It’s been a while since I dived into anything Grishaverse, but this was a great graphic novel. Based on a short story previously written in 4 stars!
It’s been a while since I dived into anything Grishaverse, but this was a great graphic novel. Based on a short story previously written in 2013, this is the origin story of the Darkling when he was a young man. Traveling with his mother and hiding from hunters, they end up in a small Grisha village that they hope is safe.
Beautiful illustrations and a captivating story, I devoured this book in two sittings. It gives a lot of insight into why the Darkling became who he was, not necessarily a “villain” origin story, but a story about survival and the things people need to do to stay alive. The colors and imagery were fantastic, frames conveyed big messages in a simple yet beautiful way....more
Reread November 2023, still like it but don't love it
3.5 stars
Fleeing from a bounty placed on her head, space princess Ada von Hasenberg teams up w Reread November 2023, still like it but don't love it
3.5 stars
Fleeing from a bounty placed on her head, space princess Ada von Hasenberg teams up with renowned criminal Marcus Loch to flee her jilted fiancé. But Ada notices something suspicious about the ship they escaped on, and may have accidentally started a war.
I enjoyed this for the most part. I wasn’t super in love with the romance between Ada and Loch, I didn’t really feel their chemistry. And the story/plot felt like it dragged on forever instead of coming together seamlessly. I am interested in reading the other books to see if things improve, but I find myself more of a fan of Milahik’s Starlight’s Shadows series than I am of the Consortium Rebellion series....more
Wow what a beautiful graphic novel! Seriously, the illustrations are stunning.
I am a sucker for mythology retellings and this is a great one with HadeWow what a beautiful graphic novel! Seriously, the illustrations are stunning.
I am a sucker for mythology retellings and this is a great one with Hades and Persephone beginning a romance against all odds. I am very excited to see where this all goes....more
Slave to Sensation has been on my tbr shelf as a paperback and ebook for YEARS. I always meant to get to it and never did. And then it became a book cSlave to Sensation has been on my tbr shelf as a paperback and ebook for YEARS. I always meant to get to it and never did. And then it became a book club book and I got so dang excited for an excuse to bump this one up.
I’ve read a few Nalini Singh books throughout the years and she truly is one of the best writers we have in the romance genre, especially paranormal romance. Her worldbuilding is top tier and reading this book I was full engrossed in the psy-changeling world.
Slave to Sensation is about Sascha, a Psy who is assigned to work with a Hunter changeling on a business project. Sascha has been hiding from the entire Psy community her entire life what she truly is: broken. For if they found out she could feel, she would be eliminated. Lucas is drawn to her right away, but most importantly he needs her to help track a Psy serial killer.
I really enjoyed this book and I am glad there are already so many books in this series because I can just dive into all of them if I want to. I love in shifter romance when we get a possessive yet loving hero and Lucas was just perfect. Mostly I loved Sascha’s journey of discovering what her life could be and letting go of her toxic community and background. I think a lot of this book was a metaphor for leaving toxic home situations and a new life with a found family. I absolutely loved it and I am excited to read more....more
When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace must accept that he is dead. Wallace is brought to a place called Char 3.5 stars
When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace must accept that he is dead. Wallace is brought to a place called Charon’s Crossing where he meets the ferryman, Hugo, and his afterlife is changed forever. Wallace gets the opportunity to reflect on his life and the choices he’s made while helping the Reaper and the Ferryman with their work. But then Wallace is given a deadline on this little slice of afterlife, and he must decide what comes next.
TJ Klune is one of my all time favorite authors and I love watching his rise to success. So many of his previous romance novels are some of my favorites, but this book and the book before it (THITCS) fell flat for me. They’re both too long and the pacing too slow. There’s still a beautiful story and wonderfully written characters, but I was reading this book for over a month and it dragged. It honestly put me into a reading slump while reading it.
