Lili V

I don't think there's anything more enjoyable than a well-thought out Victorian mystery with just a touch of the supernatural.

The characters were absolutely magnificent, very well fleshed-out and had lovely banter. I couldn't get enough of their witty repartee.

Besides the characters, the most interesting part of this book was the writing. It fit the atmosphere to a degree but there were certain turns of phrase that didn't click in meaning for me. I had to rely heavily on context clues for some parts. The execution however, was a different story from the writing style. I greatly appreciated the fact that the author built the world and characters up as the plot went along. There's no heavy exposition to bog down the beginning of the novel and stump the reader.

The murder mystery plot was done fantastically well and the dissemination of the investigation was thrilling and compelling to read about. The combination of her majesty's Psychic Serivce working with Scotland Yard made for a hilarious pairing for solving crimes.

This novel ended with ‘no she didn't!' and ‘haha wait, are you serious? Haha excellent!' moments that perfectly wrapped up the all the loose threads. I can't say more or I will end up spoiling something but suffice to say that this book set up a potential series quite nicely.

I would no doubt want to read more about this world and Alex's position in it but I'm not sure if there will be more books to come. In any case, this was an amazing romp of a book and just what I needed.

The beginning had a lot of promise but I soon learned that the MC was too in the dark about everything going on around her that when it finally came to the big reveal, I couldn't care less. There's barely any background made up for any of the characters; the author focuses more on the lackluster world-building than anything else. The most you learn about the characters is their family history and their role in the book, Sin Eater, Queen, Daunen Embodied, Prince, etc.

The ending was so unsatisfactory I'm beyond disappointed. To say the least and not spoil anything, it was not an ending at all. It only had enough answers to satisfy the meager plot line that ran throughout the novel but anything beyond that was left in the air. Anything the reader actually cared about was left unanswered. Very frustrating. Feels like I just wasted a day of reading.

This is definitely one of the more boring books in the series and not at all memorable. I hope the next book is better and we get to see more development in the relationships Sang has with the guys. And I hope the plot develops a bit more as well because it seems that Sang's initiation into the Academy has stagnated.

Stil want to continue this series because I will always enjoy the reverse harem aspect but by this point I need a lot more than that to fully immerse myself into the story.

Didn't expect it to be as dry as it was. It did offer more explanations than the movie did, and I would recommend reading the book first. However, though it was quite good in the fantastical bits and in the world-building I believe it lacked some in the dialogue and connection between characters. The developing relationships between the motley crew of characters really lacked in foundation, so much so that the ending felt a bit abrupt and rushed.

Weak 3 stars. This is a fast-paced thriller about a teen girl who reluctantly moves to Washington D.C. because she can no longer keep the truth about her Grandfather's condition secret, so her sister comes out of the blue and uproots her out of her country ranch life. She quickly learns her sister has more connections with people in high places than she would ever expect, especially since she had no clue what her sister did in Washington.

I really liked the protagonist but she's the only person I could empathize with because of her situation. I didn't connect to any of the other characters (though they were well-crafted) because I ultimately didn't care about them. Tess's relationship with Ivy was rocky to say the least, and that led to a faulty foundation on which any sort of relationship would crumble, which didn't ever get resolved in this book. This first installment focused primarily on revealing secrets and answers questions (after repeatedly going over the same ever evidence exhaustively) about the main mystery “case” than building any sort of deep connections or investing time with the characters introduced throughout the book.

Overall, a good thriller that didn't expand beyond just that. Won't be continuing with the series.

This installment was SO good! OMG, that ending was intense and completely unexpected.

We start off in the convent because everyone thinks they are under attack by Lucifer's hellhounds. We get to see Cookie's wedding to Ubie, and then we are thrown into another murder mystery case but oh man, things go batshit after that.

I'm really happy to see that Beep's family has grown and expanded to include everybody essential in Charley's life. It was fun to read how they all got involved in her life.

It is the internal story line that is the most interesting. The plot that continues the overarching story line of the whole series has taken a serious turn in this installment. So much so, in fact, that I have no idea how the rest of the series is going to pan out, but I am undoubtedly excited because (not to spoil anything) this changes everything.

This is like those times where people warn you that they're about to spoil something then right after they warn you, they joke and say that the MC dies or the MC is god or whatever. Well, let's just say that in this instance they wouldn't would be completely off the mark.

Liked the three stories overall, don't know if they are necessary to read as a part of the series but they are a nice addition to it.

