Cyn Newman
I was reading along and suddenly realized that I was done. I couldn't bring myself to care about or empathize with the main character, so while I wanted to find out what happened after the earlier series was done it wasn't worth the slogging through this thing to get there.
I just couldn't bring myself to care about the characters, particularly when the main character did stupid things.
I seem to have very little patience with characters who do stupid things lately, so I couldn't really finish this one.
I've loved all of [a:Gail Carriger 2891665 Gail Carriger https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1476925456p2/2891665.jpg]'s books. This one, though, broke my heart. I just couldn't help feeling so sad for Agatha and Pillover. Their dreams and desires are just too different, but apparently, there's never been anyone else for each of them. I'm glad to know their story, though.
It's been a few years since I read it (I'm sure it wasn't listed on Goodreads at that time) but I do recall enjoying the book a great deal. I keep hoping that [a:Noel Lynne Figart 5608985 Noel Lynne Figart https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1359637808p2/5608985.jpg] will publish the sequel.
Wonderful book from a wonderful friend
I am honored to have been friends with James for many years and absolutely tickled to read this book from him. It's so good, and so very James. I loved every word!
If you like cozy mysteries, especially those with some magical realism, this is the book for you.
The only problem is that now I'm tempted to hassle him about when we can expect the next book.
This book is excellent for couples who are considering moving in together or just starting to think about combining their lives. It has lots of thought-provoking questions that are good to consider and discuss.
For as long as I've been part of the size acceptance movement (oh, excuse me, it's “body positive” now!), I've read surprisingly few books about it or by its leaders. I consider Lindy West one of those leaders. Just by being “loud,” happy, feminist, and unapologetically fat, she is a role model.
While parts of this book are about gut-wrenchingly sad times in her life, this is overall a very upbeat book. Lindy is funny even when she's talking about terrible things. I caught a couple of minor “oopsies” as far as the narration goes, but that just made her more real as a person to me.
Another thing that I encountered in this book as a first: she's been subjected to even more online harassment, stalking, and threats than I have, which is rare. She became a target by being a fat journalist, and then really gathered the ire of the neckbeards living in their parents' basements by standing up against rape jokes. I hate that she's experiencing it, but it felt good to commiserate with her, so to speak.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
This is a wonderful book, and it will take an honored place on my small shelf of books recommended for anyone interested in an ethically non-monogamous lifestyle. That said, I'm glad I purchased the ebook as well as the Audible version, as I feel a need to go back and read it again with special attention to sources, tables, etc. I do hope that [a:Jessica Fern 20144014 Jessica Fern https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] writes more, as she brings a lovely enthusiasm to her craft.
I found the narrator's voice grating, frankly, and his manner of delivery was arrogant. That might reflect the author's level of confidence in the material, but it was somewhat difficult for me to get past it.
A Fun Read, But It Needs Proofreading!
This was a good yarn, and I would probably like it even more if I played World of Warcraft or any similar games. The constant errors were distracting, though. Using Grammarly or something similar would have given the author another star. There's a good reason publishers use editors!
Ok, it started a little slowly, and I had some trouble getting into the swing of the book. I stuck with it because [a:Faith Hunter 234115 Faith Hunter https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1301338242p2/234115.jpg]'s always been good for a solid tale, and I wasn't disappointed. This is a worthy ending to a wonderful series. I'll miss Jane, Bruiser, Eli, Alex, Angie Baby, and all the other incredible characters Hunter has created. I can only hope that the Soulwood series isn't done yet.
What a fun read! I came to this one fresh off having read three other books by [a:Faith Hunter 234115 Faith Hunter https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1301338242p2/234115.jpg]. With a less-capable author, that would have been way too much, but with Hunter? It was lovely.It's been quite a while since I read [b:Junkyard Cats 54549609 Junkyard Cats (Junkyard Cats #1) Faith Hunter https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595316185l/54549609.SY75.jpg 75023277], but it was all good. Shining and her world felt absolutely real. I wouldn't want to live there, but visiting via Hunter's prose is enjoyable. I occasionally wished for a little more depth or a few more details, but there was plenty of meat to sink my teeth into. The book ended at a reasonable spot, but left me hungry for the next chapter in the story.