Overall I enjoyed this book, but it’s lacking the magic I come to expect from a Klune novel where I devour the book as fast as I can because I have to know what happens. That aspect was missing and it took away from my reading experience.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley ...more
After an attack on the Warden of Texas, Catalina Baylor becomes the acting Warden and must work fast to figure out who tried to kill Linus. T 4 stars
After an attack on the Warden of Texas, Catalina Baylor becomes the acting Warden and must work fast to figure out who tried to kill Linus. That on top of a missing magical spider, a Russian prince showing up, and the assassination of a powerful figure, Catalina and her family have a lot to face. But they soon find out something worse is coming and they need to be prepared.
It’s funny to me that these books are marketed as romance when to me, they are very much urban fantasy. While I love the romance in these books, they feel like 10% of the plot and the other 90% is urban fantasy action sequences. I think the publishers could have passed this off in a broader market with just a cover change but maybe that’s me.
I love the writing style of Ilona Andrews, my attention gets grabbed quickly and I get sucked into the story. Even though it’s been a while since I read the last book I was able to get the hang of things again fairly quickly and enjoyed the ride. I’m sad this is Catalina’s last book, but hopefully we will get Arabella books soon? Because she’s an awesome character and deserves center focus if there are to be more.
Overall a great urban fantasy series with a sprinkle of a great romance, there’s a reason why I keep coming back to books written by Ilona Andrews.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley ...more
After the war, Octavia Zarola (Tavi) and her fellow soldiers banded together to run a bounty hunting business. And times can be rough, until 5 stars!
After the war, Octavia Zarola (Tavi) and her fellow soldiers banded together to run a bounty hunting business. And times can be rough, until a job from General Torran Fletcher of the former enemy offers Tavi a job that can keep her crew comfortable, more so than they’ve ever been. Tavi accepts the job and what comes with it is Torran and his crew on her ship, mixing with her own crew. While it’s awkward for everyone, the two crews start to blend together into an agreeable group. Until they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the peace between their two races.
I was not expecting to love this much as much as I did, space opera is not my usual genre choice. But I would describe this as a mix between the tv series Firefly and the Grace Draven romance novel Radiance and it was wonderful. I listened to the audiobook and was riveted while listening, I was hooked on the story, the characters, the world building. All of it was so beautifully written and I loved getting lost in this world.
And the romantic tension between Tavi and Torran. It was *chefs kiss* perfection! The whole book was a delicious enemies to friends to lovers story and I ate up every single bit of it. All the character dynamics in general between the two crews, I loved all of them and would gladly read more books just to spend more time with them all. Luckily the second book is already out but I need to wait for my library hold to come in. But I am really excited for it and cannot wait to spend more time in this universe.
If you love romance I highly recommend this book. Take it from someone who was skeptical about reading it, it was excellent. ...more
I went into this book very much expecting to love it. The first half was wonderful with the introduction to Finnish mythology and lore and th 3 stars
I went into this book very much expecting to love it. The first half was wonderful with the introduction to Finnish mythology and lore and the adventures that Hanna went on. About halfway through the pacing changed and I lost all interest in the story and the characters. I think many readers will love this book, but this one just wasn’t a win for me. ...more
The vampire Wulfe has been stalking Mercy, seemingly harmless, for months. But when Wulfe goes missing, the Tri-Cities Pack is blam 4.5 stars!
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The vampire Wulfe has been stalking Mercy, seemingly harmless, for months. But when Wulfe goes missing, the Tri-Cities Pack is blamed. The mistress of the local vampire seethe calls on Mercy and the Pack to find Wulfe or the alliance between them will be broken. The more Mercy and the Pack investigate, they realize that all the vampires in the local area have gone missing along with a few white witches.
The Mercy Thompson series has been one of my favorites for years and I love every single installment. This one took me longer to read but mostly because life got busy and I didn’t have much time for it. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all, but I do feel it was slower paced than the last book. Still, it has a good mystery, ghosts, fae, werewolves, witches and vampires so my urban fantasy cravings were satisfied.
I loved revisiting with characters that feel like family, I could easily get lost in this world that Briggs has created. I just wish I wasn’t caught up on this series and Alpha and Omega, I want to spend more time in this world! Maybe a reread is sooner in my future than I figured…
If you haven’t read this series yet, please do. You are missing out on something special!
