Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the conThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Shamus and Terric have had a year since the events of the last book and have worked out a comfortable rhythm of sorts on how to use their magic and keep it from using them in Back Lash, the third book of the Broken Magic series. But where there is a will, there is a way and even though most of magic was locked behind doors someone has found a new way to tap into it.
Shame and Terric with the help of a few of their friends are looking for who is killing with magical means. Terric just assumed it was Shame and with Dash's help, tries to have an intervention with him. Shame just assumed it was Terric and was going to never talk about it and get those icky feelings all over him. When it is discovered that it is neither of the,m they realize they have a problem on their hands and a new player in the game. Terric's little sister also needs some help as she has gotten on the wrong side of the Russian mob and may have stolen a lot of their money and Robin Hood style and given it to charity.
What follows is a fast adventure of discovery and danger as our reluctant heroes face the mob and the mercenaries who can some how tap into a back door of magic. Once the fun starts, it doesn't stop until a lot of people are beat up or dead. There is a little time in the story for Shame and Terric to solidify the boundaries of their duo-ship and for Terric and Dash to work out their relationship as well. It isn't easy to be in love with someone who literally shares part of his soul with another person. Dash is such a likeable character that I'm rooting for him and Terric all the way.
I enjoyed the story and how Devon Monk was able to twist the way magic was used this time. It showed some real imagination and ingenuity to work out the method and the "wands" were a nice touch. Again though your enjoyment of the series will hinge on if you like our broody, grim reaper with a hangover protagonist as he is the sole PoV for the story. I have enjoyed him overall and so for me these are a lot of fun.
I liked the dynamic Jolie added to our mostly male cast. She is a wiz when it comes to computers and hacking and could bring a lot to their team if the boys let her play with them. While it is teased that she might be a potential love interest for Shame and there was a little flirting, I don't see that going anywhere due to the relationship between Shamus and Terric. They sometimes tap into each other's feelings and I think that is just one complication too many between the duo. Still I liked her and think she rounds out the cast nicely.
If you have enjoyed the series so far, this is on par with the other books, just a little lighter than the last. This is also Devon Monk's first self published book so that in itself is a big accomplishment.
Magic wasn't a blessing with drawbacks, it was a curse with upsides
Paul Bellantoni, does a fantastic job and continues on with the series. I again completely loved his performance of this book. He embodied our bad boy in such a fun and charismatic way that the dialog just popped. I also liked all of the various voices he brought for the supporting characters, Cody specifically has a great voice. His pacing for the jokes and sarcastic quibbles made me laugh but he also brought depth of feeling to the Shamus' voice. Just a stellar performance and I look forward to hearing his voice for the rest of the series. I would say his narration actually added to my enjoyment of the book and my overall rating, again.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contThis review was originally posted on Books of my Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Maybe our favorite Grim Reaper with a hangover, Shamus, can finally find his place in the world and learn how to deal with his death magic. It helps that he may have finally figured out his relationship with his soul companion and now bff Terric in Dirty Work the final book of the Broken Magic series. One wields death magic, the other life magic, and together they have to save the world from the magic hot spots that keep popping up unexpectedly.
Dirty Work is a good finale to a series. It gives the readers some solid closure on where the characters are going and how they are now in better places in their lives from the mess they started out with in Hell Bent. I think Dirty Work also is going to be a lot of fun for readers of the Allie Beckstromseries. It has been a few years since the birth of Allie's child and she is already a handful with her gargoyle accomplice in crime, Stoney. The entire team gets pulled into making sure some errant magic doesn't accidentally spill out and get used for nepharious deeds.
Cody plays a bigger role in this book and I enjoyed his character interactions. Dirty Work gets the gang all back together and clears the air. I think it brings a sense of balance to the closure of the story and is a great exit point from both series for Devon Monk. While the world isn't quite a safe place, it is a safer place with the gang back together, secrets out in the open and a new vision for how to save the world going forward.
Paul Bellantoni continues on with the series. Like all the prior books, he does a fantastic job and really carries the book well. I enjoyed all of the various voices he brought for the supporting characters, Cody specifically has a great voice. His pacing for the jokes and sarcastic quibbles made me laugh but he also brought depth of feeling to the Shamus' voice. Another stellar performance!
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contThis review was originally posted on Books of my Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
You will either love or hate Shamus Flynn, the literal life vessel for death. In Hell Bent I asked myself, how many times can a guy get drugged, in Stone Cold I wondered how much more could Shamus spiral out of control. Stone Cold, the second book in Broken Magic, a spin off series to Allie Beckstrom, follows Shamus a wielder of Death Magic and Terric the living vessel for life magic as they navigate their soul compliment bond and try to save the world.
Shamus will be the reason you love or hate this book. He is broody, as someone that can kill you with a touch of his power, he often isolates himself from friends and family for their own good. He also tries not to see or spend too much time with Terric. Afraid that dealing too much of their magic back and forth will make them like some other soul compliments like Allie and Zayvion who can basically read each other's minds. And the last thing Shamus wants is to share his every thought with another person; it is a dark place in there.
Eli is a serious problem. Kidnapped by the government for nefarious purposes, he is wreaking havoc on the magical community. Eli has found a way to use magic with devastating effects when most of the world is very limited. The path chosen is cruel and tortuous and he now has his sights set on Shamus and Terric since he has a score to settle with them. Some brutal decisions and sacrifices will be made by the end. Both Terric and Shamus will go through some very painful trials as they work to take Eli out and both will be changed forever before this is all through.
I like Shamus, so for me this book works. He is cynical, dark and often has somewhat of a martyr complex. But he is loyal to his friends and family and will put himself in front of a bullet or magic to save them, even if it is from himself. I have also enjoyed the bromance between he and Terric. They are very different people but each is trying their best and struggling with the magic they hold trying to find the right path forward. It was good to see them come to a balance of sorts in Stone Cold.
Overall the story is tense and for the most part flew by. There are some instances of repetition, like moments that Shamus reminds the reader again, "Magic is fast, but bullets are faster", multiple times throughout the book. But overall, I found the story engaging with tension, drama and suspense.
You don't need to have read Allie Beckstrom to enjoy the story, although I think it would add to the enjoyment and the depth of all of the characters. I know I look forward to going back and reading it at some point. You do need to have read Hell Bent as this will clean up the story arc started in that book. Narration: Performance: ★★★★★ Character Separation: ★★★★★ Diction: ★★★★★ Pacing/Flow: ★★★★★ Sound Effects: None
Paul Bellantoni, continues on with the series. I again completely loved his performance of this book. He embodied our bad boy in such a fun and charismatic way that the dialog just popped. I also liked all of the various voices he brought for the supporting characters, Cody specifically has a great voice. His pacing for the jokes and sarcastic quibbles made me laugh but he also brought depth of feeling to the Shamus' voice. Just a stellar performance and I look forward to hearing his voice for the rest of the series. I would say his narration actually added to my enjoyment of the book and my overall rating.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the conThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Grim Reaper with a hangover is how this was explained to me and it kinda fits. Hell Bent is the first book in Broken Magic, a spin off series to Allie Beckstrom. I had not read the prior series at all but didn't have any trouble following the story. I think I would have cared about some of the side characters a little more if I had read the series but I formed a strong attachment to Shamus right away since I love a broken man, and Shamus is so many shades of broken.
