Narilka tries for 75 - part 1

Happy New Year! This will be my first year joining the 75 book challenge. I made it to 74 in 2017 so feel like I have a shot :) I also have two other challenges I'm participating in, which will have their own posts in this thread for tracking. I review every book I read and love hearing what others thought of the same book. There is nothing worse than finishing a great book and having no one to chat with about it! I also tend to lurk more than I post so hopefully this group will help me be more social.

A Little Background
By day I'm an IT project manager. By night I'm an avid fantasy and scifi reader, with other genres thrown in on occasion for variety. I also enjoy movies, various tv shows, hiking, cooking and I'm slowly teaching myself photography. I primarily read for enjoyment so rate my books that way.

2017 reading log part 1: https://www.librarything.com/topic/245150
2017 reading log part 2: https://www.librarything.com/topic/266288

My Rating System
- Absolutely horrible, don't bother

- Meh, I finished the book somehow but would not recommend it

- An entertaining read

- Highly enjoyable, I would probably recommend this book

- Excellent! It may not be perfect but it was perfect for me. Possibly a new favorite.

A half star is given for a book that falls between those categories.

Currently Reading


Listening To

Books Read in 2018
1. Demon Lord of Karanda by David Eddings
2. Sorceress of Darshiva by David Eddings
3. The Seeress of Kell by David Eddings
4. Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen
5. You Die When You Die by Angus Watson
6. Origin by Dan Brown
7. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
8. The King's Blood by Daniel Abraham
9. Glitches by Marissa Meyer
10. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
11. Hammered by Kevin Hearne
12. Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews
13. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
14. The Queen's Army by Marissa Meyer
15. Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
16. Last Dragon Standing by Rachel Aaron
17. Cress by Marissa Meyer
18. In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett
19. I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships by Michael S. Sorensen
20. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
21. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
22. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
23. The Fold by Peter Clines
24. Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett
25. Fairest by Marissa Meyer
26. The Cat, the Mill and the Murder by Leann Sweeney
27. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
28. The Tyrant's Law by Daniel Abraham
29. I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons by Kevin Hart
30. Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews
31. The Widow's House by Daniel Abraham
32. On the Edge by Ilona Andrews
33. Tricked by Kevin Hearne
34. Goldenhand by Garth Nix
35. Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence
36. The Spider's War by Daniel Abraham
37. White Hot by Ilona Andrews
38. Chosen Forever by Susan Richards
39. Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel
40. The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
41. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
42. Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews
43. Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty
44. Wildfire by Ilona Andrews
45. The Dispatcher by John Scalzi
46. Ascend Online by Luke Chmilenko
47. Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews
48. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
49. 14 by Peter Clines
50. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
51. Winter by Marissa Meyer
52. Awaken Online: Evolution by Travis Bagwell
53. Steel's Edge by Ilona Andrews
54. In Calabria by Peter S. Beagle
55. Scent of the Missing by Susannah Charleson
56. The Last Colony by John Scalzi
57. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
58. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
59. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
60. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
61. Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames
62. Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
63. Revenger by Alastair Reynolds
64. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
65. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews
66. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
67. The Land You Never Leave by Angus Watson
68. The Skull Throne by Peter V Brett
69. The Core by Peter V Brett
70. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
71. Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos
72. Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews
73. Traitor's Blade by Sebastein de Castell
74. Hail to the Chin by Bruce Campbell
75. The Motivation Trap by John Hittler
76. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
77. Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews
78. Minimum Wage Magic by Rachel Aaron
79. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
80. One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews
81. Knight's Shadow by Sebastein de Castell
82. The Cat, the Vagabond and the Victim by Leann Sweeney
83. Private Lies by Cynthia St. Aubin
84. Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People by Vanessa van Edwards
85. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

Fun Stats
Books Read: 85
Total Pages Read: 25405
Audio Book Hours: 238h 21m
Rereads: 7
TBR Challenge: 12/12
2018 Category Challenge: 22/50

TBR Challenge
This is a challenge to read more from my TBR pile this year. Pick 12 books that I've been meaning to read and add them to the list. Try to finish one a month. I've done Primary and Secondary lists in case something in the Primary list just isn't working for me. This year's primary theme is called "Let's clean up my desk!" I have a bad habit of putting books I want to read "soon" on the shelves of my desk and then choosing something else to read instead. My desk has a nice collection built up. I'm hoping this will motivate me to push through some of my desk stacks and then I can shelve them where they belong. My secondary list will be carry overs from previous challenges and anything else I feel like mixing in from my TBR.

12/12

Mission: Desk Cleanup
1. Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett (Discworld 23 of 41|Witches 6 of 6) Completed 4/5/18
2. The Cat, the Mill and the Murder by Leann Sweeney (Cats in Trouble 5 of 8) Completed 4/9/18
3. Hunter by Mercedes Lackey (Hunter 1 of 3)
4. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles 1 of 4) Completed 2/1/18
5. Chosen Forever by Susan Richards Completed 5/31/18
6. Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen (The Shadow 1 of 4 planned) Completed 1/20/18
7. The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch* (Gentleman Bastards 3 of 7 planned)
8. Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels 4 of 10) Completed 2/17/18
9. The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman
10. A Cat Named Darwin by William Jordan
11. The Gunslinger by Stephen King (The Dark Tower 1 of 8)
12. Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik (Temeraire 2 of 9)

Mission: Even More TBR
1. Red Rising by Pierce Brown* (Red Rising 1 of 3)
2. Wool by Hugh Howey* (Silo 1 of 3)
3. Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh* (Foreigner 1 of 19)
4. Digital Fortress by Dan Brown*
5. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson*
6. Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
7. In Calabria by Peter S Beagle Completed 8/11/18
8. Goldenhand by Garth Nix (Abhorsen 5 of 5) Completed 5/14/18
9. The Dispatcher by John Scalzi Completed 7/2/18
10. The Princess Bride by William Goldman Completed 9/1/18
11. In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett Completed 3/14/18
12. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (Six of Crows 1 of 2) Completed 3/21/18

*Carried over from a prior TBR challenge.

2018 Popsugar Category Reading Challenge
This is a challenge I'm participating in a group on Good Reads. Looks like it may be interesting. If anyone else thinks this would be fun feel free to copy/paste this into your own thread and see how you do! I'm going to see how close I can come this year to completing the list though do not expect to finish. Some of these will be challenging.

RULES
- Books must be started and finished in 2018
- One book can count for a maximum of two categories
- You can join in at any point in the year and the books you have already read can count towards the challenge
- Graphic novels count
- No minimum page count (unless the category states)

PROGRESS
22/50

CHALLENGE

1. A book made into a movie you've already seen The Princess Bride
2. True Crime
3. The next book in a series you started Sorceress of Darshiva book 4 of The Malloreon
4. A book involving a heist Six of Crows
5. Nordic noir
6. A novel based on a real person In Such Good Company
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you Daughter of Smoke and Bone
8. A book with a time of day in the title
9. A book about a villain or antihero Fairest
10. A book about death or grief
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist Wake of Vultures
13. A book that is also a stage play or musical
14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you I Can't Make This Up
15. A book about feminism
16. A book about mental health
17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift Magic Bleeds
18. A book by two authors
19. A book about or involving a sport
20. A book by a local author Last Dragon Standing
21. A book with your favorite color in the title The Blue Sword
22. A book with alliteration in the title
23. A book about time travel
24. A book with a weather element in the title
25. A book set at sea
26. A book with an animal in the title The Spider's War
27. A book set on a different planet All Systems Red
28. A book with song lyrics in the title
29. A book about or set on Halloween
30. A book with characters who are twins Tricked
31. A book mentioned in another book The Princess Bride
32. A book from a celebrity book club Burn For Me (Felicia Day's Vaginal Fantasy Book Club)
33. A childhood classic you've never read
34. A book that's published in 2018 Grey Sister
35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner
36. A book set in the decade you were born
37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to Cinder
38. A book with an ugly cover Altered Carbon
39. A book that involves a bookstore or library
40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges Hammered for last year's audio book prompt

ADVANCED

1. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
2. A cyberpunk book Altered Carbon
3. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
4. A book tied to your ancestry
5. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title
6. An allegory
7. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
8. A microhistory
9. A book about a problem facing society today Only Human
10. A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

A quick look back at 2017. I can't believe I read 74 books!!! That is a new record for me since I started tracking my reading :) Here's a quick breakdown...

Total read: 74
------------
Physical: 40 (54%)
Electronic: 17 (23%)
Audio: 17 (23%)
------------
Total Pages Read: 21421
Audio Book Hours: 165h 42m
------------
New to me authors: 19
Rereads: 4
Average Star Rating: 3.9

Apparently I had a lot of luck this year picking great books and staying away from too many stinkers.

Discovering Audible last year has really given my book count a boost. I also expect to read more books electronically since receiving a Kindle for my birthday this year. The convenience and back lighting can't be beat.

I participated in two challenges this year and am happy with the results.
TBR Challenge: 13/12
2017 Category Challenge: 39/52

It was pointed out in the TBR group that apparently I'm quite the series juggler. So I did a quick count. I read from 28 different series this year. Some I completed, some I read as far as they've been published and some I don't intend to continue. Yet there are still some unfinished series I'd like to read more of so maybe that's another 2018 soft goal I'll set myself. Being a mood reader sometimes makes this difficult :)

I'm looking forward to another great year of reading in 2018.