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley. This did not influence my thoughts or feelings on this book. ...more
In a fantasy version of Edwardian England, Miles Singer works as a doctor veteran’s hospital, hiding his magic while trying to heal his pa 4.5 stars!
In a fantasy version of Edwardian England, Miles Singer works as a doctor veteran’s hospital, hiding his magic while trying to heal his patients. When a murdered patient exposes his healing gift, Miles must work with a handsome stranger to find out who murdered this man and why.
I had a hard time getting into this book at first, but after the first fifty pages this book flies. I loved falling into the worldbuilding and the mystery, CL Polk truly created a magical world. The characters were all great, if not developed as much as I like in my books. But that’s made up in the plot and pacing and again, the world building. This book is a commentary on slavery, independence, choice and freewill, and class privilege. I could see this book play out in my head like a tv series and I really hope it becomes one someday....more
Graceling is one of my all time favorite books and when I saw there was a graphic novel version, I knew right away I had to read it.
If you haven’t reaGraceling is one of my all time favorite books and when I saw there was a graphic novel version, I knew right away I had to read it.
If you haven’t read the original novel, Graceling is about Katsa, a young woman graced with the ability to kill. Graced individuals always have two different eye colors, and you never know what your grace will be until it arrives. Katsa has been working as the kings assassin since she was a small child, but when she meets the mysterious Po, her life changes course.
I loved this adaptation, it kept all the right and necessary parts of the original book. One of my very favorite scenes was included and it was so beautiful to see that brought to life in artwork on the page. Hinds did an amazing job adapting this work, and I devoured this graphic novel in one sitting. I know creating this one book was quite the task and probably took years, but I’m really greedy and hoping that Hinds will adapt the entire series into graphic novel format....more
I finished this book and was just sitting there thinking “wow, where is this going to go?”. But in a good way.
Three years after the events of 5 stars
I finished this book and was just sitting there thinking “wow, where is this going to go?”. But in a good way.
Three years after the events of Foundryside, Sancia and her friends are doing their best to push along a magical industrial revolution in their city of Tevanne. But very quickly, Sancia is sent a dark vision of an enemy on its way to destroy their city. She and her crew have to work quickly if they want to save lives, but they also don’t know what they are up against.
I love Robert Jackson Bennett’s writing style, his books are so well written and yet are not too difficult to read (considering it’s a 500 page fantasy novel). I dive right into the story and this world he’s created, all of these characters I have come to love and adore and I just get lost in it all. This book didn’t in any way go where I thought it would, plot wise, but also in the best kind of way. I wasn’t ever sure what to expect I was just along for the ride and I am so excited to see what happens in the third book. One of the best newer fantasy series I’ve read in a long time....more
What if you were immortal until you met your soulmate? What if you don’t want to meet your soulmate and want to live forever? Well, you hire 4 stars
What if you were immortal until you met your soulmate? What if you don’t want to meet your soulmate and want to live forever? Well, you hire a heart hunter assassin of course.
On the cursed island of Encevor, Psyche is hired by the king to kill his soulmate. All other heart hunters were unsuccessful in their endeavors, and even came back from the job changed. Psyche quickly realizes this job will be more complicated than she expected and may have to face her own broken heart along the way.
I read this graphic novel for a book club I love to attend, and it’s something I never would have picked up on my own but I enjoyed it immensely. I’m actually pretty shocked this book isn’t more popular because it has all the things, enemies to lovers, soulmate assassins (who knew I was missing that in my life?), a touching plot and story. Seriously, if you like graphic novels you need to read this asap. If you don’t normally read graphic novels, maybe try something new!...more
“All things have a value. Sometimes the value is paid in coin. Other times, it is paid in time and sweat. And finally, sometimes it is pai 5 stars!
“All things have a value. Sometimes the value is paid in coin. Other times, it is paid in time and sweat. And finally, sometimes it is paid in blood.
