Andrea Ward

I am so glad this is a stand-alone fantasy! As I got further into the book, I had to know how it wrapped up and what happens to everyone. And thankfully, I got to find out all about them! I think the twist and the way it worked out was so clever and different. The gods were sometimes petty and sometimes generous, sometimes power hungry and sometimes compassionate. I like it when the god realm is portrayed as complicated that way.
Mina is amazing! She is constantly fighting for what is best for everyone. I loved seeing her stick by her values and morals.

I did not expect this level of planning in this group. So that was interesting and it was a good review/ explanation of what is going on. I might be losing interest in this one. It is moving slow with the parts I am interested in, but I really love the dialect that it is written in. So I enjoy reading the words even if the plot and characters aren't really interesting me now. But maybe it gets better?

I loved the vast cast of supernatural characters! It wasn't explained and it was just there. I'm sure some that will bother some people, but I was just along for the ride.
Alexei and Jerusalem grew on me. At first I wasn't sure if I liked them, as individuals or as couples, but by the end, I enjoyed their complexity and flaws. Sometimes the balance between romance and action was off, but each part was interesting to me.
I love alternate history and mostly I think this was well done. I think it would have enhanced the story if the world was broadened a little and we saw more plantations and more of the South. But that could have also introduced a lot of characters that didn't go anywhere. So I can't really fault the author for keeping a right focus on Jerusalem and Alexei's mission.
Overall I enjoyed it, but it might not be for everyone. If you like stories that drop you in a world and just go, then you will like this one. If you liked Dread Nation by Justina Ireland, you will enjoy this one because the alternate history and strong woman vibes are similar in this one.

Clementine and Iwan are so cute! I did expect one twist, but didn't expect another one. I loved the way they challenged each other to grow as people. I like some of the questions we are left with because that seems realistic. I was kind of surprised that there was a bit of history that wasn't discussed on page between Iwan and Clementine. It doesn't detract from the book. It just surprised me.

I was intrigued to see how Oz is portrayed in the this book. I liked the way that we travel through different parts of Oz and see the different groups of people. I wasn't completely sold on the action parts of the book, but I liked Amy and her group that were trying to overthrow Dorothy. I'm glad I kept with it because I was invested by the ending. I am going to pick up the novellas/ short stories next. I am curious to see how all the people of Oz got to where they are.

The solution seemed pretty straightforward from the beginning. There are a few details that are surprising, but the overall solution was obvious. So the book was less about who did it and more about are they going to get caught. Rachel meets a bunch of interesting people, so I enjoyed the investigation. I'm glad with how it ended, but it wasn't much of a surprise when we got there.

I don't know if I love this book or hate it. It is probably too early to review the book since I just finished it a few minutes ago. There is a good part and a bad part to the ending that is keeping me torn.
The setting of Casa Eva and the character of Eva feel real as I listened to this book. That also contributed to my strong feelings about the ending.
The lake could have been used more, but I appreciate that the author didn't tip over into exoticising the lake, the country, or the people. Eva and several of the others feel like the outsiders and I liked that as well.
So if you want a couple good twists and an ending that makes you want to throw things and smile, pick this one up.

There was a lot going on in this one! I liked the secret American history thriller parts, but the villain(s) and their ultimate plan were a little over the top. I didn't mind the way it ended and the twists about identities. I didn't like the AI parts and I'm not sure that I understood what the ultimate plan was with those.
Overall this was a good over the top sci-fi thriller. It was a fun read.

The setting is amazing! I love the descriptions of the area they are in. I also liked hearing from Lady Trent and how she included her mistakes and misunderstandings. Just like in the first one, I was skeptical about how much I was going to enjoy this one, but I kept listening and fell more in love with the book until I couldn't wait until the end.
This series is much more than I expected.

I loved how meta this one was! Not only did he tell us the number of times the name was mentioned, but also kept a tally for us! I love how this took a fair play mystery to the extreme.
The ending was clever and almost too clever. I'm still not sure if I like it or not. There were also almost too many characters. It was hard to keep track of the 8 or so writers plus the handful of fans and the other publishing people in the train. For the most part there were enough clues in the conversation to help us connect the name to the right person.

Amerie and Vincent are so cute! I love the way they get to know one another. There is a good mix of banter and real conversations. Their family support is great and feels like realistic issues people have with family. The third act break up is set up well throughout the book, so it doesn't come as a surprise. I didn't love the way it is dealt with, but it also could have been a lot worse. I did gasp out loud, laugh out loud, and kick my feet at various points in the book. So it really is that good overall.