Really enjoyed this one! Quick UF read about a sorcerress trying to stay under the radar and hide from a big bad, until tall, dark and handsome comes to town accusing her as a murderer. This was a quick thrill read with a stable magical foundation. I can't wait to read more about the world and all its characters.

Finally done with the latest installment in the series. This is definitely that one installment that all the other installments were building towards. So many of the events in the first couple books were mentioned as they pertained to the plot of this book. I really like how everything was interconnected.

Most of all, I liked how Jane's relationship to the people around her developed. There seemed to be more of a solid foundation between Jane and Bruiser, Eli, Alex, Molly, and even Leo.

I also enjoyed the part with Jane's soul home because it inspires so many philosophical questions about time–The Gray Between–and death. What Jane is and who she wants to be. And all the metaphysics in between.

I look forward to continuing this series next year with Shadow Rites and it's own shenanigans.

I think about this book in the same way Gay describes Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, “competently written, blandly interesting, and it does repeat a great deal of familiar research.” But with a lot more pop culture thrown in to provide some levity.

I don't understand her last essay about being a ‘bad feminist'. While I do think there are ways that women could behave in a way that doesn't advocate for the feminist cause, I just don't call them feminists. Everything that Gay outlined in her last essay about being a bad feminist are things she personally likes that she thinks others (the ‘good feminists') would judge her for having. Maybe this labels me as a ‘bad feminist' too, but none of the things she list make me think that she's doing anything wrong or against the ‘feminist' way. Who cares if her favorite color is pink? Who doesn't want to be independent while also being taken care of? Who doesn't like the feel of a shaved calf? What does any of this have to do with being a ‘good or bad feminist'?

Feminism to me is about equal rights for men and women. It's a movement to create a world where women have the same rights afforded to men. It's a movement that advocates for women's health and procreation rights. It's about accepting the different struggles women from all cultures and ethnicities and fighting for their right to live and strive for what they want out of life.

What does not liking pink have to do with being a good feminist? (Personally I love pink. While I also thought that it was probably a color that wouldn't suit me (primarily because I was introduced to it as many others were, as a ‘girly' and therefore inferior, color) I've come to find that I enjoy it very much. How does this make me a bad feminist?)

So this definitely took me a while to finish but I'm glad I followed through with it because it was a really good story. I mostly enjoyed the latter half of the novel because the first half had a lot of pacing and execution issues. It was very stop-and-go in the beginning; there was a burst of action and then the plot dwindled to a crawl then another burst and another crawl.

I liked the fact that since Agnieszka was introduced as the Dragon's latest captive it served as a catalyst in questioning the routine that was settled on the relationship between the Dragon and the villages he protects. Nieshka's involvement produces an awakening in the Dragon and his methods. Her unique power and straightforward personality was able to infiltrate the Dragon's dogged attitude and stiff mannerisms.

I had a love-hate relationship with the writing due to its inconsistent prose. I loved the fluidity of the author's writing when she was describing anything, the scenery, the action, character's feelings, etc. I hated when she tried to convey emotions via dialogue. In that instance, it was missing that fluidity and she wasn't able to fully get across the passion in the emotion the character was trying to express.

I enjoyed the characters for the most part and believed they developed quite nicely throughout the story. However, I didn't get attached to any of them because of their development that they each went through was restricted to the circumstances they were in. Like the main character for example, Agnieszka, she turned out to be an amazing character but beyond the scope of the plot of fighting against the Woods, there was no substance to her. The Dragon was the same. His grumpiness was mostly just irritating to read about and his development was very slow-going.

The best parts of the story were mostly when the characters interacted with one another. They showed a depth in feeling was easily captured and conveyed to the reader. Agnieszka's friendship with Kasia was one of favorite parts to read about. And the relationship between Agnieszka and the Dragon was fun to witness develop because of the polarity between them was comical.

Another aspect that I found fascinating was the character of the Woods and how elaborate the author made it. The entire world-building that the author constructed was magnificent and very fairy tale-esque. That may be the biggest reason this book wasn't a five stars for me. I don't enjoy the linear plots of fairy tales. There's just something very constricting about the plots of fairy tales that limits the characters personalities by tying their development to their determination of confronting the Big Bad, in this case the Woods.

Grade: B

Really enjoyed this read! Needed a definite Leckie fix after finishing the trilogy but it just left me wanting me so I have to read the other short novella prequel to see if that will quench hunger. I sincerely think it will have the opposite effect. xD

While I definitely enjoyed this novella (if that's not the right terminology, someone correct me) I wish I knew more about how this fell into the scheme of the Radchaii overhaul. I have to go back and check where this is mentioned in Ancillary Justice. I also would like to dissect how the construction of this novella because Leckie's writing is genius. The mention of Kels' Vonda experience and the ending were just beautifully paralleled.