The world of magic was broken (in the prior series) but a few still have a lot of their magic. Shamus is part of a soul compliment, a pair of magic users that are like yin and yang to each other. Shamus hold death magic while his compliment Terric holds light magic or healing magic. Together they can break magic and use it at the full force that is lost to the rest of the magic community. I liked the way they complimented one another and were still able to be so different from each other.
The story is a little bit strange as someone is targeting the Soul Compliments and Shamus and Terric may not be safe. Determined to stay in the city and fight against whoever this entity is they get caught up in in whirlwind of plots, crazy shenanigans and finally learn how to depend on each other. The Bromance between Shamus and Terric is really fantastic and I loved it. While Terric is gay, it was handled so well and in their friendship it was never an issue.
There is a smidge of insta-lust/love in the story. To be fair, who doesn't want to fall for the cute bad girl assassin who has been following you for weeks. While some people will have an issue with the relationship aspect, I loved Shamus' reactions to the love interest and how she literally captured him. Shamus is not a good guy and does a lot of bad things, but if you are a person he cares about, he will do all of those things to protect you.
The ending was a bit weak and I have a few issues with some of the events towards the end. But overall I had a great time with the story and fell a little in love with bad boy Shamus. Anyone still haunted by a girl they accidentally killed and desperately trying to avoid people in the world in general so he doesn't accidentally kill them is someone I want to hang out with more and see what happens next. Narration: Performance: ★★★★★ Character Separation: ★★★★★ Diction: ★★★★★ Pacing/Flow: ★★★★★ Sound Effects: None
Paul Bellantoni, where has your voice been in my life. I completely loved his performance of this book. He embodied our bad boy in such a fun and charismatic way that the dialog just popped. I also liked all of the various voices he brought for the supporting characters. His pacing for the jokes and sarcastic quibbles made me laugh but he also brought depth of feeling to the Shamus' voice. Just a stellar performance and I look forward to hearing his voice for the rest of the series.
Bryar-Rose just isn’t living up to her sleeping beauty magical template. She is even in a special support group for members of the magicorum who are sBryar-Rose just isn’t living up to her sleeping beauty magical template. She is even in a special support group for members of the magicorum who are struggling to live up to their fairytale templates.
1 – Taken in and raised by 3 fairies ✔ 2 – Has no clue who her parents are ✔ 3 – Falling in love with the handsome prince ✖ (seriously he is pretty but a tool no thank you) 4 – Falling into a coma – eh…not quite but does falling asleep when agitated count 5 – Ready to get hitched - ✖ hell no she’s about to turn 18 who wants to get married at 18
All Bryar Rose really cares about is being left alone to find and translate ancient papyri. It has consumed her life since she first started having dreams about it years ago. Those dream also include a boy she is very interested in, but that is probably just her teenage hormones talking. Well at least that is what she thought until she meets him in real life.
If Bryar didn’t have her bff Elle (Cinderella template), she’d probably go insane. Girls got to stick together, especially if they are some of the only Magicorum trying to go against their set stories. All of Bryars goals revolve around turning 18, moving away from her three aunties (fairys) to be on her own and focus on gathering papyri and going to a normal high school, instead of a group for misfits. When she meets Knox, the boy she has seen in her dreams everything derails and she might lose something more important on her 18th birthday than she knows if she doesn’t figure out who she really is soon.
Knox is a warden of magic and a werewolf. He isn’t supposed to have a mate and even if he could werewolves do not mate human girls. So why does Bryar call to his wolf. What is he going to have to do to be able to open the door to the life he wants with a pack, a mate and kids eventually. He will do whatever he has to for that future. Now he just needs to convince himself and Bryar of things his wolf already knows if they are going to get the HEA and solve the puzzle trapped in the papyri Bryar is so obsessed with.
Really a fun YA book, I liked the set up and the characters. Interesting take on fairytale stories in a modern world.
Narration: I tell most authors this. There are only a special few who are great at actually narrating. Christina Bauer narrated her book and she did okay, it is a decent narration but is missing something that you get with seasoned narrators. There are pauses at the ends of sentences that are too long and inflections that seem off. I listened to this at 1.75x speed to compensate. I usually listen to books at 1.5x speed....more
Hank owns the Pink Pony, a strip club, in our sleepy little small town. It is the place where Charlotte's ex-husba3.5 Single Parent Doing it All Stars
Hank owns the Pink Pony, a strip club, in our sleepy little small town. It is the place where Charlotte's ex-husband met and ran away with a stripper leaving his family. For some reason the town blames Hank for this and has been a little bit passive aggressive towards him since. Charlotte wants to help find her cousin who has gone missing. She needs to get in solid with some strippers to figure out where her wanted by the law cousin is at. Best way to do that is work at a strip club to become part of the family.
“You don’t have to give people things in order for them to like you. You just have to be yourself and hope their kind of weird matches your kind of weird. Like us.”
Hank and Charlotte are cute together. She has four kids that are a complete handful for one person and a few of them are a bit eccentric. Hank has never really liked kids, true he hasn't really been around them but why would he. Now his friends are all having kids and he feels pretty alone. It leaves him open to the idea of Charlotte and becoming part of her life. Only problem she doesn't have time for 'dating' and she has pretty much shut that part of her life down.
Hank and Charlotte have a great chemistry and I liked how he really wanted to look out for her reputation for her kids since he isn't really in the towns good graces. There were a super cute moments and some ah ha moments for Hank when he realizes just because his friends now have women in their lives doesn't mean he isn't welcome too.
I did have a few issues. I mean Hank had to change everything in his life to make it 'respectable' enough for Charlotte. Not because she asked him to but because she has kids to think of and he didn't want his owning a strip club to affect them. It was a pretty big leap and life change for him. Also the resolution to Charlottes ex wanting to get custody of the kids went away really fast with Cletus's help. I loved seeing Cletus and his interactions with the people in his family and their friends is always entertaining but I would have liked a little more information on those points.
Overall this is a cute couple story and I was glad that Mommy Charlotte found a man to share her life and all her responsibilities in having a family with. I do like all the stories in Green Valley and I was engaged the entire time due to the writing, but due to a few plotting issues it was only a 3.5 star read for me....more
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the conThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
We are now at book 14 of the the Guildhunter series with Archangel's Light and it seems like I've been reading Nalini Singh my entire life now or my reading life of about 9 years. She consistently delivers good books so I wasn't too concerned going into this one.