Full disclosure: I was given a copy of this book to review. I'm glad I didn't buy it. I imagine I might have been harsher.
In Forever Werewolf, Tryst is just delivering a package to Wulfsiege on behalf of his father's security company when he gets trapped there by an avalanche. He doesn't mind, though, because the recipient of that package has a luscious daughter, Lexi.
Female werewolves are rare, and those few are protected like the precious treasures they are. Even though Tryst wasn't brought up in a pack, he knows that much. He also knows there's something very strange about the fact that Lexi isn't claimed by any of the males in the pack - in fact, they seem to give her a wide berth. She's obviously highly intelligent and competent, and she's beautiful. She's far more alluring to him than her spoiled, pampered princess sister could ever be.
Lexi is fascinated by Tryst, despite being warned away from the half-blooded wolf by her ailing father. He seems interested in her, as well, but she fears that's only because he doesn't know her crippling secret: she hasn't ever shifted. A werewolf who can't shift can't mate, so she's useless in the eyes of the pack.
Tryst is warned away from Lexi by her father, head of the pack, as well, but he can't seem to stay away from her. She's like no other woman, werewolf or mortal, he's ever encountered. What is it that draws them to each other? Is it worth risking their lives for?
It was obvious to me from the first pages of the book that Tryst and Lexi would get together, and that it would cost Tryst many bruises and much grief. The bad guy was all too obvious, as well - if the average reader can't identify him in the first mention, I'll be shocked. (Perhaps I should be more specific and say “experienced romance reader” instead.)
As for Moon Kissed, it was so forgettable that I'd have to look up the main male's name. The female was Bella, something I only recall due to bad memories of Twilight. Oh, wait, the male was Severo! Right then. Severo saves Bella from vampires who chase her, while frightening the hell out of her himself, groping her, and offering absolutely no explanations of the strange new realities her world is suddenly encompassing.
After that event, Bella learns that her best friend Seth's new girlfriend is a vampire, something Seth just hadn't quite gotten around to mentioning. Seth explains that Severo (whose name she doesn't yet know) is probably a werewolf, from her description of him and his actions. Severo has, in the meantime, started stalking Bella to protect her from the vampires he's sure will continue to hunt her (for reasons unknown to him when he starts on this plan of action). After seeing Seth with vampire Evie, with whom Severo has history, Severo realizes that Evie probably sicced the vampires on Bella due to jealousy.
One of the many, many things that bothered me about this book is that Bella is supposedly a web designer, but she never seems to work. She certainly doesn't have a laptop, which would be de rigeur, and she lives in a ridiculously upscale place (an apartment with its very own heated pool?) for someone in that profession. She can afford a lot of dance lessons, too - but her real source of income or capital is never explained. Apparently Hauf was just looking for a profession that could be “done anywhere” and someone suggested “web designer” so she grabbed that and ran with it.
Of course, Severo is also supposed to “do something with real estate” - how believable is that as a character detail? I guess we're supposed to just accept that he's rich, can spend his time as he pleases, and let everything else go without question. How is it that he has a Brownie for a housekeeper? What's the relationship between Faery and werewolves and vampires? Who knows?
The story does not get more believable as it goes on. Of course Bella falls in love with her stalker and trusts him completely. There are evil vampires. There's one good vampire, just to show that they aren't uniformly bad. But you can tell where Severo and Bella's relationship is going in the earliest scenes, and that's the most important part of the book, because it's a romance. There are complications but they'll be overcome, or it wouldn't be a romance.
Sophia, the goth dwarf who is the head cook at the Pork Pit, has been a bit of a puzzle throughout the Elemental Assassin series. How did she come to have the body disposal skills she uses to help Gin? Has she always been so diametrically opposed to her oh-so-feminine sister, JoJo? And what is the full story behind the trauma that ruined her voice? This book answers those questions.