I loved this installment in the series most for its explanations about the relationships and the dynamics that need to be figured out in order for their to be a successful “reverse harem.” I also loved this book most for its insight of how the Academy works, and how they really do put family first. As a whole, I think the way the Academy operates is beyond impressive, efficient, and compassionate. Now that we are seeing a clearer picture of the Academy, and Sang's involvement in it, I can't wait for the next book to take the next step in so many ways. Hopefully it is not only going to delve deeper into Sang's involvement, but also into their team's specific mission at Ashley Waters High School. Finally caught up to the books that are out right now and I am so glad that the next one comes out in 2 months.

This book in particular should come with major TRIGGER WARNINGS.

There were two major things that made me reevaluate the series as a whole but mostly this book in particular. I wanted to like this book but consistency and pacing really made it difficult for me to enjoy this book as much as I did the others. As a whole, I do like Sang as an MC but in this book her innocence and naïveté were taken to another level in order to enhance the contrast of the sexual assault scenes. Those scenes were horrible to read by themselves, but they didn't need to be reinforced by Sang's almost delayed reactions. Since the beginning we have been told that Sang's mother has always told her about murderers and rapists in the world, but when she sees it for herself, she seems incapable of digesting that someone could do those things.

Second, I thought that there was a lack of consistency in the plot and in the boys' actions. There were a LOT of things happening in the book, interspersed with periodic dates or get-aways (as the case may be) with one or a few of the boys. To put in simpler terms, there was more bad than good; and the bad was really bad. Closer to the end of the book, I was not expecting such a bombardment of shit to hit the fan. There was one scene in particular that could have cut out altogether but I assume was deemed necessary in order for Sang to move out of her house and into one of the boys'. When I mention the lack of consistency in the boys' actions, it has to do with that particular scene because how could they have left her alone in such a fragile state, strapped to a bed, helpless? And the excuse about getting Marie and Danielle to look after her was ludicrous after all the badmouthing the boys have to say about them.

Finally, the pacing. Too much was happening in this book to ever really appreciate the momentary respite scenes with the boys; and that was a real shame considering some of them were the best interactions Sang's had with some of them.

In the end, I had to skim over the Academy chapter because I got spoiled on it while reading the Goodreads page for this book. Let's just say that kind of put a damper on things from the very beginning. Not only because I read a spoiler but because of the contents itself. Not a good way to end a book if you want readers to continue on with the series.

Loved it! Absolutely nothing I expected it to be and am glad for it. The chapters that each told their own tale with Nobody Owens at the center of it all, calm, cool, and collected. Damn, thank you Neil Gaiman. For reintroducing me to fantastic writing and wondrous, unpredictable storytelling.

Just finished another one. Really enjoyed the premise of this one and it was executed very well. A girl who saw her father get taken by feds at age twelve is now attending an Ivy League college without enough money for the rent. Then a bulldozer crashes into her house and she makes a deal to stay with the preppy boy next door who threw the party the frat boys who bulldozed her house attended. Now she has to get along with her new roommate who she thought was a party boy, but she soon learns that he has just as many layers to him as she does.

I really enjoyed this a lot more than I initially thought going into the book. For the first quarter I thought Raya was falling a bit too fast for Kade but the book really fleshed out their friendship a lot more as the story progressed. It built a foundation between two people who were living together and got to know each other after the fact. I loved how Raya's dad was introduced and his character was just awesome. Raya's love for her father was very forgiving and incredibly heartwarming because I could tell that he reciprocated wholeheartedly. I could predict that the author was waiting to use Raya's dad and his history as a plot twist but I didn't expect how the author used the con element at the very end. It was brilliant!

Really loving the art and the story.

4.25

I've come to find a few similarities in the two of Jewel E. Ann's books I've read. The biggest one being that after the second half of her books there's a major twist in the storyline. Things get a tad bit more dramatic than the easy-going first half. I'm not a fan of this change of pace because there's a very obvious break between the first and second half. And another similarity that between the two books I've read is that they have the same trigger for when the split takes place in the books. (There's a physical split between the main two characters of the book.)

Like all the Blake books lately, the intense honesty and action always have me a bit drunk on the power-aspect of it all. Blood Noir is a bit underestimated from other Blake novels but I loved the fact that it was more relaxed than some others.