Illium and Aodhan's story has been coming for awhile, hinted at in many of the previous books. I really was the most excited to learn of Aodhan's past and what broke him so badly that he needed so much time to heal when we first met him. He has come a long way from the broken Angel we first met. Some of my favorite moments in this book were of the Boys when they were young, first becoming friends and getting into trouble, with Raphael there to mentor them into the angels they are now.
Aodhan's been in China helping to restore some of the stability after all the horrors that have happened there. It has been about a year and now Illium has been sent by Raphael to assist and also to remind Aodhan of his life in NY so he might return. It is time for both Males to sort out their friendship and deal with the pain each has.
There is a side plot going on with China and trying to discover a mystery left behind after Lijuan’s destruction. Let's just say China is creepy. The majority of the story is spilt between the past, to show how both Illium and Aodhan have some deep scars and how close they were since children, to the present and the Males figuring out who they are to each other today.
The romance is really played down in this book and I actually think that is a good thing. Guildhunter has had all hetero couple until now, I could see the need to handle this delicately for many of the readers of the series who may not have read a M/M relationship or that just isn't their cup-o-tea. I think this is a solid intro to a M/M love story that many of her readers could enjoy without being overwhelmed. Since you have to read this story to progress along to others she has kept it lighter. I think Nalini probably has another steamier story in mind for these two possibly in novella form. That way her readers that want all the steamy will get what they want and the others who may not be into that can move onto the next full length story without missing any important plot points.
Narration: Justine Eyre has been the voice of these books since the beginning and I can't imagine them without her. She is fantastic in all of them and this is no exception. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Vlad, the cheese loving, gastricly challenged hockey player has been one of my favorite side characters in all of the BRelease Day
4.5 Promise Me Stars
Vlad, the cheese loving, gastricly challenged hockey player has been one of my favorite side characters in all of the Bromance Book Club books. He is the character that seems the most invested in making sure that everyone gets their happily ever after. In the beginning I thought it was because he had already found his. In all actuality it is because his marriage is a sham and he wants the real deal.
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I read this books so fast. It was hard to put down because it has a few of my favorite tropes. The first being the marriage of convenience and the second is friends to lovers. I was completely in from page one and loved the addition of the Loner’s club to the cast.
“See, that’s your problem right there,” Claud said, pointing at Andrea. “You’re still waiting on your knight in shining armor who will make you all giddy and sparkly for the rest of your life. What you should be looking for is someone you’re still willing to have sex with after they make you look at pictures of their colonoscopy.”M
Elena was so vulnerable and deserving of someone to make her feel special. Vlad has a tender heart and while he is great at putting it out there for those he calls friends, he is not great at that when it is his heart that could be broken and the man can totally do stubborn better than most. Good thing the Bros are there to point out when he is messing up completely.
Del turned around and returned to the side of the bed. “I’m not leaving until I hear this. Not because I think it’s worth hearing, but because I want to file it away the next time we think we’ve met the dumbest fucker on the planet, and I can say, oh, no, remember the fucking Russian?”
After a hockey injury puts him out for the rest of the season his estranged wife comes to help take care of him. It is awkward for everyone, especially Elena who has never really been a part of Vlad’s American life and thinks that all his friends must despise her. She didn’t expect the Bromance Book Club to be so warm and welcoming and she really didn’t expect them to talk about her husband’s cute butt so much. But they are going to be there to help Vlad both write the romance novel he has been stuck on for years and fix the almost marriage he never got.
Vlad is really the best and I enjoyed almost everything in this book. I totally devoured everything. Sure if he and Elena had really talked in the beginning I think most of the misunderstandings could have been avoided. But, then we wouldn’t have the deliciousness that is the two of them finding their way back to one another after six years of basically living apart.
This is my favorite of all the Bromance Books. I was so happy to go on the journey with Vlad and Elena as they found their way back to each other....more
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - All The Stars in the Universe!
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I loved The Martian, in fact it made my top 5 the year it was published, and Andy Weir has captured that same magic for me again in ProjectHail Mary.
Ryland Grace wakes up in a room with no recollection of how he got there and what he is supposed to be doing. All he knows is the computer isn't very smart and keeps knocking him out when he answers a question wrong. He has got to figure out where he is, what he is supposed to be doing, why things feel off and why there are two other people in beds that have been dead awhile. He is a lone man figuring out what he needs to do to survive and to do that he will need to science the crap out of stuff.
The world is doomed, but at least this time it isn't due humans. We can blame some space algae feeding on our sun for this calamity. In a long shot to save humanity, all of the earths resources are combined to put the best people through a space voyage to figure out why another system with the same space algae isn't dying like ours and a few others are. Grace has boldly gone where no man has gone before. What he finds there is so unexpected, the scientist in him just might have squeeded like a little girl.
Grace thought he was going to have to save the world all alone. He thought he was going to have to endure all of the hardships by himself. He did not expect another ship to be there waiting trying to figure out the same mystery. Alien life has been found and it is not like any I've seen before. I applaud Weir's direction and imagination here in the best intergalactic bromance since Enemy Mine (I might be showing my age with that reference) or more widely known Han and Chewy.
"Forty-six years?! i gasp, "Earth years?!" "I am here forty-six Earth years yes." He's been stuck in this system for longer than I've been alive. "How...how long do Eridians live?" He wiggled a claw. "Average is six hundred eighty-nine years." "Earth Years?" "Yes," he says a little sharply, "Always Earth units, You are bad at math, so always Earth units."
This is a fantastic story told in both Present and Past as Grace tries to figure out how he even ended up on this suicide mission. Along with his new bff, they will try to figure out how to save two solar systems and possibly make it back home. There are plenty of obstacles stacked against them and they will need to solve some huge problems and do a few very dangerous things.
I loved the format of this story. It really added to the suspense to try and see what happened in the past to put a junior high teacher on a spaceship towards certain death. Stratt, the woman who put everything in play and made sure the mission happened was fantastic and exactly what humanity needed to cut through all the red tape and keep everyone on target. She was an administrative super hero. Giving Grace an alien bff to talk was fantastic as well. Rocky is unexpected and perfectly named really. He adds both someone for Grace to interact with and an interesting look at a different possible evolutionary track.
If you enjoyed the Martian, then Project Hail Mary should scratch your Sci-Fi reading itch. The blend of survival story and science as Grace MacGyvers it all up is a really fun read for someone like me. I personally loved this book and can see it making my top 10 this year, also I'd love to see this in a limit season or movie format so I hope that is a possibility.
Audio Note
Ray Porter is one of my all time favorite narrators so I pre-ordered this on audio just because of that. I can't wait to relive the story again with Ray Porter's narration. This is our next road trip audio....more
I am so glad I re-read this before Wind and Truth. SOOOOOOOOOOO much happened and I had forgotten 80% of it.