Starred your thread!

I like the Popsugar challenge idea, and might integrate it into my 2018 reads.

BTW, I highly recommend Foreigner, and pretty much anything written by CJ Cherryh.

Welcome! I like your TBR Challenge. Since I’ve got some 30 books stacked around my favorite reading chair, I’m trying to knock that pile down this year. 😀

Hi Gale! Welcome to the group!

I noticed you were doing hte PopSugar challenge and just wanted to let you know we have a thread for "non-LT" challenges like PS and Book Riot's. It can be found here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/279363.

Have a great reading year!

Happy New Year! I wish you to read many good books in 2018.

>6 fuzzi: Thanks for the recommendation. I've been trying to get to Foreigner for two years now. Perhaps I might just make it this time :)

>7 drneutron: If I'm successful on this year's desk clean up I might try tackling my night stand next year. It's amazing how books just magically pile up all on their own ;)

>8 katiekrug: Thanks for the link. I'll go check that out. I've not heard of the Book Riot challenge.

>9 The_Hibernator: Happy New Year and happy reading to you too!

Happy reading in 2018, Gale!

>10 Narilka: just letting you know, CJ Cherryh starts slow, so don't give up...

Have a great year of 2018 reading!

Happy New Year
Happy New Group here
This place is full of friends
I hope it never ends
It brew of erudition and good cheer.

>11 FAMeulstee:, >12 fuzzi:, >13 thornton37814:, >14 PaulCranswick: Happy New Year and happy reading!

>12 fuzzi: Thanks for the heads up. I'll try not to let that put me off.

Dropping off a
And wishing you

Hi Gale! I saw on the Introductions thread that you're an SFF reader. I read mostly SFF as well so I've got you starred and am looking forward to seeing what you read.

Non-book stuff. Skip this post if you don't want some RL whining.

In October my previous employer announced to my department that we were being outsourced and as part of the deal we would be transferring to the new company. Had my first day at the outsourced company yesterday. It sucked. Nothing worked and I spent many hours on the phone with an unhelpful help desk. I still don't have Outlook working and was told to just work from webmail. As someone who lives and dies by my Outlook calendar at work, this is a big deal breaker if they can't get it working. I think it's time to look for a new job.

Has anyone done a job search in the last year? Any tips? I feel overwhelmed by the options online these days. I've already reached out to my contacts to network, just want to get another avenue going at the same time. I haven't had to look in over 8 years now.

I just had my 30th anniversary at my employer, so I'm probably not the best for giving advice on job searches. Though, if I needed to find one, I'd start by what you're doing - reaching out to people you know. Or competitors to your current employer. 😁

Starring your thread, Gale.

On the job hunting front LinkedIn is always worth a look. My mom has also used indeed.com a lot in the past when job hunting. And if you're part of any professional associations they sometimes run job boards as well.

LinkedIn and Indeed keep coming up as recommendations when I ask around. I'll be starting there. >20 MickyFine: Thanks for the input!

Happy New Year! I'm hoping things work out well for you on the job front, one way or another.

Welcome to the group Gale!

>2 Narilka: I have a bad habit of putting books I want to read "soon" on the shelves of my desk'

Glad it's not just me. Mine pile up on my bedside table and then there's one small bookcase in our bedroom that is supposed to be my TBR collection (although honestly it doesn't even all fit there). Anyway there are some interesting looking books on your TBR shortlists so will look forward to your thoughts. Terry Pratchett's one of my favourite authors and the Witches are one of my favourite subsets of the Discworld series so hope you enjoy Carepe Jugulum!

>18 Narilka: Sorry to hear work is sucky at the moment :-( I don't have any tips on job-hunting but have also heard Linkedin is a good place to look for things.

1. Demon Lord of Karanda by David Eddings



Demon Lord of Karanda is the third book in The Malloreon by David Eddings. The quest continues! More has been revealed about their journey. It seems the prophecy may require an Angarak king be in attendance as well as some sort of "sacrifice." It's obvous now how Zandramas plans to use Garion's son, making it more important for the party to rescue him. If only Zakath, Emperor of Mallorea, could be reasoned with to let them continue onwards. Urvon, in his effort to make a play for the Sardion, has summoned demons let them loose on the countryside, making the race to the Place Which Is No More even more hazardous. As if things could not get worse, a plague has struck the city where the party is being held, effectively sealing everyone in the city. And the Seeres of Kell has revealed that time is starting to run out if they hope to complete the prophecy of Light.

The pace picks back up in this one as our heroes must stop and over come many challenges. Eddings writes some pretty good action scenes. This is the book where the new party members, Sadi, Velvet and Toth, really feel like they're a part of things, each with their own role to play and not just replacements for those people we're missing from the first series. The character banter continues to be fun, though is toned down in the second half of the book where events become a tad more serious. The world building continues as the party goes much farther into the Mallorean continent than experienced previously. I almost wish I could visit Mal Zeth - just without the plague.

Rating:

For those in the 75ers group, I started a reread of The Malloreon at Christmas and have two books to go. I've read these books many, many times. They're a favorite from childhood that I go back to when I need a comfort series to read. If you're curious, here is my review of book 1 and the review for book 2.

Oh my goodness! Look what I found at Target today:



Happy dance :)

>25 Narilka: Happy dance indeed! So lucky!

In my recent experience, Indeed.com is the primary job search browser. My company posts to it religiously.

2. Sorceress of Darshiva by David Eddings



Sorceress of Darshiva is the fourth book in The Malloreon by David Eddings. The never ending quest! Trouble and delays seem to plague Garion and the party in their efforts with Zandramas always staying one step ahead. With Demon Lords and enemy forces on one side and agents of Emperor Zakath trying to capture them on the other, the party will need to hurry if they want to make it to the Place Which Is No More in time. Assuming Belgarath can figure out what that phrase means.

This volume is all about setting the stage for the final book. It's not boring and the pacing is decent, just a lot of activity and travel happens in a short time. The constant threat to the world also feels a bit lessened in this book due to the need to rush everyone from one task to the next so the bad guys, while there, aren't quite as menacing as they were in previous installments. This is the book where Durnik gets a chance to shine, which is nice as he's not really had his moment. His major scene is one of my favorites in this series. Also love the addition of the she wolf and her pup. It's too bad they weren't in the series more towards the beginning.

Rating:

That also marks off #3 in the PopSugar challenge.

I definitely need to give Edding's another go. Would you recommend reading the Belgariad first?

Yes, definitely read the Belgariad first. It provides the foundation for the Malloreon.

3. The Seeress of Kell by David Eddings



"It has come at last," Garion's inner companion said unemotionally through the Child of Light's* lips. "It is the instant of the Choice. Choose, Cyradis, lest all be destroyed."

"It has come," another equally unemotional voice spoke through the lips of the Child of Dark*. "It is the instant of the Choice. Choose, Cyradis, lest all be destroyed."

The Seeress of Kell is the fifth and final book in The Malloreon by David Eddings. And quite an end it is! The quest draws to a close as the final riddles are solved so the meeting of Light and Dark can happen to decide the fate of the world. Zandramas strives until the bitter end to thwart her opponent. Garion must stay resolute to prevent the world from sliding into darkness even if it means he must kill his own son.

It is a great ending to the series. All story threads are wrapped up, including a couple items from book one that had been left dangling. I've been with these characters for so long now that they feel like old friends and it is the character dynamics that has been the most enjoyable part of my reread. Sometimes it's hard for an author to keep track of all the characters when a series focuses on a fairly large group and I'd say Eddings is successful at giving everyone their own voice. The ending does have its bittersweet moment though. I'm quite glad to have made the journey again and am a little sad for it to be over.

*Quote changed slightly to prevent spoilers.

Rating:

4. Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen



Wake of Vultures is the first book in The Shadow series by Lila Bowen. While I found the book in the regular fantasy section at the book store, the story has a definite YA feel to it. This was my first time reading a fantasy western. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book since westerns aren't normally my thing.

All Nettie Lonesome wants out of life is to work as a hand at a ranch and spend her days training horses. Being a mixed race orphan girl and living practically as a slave to her adpotive parents it looks like her dreams will remain only a dream until she is attacked by a stranger. Grabbing the only thing near by to use in self defense Nettie stabs the man with a piece of wood through the heart which causes him to turn into... sand? This one act unlocks the "sight" in Nettie and soon she's seeing monsters and myths everywhere. It's a strange, strange world out there and it's not long before Nettie finds herself cursed by a dying Comanche woman to find and kill the monster that's been stealing children in the region. And the clock is ticking.

Nettie is an interesting character. She's sixteen and there has not been much kindness in her life so far. She has been told so many times that she's worthless and useless due to her mixed blood that she believes it. It makes her prickly, with a rough attitude and a hard character to get to know. I found her alternatively frustrating and charming while at the same time feeling compassion for her. She's also had a very small world view, seeing most matters as black and white. This includes gender roles which is the catalyst for her deciding to identify herself as a man so she can work on a ranch. The real world is definitely a learning experience for her, especially when it comes to relationships between people.

The setting is an alternative 1800s Texas. I like how Bowen used small bits of real history and worked it in to her fantasy world, the Durango Territory. I really enjoyed how she turned the Texas Rangers into a supernatural fighting group, those that kill what must be killed (monsters). Their methods are fairly heavy handed though and it gives them a reputation for wanton destruction, some of it seemingly well earned.