We also get a little movement in the will-they-or-won't-they-reunite story of Gin and Owen, as well as a tiny bit of movement in the bigger story arc concerning Mab Monroe's heir. Thankfully, Finn is largely absent this time around. I find his whining about his clothes, cars, hair, etc. to be insufferable and cannot imagine what Bria sees in him, but there you go.
I feel like I should mention that this book gets brutal. I mean, if you've followed Gin Blanco this far, you aren't expecting flowers and rainbows, but I had to out this one down a couple of times. The details got to me. The descriptions were just too much, and the depravity of the villains was just too far out there. There haven't exactly been any shades of gray with previous bad guys, but I fully expected these to be roasting babies for dinner or some such.
It just occurred to me that I don't recall encountering any queer characters in this series. Or in any of Estep's other work. I've read several Bigtime novels, one or two of the Mythos Academy books, and everything she's published in this series, and everybody seems to be straight. Am I forgetting Something? How can an entire universe be heterosexual? Anybody?
I think I ran across this book because an author I follow on GoodReads rated it well. I'm sure I've heard of Drummind somewhere before, but I can't recall right off whether or not I've actually read anything by her before. Perhaps a short story I an anthology or magazine? She has the feel of one of the authors I associate with Marion Zimmerman Bradley, but unfortunately I don't have copies of the Sword & Sorceress anthologies to hand (and my collection of MZB's Fantasy magazines went missing a few moves ago, unhappily).
In any case, Blood Faerie is a good read. I was tripped up by the names, and really wish some sort of clue had been given to their pronunciation (the one provided for Eilidh was much appreciated). I need to be able to hear what I'm reading in my head. That is my only real nit to pick, though. I definitely got a feeling of the Other from the elves, something that is often missing in fantasy. I did find the depth of feeling expressed by one character for another to be a bit unbelievable on such short acquaintance, but it is supposed to be due to a mystic bond.
I went right ahead and bought the next book without hesitation. It is very likely that I will read all five books in the series, but right now I am certainly planning to read the second at the very least, and recommend it to a friend.
I was clued in to this anthology by a mention in [a:J.A. Cipriano 8560615 J.A. Cipriano https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1411265073p2/8560615.jpg]'s newsletter, which is worth subscribing to (hey, the man sends you free reads, and they're good!). Anyway, Cipriano and company are all dark urban fantasy authors who have written these stories specifically for this volume, so you won't find them anywhere else. The book is available via the Kindle Unlimited program. In fact, every related book that I checked on is available that way, so I'm wondering if this thing was sponsored by Amazon or something. If so, why doesn't it say so? Anyway, on to the review.“The Bull Demon King” is Cipriano's story, set in the Thrice-Cursed Mage universe. You don't need to have read those books to appreciate the story, and it serves as a nice little introduction if you're curious about the series (I've really enjoyed them). I think the story is set between the second and third books, but I won't swear to that and it isn't vital. We get to attend the Texas state fair with assassin mage Mac Brennan and his girlfriend Ricky, the local alpha werewolf. Of course, mayhem ensues, because that's Mac's lot in life - and what kind of story would we have otherwise?[a:Domino Finn 8035821 Domino Finn https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394487436p2/8035821.jpg] contributes “The Black Door” which is noted as “A Black Magic Outlaw Story.” This story had me guessing right up until the end, which was delightful. The writing is wonderful, the world of an alternate magical Miami nightlife is very fully realized, and central character, Cisco Suarez, is extremely well drawn. I will be pointing my partner to Finn's work, for sure (he loves the macabre), but I think it may be a little too dark for me.On to Manhattan for our next piece, “Dance of the Dead,” which [a:Sonya Bateman 2984460 Sonya Bateman https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1478883650p2/2984460.jpg] tells us is a “Deathspeaker Codex Short Story.” It takes place just after the events of the first novel in that series, according to the author' note. Gideon Black drives bodies from crime scenes and the like to the morgue. Apparently he's not 100% human, and he's just learned that he can speak to the dead. That's very important to the plot. For some reason this story didn't grab me. I don't relate well to stories that deal with the dead, like zombies and so on, so it's probably a failure of imagination on my fault rather than anything wrong with Bateman's story. If I find something she writes in another setting, I will give her another go.