Like:
(view spoiler)[No seriously so spoilery (view spoiler)[ 1. Shallan being a bit more crazy than usual and the fact she killed her first spren *gasp* (seriously how could I forget that) and Pattern is the second spren she bonded. 2. Kaladin being so bummed out battle shocked he just shut down. Syl also having way more emotions that were all emo too. 3. Adolin and Maya. I remembered some of the stuff but I forgot how they did kata's together and that she came to fight for him against the bandits. 4. Szeth killing Taravangian and being pretty unhinged at the end. 5. Rock going back to the Peaks and not showing up in the rest of the story...sad, so sad. I missed him. 6. The chickens...what the heck is up with the chickens. 7. Cultivation manipulating Taravangian so he could pick up Odium's power. 8. The Mink...I forgot everything with the Mink as the Herdazian general...I love him. 9. Rabonial's true goals and then her death. 10. Ishar being so crazy and experimenting on Spren trying to pull them through unbonded to Roshar bonus 11. Ah....the cute Seon from Elantris that was in the box...the whole time. (hide spoiler)](hide spoiler)]
I luckily had remember some of the other great things that happened and man there were so many great emotional moments that made me so happy.
I dread the book hangover that is coming post Winds and Truth. But Ash's Eyes I am so Storming excited to see what new Secrets and huge moments BS has in store for us. I don't know how it could be anything other than EPIC!!!
Original Review
When you read your most anticipated book of the year and it meets or surpasses your every expectation where do you even begin with your review? [image]
Well, I guess we will start at the beginning and in the prologue. The story opens with Navani’s PoV to let us see her in a whole new light. On the night Gavalar was killed she learned a few interesting things and we see how broken their marriage really was. The goals we thought he had for the shattered plains
I have discovered the entrance to the realm of gods and legends, and once I join them, my kingdom will never end. I will never end.”
With Sanderson I have learned that there is always another secret and he is a master at doling them out. RoW was no exception to that so many implications for both Roshar and the Cosmere both. At the revelation of who the true head of the Ghost Bloods really is I almost dropped the book in shock.
There are so many building and emotional scenes throughout this book. So many tender and caring moments, so many infuriating ones. After this book I understand the Fused a little better and the goals of some of their people. Like all enemies there are those that are not all bad they are just people caught up in the middle of a war trying to stay alive.
“Extinction is the natural escalation of this war,” Leshwi whispered. “If you forget why you are fighting, then victory itself becomes the goal.”
Kaladin, oh Kaladin. I love the bridgeman and everything he has done in the series but his story while done well is a little bit of a struggle for me. He has battleshock really bad and has pushed through so much of it but it has become too much and Dalinar, seeing how much he is struggling needed to take him out of the main fight. Kaladin is lost through most of this story trying to find a new purpose and searching for a way to both heal himself and still keep his oaths so he doesn’t hurt Syl. But in true Sanderson fashion you know there will be the big moments for him still in this and the Bridgeboy is going to find a was through it somehow. Chapters 105 – 110 were the most emotional for me in this entire series. I absolutely loved the moment that Kal got in them. It was exactly what he needed and so well done I sobbed through most of it.
Shallan also had an extraordinary story. She is dealing with some of her own issues including that currently she is alternating between three people Shallan, Radiant and Veil. Adolin is probably the best husband ever as he takes her exactly as she is split personalities and all. They do have a fun and interesting marriage as he interacts with all of her personalities differently. Her story was really one of the more interesting in the book as she tries to overcome things perceived as weaknesses and being pulled in so many directions.
“Adolin is right,” Veil said. “He’s always been right about you. Tell me. Who is the strongest of mind? The woman whose emotions are always on her side? Or the woman whose own thoughts betray her? You have fought this fight every day of your life, Shallan. And you are not weak.”
Adolin has grown on me so much from the semi spoiled child I thought he was way back in Way of Kings. He is truly a man now and I love how great a friend he is. He is really a great person and I get so excited when I think of him and Maya and how they together might change everything.
“Adolin?” Kaladin said as he changed. “Your first thought was to get Adolin?” “I needed someone you couldn’t intimidate,” she replied. “That list at best includes three people. And the queen was likely to transform you into a crystal goblet or something.”
He really is there for his wife, his father, his friends and his country. If there is anyone that can help bring a deadeye back, I think it will be him. I do love that he is rebelling a little against Dalinar as he becomes his own man.
Navani is really at the forefront for much of this book. She has always been brilliant but due to some obligations and a husband that showed zero support she had been beaten down throughout the years. Her storyline ended up being one of the most exciting in the Tower as she both fought and worked with the enemy. It will make sense as it is very complicated. She really has come into her own and I thought she did a great job with the information she had. Navani is a fighter and she fought a hard battle in this.
Dalinar, well he had his hands full too with the war and trying to learn how to be a bondsmith and what that actually meant. It is time for him to step back from the actual war into more of a leadership role. It is amazing his transformations. He is the one who will have to deal with Odium and the movement on that front totally has me concerned about him going into the last book in this set of 5. It should be pretty epic since we are now down to the wire. Dalinar is a really great leader and I wonder if he will be able to make a new Oathpact, hopefully a better one that doesn’t leave people stuck on Braize being totured.
All of our characters go though so many things in this and I was stuck to my seat needing to know all the things in this book. There are so many great moments:
People I loved (too many to name) People I loved hating (Taravangian and Moash you know what you’ve done) Relationships I am rooting for (Adolin/Maya, Adolin/Gallant, Adolin/Shallan, Kal/Syl, Jasnah/Witt :P) Characters I sobbed to say goodbye to (sheds a lonely tear) Characters I cheered for as they had their big moments (Navani, Adolin, Shallan, Kaladin, Dalinar, Rlain etc etc etc) Cosmere information that will have me pondering for awhile after this SO MUCH MORE…
It was a fantastic ride and Mr. Sanderson has definitely outdone himself again. There is so much to worry about going into the next book capturing the final 10 days. I’m so nervous for all these characters that have become completely real to me. It will be a journey I look forward to....more
Alex and Noah make a very cute, sometimes steamy couple in Crazy Stupid Bromance the third novel in Bromance Book Club seri3.5 Friends to Lovers Stars
Alex and Noah make a very cute, sometimes steamy couple in Crazy Stupid Bromance the third novel in Bromance Book Club series. They are both broken people. Alexis from the death of her mother and a sexual assault and Noah from the death of his father and his rebellious hacking mistakes in his youth that people keep judging him by. They see each other in a way no one else seems to and have been best friends for the last year, but maybe it is time to level up that friendship and Noah is going to need a little help from the bromance book club if he wants to win the girl of his dreams.
I love the dynamic of the book club. Sure, Noah thinks he is above it initially but the guys have some great advice and are there to really jump in when things start to go off the rails.