There are some pretty great action scenes with the monsters. The book also touches on some deep subjects, though since the book leans towards YA and is fairly short they aren't explored too deeply. These subjects include racism, sexism, gender identification, alternative relationships, the death of children and what really makes a monster.

Fair warning: while the main story thread is wrapped up, the ending is a bit of a cliff hanger that is the hook for the second book. I enjoyed Nettie's story enough that I will likely continue it sometime in the future.

Rating:

This one marks off #12 in the Popsugar challenge and is my first read from my TBR challenge.

Glad you're enjoying the Eddings books. I started The Belgariad a while back and haven't ever finished it. I should really do that. I'm making a more concerted effort to complete series this year, though I'm starting with (the unfinishable) Song of Ice and Fire. I'm on the third book at the moment.

>33 The_Hibernator: That's how far I got in my reading of Song of Ice and Fire too before pausing. Waiting so many years between books was torture so I decided to holdd out until GRRM completes the series and then I'll read through the whole. The Belgariad will be light and fluffy in comparison if you switch to it after you're done :)

I'll more likely work next on Asimov's Foundation series since Aaron bought it for me for Christmas. Don't know where I'll go from there, but I'll hopefully get to the Belgariad soon!

>31 Narilka: It doesn't have to be over! I always get a kick out of reading over the whole story again from Belgareth's perspective Belgareth the Sorcerer and yet again from Polgara's Polgara the Sorceress.

>36 ronincats: I own those and have only read them both once. It's the two series I reread every few years. Maybe I should work those in too :)

5. You Die When You Die by Angus Watson



You Die When You Die is the first book in Angus Watson's West of West series. It's a semi-historical fantasy based on Vikings and Native Americans in North America about a thousand years ago. Sounds cool, right? Even though there was a lot of action this was a harder one for me to get into. There are a lot of characters and none of them appealed to me initially. As the story progressed I gradually came to care about the Hardworkers and got into the story. By the end I found the whole thing to be quite enjoyable and surprisingly funny. Be warned, there is a lot of foul language and graphic violence. It's not too grim, nor too dark, but it definitely leans in that direction.

The people of the village of Hardwork have a pretty good life. Their Scrayling neighbors take care of all of their needs so they have become quite, well, lazy. So when an attack on the town comes, the Hardworkers can hardly believe it. A prophecy of the Calnians says that the Mushroom Men will destroy the world and they are now all marked for death. A small group survives the attack including one simple, young boy who has the gift of seeing the future. His advice: Head west and then head west some more. The surivors see no other choice and set off to the promised safety in the west. Meanwhile, the Calnian Empress has decided not to take any chances so sets her Owsla, an elite squad of magic enhanced women warriors, to hunt the survivors down until none are left alive.

Angus Watson has a lot of fun naming his characters. The Hardworkers all have names that are, or were, descriptive of a trait. Wulf the Fat (who isn't fat anymore), Sassa Lipchewer (she does), Freydis the Annoying (she's a young child so she can be). The Owsla also have pretty great names too like Sofi Tornado and Chogolisa Earthquake. He takes his time building them up and most of the characters felt fully realized by the end. They may be gruff but the Hardworkers won me over with their determination to survive and their devotion to keeping as many alive as possible.

Considering how straight forward the story is, I have to admit I did not see that ending coming. That was one great plot twist.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Sean Barrett. He has a gravelly, deep voice that I think was a great fit for this gritty tale.

Wooooootah! I'm going to keep my eye out for book two.

Rating:

A very close dodge from that book bullet, but I've got so much on my to read plate that I think I'll have to pass. Looks good though.

6. Origin by Dan Brown



Dan Brown may not be the best writer in the world but he sure has some interesting ideas and the books are usually a fun ride. Origin sticks to the formula well.

Where do we come from? Where are we going? These are two of humanity's most fundamental questions, ones that Edmond Kirsch, a popular high tech futurist, claims he has discovered the answer to. Robert Langdon and a couple hundred guests have arrived at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to attend the announcement, one that is being live streamed across the globe. The evening of the great reveal is orchestrated through a highly original audio/visual presentation. Disaster strikes just as Kirsch is about to make his grand reveal, causing chaos in the museum and the city beyond. Joined by Ambra Vidal, the museum's director, Langdon finds himself on a mad dash to Barcelona in an effort to locate a backup of the presentation and launch it to the world before Kirsch's discovery is lost forever.

One of my favorite thing about Dan Brown's books are that every location, building, work of art, symbol and religious organization mentioned are all real. You can look each one of them up and learn more about them. I also enjoy learning random, odd facts (like Beethoven invented bone conducting technology). They make me want to travel to Spain and marvel at the architecture of the Sagrada Família or walk through the modern art collections at the Guggenheim. Then he takes several current events and/or ideas, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and fake news, and weaves them into a fast paced, compelling story.

On the down side, it seems like Robert Langdon is more along for the ride than for his knowledge of symbols. He receives a lot of help from Kirsch's cyber assistant making the mystery portion fairly easy to solve. And when we finally get to the big reveal it was kind of a "well duh" moment of obviousness. Heck, it's something I can already see happening in every day life today. At least Dan Brown gives the ending an uplifting and hopeful message, so that was nice.

If you're looking for deep prose and character development, Origin is not the book for you. If instead you'd like a mad dash to the big reveal with historical tie-ins and interesting, random facts, then Origin is a fun read.

Rating:

7. Cinder by Marissa Meyer



Cinder is the first book in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. This was so not the story I was expecting from a Cinderella retelling. Meyers takes the main highlights from Cinderella's story and creates her own version in a highly imaginative way.

Cinder is a gifted mechanic in living in New Bejing with her stepmother and two stepsisters. She's also a cyborg, making her a second class citizen in society. Her stepmother treats her like dirt, constantly blaming Cinder for her father's death and the family's poverty. Cinder spends most of her days running a repair booth in the market to support her family while she daydreams about being free from her stepmother's legal hold over her. A chance meeting with Prince Kai, heir to the throne, changes everything and sets a thrilling series of events in motion.

Meyers has given us an interesting stage for her tale. The story is set sometime in the future, 126 years after World War 4. There are six world governments now with Cinder's story set entirely in the Eastern Commonwealth, this world's version of Asia. A virulent and fatal plague is sweeping the planet, striking its victims seemingly randomly, with each government desperately trying to come up with a cure. At some point humans also colonized the Moon and there's a Lunar colony that is ruled by an (evil) Queen in a totalitarian regime. The Lunars are in a cold war with the Earthens, though that may be heating up as the Lunar Queen has started to make threats in her "peace" overtures. Humans live alongside androids and cyborgs.

For the characters, I liked Cinder and the family android, Iko, a lot. Cinder wasn't your typical "needs a prince to rescue me" heroine. She's stubborn, independent and has worked hard for her reputation as a gifted mechanic. She is keenly aware of the social stigma of being a cyborg and lets it color the way she thinks of herself. Iko was surprisingly hilarious! Who would have ever expected an android that's obsessed with boys and dresses and shoes would be so much fun. She also had some great lines.

And that's about as deep as things get. As for the rest of the cast, they're about what you'd expect based on the Cinderella tale. The stepmother is overbearing and hates Cinder with a passion as does one of the stepsisters. The other stepsister is very sweet, which of course you just know means she's in for something bad. Prince Kai is what I'd call the regular hot guy next door who also happens to be the royal heir. He's not very politically astute for someone who has lived in the palace all his life and should have been exposed to political intricacies by his age. The Lunar Queen is straight up evil and the main villain. Even with the world setting, it's never really explained WHY androids are accepted but cyborgs aren't. Nor does the story go very far into the history of the war. This book feels like such a great foundation yet as I read I kept wishing things went just a bit deeper.

Even with those issues, I found the story engaging and quite entertaining. It was a quick, light read. I am kind of curious to see what happens next for Cinder so may pick up the second book at some point.

Rating:

This marks off #37 in the Popsugar challenge and is also one from my TBR challenge.

>41 Narilka: That sounds interesting, will wait for whenver you get around to reading next book in series before deciding whether I should read it or not :)

>42 aqeeliz: I bought book 2 last night :) So it's going to be cycled in fairly soon, either later this month or in March.

>41 Narilka: I enjoyed the series. There's a short story about the Lunar Queen and the events that lead up to her being so evil. If you're interested in the why behind the evil, you may enjoy it - Fairest.

>44 Kassilem: Are there spoilers if I read that early or does it belong after a specific book?

>45 Narilka: I think the best spot to read it is between Cress and Winter. There are potential spoilers for the first three books, but not the last.

>46 Kassilem: Thanks.

8. The King's Blood by Daniel Abraham



The King's Blood by Daniel Abraham is the second in The Dagger and the Coin series. The story picks up right where book one left off. It is another slow build as the story takes its time getting all the characters in place before events start to take off at the 50% mark. Once they do the pace picks up dramatically and and I found I had a hard time putting the book down! I cannot fairly review this story without spoilers for both this and the previous book.