Humanity seems most eager to use this latter currency. And we never note how much of it we’re spending, unless it happens to be our own.”
Foundryside follows young thief Sancia, the best thief in Tevanne. When Sancia is sent on a new job that will have a huge payday, she senses things are off. Sancia soon realizes she’s been sent to steal an item with incredible power, one that in the wrong hands can create great destruction. And now being in possession of that item, she’s in great danger.
“Pride…it’s so often an excuse for people to be weak.”
You ever pick up a book and know immediately that it would be a 5 star read? That was Foundryside for me. I instantly fell in love with it and enjoyed every single second of the ride. I actually drove to two different bookstores after finishing it to get the second book so I could dive right in without waiting. I absolutely loved the writing style, the characters, the world building, the story. Like seriously it all came together for me and I was truly able to get lost in this book every time I picked it up. That doesn’t happen a lot for me anymore and it was like slipping into a good dream.
I am simultaneously kicking myself for not reading this book sooner but also grateful I waited since the third book will be coming out soon and I won’t have to wait as long to finish this series. This was also my first five star read of 2022 and I can only hope the rest of this series will be five star reads for me as well.
“They said I was one thing. But I have changed my mind.” ...more
I’m having some trouble formulating my thoughts on this book, so here’s a somewhat incoherent review of the book.
The second half of this bo 3.5 stars
I’m having some trouble formulating my thoughts on this book, so here’s a somewhat incoherent review of the book.
The second half of this book was waaayyy better than the first half. I’m really glad I stuck with it because there were quite a few moments when I almost quit but decided to keep going. A modern reimagining of King Arthur, our heroine Bree discovers a magical secret society that hunts down evil demon creatures while searching for answers on why her mother died. I found the plot and world building a little bit confusing and convoluted at first but it got clearer and better as the book went on. I loved Bree as a main character, but I always love a strong female heroine. I’m not really sold on Nick as a romantic interest, he seemed a little bit….. bland. I preferred Sel to be completely honest, even though he wasn’t very obviously an interest.
A random aside that most people won’t care about, I listened to the audio version of this book and I do think that affected my opinion. This is the second book I’ve listened to by this narrator, and they’re not my favorite. Everything was made to sound stressful, even simply picking up a phone call. I do wonder if I would have enjoyed this book more had I read the actual book. I might do that for the second book....more
I think Margaret Rogersen and I just don’t click. I’ve read all three of her books, something about them always intrigues me and I get excited to readI think Margaret Rogersen and I just don’t click. I’ve read all three of her books, something about them always intrigues me and I get excited to read them. And they are written so well, believe me. She’s truly an amazing author. But for every single one of her books I get halfway through them and then I don’t care anymore. Maybe it’s too much time spent on worldbuilding and not enough on plot or characters. But she loses me.
I think I am an anomaly, lots of people love her books. But while Vespertine was great for the first half, I found the second half rushed/lacking. But bonus points to the cover art, it was incredible. ...more
A review in which I don’t actually review the book because I don’t want to give away spoilers.
What comes to mind the most when I thi firmly 3.5 stars
A review in which I don’t actually review the book because I don’t want to give away spoilers.
What comes to mind the most when I think of this book is this quote from the musical episode of Buffy (because I am a nerdy socially awkward millennial):
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Because the entire 1000+ pages of this book was basically filler. And I enjoyed it! Don’t get me wrong. But I now understand better why I quit reading the series with this book when I was a teenager, this book is a beast and despite setting up a lot of plot, not much happens.
A lot more focus on Rand in this book and some more of Perrin. Still some misogynistic things that made my head tilt while listening, but I have to remind myself this book was written over thirty years ago by well, a man. I still love the characters and am excited to see where this leads....more
This was baadddd. And I mean BAAADDD. I never thought I would say that about a Mercedes Lackey book, but I can see now why there are so many negative This was baadddd. And I mean BAAADDD. I never thought I would say that about a Mercedes Lackey book, but I can see now why there are so many negative reviews for this book. ...more
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