”The point is to break the fucking cycle,” Mack said. “Women aren’t rehab centers for emotionally stunted man-babies who think the key to a serious relationship is to just wait for the right woman to come along. You have to be ready to by uncomfortable, to stretch yourself, to be vulnerable.”
Noah is really a good dude and most of the time is too good to be true when it comes to Alex. She is in a pretty big emotional state as she just found out that her father is alive with another family and needs a kidney. She has siblings she didn’t know about and a father who was never a part of her life, but she feels inclined to help him even if she doesn’t know if she will be a part of their life after that.
To lighten up the book the boys are helping Mack plan his dream wedding and might be about ready to kill him. Alex has a cat that Noah is convinced wants to kill him in the night and hide the body. There are also some bets going to whether or not the Russian is really married or if his wife isn’t real at all. I do love the Russian so I’m glad it looks like he will be getting a book next.
Both Alex and Noah are going to have to learn how to say the hard things, do the hard things and really trust one another. Alex bugged me a few times with her need for ‘space’ but other than that small thing the build from friendship to lovers was a really great ride....more
If you have read Riyria Revelations, which I hope you have if you are reading this book, then we know where Esrahaddon was found and the legend behindIf you have read Riyria Revelations, which I hope you have if you are reading this book, then we know where Esrahaddon was found and the legend behind him. But like most things after a thousand years the real story has been so lost and changed it was fascinating to read the real history of one of the most powerful human Artists in history.
This is a fascinating tale and an epic journey. The book was too long and too short all at the same time. As a child Esra was the sole survivor of a lion attach and then again when jackals came at his village. He was thrown out into the wilderness to die. But Turin had other plans for him and instead he was found by Goblins (Ba Rhen) and raised to serve one huge purpose.
”What is this crime I’m expected to commit? The one you must kill me to prevent. Maybe I can just promise not to. What is it I’m supposedly going to do?” “Destroy the world.” “And you’re okay with me destroying the world.” “I exaggerated. He didn’t actually say that.” “What did he say?” “He said you world destroy the empire.”
Mawyndule has been busy moving people into position for years and it is all about to come to a head. He has spent time sowing distrust between the Teshlor and the Artists, so much that each thinks the other holds the emperor’s favor and is a danger to the empire. The time is ripe to pull the strings taught and find the horn, blow it, to be able to be crowned Fane. It a goal he has worked at for 2000 years since he lost the last battle.
”A man cannot stand with two broken legs. I fought, but it’s like trying to reason with water and convince it not to run downhill; that’s the direction it has always wanted to go. Mawyndule has only provided the opportunity.
Esra in Turin’s cloak is the strongest human Artist since Suri. He has been selected to tutor the prince Nevrik along with Jerish. I totally loved this part of the story. Nevrik is a handful for such a young boy and enjoyed how maneuvered these two into his life. Going to the Avenpartha again was also interesting to see it before the Riyria tales. The reluctant friendship between Esra and Jerish reminded me a lot of another duo I loved.
“You have something on your face.“ “Really?“ The knight wiped a hand over his mouth. “Is it gone?“ Esrahaddon shook his head. “Nope.“ “What is it?“ “I think it’s a smile.“ Jerish frowned. “Ah, there it goes. You got it that time.“
I always feel a little bad for Turin in these stories as he is so alone in trying to set right previous wrongs. His journey is to counter some events and facilitate others and sometimes the events needed are horrible indeed. Complete series readers know what happened to the city of Percepliquis and now we know why. Parts of this story are absolutely heartbreaking. Elinya and Esra, in a different time could have had a different life together and I was so sad for their very short time together after realizing the feelings they had for each other. Esra is a hero and a villain, it just depends on which side of the battle you are standing on.
I was sad with where the story ended though. I had anticipated Yolrik and Turin’s conversation and I really would have liked to have that story told. Maybe in the time after Revelations we will see the fruition of that conversation. One can only hope.
I’ve loved all of these stories set in the between years from the Age of Legends to the time of Riyria. Each added a new layer of depth to the overall story. I think one of these days I will do a huge re-read of the entire series again and can’t wait to see all the new things I tease out on my 2nd and 3rd reads of some of the books.
Narration
Al always Time Gerard Reynolds is beyond fantastic in this tale and brings it all to life. I always enjoy his performances in all of Michael J. Sullivan's stories. He always brings the story to life in ways I might not be able to do in my own head and I love it....more
Warning: There will be spoilers for some of the prior books of this series.
This is the tenth book in a series and world I’ve grown to love. I’m havinWarning: There will be spoilers for some of the prior books of this series.
This is the tenth book in a series and world I’ve grown to love. I’m having a hard time with a few things though because, well because I loved Daemon and Jaenelle so much. We spent so many books waiting for them to find their way to one another and now that Jaenelle has lived her very human life and moved on it is difficult to see Daemon with another woman even if it is Surreal.
Daemon is the Highlord of Hell, Prince of the Realm, Father to a very precocious little girl and a husband who is having a few marital problems and isn’t sure why. I loved time with Daemon the father and warlord prince. Trying to deal with a child who feels like she is ‘special’ is coming with a few extra challenges. But I’m certain that he is up to them in his own unique parenting way.
But when the foolish girl began slamming doors to indicate her extreme displeasure, he quietly informed her that since words spoken quickly could be misinterpreted, any requests to visit friends or go on outings in the foreseeable future would have to be submitted in writing, using proper spelling, full sentences that provided the necessary information he would need in order to make a decision, and, of course, good penmanship.”
Daemon and Surreal. Well for me that marriage is just a trainwreck. For a few reasons, Surreal is just not Jaenelle and doesn’t understand Daemon or his power. She is also afraid of him and not in a constructive way. She isn’t his Queen, that woman is dead now and just a song in the darkness he still hears sometimes and Surreal isn’t doing a good job at being honest with him.
Daemon knows something is different and possibly wrong with him. He feels like he is unravelling and Tersa as always has seen what could happen to her boy.
If her boy’s pain went away, the one person he would need the most wouldn’t be there. The one the winged boy would need wouldn’t be there. Daemon’s pain was the only key. Could she let her boy suffer now in order to spare him from greater pain later? “Everything has a price,” she whispered as she retreated from the visions.
I did get wrapped up in a lot of this story. I wondered it Daemon would find the help he needed to make sure he stays tied to this realm, I’m sure his daughter is going to need him eventually when she is a little older.
There is still some corruption in the blood it seems and a young Dillon is paying the price, not as heavy a price as some of the other young Lords but a steep price none the less. He has been cast out of his family and as he tries to fix his reputation falls meets Jillian from Yaslana’s household. He might have bit off a little more than he can chew there.