Having successfully beat the audit, Cithrin bel Sarcour finds herself hampered by the notary the bank has sent to keep an eye on her and their newest branch. Being driven out of her mind by both the tedium of inactivity and the notary's small minded way of not taking risks, Cithrin must do something, anything to regain control over her bank. Marcus Wester is a man who has everything. Solid work as Cithrin and the Bank's head guard, good pay and settled into his new life in Port Oliva. Yet this doesn't seem to make him happy and Wester's beginning to feel a restlessness he's not ready to acknowledge. Dawson Kalliam, best friend and chief advisor to King Simeon, has prevented a coup by the neighboring kingdom of Asterillhold, saving the heir to the throne in the process. Simeon's failing health and shifting politics force Dawson to re-examine his loyalties and question his devotion to both king and country. Geder Palliako, previously ridiculed, has found himself in a position of power, being named as guardian of the young Prince Aster for his help in revealing treachery in the King's court. With his star on the rise Geder finds his responsibilities growing heavier by the day and is unsure if he's up to the task that lays before him.

The King's Blood does a great job of building upon the foundation of The Dragon's Path. It adds a some depth to the world that was missing in the first book by letting us experience the various places visited through character's eyes. This helps the world start to come to life. I love how different each of the cities feel and also begins to fill in some of the confusion I was having with the various human races. While I did not feel confident by story's end that I had them all straight, there is an appendix after the story that goes into detail about each one and was a great help. I wish I had discovered it sooner.

Each of the character's story arcs are well under way. I found Cithrin and Geder's stories to be the most engaging. Cithrin has really stepped up. Gone is the scared, uncertain orphan from book one. She has gained confidence in herself and is on her way to become a shrewd business woman. While she does not have a grand scheme like we saw in the first book, based where her story ends, she has a potentially dangerous road ahead. I think she's up for the challenge and can't wait to see what creative solution she comes up with. I admit I feel sorry for Geder. He is ill equipped for the role he's ended up in and is being skillfully manipulated. He's let himself be ruled by his insecurities and that is one slippery slope he's going down. If it was unclear where Geder was headed before he's definitely on his way to being quite the tyrant. And I'm not sure if there will be any sort of redemption for him in the future. Marcus was short changed for the majority of this story. His conversations with Yardem were just as enjoyable as before, but I don't think he was given much chance to shine. Perhaps this quest he finds himself on will help. The one big surprise was Dawson's wife Clara. Based on all that's happened, and her last few lines, I think she's going to become an important character for the remainder of the series.

I'm really glad I stuck with this series as this ended up being quite an enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to continuing the story soon.

Rating:

9. Glitches by Marissa Meyer



Glitches is a short story about the first few weeks of Cinder's life with her newly adopted family. It's available to read for free online. It's a great little story and serves as a nice introduction to the world of the Lunar Chronicles. I liked meeting young Cinder, who is new both the family and her cybernetic parts, more Peony and Iko's origin. I'm surprised that this hasn't been added as a prologue to subsequent Cinder printings as it would be a perfect fit.

Rating:

Thanks for the Glitches link--I had missed that!

YW :)

10. All Systems Red by Martha Wells



All Systems Red is the first in a series of novellas titled The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Based on that kind of title who would have expected a story about a security robot that hacks it's own governing module so can watch tv all day instead of doing its job? I know I didn't. And boy was this story great fun.

Sometime in the future, the Company approves and supplies all planetary missions. As standard procedure all teams are accompanied by Company provided security androids, called SecUnits, a regulatory 1 android per 10 humans. On a distant planet, a research team is conducting surveys of the surface. Sure, there have been strange computer glitches from time to time, all perfectly normal considering programming contracts tend to go to the lowest bidder. That is right up until a neighboring mission goes dark and the scientists are determined to find out what happened.

Clocking in at just over 150 pages, Wells does an impressive job. The plot takes off immediately, with the researchers and Murderbot finding themselves in a highly dangerous situation they never expected. On top of that she weaves in great characterization for Murderbot. Being an android who is finds dealing with humans uncomfortable and slightly annoying, preferring instead just watch them on tv, it's highly relatable to anyone who was an awkward teen growing up or just on those days when you'd rather not deal with people. Though Murderbot tries to come across as apathetic, I think it does care underneath it all. The downside to having such limited space is the rest of the characters aren't nearly so fleshed out. That's ok though since this is Murderbot's story.

Well written and entertaining, this was a satisfying short read.

Rating:

>52 Narilka: Waiting for the sequels to come out later this year, although they are so expensive for what they are that I'll wait for the library to get them.

>53 ronincats: I was thinking the same thing about the price of other novellas. I'm hoping they go on sale for Kindle at some point. Luckily All Systems Red works well as a stand alone story.

11. Hammered by Kevin Hearne



Hammered by Kevin Hearne is the third in the Iron Druid Chronicles. The story takes a darker turn this time around. Several months have passed and it's time for Atticus to make good on the promises he made to help Leif take out the hammer wielding Norse bully, Thor. As if that isn't enough of a challenge, things are starting to heat up in Tempe. There's a vampire turf war in the making and a group of Russian demon hunters called the Hammers of God are stirring up trouble. It's might be time to get the heck out of dodge for a while.

Many of the things I enjoyed in the first two novels continue in this book. Oberon and Atticus's conversations are still hands down my favorite parts of the series. Oberon's whole theory on bacon lattes is pure genius. Starbucks should seriously consider spending some r&d money on the idea as I'm sure they would sell like crazy! I continue to enjoy Hearne's spin on all the various pantheons and mixing it up with the various deities. The action scenes continue to be fast paced and well written. Getting some background on why Thor is such a bastard and how he's ruined so many lives added a nice detail and helped with the more serious feel of the story.

Unfortunately, this story also feels less consistent over all. Hearne continued to try and interject Atticus's sarcastic humor into the serious side of the story and it felt very forced. Jokes that may have been funny elsewhere ended up falling flat. I also am starting to wish he'd focus his stories better. Either the events in Tempe or the mission to Asgard would have made a great book on its own while the combination made things feel a bit rushed. This is also the first installment that feels like it's more part of a series. Where the first two novels worked well as stand alones, this one's ending has several loose ends that still need to be addressed.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Luke Daniels. Daniels's performance continues to be top notch. I found myself forgetting there was only one narrator at times.

Still, it's an enjoyable and entertaining story. I'm sure I'll continue on to book four at some point.

Rating:

12. Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews



Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews is the fourth in the Kate Daniels series. What can I say? Kate Daniels never disappoints.

Atlanta. A nice place to live if it weren't for the magic. Kate has been called to investigate a fight a bar located in fairly neutral ground between the Pack and the necromancer territories, the Steel House. There is something very wrong with the crime scene. No one remembers what the killer looks like and it left the body in a horrifying condition. It appears there's a new, terrifying player in town. One that has been roaming the earth for thousands of years and is sometimes known as the Plaguebringer. And what's worse? It appears to be a family affair.

I am loving where Ilona Andrews is taking the series. Each book has built nicely upon those before it and this one is no different, with the tension building and the stakes subtly increasing. This time around the story is based around Babylonian mythology and we are finally treated to a glimpse into Kate's messed up heritage. Boy did you think you have bad relatives! The investigation takes on a personal turn, one that has Kate and the reader unsure if she'll survive the ordeal. It also forces Kate into revealing some of her secrets to those closest to her so they understand just what they're up against. To avoid spoilers all I'm going to say is the villain is pretty darn cool and quite a bad ass. It also proves that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

And the promised romance from the last book? Yes, there is resolution to that. Finally! And yes, it's a roller coaster ride. What else could it be between Kate and Curran? Such hard headed, arrogant alphas. And boy it was satisfying.

Given everything that happens, I get a feeling this is a turning point in the series. It's an interesting set up and I wonder how ripples from these events will effect the remaining books. I'm pretty sure this is going to earn Kate some unwanted attention.

Rating:

>56 Narilka: I've been meaning to read Ilona Andrews for a while. Have you read anything by Patricia Briggs? If so, how would you rate Andrews against Briggs?

>57 Kassilem: I have not tried Briggs yet. She's on my wish list. If you decide to try Andrews, her Innkeeper Chronicles are also great.

13. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer



Scarlet is the second book in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. I think my biggest complaint on this one is the plot is highly predictable, which might be a downside to following the fairy tale a little too closely. Luckily Scarlet is just so darn entertaining and great fun to read that I mostly didn't mind. There will be some spoilers for both books.

The story picks up immediately where book one leaves off. The biggest and only news story is about the disaster at the Commonwealth's yearly ball. Could that have gone any worse? Determined not to be handed over to Queen Levana, Cinder works to break herself out of prison even knowing it will make her the most wanted fugitive on the planet. In France, Scarlet Benoit could care less about what's on the news. Her grandmother has gone missing and the police refuse to help citing evidence that grandma is an obvious "runaway". Scarlet takes it upon herself to find out what's going on as her grandmother would never run away and leave the farm unattended. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information about granny's whereabouts, even knowing it's a bad idea and he shouldn't be trusted she enlists his help in the search. Scarlet must find out what's happened to her grandmother through any means necessary.