[a:Ambrose Ibsen 14031995 Ambrose Ibsen https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] offers up “Hard Row: A Demon-Hearted Story” for the collection. Lucian Colt works with other special enforcers to keep the threats from Beyond from encroaching on the mundane world of Detroit, and when he learns that there's a shipment of kidnapped children being moved, he's definitely down for tracking down the bad guys behind the trade. The fallen angel whose heart he carries is just glad to get a chance to throw down. The gimmick doesn't really carry the story here. It feels like Colt is too overpowered in comparison to his allies, as if they are a mismatched RPG party. Okay, I'll admit it: [a:Al K. Line 7804356 Al K. Line https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1409828837p2/7804356.jpg]'s name just annoyed me. So I had to get past that to give “Angry Spark,” set in his Dark Magic Enforcer world, a fair reading. Then the use name of the main character, “Black Spark,” hit me wrong. The guy's real name is Faz Pound, but obviously magic men don't go about giving their real names to all and sundry, hence the use name. Then I didn't like the remarks about a corpulent character. So I finally just decided to leave off on this story. Maybe someone else can give you a review of it.[a:Rob Cornell 4619015 Rob Cornell https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1466185830p2/4619015.jpg]'s “Family Business,” which is apparently a prequel set in his Unturned series' universe, is set in another alternate Detroit. Fortunately nothing annoyed me about this one, so I was able to read it. It's a wee bit hackneyed, but a bit sweet, too. It's sort of like when you hear a song and you know how the melody is going to go because the chords and the melody progression already feel familiar. I might check out more of Cornell's work, but it won't be at the top of my to-read list.On the other hand, “Valentine Blues” left me truly hungry for more of [a:James A. Hunter 10949813 James A. Hunter https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1419121016p2/10949813.jpg]'s work, and wanting to read more about Yancy Lazarus right now. This minute. Not soon, NOW. Lazarus is a traveling blues man with some interesting talents who takes an interest in the very strange behavior of the young people in Valentine, Nebraska. You can find the most interesting things on the road! I will most definitely be reading [b:Strange Magic: A Yancy Lazarus Novel 25695929 Strange Magic A Yancy Lazarus Novel (Volume 1) James A. Hunter https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1433885941s/25695929.jpg 43549112], the first book in this series, SOON.I know that I've read something about [a:Craig Schaefer 8180684 Craig Schaefer https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1399250281p2/8180684.jpg]'s Daniel Faust series somewhere before, but I've never actually read any OF the series until “A Drive in the Country.” It's set in and around Las Vegas. I have no idea where in the timeline of the series this particular story is set, but it's well-written. It pulls you into the gritty, noir world of gangsters plus magic and makes you feel the dark. If that's your thing, Schaefer's your man.New York is the setting for [a:Pippa DaCosta 7277852 Pippa DaCosta https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1446052111p2/7277852.jpg]'s “Chase the Dark,” set in the world of her Soul Eater series. I am highly intrigued, as I don't believe I've ever run into an urban fantasy series that draws upon Egyptian mythology the way DaCosta is here. The name of the main character, though, Ace Dante? Even though it's obviously an assumed name, it's terrible. I hate it. I'm jarred every single time my eyes come across it on the page. It kept pulling me out of what was otherwise a really good story, and is making me wonder whether or not I can handle reading Hidden Blade, the first book in the series.Now that I'm finished with the book, I can't help but notice a few things. There wasn't a single main character that was female, and while it's possible that Cisco Suarez is a person of color, his cultural background wasn't made clear in Finn's story. If any of the other protagonists were POC, that wasn't obvious (I'm not sure what to consider “Ace Dante.”) I'm pretty sure all these men were cisgendered and heterosexual, as well. I don't think it's too much to ask that there's a little more diversity in such a volume.All in all, a decent collection of stories and a nice introduction to some new authors, but a disappointment in some important respects.
I picked this up on a whim because it was on the new releases shelf at the library. Honestly, I don't usually get far in such books, because they start getting into material that triggers flashbacks for me.