I liked much of this story. There is the same wonderful storytelling that we have had throughout the series and I definitely get drawn into it. There is the saying ‘There is always a price’ and that is true in this series. I loved getting to spend some time with the Scelties again and their herding and friendly ways. I LOVED every page we got with Witch on it, I have missed her.
This book seems like it is setting up for a new storyline and I think that yes you could enter here and be okay, but you would miss out on the brilliant and tragic story that made Daemon and Yaslana the men they are today. I don’t know if the same connection to the characters can happen if you were to enter here. But it seems that a new danger is just on the horizon and Daemon and Yaslana will be ready with the help of some old friends to face it....more
3.5 Grab a white horse and race in to save the damsel in distress Stars
I was completely intrigued by concept of the Bromance Book club. Release Day!!!
3.5 Grab a white horse and race in to save the damsel in distress Stars
I was completely intrigued by concept of the Bromance Book club. It is adorable that there is a book club/support group for men who secretly love romance novels and their ability to help them in their quest to find or keep the women in their lives. I have not read the first book in the series which is about a hockey player winning back his wife with the help of the romance novel, but I will eventually.
The story line in this is a little more on a serious note than a majority of the romance novels I read since our heroine is fighting a man in power that has used his position over the years to manipulate women into sexual relationships with him. It is very much a #metoo type story and delves into how everyone should be a feminist, men included. It also touches on how even as a woman you can alienate other women with judgements while you are trying to help. Good messages but a bit more serious than I usually go with my fiction.
Good thing there is enough humor throughout the book to compensate for the seriousness of the topic. Liv and Mack are both wicked sharp and have great senses of humor. I really enjoyed the banter between them and how each tried to get under the other’s skin.
“God, you’re like an annoying chin hair that grows back no matter how many times you pluck it. You rip the bastard out, and then ploop, two days later, there it is again.”
Mack has had a lot of lovers, but he has never really fallen in love. He is possible looking for the right girl and he has a knack with women but Liv is a tough nut to crack and he is having a hard time breaking through a few of her walls not to mention getting past the guard rooster at the place she lives. He is everything she is not looking for in a man, if she was looking for a man in the first place, which she definitely is not.
“Face it, Mack. You’re a walking Hallmark hero.”
Good thing Mack has his book club for backup and they are going to help him win the girl and take out the douchecanoe that is trying to blackball her in the restaurant scene.
I will say that the book club has a few characters that totally steal the show. The Russian for one was fantastic with or without cheese and I’m hoping he gets a book. Noah too needs a book. He isn’t currently in the book club, but appears to have an interesting life situation happening.
“Why exactly do you have this?” As Liv and Hop got settled in the back, Noah eased out onto the street. “All IT professionals have one.” “You work for the CIA, don’t you?” Liv said from the back. “The CIA can’t operate domestically.” “Which is a totally natural response.” “The NSA, on the other hand …” “I can’t tell if you’re joking,” Liv said. “No one admits if they work for the NSA, Liv.”
Undercover Bromance is my first book by Lyssa Kay Adams, but I’m ready to check out some of her others after this. It is fun and full of shenanigans. I enjoyed her quirky characters and how some of them stole the show anytime they were on page.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC for review. This in no way has effected the content of my review....more
“I am not good. Nor am I evil. I am no hero. Nor am I villain. I am AIDAN.”
Illuminae had psychotic AI and space zombies, Geminae had hosti
“I am not good. Nor am I evil. I am no hero. Nor am I villain. I am AIDAN.”
Illuminae had psychotic AI and space zombies, Geminae had hostile takeover, psychotropic mind eating worms and a multiverse and Obsidio had none of those things. Well we still have AIDEN the AI that makes some extremely questionable choices and there is an occupation of illegal mining company by corporation soldiers, but after killer space zombies and worms that eat your brains it just wasn’t as cool.
Obsidio has a few story lines happening:
Planetside we get to follow Asha, who is planet size and see how what is left of the colony is coping with the occupation by corporation soldiers and just how awful that is. There is a resistance happening planet side with the miners as there will soon be enough fuel to power the portable jump gate, which is also going to be death day for any survivors of the initial attack.
“This is a war!” Oshiro roars. “ ‘Right’ is whatever the people who’re standing at the end say it is. ‘Right’ is decided by the people who win.”
The occupation was harsh and brutal. I loved the people of Kerenza were smart and figuring out ways to resist but the atrocities committed and justified were so awful. The reader gets to see views from both sides of the occupation as Asha’s lost love Rhys is part of the tech team and has just made it planet side to be support. I want to say that I loved this romance pairing but it seemed to work for me the least and Rhys seemed far too naïve about the company he worked for and what they were doing.
In Space the characters that made it out of the first two books alive are now on a ship headed back to Kerenza. Good news the ship is moving faster than the crippled vessels of Illuminae so it won’t take nearly as much time *convenient*. Bad news it there are way too many people on the ship and supply to passenger ratio doesn’t look good.
“AIDAN: I HAVE NEWS THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED DISTRESSING. Grant, Kady: ok Grant, Kady: keeping in mind that i am also currently running at 9% capacity, due to lack of sleep, fear of impending death and having to deal with the boneheads here on the bridge, please be gentle with me as you break this news AIDAN: YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE.”
Kady, Ezra, Nik, Hanna and Ella are all on the Mao headed back into the unknown. There is a ship full of displaced and scared people who are not all going to make it. Former murderous calculater AIDEN is back in almost full force and making very logical choices all over again. Is it bad when you connect with the murderous AI more than the new characters on the planet? There are some bright spots though. Ella is still full of snark, sass and style as she is again hacker extraordinaire in this. I love her characters and let’s just say that her bonding time with Grant Sr. is also great. Nik also fantastic and fun adding some great comic relief in and after some tense situations. Everyone else didn’t impact me nearly as much.
Jay and Amie have some pretty big backstabs, plot twists and surprises in store for the reader and they were all really good. I have a few issues with this book though. The pacing didn’t work for me as well. Illuminae and Gemina both had me flipping pages on the edge of my seat through almost the entire book. Obsidio didn’t hold my attention nearly as well and there were definitely moments I lost interest. There were some bigger lulls and the ending was rush rush rush.
Overall still a decent ending to the series. I still had a lot of enjoyment of the overall book and there were quite a few emotional moments for me.
Best Character: Ella hacker extraordinaire Favorite heart touching moment: All the letters from Dad Grant to all the kids Saddest moment (there were a few): The Kerenzan Girl (age ~10, The Soldier, the Gun) Favorite Couple: Kady and Ezra…still Biggest Surprise: spoiler, spoiler, spoiler. But it involved Aiden and about 2000 people Most Frustrating Moment: O Captain, My Captain Best Sacrifice: AIDEN
Fun series overall and most of it was outside normal YA cliché’s making it awesome. ...more
Illuminae reminds me of a mash up between the ideas in i-Robot, 2001 a space odyssey, Firefly and the Walking Dead. It’s a 4.5 AM I NOT MERCIFUL Stars
Illuminae reminds me of a mash up between the ideas in i-Robot, 2001 a space odyssey, Firefly and the Walking Dead. It’s a mash up that you’d think might not work but for me it totally did.