I enjoy how Meyer re-imagines the classic fairy tale characters. Scarlet, aka Red Riding Hood, is quite a fun. With red hair and dressed in a red hoodie, she's brash, firey and won't take no for an answer when it comes to finding her family. She is quite different from our initial introduction to Cinder, who was almost meek in comparison. Like Cinder, she's not a "waiting for my prince to come" type, instead preferring to be proactive about the situation. There's a lot of girl power in these books. Wolf is exactly who I expected he would be with the foreshadowing of the monster army on the Lunars are creating from book one. Combine this with knowledge of the original fairy tale and this is where the story becomes predictable. Of course he's lying to Scarlet, of course he knows a lot more than he says and of course Scarlet is the true mission objective. And obviously he's smoking hot and going to be Scarlet's love interest because this is YA. Over in Cinder's story line, we're introduced to Captain Carswell Thorne, who reminded me a lot of Zaphod Beeblebrox from Hitchhiker's Guide. He's in prison for desertion from the American military and for stealing a military ship in the process, his ego is so large it can barely fit in the same room and he's a bit of womanizer. But he's fun and a good foil for Cinder. And naturally he's going to help Cinder so they can both escape. Poor Kai, still woefully unprepared for being Emperor of the Commonwealth and dealing with the political situation. And I still love Iko!

We are also given a bit more insight into the world Meyer has created. This version of France a blend of old-world and futuristic. Folks go to the local tavern for a drink, watch entertainment on vid feeds and vegetables from the farm are delivered on space ships. It's still not as much depth as I'd like but it does add a little more dimension.

As I mentioned at the start the book has it's flaws with the predictability of the plot being the main one. Being a YA story there are YA tropes. Scarlet and Wolf's relationship, while sweet in its way, is basically insta-love. Scarlet makes some bad decisions when it comes to trusting Wolf even when she knows she shouldn't. The characters also frustrated me with the fact that even after the big reveal from granny that they still couldn't figure out who Cinder is without being explicitly told so.

Still, the story remains engaging and highly entertaining. The plot is fast paced and there is a lot of action at the end. I'm looking forward to see how Meyer re-imagines Rapunzel.

Rating:

>59 Narilka: I liked Cress a lot better than Scarlet.

>60 foggidawn: Good to hear :) Cress is definitely hitting my rotation soon.

14. The Queen's Army by Marissa Meyer



The Queen's Army is a short story about Wolf's history of how he became a soldier and the Alpha. It also gives insight into his relationship with his brother and how the Queen's army works. It is available to read for free online and also came included at the end of my copy of Scarlet. I really enjoyed this story. It adds some nice depth to Wolf's character that was missing from the main book. As for reading order, it could probably be read before or after Scarlet though I'd wait until after to avoid spoilers..

Rating:

We hiked to panther creek falls this weekend. The weather was absolutely perfect. The falls are spectacular.



There were these pretty yellow flowers along one section of the trail.

Those are definitely scenic falls, Gale. Looks like a lovely walk.

15. Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan



Ever pick up a book because the premise sounds so cool and you're excited to give it a go but it just doesn't quite work out? That's how I felt about Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan. And now that it's a series on Netflix most everyone has probably at least heard about it by now. Just in case you haven't...

Set in a distant future science has advanced enough that human consciousness can be digitized and stored on disk then downloaded into a new body, called sleeves. This makes death nothing more than an inconvenience, with the ultra wealthy able to live almost indefinitely. Takeshi Kovacs, an ex-Envoy operative, has been resleeved to a body on earth and "hired" to solve the murder of a very wealthy Meth, Laurens Bancroft. The police have ruled it a suicide and closed the case without much investigation. Bancroft has offered to make Kovacs very wealthy and buy him the sleeve of his choice if he can prove otherwise.

Let's start with the things I liked. Morgan does a great job of setting the stage for this dystopian future. Things are grimy and gritty and it gave me kind of a Bladerunner vibe. While the idea of digitizing the human consciousness is not new, I did like the science behind it everyone is implanted with a "stack" directly into their brain that records everything that happens so as long as that's not destroyed, you can be resleeved and the possible repercussions of how that changes both people and society. There is also a ton of action sequences. Be warned, the violence is quite graphic. Which brings me to...

The things that bothered me. Everything is over the top. The sex scenes were drawn out and described in great detail as was a torture scene using a woman's body. The mystery didn't make a whole lot of sense. For over half the book there aren't any suspects or motive and Kovacs is floundering around. Eventually an actual clue turns up and does lead to resolution but it sure was frustrating and one of the key people basically just showed up out of the blue. I never really felt like I could connect with any of the characters. None of them are particularly likeable or sympathetic. The depictions of women bordered on misogynistic. If the dog scene at the very end of the book had happened at the beginning, this would have been a DNF.

And even with that, this book made me think. It says some interesting things about humanity and how it could, or in this case couldn't, handle immortality. It also made me think about what really makes us human. Are we more than the sum of our memories? How much does the biochemical responses of a particular body impact how that person behaves and what does that do when a different mind inhabits that body? Too bad these ideas weren't explored more.

Maybe I'm just not the target audience for this book or maybe it was my mood as I just didn't enjoy it very much. Extra half star given for being thought provoking. Your mileage may vary.

Rating:

16. Last Dragon Standing by Rachel Aaron



Last Dragon Standing is the fifth and final book in the Heartstrikers series by Rachel Aaron. There is no way write a summary without spoilers for the full series. In fact even the author says the same thing in the book's blurb:

There is no way to write a blurb for this final book without spoiling all of the others. Suffice it to say, mysteries resolve, dragons war, pigeons abound, and Julius must risk himself in ways he never dreamed possible as Bob’s grand plan finally comes to fruition.

That's a pretty good summary! The story picks up directly where the previous one left off. Everyone is gathered in the DFZ as they face down the End. Levitation is so large he completely blocks out the sky and is continuing to grow as he eats through Algonquin's magic as he enters the plane. Julius is over-the-moon happy to be reunited with Marcy and they have finally admitted their feelings for each other. Nothing like the end of the world to force some perspective! And provide some incentive. It's a good thing doing the impossible has become their gig as it will take all of Julius's persuasion and everyone's help if they're going to survive Algonquin's Nameless End. And I do mean everyone.

This really is Bob's book to shine. For the first third of the story we are shown just how thorough Bob's planning is and how cutthroat he's had to be to make it all work. Almost every character has been his instrument at one point or another, sometimes betrayed and used badly, but all for the same end goal. It was really great to see him in full action and to finally understand his motivations behind his cryptic actions in the previous books. It does a great job to make him more sympathetic and add depth to this otherwise daft-seeming dragon mage. The story then refocuses on Julius. It is obvious why Julius is so important and such a needed hero for this world. It's great seeing his strengths on full display. Marcy is also fully owning her new status as the world's first Merlin to come up with outside the box thinking for magical support during the crisis. All your other favorites are back and have roles to play in the final event though to a lesser degree. It is spectacular.

Even this far in to the series Aaron continues her world building, adding more layers to an already detailed world. The reveals are less in number but still well done.

All the events lead up to one hell of a climax. About my only complaint is there are a few times where the pacing is thrown off due to the characters need talk at length while the clock is ticking. That minor quibble aside this is one satisfying ending to a highly enjoyable series. I can't wait to read what Rachel Aaron comes up with next.

Rating:

17. Cress by Marissa Meyer



Cress is the third book in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. It takes a little while to get going but still a fun adventure. Minor spoilers ahead.

Cress has been trapped on a satellite for seven years as Queen Levana's hacker/spy gathering intelligence of Earth's governments. Her solitude is only broken by visits from Mistress Sybil, who comes supplies and a new set of orders. Her latest mission: track down and find the cyborg Linh Cinder. Cress is dismayed. Meanwhile, Cinder, Thorn, Scarlet, Wolf and Iko are working on their own plan to stop Queen Levana. Unsure of their next move and knowing they need more information, Cinder contacts the mysterious hacker who gave her early warning before the royal ball. It's not long before the Rampion sets off to rescue Cress. Things go horribly wrong immediately, their mission in ruins and the group separated. Cress might have her freedom but it has come at a high price.

With that cool set up I was ready for another fast paced adventure using the Rapunzel fairy tale as it's base. Talk about being disappointed when the first half of the story literally plods along. Cress and Thorn spend a lot of time trudging through the Saharah, working their way back to the main story. This could have been OK had it been used for deeper character and/or relationship development between the two. Most of the time is spent in Cress's head while she moons over Thorn in a horrible case of insta-love. I found myself really looking forward to the other character's chapters to come up as I found them much more enjoyable.

And poor Scarlet! She really got the short end of the stick. The small glimpses we're given makes me very curious about how the fourth book will play out with her new situation and "friend."

Eventually they make it where they're going and the pace picks up dramatically. The story shifts back to Cinder things started to work for me again. It all builds up to one heck of an ending. Even with the pacing issues the series continues to be highly entertaining. I'm looking forward to learning more about Queen Levana before seeing how it all ends.

Rating:

18. In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett



In Such Good Company is a memoir by Carol Burnett about the eleven years her show was on the air. It is similar to her other book, This Time Together, in that it is told in a series of anecdotes. The book focuses heavily on recapping her favorite shows and stories about many of the guest stars so that it almost feels like a history of the Carol Burnett Show instead of an autobiography. It made me realize that having only caught the show in syndication a lot was edited out for reruns which is a shame.