So far, this one hasn't. There haven't been any terribly explicit descriptions of molestation, so I'm okay so far. And yes, I did know most of what's in here, but I found some of the statistics interesting. The step-by-step way the book follows one predator after another, pointing out the warning signs that should have tipped parents off to the dangers their children were in, is interesting. I think it could be very helpful to many parents.
I've always been very protective of Katie, and very proactive in talking with her and trying to educate her in ways that might help her avoid predators. Giving her the real names for parts of her body, the whole “good touch/bad touch” thing, making sure that she understands that her body is HERS and nobody, no matter who that person is, has any right to touch her without her consent. If she doesn't want to hug Aunt Lucy, she doesn't have to do it—and Aunt Lucy isn't allowed to push. And, as she's gotten older, I've talked to her (in age-appropriate ways) about what happened to me.
I wasn't aware that children who have been abused in any way (sexually, physically, emotionally, verbally) are much more likely to be abused again, even by completely different people in a totally different setting. They're more vulnerable. The same goes for children who have experienced the loss of a parent due to death or divorce, or have otherwise been traumatized—predators seek out the most vulnerable kids as their preferred victims.
And, unfortunately, being the child of an abuse survivor greatly increases the probability that a child will be the victim of abuse. In some, but not all, cases, the abuser is the parent. But in more cases, the abuser is someone who sees the damaged boundaries of the abuse survivor and takes advantage of them to gain access to the child. That's definitely of direct interest to me as an abuse survivor.
I recommend this book to any parent, but especially those who are abuse survivors or whose children may be especially vulnerable due to other circumstances. Teachers, Scout leaders, and others who work with children may also benefit from reading this book.
I greatly enjoyed this book. In fact, I couldn't put it down last night and finished it in one fell swoop. The world is one of the most intriguing new takes in fantasy that I've encountered in years, richly imagined and off-center from ours with just enough familiarity to make the differences that much more striking. The characters are well-developed and believable, the Others different enough from anyone else's take on vampires, were beings and the like to stay fresh. I cared about Meg pretty quickly, and Sam almost immediately.
This isn't another boring romance book, which is a great relief. I can only hope that continues to be true for the series.
What a wonderful anthology! I have fallen off on reading collections lately, but I am such a total Kevin Hearne fangirl that I started looking for this one as soon as he mentioned it on Facebook. I bought it as soon as I heard of its release, and womanfully resisted skipping straight to the Iron Druid story.
I truly enjoyed most of the stories included. I did just stop reading the baseball story when I realized that it was horror, and skipped over “Dogs” for the same reason. Terry Brooks' piece did nothing for me, but that probably had more to do with the fact that I haven't read anything of the novels that seem to be vital to having it truly make sense. I haven't read any of The Wheel of Time, either, but the Sanderson/Jordan contribution was a good enough story that it stood on its own. I will definitely be seeking out more of some authors' works, like Speakman and O'Roullian. Getting leads on more good reading is always exciting!
All in all, the book is more than worth its cover price. There is absolutely no question of it being worth the time spent reading it.
This book was mentioned in passing by someone on a MobileReads forum. The title was just too intriguing. How could I not look up a book called Geekomancy? I had never heard of the author, but it and Celebromancy, the sequel, had very good reviews on Amazon, so why not?
I'm glad I took a chance on Underwood's work. Ree's tale is highly entertaining, and absolutely hilarious at times. I didn't catch every reference, as I don't do video games or CCGs, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment at all. I look forward to reading more in the series.
A must-read for those following the series, but not a good starting introduction to it. Everything I love about the series is here - the humor, the repartee, the pop culture and mythological references, you name it. Atticus even tells the story of how he came to know how to make ImmortaliTea.
Well, according to the acknowledgement at the end of the book, there was originally one enormous book which was broken up into The Assassin's Curse and The Pirate's Wish. I think they should have been published as one volume, but I obviously don't work in the industry. I definitely recommend that you have both books on hand before starting th duology, though.
I'm quite pleased with how the plot threads were brought together, and the main character certainly developed well. The book passes the Bechdel test with flying colors, too.