“No neuroprogrammer is stupid enough to make a computer capable of conceptualizing deceit.”
Hahaha! Or are they?
This book is one of those that have been on my TBR pile since it first came out and it has been there for years, so long that the series is now in fact complete. This is the book that friends swear I’m going to love and ask, ‘why haven’t you read it yet’. Well finally, finally I have found the time to read it and it was a really great ride.
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The writing style in this isn’t going to be for everyone, it is filled with IM conversations, interviews, tech descriptions of video feeds. In the audio format I liked how this worked for the story, the hardback looks huge, but there is a ton of dead space due to the way the story is told. I read the Black Company Chronicles which is in the same epistolary format from journals and such so I can handle this format and understand what it does and doesn’t do for the story.
The story kicks off with an invasion of a mining colony. Kady, had just broken up with her boyfriend and now the world as she knows it is ending. Not because of the break up, but because a corporation has traveled through space to take over the illegal mining operation and pretty much kill all the people there to do it. She is running for her life, trying to escape the incursion. I like her right off and not just because she is also frequently underestimated, probably because she is short.
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Ezra, the afore mentioned boyfriend ends up on a different ship than Kady. He has lost everything, but can’t help thinking of the girl that broke his heart on the same day his world ended. Now they are both on different ships trying to outrun a battleship, whose mission is to kill every last witness to the atrocity committed on their home.
“It’s not the bullets that kill you. It’s moments like these. One piece at a time.”
You’d think being chased by a battleship through space would be enough for a good story, but Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman go ahead and turn the dial up to 11 by adding in some biological warfare gone wrong/right, depends on your PoV and a Murderous AI with the best of intentions.
“Um, because you're loopier than Flacky McPsycho, Mayor of Crazytown?" "My databases show no record of this Crazytown of which you speak. A brain the size of an entire city burns inside me. My intelligence quotient is beyond the human scale. I would prefer if you did not refer to me in such a fashion." "Oh, poor baby. Did I hurt the mass-murdering psychopathic artificial intelligence's feelings?”
This is a ride and a half. If you can enjoy the way the story is presented then I think it could really work for you. This much like the Princess Bride has a little bit of everything. Romance, fights, a deadly plague, murderous AI, humor, an evil corporation bent on killing all the characters we like, deception and sacrifice. A little bit of everything really all wrapped up in an intense story.
I hope you enjoy/enjoyed it as much as I did....more
Lottie has had a little cameo in about every rock chick book after her sister Jet’s. She is a loving sister, sweet to their mother and patient with heLottie has had a little cameo in about every rock chick book after her sister Jet’s. She is a loving sister, sweet to their mother and patient with her eccentric step father Tex. Lottie is likable in every sense of the word. She also just happens to be a headline dancer at Smithie’s club, taught by our none other than Rock Chick favorite Daisy.
Lottie is a little sad because all the good ones have been taken. It appears that Lottie’s biological clock is ticking and there just isn’t anyone in the hot bunch left, so she’s given up and thinking about just doing the whole baby thing on her own without a man. That is until Mo, the quiet but deadly man enters her life.
Lottie has someone completely fixated on her and that man is sending Smithie letters. Very disturbing letters. Smithie, being Smithie has been through some trouble in Denver before and knows that if he brings in the normal crew a.k.a. the hot bunch this will not go down easy. So he instead looks for Hawk and his commandos for help. Can you say crossover series with me guys.
Mo is big, intimidating and quiet. He doesn’t say much out loud but Lottie feels like the man speaks volumes to her just with his body language. The more time they spend together the harder it is for Mo to separate his thoughts from her and the harder it is to keep it all professional.
Mistake number one. He watched her dance. Mistake number two. He left her sightline when she was exposed and needed to know he had her. Mistake number three. He let it slip his mind she was tangled up with the Rock Chicks. Mistake number four. He also forgot her stepfather was a lunatic.
Lottie is cute and charming and just herself. She was so adorably easy to like that I was rooting hard for them from the first pages. Mo has some emotional baggage from being in the military but he also has a little from prior relationships and Lottie has made it her mission to help him with all of that.
Sure there is the danger situation happening with the stalker in the background of all of this. There is danger a foot and the letters are getting bolder and the danger that the stalker is almost ready to make their move. It added to the story but lets be clear that this is mainly a romance with a little danger off to the side.
Mo comes fully stalked with a group of commando buddies from Hawks crew that are going to need some setting up in future books. Like I said crossover series and I could not be happier that we will get something akin to a Rock Chick/Dream Man crossover. I’m so excited for it in fact.
“Can I ask when my woman became all of your woman?” Mo requested to know from behind me, and he didn’t sound happy. “Until we get our own,” Mag answered breezily. “You know sister wives? We’re like brother husbands.” “No you aren’t.” There was my man’s Brook No Argument Tone. “Without the benefits, of course,” Mag added. “Lottie, babe, step up the matchmaking shit,” Mo ordered,
It was so much fun to be back in the Rock Chick world yet again and I loved seeing all of the hot bunch and Tex make cameo appearances. It is sweet that Lottie was so loved by the gang and I remembered why I had so much fun with the Rock Chick series in the first place.
Great shorter read to scratch that Kristen Ashley itch I sometimes get. Dream Maker I’m ready for you. ...more
Kate and Kennedy were totally the book I was waiting for in this series. I’ve loved the building tension between them since Hot Asset. Kate is the no Kate and Kennedy were totally the book I was waiting for in this series. I’ve loved the building tension between them since Hot Asset. Kate is the no nonsense, on top of her game assistant to three wall street prodigies and Kennedy is the oblivious boss that has no idea she fell in love with him at first sight. You’ve been able to cut the sexual tension between them with a knife for years now.
If Kate had learned anything in her twenty-seven years, it was that there was a certain power in being underestimated.
Kate has decided it is time to be over Kennedy, she’s actually felt like that for a while. While the love she has for him has faded over time, seeing him everyday has made her body lust after him hungrily. So when his brother swings into town and they have some instant chemistry Kate decides to explore it in hopes that on brother might be just as good as the other.
For Kennedy seeing Jack hit on his assistant jumpstarts something that was lingering there that he kept ignoring. He wants to sum it up to protectiveness but everyone around him points out that maybe its more and maybe the window used to be wide open to make his move but it is closing fast if it isn’t already closed.
“You once said you wanted someone who’d fall hard and fast for you, and while I know I let you down on the fast part . . . I did fall, Kate. I’ve fallen all the way.”
I’m a huge fan or Lauren Layne (LL). She does a few things that really work for me in a romance novel.