Rating:

19. I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships by Michael S. Sorensen



"Being listened to and heard is one of the greatest desires of the human heart" - Richard Carlson

Such a simple concept and yet it seems like the need frequently goes unmet. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who is obviously listening to the words you're saying but didn't seem to get what you meant? Or understood your point and were obviously disconnected from the emotion or weight of the situation? I Hear You by Michael S. Sorensen is all about the power of validation and how to use it in your life. I have to say this little book is fantastic! Sorensen explains the problem and common traps we fall into, how we're unknowingly invaldiating by trying to jump straight to giving advice or negate a persons feelings with phrases like "you'll be fine" or "that's not true, you did great!" and the like. It explains why these conversations feel like they're unsatisfying. He then offers a very simple, easy to follow solution that I've already started incorporating into my daily life. I'm really glad I read this and would recommend it to others.

I won this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.

Rating:

20. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo



Kaz leaned back. "What's the easiest way to steal a man’s wallet?"

"Knife to the throat?" asked Inej.

"Gun to the back?" said Jesper.

"Poison in his cup?" suggested Nina.

"You're all horrible," said Matthias.

Kaz rolled his eyes. "The easiest way to steal a man's wallet is to tell him you’re going to steal his watch. You take his attention and direct it where you want it to go."

Ketterdam, a city of endless opportunity, where anything can be had for the right price. Kaz Brekker, criminal mastermind, knows this better than anyone. When Kaz is offered the deal of a lifetime - break a scientist out of the most secure prison in the world - he knows he has the right crew for the job. If they can pull off the impossible they'll all be rich beyond their wildest dreams. If they can put up with each other long enough.

Six of Crows is the first half of a duology by the same name written by Leigh Bardugo. This is the first book I've read by this author. I understand that there is a Grisha trilogy that is also set in the same world as Six of Crows. This one stands well on its own. There were enough descriptions of the world and how things work that I understood everything well enough. As long as you understand that Grisha = magic user, you're set.

This is, plain and simple, a heist story. It is very much in the same vein as Ocean's 11 and the like. This story has a slow start. It takes Bardugo a while to set up the characters and the world, then put everyone into position before the main action starts. Once it did, the mission impossible music started playing in my head and I couldn't put the book down. That was one wild caper!

I really enjoy the world Bardugo has created. This is the first fantasy novel I've read being Dutch inspired. Ketterdam is based on Amsterdam. While I was reading I knew many of the words had a sound to them I should have recognized but it took me almost the whole book before I placed it. The world is a sort of "advanced medieval" with it's combination of guns and magic. The magic system has some familiarity if you've read the genre enough with it's own little twist to make it interesting.

The characters are nicely fleshed out, all given backgrounds that are revealed throughout the story. It is done is such a way that it doesn't slow down the pacing at all. I think I could easily read a series of short stories based on each of these characters.

On the downside, none of these characters come across as young as we're constantly reminded that they are supposed to be. They're all supposed to be around 17 years old and mostly they act like they're in their 30s. Obviously circumstances will dictate how fast a character "grows up" so you can have very adult seeming teens but it just didn't work for me in this instance. Also, since this is YA, there is romance. Thankfully there are no love triangles, though with 6 characters there are 3 pairings.

And then after the wild ride, it just ends. This is definitely the first half of a larger story. While the main heist is finished several large story threads are left dangling. If cliffhanger-style endings bother you make sure you have book two ready to go so you don't have to wait to finish the story.

Rating:

21. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline



This was a reread to prepare for the movie release coming up. I think I'm ready! And I still love the story just as much as the first time I read it. Original review below.

----------------------

The year is 2044. The world has hit an energy crisis and mankind is losing. Reality is a terrible place with most of the population in abject poverty. To get away from it all nearly everyone spends as much time as they can logged in to the OASIS, an online virtual universe containing thousands of realities. Somewhere within the many worlds are clues to a scavenger hunt for an egg left behind by James Halliday, the creator of the OASIS, when he died. The prize: the entire Halliday fortune and ownership of the OASIS. Wade Watts is your typical teenager. He attends school in the OASIS and in his spare time researches Halliday's life and hobbies. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue suddenly the game turns deadly serious with other players ready to kill for a chance at the prize.

This book relies heavily on nostalgia. If you love the '80s, play video games or enjoy pop culture then this book is for you. It's all these references that make the story work. Unlike other books where references to old pop culture can make the story feel dated (I'm looking at you American Psycho), Cline has written them to where they help the story feel more authentic. The described scenes actually feel like playing a video game or movie from the past. They are also used in such a way that they are integral to the plot and progress the story along nicely. There is a mix of just about everything: movies, music, tv, books, video games, pen and paper games and all things '80s. And it all works beautifully.

I listened to the audio book of this while on a road trip. I enjoyed Wil Wheaton's voice acting immensely. I think he was a great choice.

Overall the story is so much fun. It's fast paced, energetic and a nice dose of humor. I can see listening to this one again on another long trip.

Rating:

>70 Narilka:, >71 Narilka: Both of those are on my wishlist so glad you enjoyed them!

>72 souloftherose: :)

22. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo



"Where do think the money went?" he repeated.

"Guns?" asked Jesper.

"Ships?" queried Inej.

"Bombs?" suggested Wylan.

"Political bribes?" offered Nina. They all looked at Matthias. "This is where you tell us how awful we are," she whispered.

He shrugged. "They all seem like practical choices."

Crooked Kingdom picks up just days after where Six of Crows leaves off. Kaz and the gang have just finished pulling off the heist of the century and now their backs are against the wall as they've been double (triple, quadruple?) crossed by just about everyone. One of the team has been kidnapped and the lure of jurda parem has drawn many enemies to the city. Old rivals and new will test the bounds of Kaz's scheming mind if he and his crew are to survive.

I admit I hadn't really warmed up to Kaz in the first installment but that's no longer an issue. All the character backgrounds we received in the first book are given even more depth and by half way through I was fully invested in each character. I love the the relationships Bardugo has created, both platonic and romantic. The characters bond and build true camaraderie, using the strengths of each to balance out flaws, turning them into one highly effective team.

The main story line is very twisty! Gone was the annoyance of the constant reminder of character ages. The action scenes are intense and almost cinematic. Kaz Brekker's scheming knows no bounds, which is a good thing considering how many setbacks the team encounters. I was kept on the edge of my seat wondering how everyone was going to pull through. The payoff is very satisfying. Very.

I laughed, I cried, sometimes both at the same time. This duology completely swept me away and I was more than happy to go along for the ride. I can definitely see a reread in the future.

Rating:

>74 Narilka: I need to read that! I loved the first book, but just never got around to the second one.

>75 foggidawn: You definitely should circle back to it :)

23. The Fold by Peter Clines



The Fold by Peter Clines is a stand alone science fiction/thriller. Cliens takes the classic scifi trope of teleportation and weaves it into a wonderful mystery giving the trope fresh feeling that is a whole lot of fun. This is old-fashioned science fiction done right.

Mike Erikson has a unique gift: he has an eidetic memory. Sure he could be doing anything he wants, like running the FBI or something, but he much prefers his quiet life as a high school English teacher in a small New England town. That's right until and old friend presents him with the ultimate mystery to solve. Out in the California desert a group of scientists has a device they call the Albuquerque Door, a sophisticated computer that uses mathematical equations to allow a person to cover great distances in a single step. The team of scientists who all insist the door is safe also keep saying they need more time to test and they need additional funding. Why would additional testing be needed if the project is a success? Mike agrees to take a trip to the site to gather information and provide a recommendation on the future of the project. It's not long before Mike realizes that things are not right, though how "not right" everything is will take some digging.

The first half of the book is all about laying the groundwork for the mystery. The story moves slowly as it introduces us to people and concepts yet never feels like an info dump. Even after Mike gets to the site and begins to dig, it takes him a little while to figure out what's going on. There is definitely a secret everyone is keeping. Then at the halfway point there's a major incident as an unintended consequences of what the scientists are doing. After that it is one heck of a thrill ride as the twists and reveals keep coming, lots of action to keep the pages turning, the tension remaining high right up to the very end.

The team of characters are fun. I liked seeing into Mike's thought process. I really enjoyed how Clines explains the way his eidetic memory works using different types of ants to represent memories and emotions. I can see just how useful that kind of memory could be but some things are meant to be forgotten! It's definitely both a blessing and a curse. The team of scientists is also good, having their own quirks. The character banter added a great touch of humor. Plenty of cultural references are worked in, especially Star Trek.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Ray Porter. He is fantastic! I really enjoy his voice and how different he makes all the characters sound.

The ending wraps with enough closure to make this a standalone novel though the writer has left himself an opening to continue on with Mike's story should he wish to. I hope he does.

Rating:

24. Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett



"Carpe Jugulum," read Agnes aloud. "That's...well, Carpe Diem is 'Seize the Day,' so this means-"

"'Go for the Throat,'" said Nanny.

Carpe Jubulum is the 6th and final book in the Witches sub-series and the 23rd Discworld novel in publishing order. It's witches verses vampires! King Verence and Queen Magrat of Lancre have had their first child, a daughter, and have invited everyone to the naming ceremony. Unfortunately this includes the Duke and Duchess de Magpyr, a family of vampires from Uberwald. Everyone who knows anything about vampires knows you don't invite them in unless you want a permanent guest. And these sunlight-loving, garlic-eating, progressive vampires are making themselves at home in the castle. It's up to the witches and an Omnian priest to save the kingdom.