So that was definitely a curveball ending. I still stand by the things I said in my mid-read updates (below). But I've also come to realize that this is the longest book that I've read in a while, I mean that metaphorically and in a good way. It's the first book in a long time that has made me stop and analyze character interactions and plot twists at more than face value. It's something that I miss from my “book blog” days. It's also the first book in a while that I've spent more than 2-3 days reading. I've been devouring the books I read recently and I'm glad I took my time with this one. It made me appreciate it a lot more.

Mid-read updates:
08/05 page 32 8.0% “So I love the fact that Simon is more concerned/worried about Meg and what she did “without his supervision/approval” than he is about the political shenanigans going on and the fact that he needs to be a wolf and run. But I have a bad feeling that it's going to bite him in the butt. Sigh”
08/06 page 91 22.0% “Did they seriously forget to tell the Elementals about what's going on? That seems a little too far-fetched. C'mon, the most powerful terra indigene?”
08/08 page 196 49.0% “I think it's smart of the author not to include POVs from the human females. I noticed they were lacking, and thought that it might have been overlooked and that they should have been included. However, if they had been, their thoughts and opinions would have clouded mine because I wouldn't shape my thoughts and opinions about the book myself but shape them around what another fellow human female thought.”
08/09 page 245 61.0% “I'm definitely taking this one slow for multiple reasons. One, the switching POVs makes the narrative easy to take a break from, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Two, the writing delves into the minute details and it gets a bit boring to read about every little thing. Three, where I am currently, the characters are hashing out an important issue for Meg, but just sounds patronizing to me.”

Currently on page 245: potential spoilers below
While the author's writing is very detailed and leaves no stone unturned, it does leave a lot to be desired in terms of pacing. I've noticed that exclusively in this installment the smallest details are part of the narrative and make for a very tedious read. And the level of importance that the author assigns to some characters but not to others has me invested in some of their story lines and annoyed by others. She tends to sidetrack the main plot into all the minute issues that Simon must deal with as leader of the Lakeside Courtyard. I normally enjoy these parts of the books because I love to learn how the world-building and government work but it seems like too many little subplots are going on at the same time the main plot is unraveling. For example, the book talks about Nicholas Scratch and the HFL movement and its diabolic plans, as well as the blood prophets and how the Others are dealing with them, and then there's Meg's growth to consider. It seems like the parallel of the other blood prophet's exposure to the outside and Meg's growth don't coherently fit into the same book and timeline. The issues that Meg goes through in the first half of the novel seem like they would have fit more believably in the previous two books. She's been at the Courtyard for months, and seemed to have settled comfortably in even as she's still learning her way around. Why is she only now beginning to become “overwhelmed”?

Definitely the best installment that has come along since LKH's earlier books. I was shocked but pleasantly surprised at how little sex there was in this one. I liked learning about how Anita's current relationship dynamics are working right now and I'm not mad that we didn't get the big wedding in this one. I'm excited to see how things go with the new people that might be added to her domestic circle as well as the growth in the necromancy powers. That's something that I really enjoyed getting to know more about.

Anita's Marshal duties were kind of horrific to read about and I'm learning that that part of the books could really classify this series under the horror genre. I think a lot of books in this could be classified as such but they've all been put under the umbrella of urban fantasy. I'm not mad about it but it's definitely something to think about.

I can't wait for the next installment and to learn how all the characters are doing.

Between this and His Tesoro, I'm really liking Mafia Romance more than I ever thought I would. Dang it. I thought I was an MC Romance girly through and through but lately, Mafia is convincing me that it can do an an overbearing male that's sweet only for his girl better.

This is rock-your-world good.

So I read this all in one day because nothing and no one could stop me. The writing is unbelievable, the characters indescribable, but suffice it to say that there are so many quotable moments it would take forever to catalog them all.

I loved this love story. I couldn't get enough of it and it was absolutely perfect because the character's knew that in order to fall in love, stay in love, and be in love they had to come to the realization that life doesn't have to be perfect but it can be better. I'm paraphrasing the heck out of a good quote and ultimately recommending that you read this story right now.

At first I didn't really like the fact that Kayli had to lie to the guys so much. I really was expecting everything to blow up in her face but the way the author executed that particular plot line was very well done because it did't bombard me as I was reading it. The overall plot for this book particularly, about the case in Florida, was thrilling and one of the many reasons I love the author's writing style: she knows how to write a good suspenseful action scene.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Wil is involved with the other series's story line, as well as what is going to happen to Kayli. All of these Academy books should definitely be read in the order they're published, in order to really appreciate it how the story lines intersect.