I understand what the author is doing and why, but it isn't really the story I was hoping for. There was more vengeance and secrets than I was wanting. It is a good book, but not really for me. If you liked the first one and the battle between the families, you will like this one.

This book was very atmospheric and I loved that. I disliked many of the characters and I think that was the way it was supposed to be, so that was successful. I didn't love the dual perspective though. I think I need to read this again before I decide what I really think.

OMG! I loved this book. Maybell and Wesley are great characters. I was happy for them, sad for them, and mad for them at various times. It really made me care about their relationship. I liked the spice level, low, because it gave them time to get to know one another. Maybell's daydreams were funny at first and then sad. I like the way that those developed in relation to her development. I generally don't reread books, but I could reread this one.

Cites and Rowan's chapters felt very different and it made it hard for me to connect with both of them. I love the questions about mortality and what life means that this brought up. I didn't like the way religion was dealt with. I liked the different Scythes we get see throughout their training.

Isaki and Nakami are out exploring the city and he is working hard to learn photography. He is taking some good pictures, so it makes for some beautiful art work.

I loved the writing and the sense of place. There was sadness and poignancy and I liked those feelings. I'm not sold on the ending, but I don't hate it. I didn't like that friendship wasn't portrayed. I also wanted more of the in between years. So I liked it, but there were some things missing.

The setting was fabulous! The characters were eh. The world building was at times contradictory. The ‘message' was a little too on the nose for me.

I started out not liking these women and it took a while to get better. But by the end I was happy that I stuck with it and that they learned and grew as people. Yes there was a heist, but that wasn't the part that intrigued me the most. Lulu, Rina, and Jane were compelling characters that sometimes made me want to scream and sometimes made me want to hug them. The ending was mostly what I wanted it to be, but it would have been unrealistic for what I wanted to happen, so I can't complain too much.
If you want to read about unlikable characters that are discovering who they truly want to be and how they want to get there, pick this book up.

When he tries King can write compelling female characters facing difficulties. Dolores is a woman that people see as hard, but inside she is complex. I really liked the experience of reading this book. Dolores is the only one talking even when she is answering questions. We don’t hear from the people asking the questions. We just hear her. I like that there weren’t any chapters and that it was written in dialect. That really helped me feel like I was sitting at the table hearing her tell the story. There are trigger warnings for abuse and discussion of sexual assault. I stopped reading the book for a while because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue, but I picked it back up and was pleased that there were no sexual assault scenes on page. It was discussed, but not portrayed. I appreciated that.

Overall this was better than I expected. I really came to appreciate Dolores and Vera. They had difficult decisions and difficult consequences, but they tried to do the best they could with things as they were at the time.

This was a fun isolated setting mystery. I should have seen the twist coming, but I didn't! The relationships between these people was a nice touch, but it wasn't as impactful as I wanted it to be.

Oh my goodness! This was so good. I think I love short story collections. A haunted theater, creepy swamps, dangerous portals, MLMs that are like cults, violent forests and people in them, and cemeteries! So many settings that I love.
I wanted more from “Local Color” by Eden Royce. There is so much more that could be told about Veronne and her grandpa.
The one that held my heart was “Black Strings” by Vincent Tirado. It had the heart that I expect in his work. He knows how to make me care about the characters.
My favorite story is “Black Pride” by Justina Ireland. It has stuck with me! I can't stop thinking about that one, but what else do I expect from the excellence that is Justina Ireland.
My favorite character is Flex in “Foxhunt” by Charlotte Nicole Davis. I could read so many more pages and stories with her!
If you like horror, creepy settings, or surprise twists, you have to pick this one up!

Aw! I am so excited to see how everyone is growing and dealing with their emotions and past and future. Of course there is a quest, but there is a lot of character growth as well. I am now caught up with the series and I have to wait for the next one.

The mythic nature of this story brought me back to my Latin American literature university classes in the best possible way. It is simultaneously rooted in hard realities and mythic celestial decisions. It was a long hard road to get to a place of growth and love, but it made the ending so amazing. I don't read much lit fic, but this one caught my eye and I am so glad I read it!

Wow! I am so glad I picked this one up. It is so heavy and hopeful at the same time. Life is hard and making good decisions is hard, but having support along the way is hopeful. This book does a beautiful job encapsulating all that.