to tackle the visitors. In fact, there seems to be more and more of them, and they are getting more and more vicious. People live in constant fear, and even the weather seems to get gloomier and more dismal as the series progresses. 

I am glad that everything was resolved in the end of the book, even if it’s not a neat ending and a happy ever after. The Problem still exists, and putting things right will take years and long perilous excursions into the other side. 

I also liked that Lockwood finally got all the answers about what happened to his parents and who was responsible for their deaths. It finally helped him get over this and start living instead of constantly standing with one foot in the empty grave next to the graves of his family. Everyone got a satisfying send off by the end of this book, even though I wouldn’t mind reading some short stories about the characters and how they are dealing with the aftermath of the fall of Fittes Agency.

All in all, this is a series I will definitely recommend. Even though this is more on the YA side, it lacks all of the tropes so typical to the genre. No love triangles or annoyingly immature characters acting in annoying immature and hormonal ways. Honestly, the grim reality of life with the Problem makes kids grow up so much faster in this world. You don’t have to worry about your make up or if the boy next door likes you when you literally fight for your life every night.

This is the second series I’ve read by this author, and I really loved them both. I will definitely check out anything else he produces in the future.

books, Fantasy, Reviews

Witch King (The Rising World 1) by Martha Wells

Leave a comment

Sponsored link

Stars: 5 out of 5.

I adore Martha Wells’ Murderbot series, but the two other books I read by her had left me underwhelmed. They were okay, but not up to the glory that is Murderbot. So I was understandably apprehensive to pick up a new series by her. But I am glad I did.

We start right in the middle of the story with our protagonist Kai in dire circumstances and no memory as to how he got into them. I fell like this was an excellent idea, because the confusion the reader feels, having to wrestle with new words and concepts in a brand new world, mirrors what Kai feels when he wakes up dead and entombed. This might discourage some readers, but I loved it. 

One thing Martha Wells does really well is creating likeable characters. They are flawed and sometimes morally grey, but they feel “alive”, and you can’t help but root for them. I especially loved Kai. Who would have thought that a demon could be so “human”. I also loved that the chapters set in the present are interspersed with chapters set in the past, back when Kai first came to the world above in his first body. You can really see how much he changed in the almost two centuries since that event, and you understand him a lot better as a person the more you see how the events unfolded. 

I loved all the supporting characters as well. Ziede is baddass and witty and a perfect foible for Kai’s often introspective and melancholic nature. Together they form an unstoppable force akin to a hurricane. Especially when they seek answers and their loved ones might be in danger. Kai’s relationship with Sanja and Tenes shows his softer side, because even though he is a demon, he has compassion towards people who have been abused and enslaved. He lived through that, so he knows how it feels. I loved his relationship with Bashara in the past.

I also enjoyed going on the road trip with those characters and progressively discovering the world they inhabit. I loved seeing most places through the lens of what they are today and what they were at the time Kai fought the Hierarchs. 

This book gives a pretty satisfactory conclusion to the main story. We find out what happened, and Kai and Ziede’s loved ones are rescued. Kai is reminded of the purpose him and Bashara had when they fought the Hierarchs and hopefully finds the strength and will to carry on. But there are still a few threads that were left hanging, so I’m hoping that this is the beginning of a new series. I want to know what happened to the other demons Kai had liberated from the Summer Halls. Since none of them could return to their home underearth, are they still living in this world? Or did most of them dissipate after their borrowed body died? Will the Hierarchs be back? Why did they kill off an entire people just because they could reveal their origins? So many questions!

I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.