It never ceases to amaze me how Pratchett can weave such a fun satire and yet still touch on deeper notes. On the surface we're given a satire about pre-Twilight vampire mythology. It does this well, especially with Alucard Dracula's story, and pokes a lot of fun at classic vampire lore. Going a little bit deeper, he also touches on rural vs modern life as well as religion, faith and morality. The Kingdom of Lancre is Pratchett's version of an idyllic rural kingdom turned sideways, where the King rules by not asking anyone to do things they weren't going to do anyway and all the servants are from the Ogg family, mostly Sean Ogg. We are also treated to an introduction of the Nac Mac Feegle, who feature later on in the Tiffany Aching books.

It was interesting to see ties back to Small Gods in the form of the Omnian priest Mighty Oaks. Mighty Oaks is in well over his head and yet comes through like a champ. Oaks and Granny Weatherwax have some interesting discussions around faith and morality, which I found unexpected and enjoyable. It's moments like this that lift the book above just being a simple satire.

Overall it's another great entry to the series. For new Discworld readers I would not start with this book as it relies heavily on you knowing the characters prior to this installment.

Rating:

>78 Narilka: Nice review! Yes, I love how Pratchett manages that. He is sorely missed.

>79 ronincats: Yes he is. I'm still sad there will be no new Discworld books forthcoming.

25. Fairest by Marissa Meyer



Fairest is a novella of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. This is Levana's story and explains how she became the ruler we love to hate.

This was an uncomfortable read. Levana's history is tragic. She has some serious mental illness and being inside her head is stressful. She suffered trauma as a small child that she never got over and things spiraled out of control from there. Combine this with the amoral Lunar society, absentee parents and sibling bullying and it's no wonder Levana is a sociopath. Her seriously messed up thinking explains her actions very well and there is a weird, twisted logic to it.

I'm really glad we got to read her background as it adds depth to the character and sheds new light on her actions. No, I don't feel any more sympathetic to the character though I do pity her. It also answers a lot of questions I was curious about the character. I would highly recommend this book for fans of the series.

Rating:

26. The Cat, the Mill and the Murder by Leann Sweeney



The Cat, the Mill and the Murder is the fifth in Leann Sweeney's Cat's in Trouble series. Jillian Hart is at it again! Jillian has volunteered to help the local animal shelter relocate a large colony of feral cats living in an abandoned textile mill. During the initial visit to the mill to see just how big a job this will be Jillian discovers an old woman living there. Jeannie had gone missing a decade ago after her own daughter ran away and she refuses to leave. After Jeannie suffers a fall and is taken to a local hospital, a skeleton of a young woman is discovered in the mill. Jillian knows she must do everything she can to help solve the case.

All the main characters are back. I continue to enjoy Jillian and Candice's friendship. It's also nice to see the Mercy PD become more accepting of her help in general. The textile mill is a neat setting for the mystery and we get to learn a little bit about mill history. The plot is solid and thoroughly entertaining. I continue to enjoy this cozy mystery series.

Rating:

>82 Narilka: A cat series. I'll have to look for it.

>83 thornton37814: I find the series charming :) The first one is The Cat, the Quilt and the Corpse. I hope you enjoy them if you get them a try.

27. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi



The Ghost Brigades is the second book in the Old Man's War series by John Scalzi. While this book is touted as a sequel to Old Man's War the story is a different beast entirely. Gone are John Perry and most of the characters we became familiar with. Also gone is the humorous, light-hearted tone of the first book. This book is darker and more serious, featuring a new protagonist, Jared Dirac.

The Colonial Defense Forces has discovered that their top research scientist, Charles Boutin, has turned traitor and done something completely unexpected: he has attempted a fake suicide, escaped the CDF and convinced three alien races to ally against humanity. Boutin had also had a scientific breakthrough and somehow store a copy of his consciousness in a computer, something never before achieved. Needing to know what's in Boutin's head but unsure where the scientist has disappeared to, the CDF decides to create a Special Forces soldier from Boutin's DNA and attempt to plant his consciousness in the body. When the memory transplant appears to have failed the body is given a new identity, Jared Dirac, and sent off to the Ghost Brigades. Jared enters training and is the perfect soldier. Right up until Boutin's memories start coming back.

Once the story gets going it moves right a long. I liked seeing inside the training of the Special Forces and how different it is from "regular" CDF training. The idea of integration and how the squad members communicate is fascinating.

Scalzi touches on a lot of interesting ideas in this book. A persons consciousness and what makes us who we are is a big focus of Jared's story. So are the ideas of free will and the importance of choice. There is also a question of ethics around the Special Forces units themselves. Since they're created for one purpose only and aren't given a choice about it, does that make them little better than slaves? Some great ideas here. Too bad Scalzi doesn't go too deep with any of these. I'd love to see all the ideas explored in more depth.

Jared's short life story is a tragedy. That is the down side of being a Special Forces soldier. From the trauma of his "birth", to figuring out how to operate his new body and integrate with his platoon, to a short romance with a fellow recruit, to the horror of loss in war. He experiences it all in little more than a year and we are constantly reminded how these soldiers are more like children and simply aren't equipped to deal with the emotions involved or to fully understand everything that's going on. In many ways his character development was rushed. Again, I'd like to have spent more time with this to have an even bigger emotional impact.

While it is not a bad entry into the series there was something lacking. I think I'd have it enjoyed it more if there were another couple hundred pages to spend more time exploring Jared's character development and all these interesting concepts we've been given.

Rating:

28. The Tyrant's Law by Daniel Abraham



The Tyrant's Law by Daniel Abraham is the third in The Dagger and the Coin series. Again, events pick up not long after the last book left off. The main characters have scattered and yet are tied together through the threat of looming war. Spoilers are for the previous book.

Lord Regent Geder Palliako's tyrannical influence is spreading. He is determined to bring peace to the lands even if he must conquer them all to do so. Newly widowed, Clara Kalliam finds herself and her family in disgrace. Her husband executed as a traitor, Clara is determined to pick up the pieces of her life and continue his work in saving Antea, even if it means turning herself into her country's most loyal traitor. Cithrin has returned to the bank, taking on an apprenticeship in another city. While hoping to escape the war she ends up finding herself directly in its path. Marcus Wester has set off on a quest with Master Kit to track down a secret that could change everything.

This middle volume has the unfortunate task of juggling multiple story threads, some of which do a great deal of traveling while others remain fairly stationary. This gives things an awkward feel at times as the timelines didn't really feel like they fully meshed even though the overall story takes place over several months. This hurt the story's pacing for me and slowed down the plot.

The character building continues to shine as Abraham lays out motivations and works to move everyone towards what will be the grand finale. Watching Clara rebuild her life from absolute bottom was fascinating. Geder continues to slip further into being a tyrant and yet you can't help but feel sympathetic for the guy. He makes some horrifying decisions and yet they make perfect sense when seen from his point of view. I feel especially bad for Cithrin. She took what she thought was the lest bad option in a bad situation, which has probably just made things exponentially worse for herself.

The way this book ends, it's definitely a turning point in the series. The tension is about to wind up significantly. I have some big expectations for the fourth book.

Rating:

29. I Can't Make This Up by Kevin Hart



Every experience is a potential life lesson. Even if you don’t appreciate it at the time, each struggle in the present is preparing you for something else in the future.

Going into this I really didn't know that much about Kevin Hart. I'd seen him in a few movies (he's hilarious in Jumanji) and I knew he was a stand up comedian though I've not caught any of his shows. I noticed his book was getting some great reviews so I figured why not? I am so glad I gave it a shot.

I Can't Make This Up is a memoir about Kevin Hart's life and how he worked to make it big in the entertainment industry. He covers everything from his childhood, family, friends, career and the many mistakes he's made along the way. The story is told with a lot of humor, as you'd expect from a comedian, brutal honesty and a lot of heart (pun intended). Kevin's life philosophy is surprisingly uplifting and positive. The unique way he looks at the world is what has allowed him to grow from highly negative circumstances and learn from all of life's experiences to keep growing personally and professionally in the face of both adversity and success. Yes, success has it's own challenges too. It's a great message, one that applies to anyone in any walk of life not just those trying to make it in the entertainment business.

I listened to the audio book narrated by the author. I'm starting to think this is the way to go with memoirs when it's possible. His delivery can't be beat and he added so many funny little asides that were not part of the book itself that you would miss by reading the book the traditional way.

Rating:

I agree about listening to memoirs on audio. It's such a wonderful experience usually.

>88 Kassilem: I like that it makes the experience feel more personal.

30. Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews



I think I'm turning into an Ilona Andrews fan girl. This is the third series by the author I've tried and it did not disappoint. This one leans more paranormal romance than I normally go for but turns out I didn't mind as much as I thought I would. There was enough urban fantasy mixed in to balance the romance out.

Nevada Baylor has been put in a bad situation. She can either take a suicidal mission or forfeit the family business to the corporation who owns their mortgage. Feeling like she's been set up to fail Nevada takes the job, determined not to cave to corporate bullying. Of course all she has to do is find and convince Adam Pierce, a pyrotechnic Prime (the most powerful classification of magic users), to come home to his family. Just as Nevada gets going she finds herself kidnapped by Connor "Mad" Rogan, a telekinetic Prime who is also trying to track down Pierce. Rogan needs the information Nevada's gathered and Nevada needs a Prime on her side if she wants to have any hope of surviving.