① - Builds Great Tension - and she does this without crossing some of the no-no lines I have. When dealing with siblings there are especially some lines you don’t want to cross in your story and she does this so well.
❷ - Great Side Characters - In every series LL builds a great group of friends to build dialogue and fun around. They add to the story and are there not only to support the MCs but also they add a great amount of fun to the story.
“You do realize you guys are crashing a bachelorette party, right?” “We did our best but decided the whole bachelor party was a bust when Ian started telling the stripper all about the wedding. In great detail. Then asked if she was cold.” “Oh dear,” Kate said with a laugh. “Well, at least we know he’ll be loyal.” “Lara, too,” Sabrina chimed in. “I suggested a male stripper, and she asked if we could have Ian do it.” “And there’s my nightmare fodder for weeks,” Matt said with a wince.
③ - Plotting Isn’t Repetitive - I’ve read over a dozen LL books now and each story has something special in it. While some of the core issues are similar each story feels unique to the characters in it. Sure you know that they will figure it out eventually but the journey is never the same.
❹ - Solid Meet Cutes - Even in this story there is one. Sure, Kennedy and Kate already know each other but to make him open his eyes Kate has a meet cute with his brother Jack, pretty much right in front of his face. I think that is what made me like it even more.
⑤ - Pacing - The great thing about an LL book is that she will never stretch it to 300+ pages when it really only needed to be 225. That means that very rarely do I get distracted in the story and wonder when the next thing is going to happen. There isn’t a ton of unimportant to the story fluff and fodder just to get the page count up. I love the story and I’m glad that most of the time we stick to the meat of it.
This is another great rom-com feel story. I could definitely see any of the books that LL writes as the next check flick out there and I love that. There is enough witty banter, smart dialogue and even a few running jokes that just make every story fun.
”Only call me if one of you kills the other, and there’s blood to clean up.” “Out of curiosity, who do you think would be the offed and who would be the offer?” Matt asked. “You three, dead,” she said, pointing to Jack, Matt, and Ian. “Him, guilty.” She pointed at Kennedy. “Hey,” he said, affronted. “Why am I the serial killer?” She shrugged. “You’re so pent-up all of the time. I figure it has to eventually come out, and when it does, it’ll be in a big way.”
This is the 3rd book of a series but like most LL books can be read at any time and in any order. Still the other Wolves of Wallstreet had enjoyable stories so while you could start with this one, I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to begin at the beginning.
The Stiletto/Oxford series still remains one of my favorite Contemporary romance series and is well worth a try too if you are looking for books with a solid Rom-Com feel to them....more
The Raven Boys is one of my favorite series ever, so I was both excited and really nervous to read Call Down the Hawk. This is the first book in a braThe Raven Boys is one of my favorite series ever, so I was both excited and really nervous to read Call Down the Hawk. This is the first book in a brand new series but I don’t think that the enjoyment level will be the same or that all of the Dreaming stuff will make as much sense if you haven’t completed The Raven Cycle series, plus it is a wonderful experience and if you don’t enjoy that series you are not going to enjoy this one.
“You are made of dreams and this world is not for you.”
Ronan grew on me through the Raven Boys series, but this isn’t a book just about him. Call Down the Hawk is a book about all the Lynch boys, secret societies, Dreamers, Dreams and the possible end of the world. It was really a fascinating story that I think only hits the tip of the iceberg of what this series is going to turn into.
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I was nervous that this wasn’t going to live up to the series before it, but it is just as wonderful in a completely new and twisted way. It has so many great new characters and I’m loving all the time in the dream worlds and meeting new dreamers as well as the people that are hunting them down. Its one of those books that you get to see things from multiple sides and so no one is all good or all bad they just have different motivations and think they are doing the right thing. I really love the various shades of gray in the book so far.
“He sucked in more longing with every inhale, he exhaled some of his happiness on the other side. How miserable.”
The story was captivating and one of my biggest surprises was Declan, the oldest Lynch brother. I kinda hated him in the Raven Boys but getting to know him in this series was eye opening to the deeper character there. I love the mystery surrounding this new plot and the factions that are involved. I’m really hoping there is a team up of sorts down the road but right now it is too soon to tell.
Since I loved the first series so much, I was sad not to get more cameo’s. There are a few mentions of characters from the first series and what they are up to now.
there was burnished Gansey, who might not have saved Ronan’s life in high school, but at the very least kept it mostly out of Ronan’s reach so that he could not take it down and break it.
This was a great opening book that set up the overall feel of the story, introduced the players, posed some dangers and made me want to dive into the next book in the series, that isn’t out yet. I was so happy to step into the story that Maggie Stiefvater is dreaming up for us and I for one will be ready to read the next book on release day and this is how I will feel until then.
It felt like sadness was like radiation, like the amount of time between exposures was irrelevant, like you got a badge that eventually got filled up from a lifetime of it, and then it just killed you.
Narration:
Maggie Steifvater’s prose is one that I personally adore, it’s almost like the book is meant to be read aloud and listened to. I always get her books in audio because they are just that more enjoyable in that format and Will Patton does a stellar job with the performance as always....more
Most of the Angels fled to their homeland, above the clouds, over 600 years ago, when This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
3.5 stars
Most of the Angels fled to their homeland, above the clouds, over 600 years ago, when the humans revolted and pushed them out. Since then, humans and the Angels have mostly lived apart except for a rogue faction that stayed on earth. With the discovery of a formula to make a weapon that can kill any angel, the time clock is ticking and everyone is vying to get their hands on it
Ruben is an angel hunter, one of the best. He lost his family to an attack by Angels on his home and has carried an even bigger vendetta against them since that day. Ashwin is an Aeriel Prince sent by his sister to infiltrate the humans and make sure no one gets their hands on this new weapon. Ashwin needs to team up with Ruben in order to thwart the plot by the rogue angels to take the formula for the weapon for themselves. The best way to do this is to pretend and be a human Aristocrat from a foreign land and have Ruben assigned to babysit him pretty much.
I enjoyed most of this story, which was a little surprising, since there was no sex really, or love story, or kissing or a hint of a possibly relationship besides the bromance between Ashwin and Ruben. I tend to stay away from books with Angels as well because they have a tendency to have religious connotations throughout which really isn’t my thing either. But the Aeriels in this are another race made mostly of energy so all religious connotations are avoided.
There was a smidge of a pacing problem for me a few times in the book during some of the dialogue but usually that was short lived and then we were back on track. Ashwin and Ruben are both pretty likeable and I like what they each brought to the duo. The mystery of who could possibly be the human mole helping the Aeriel Queen living in exile, was a nice addition and while I had my suspicions, they weren’t confirmed until the very end.
Overall a solid read, A Flight of Broken Wings is one of those flying a bit under everyone’s radars. So if you are looking for a good book with no kissing, then this one could be for you.
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.