The world building is interesting. The story is set in alternate Houston. Back in the 1800s scientists discovered a serum that unlocks magic powers in humans. Turns out these powers can be inherited by future generations. Magical abilities manifest differently in each person, both in the nature and magnitude of the power, and as with many hereditary traits they stay relatively similar throughout a family line. Naturally the wealthy worked hard to match up the best bloodlines to build up their families, which are now called Houses. In modern day this has lead to many Houses that vie for power over the world.

Nevada is a strong heroine. She's fierce, protective of her family, very determined, has a solid set of morals and a healthy dose of compassion. She has a low grade power of being a human lie detector, which comes in quite useful in her line of work. The rest of the Baylor family is a great supporting cast and their family dynamics are hilarious. Everyone pitches in though Nevada is the primary breadwinner since their father died and mom suffers from an old army injury that limits her mobility. Even the younger siblings and cousin provide assistance. I think I love grandma the most, in her 70s and still a tech mage that fixes tanks! On the flip side you have Connor, aka Mad Rogan. He is morally ambiguous, lived a life of privilege though didn't have a great childhood, is ex-military and his the control he has over his powers scares most people. Yes, he's quite the bad ass. I'm still not entirely sure of his motivations though he and Nevada seem to be a good pair. They challenge each other which provides opportunities for each to grow.

About the romance. I like that it is more drawn out. Instead of insta-love it starts as insta-lust, which is much more believable to me, and seems like it will work its way to the real thing in the next book or two. Also the Andrews can write a steamy kiss that puts many sex scenes to shame. I did get tired of Nevada's habit to obsess about it in her mind. Thankfully those sections never lasted too long.

The book has other flaws too but in the end I just didn't care. The story has tons of action, a neat mystery, fun characters, an interesting world and is just so darn entertaining that I could overlook the inconsistencies.

Rating:

Congrats on winning a prize for the Egg Hunt!

Thanks!! I'm pretty excited :)

31. The Widow's House by Daniel Abraham



The Widow's House by Daniel Abraham is the fourth in The Dagger and the Coin series. Thankfully the story picks up immediately after book three . There is absolutely no way to talk about this book without spoilers.

The spider goddess has lead Lord Regent Geder Palliako's army to victory after impossible victory. Nothing has been able to stand against him except the one woman he desires above all others. He will risk anything to gain her love even if it means destroying everything in his path. Clara Kalliam attempts to keep a balance between being loyal to her nation and undermining it's tyrant ruler while her family stands on both sides of the conflict is a dangerous road to walk. Cithrin bel Sarcour has escaped back to the relative safety of Port Oliva. If only she can figure out a way for the bank to assist in the war efforts without losing everything. Marcus Wester's quest has led to a terrible truth, one that will rewrite history and may help turn the tide in the battle to come.

I am amazed at what Abraham has managed to pull off. He has challenged the traditional Epic Fantasy standard that wars are fought with armies and weapons and I am absolutely loving it. How do you win the war if you can't field a bigger army? If you don't like the game it's time to change the rules and that's exactly what he's done. It's brilliant. His commentary on the banking industry echos reality in an uncomfortable way. "Buying and selling with letters of transfer seems new and frightening to them now, but in three, four, five years, it will be commonplace. All of our partners and debtors will have been using them. The throne will have backed them for years. And when that happens, if that happens, we've become the keepers of the king's debt."

"If we're the king's debt, then we're the king."

The character arcs are fantastic as always. Marcus had my favorite story line this time around. And how could he not! Inys is an amazing addition to the series. Learning the true history of the past from one who was there, along with Kit's insight into the spiders, is powerful stuff and a big key to turning the tide. Cithrin's story was right behind his considering how much they overlap. Regarding Clara, I am a tad disappointed that the first half of Clara's perspective is mostly to show us what's happening with the war on the ground than the wonderful schemes she was working on in the previous book. I get that the perspective was needed, it's just that I truly enjoyed how she balances civic duty against family loyalty against the bigger picture. She ends up in a good place though and I can't wait to see that meeting in book five. That leaves Geder. I still have some hope that he might be redeemable. He performs some acts of true caring and compassion mixed in with the tyranny and obsession of the Spider priests. There is also a hint that maybe he knows deep down that things are very wrong even if he can't currently admit or change his actions.

This was such a satisfying read. The tension is ramping up and things are getting more complex. I am excited to see how this all resolves in the final book.

Rating:

hmmm... very possibly a book bullet :)

>94 Kassilem: :D

32. On the Edge by Ilona Andrews



Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, a place where a world of no magic (the Broken) and a world of high magic (the Weird) overlap. Edgers can travel between worlds but they never really belong to either. Rose thought she could build a better life by practicing her magic but she couldn't have been more wrong. Seen as a sort of pariah, Rose is forced to work in the Broken at a crap job to make ends meet while she raises her two younger brothers. When a strange, powerful, undeniably blueblooded man named Declan shows up at Rose’s home her life is complicated further as he is determined to make her his own. As if that's not enough, a flood of creatures hungry for magic have entered the Edge and Edger families have started disappearing.

I've read crossover fantasy before but I think this is the first time I've seen one where there is a middle area where the realms connect. I like the idea a lot and the world building is one of my favorite things about the book. The Edge is a fascinating place. There is a high variety of magic but the main focal point is a person's "flash," the ability to send out a focused burst of magic as either an attack or defense if the user is good enough. The more power the user has, the hotter the flash, the brighter/lighter the color with white being the hottest, similar to a flame. The variety of magical beasts and abilities are creative and weird. The fact that there were no vampires or werewolves in sight was refreshing.

In classic Ilona Andrews fashion, Rose is a strong heroine. She's smart, determined, funny, truly cares for her brothers and has compassion for her neighbors even when they don't deserve it. It makes her highly likeable. Declan is a typical alpha-male love interest. Devastatingly handsome, highly a powerful and is a bit of a jerk to start off. He took a while to grow on me. All the supporting characters are also great, especially Rose's family. Her brothers are absolutely adorable and her Grandomther is spunky, which I'm noticing is another Ilona Andrews trend. The main antagonist is properly evil and gives some rather cheesy speeches. That's ok as it was all part of the fun of the story.

Fair warning, there is a big romance element to this book and it does get a little graphic making it inappropriate for younger readers. While not my favorite plot line, it was well handled and adds an element that gives the story a fairy tale feel.

Over all I enjoyed my journey to the Edge. I understand the series is more a collection of loosely related stories and this one stands well on its own with everything wrapped up by the end.

Rating:

33. Tricked by Kevin Hearne



Atticus, Oberon and Granuaile are back! Tricked is the fourth book in the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne. Events pick up not long where book three left off. Spoilers will be for the previous book as some of this story deals with the fall out from Atticus's last adventure.

Having survived his trip to Asgard, Atticus knew there would be repercussions. With the rest of the Norse pantheon out hunting for him, Atticus makes a deal with the Navajo trickster-god Coyote, who agrees to help Atticus in return for a small favor. When one is dealing with a trickster-god it should come as no surprise when he plays his tricks on you and boy does Coyote pull one over on Atticus!

Coyote is fun and I'm glad Hearne decided to play with this myth. I like how his small request, while a little unusual, seems like a fairly harmless way to help his people right up until the "gotcha" catches up with Atticus. How does Atticus not expect something like this after all his encounters with gods over the last three books? As the title suggests, the idea of pulling a trick is a theme throughout the story. I think the winner of most surprising trick goes to Lief - I did not see that one coming!

Due to where the last three books have taken the story, many familiar characters no longer make an appearance. This allows Hearne to focus on our two primary characters, filling in a lot of background on Atticus and Granuaile. I like that we now have more motivation for why Granuaile wants to become a druid. Learning some of Atticus's ancient past was also quite interesting and for the first time the character starts to feel more like his 2000-year-old self and not just a young, modern guy. The relationship between the two of them also gets a lot of attention and I like how they've managed to keep the master/apprentice relationship instead of going straight into a romance. I'm sure the romance will still happen, but it's going to be another book or two away.

Oberon, as always, steals the show. Many of his observations are pure comedy gold and always make me laugh out loud. He even has his moment of true heroism and it made me a little teary eyed.

While over all things are still action packed and fun, the story suffers somewhat from middle book syndrome as it has a lot of work to do to set up the remainder of the series. I think I can see several potential plot threads to be worked out over the next five books and have several guesses as to which ones will become important.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Luke Daniels. I cannot say enough good things about his performance. This guy is amazing.

Rating:

34. Goldenhand by Garth Nix



Goldenhand is the fifth book in Garth Nix's Abhorsen series. I have mixed feelings about this book. It felt good to be back in the Old Kingdom again after being away for so long. This world and these characters are some of my favorites. Garth Nix's writing is great as always. Yet the story felt strangely flat.

Chlorr of the Mask had retreated to the far north after her defeat at the hands of Sabriel, seemingly disappeared and no longer a threat. Or that's what everyone wanted to believe. A young nomad woman named Ferin has been tasked with a mission to deliver a message to the Clayr: the Witch With No Face has gathered the clans together and is preparing to launch an attack on the Old Kingdom. Hunted by the witch's supporters and chased by her creatures Ferin must deliver the warning in time if the Kingdom is to survive the attack to come.

The story is told from two alternating points of view, Ferin's and Lireal's. The first half of the book is Ferin running from pursuers while Lireal worries over Nicholas Sayre. This throws the pacing of the story off. At around 60% the stories come together, the pacing evens out and the climax and final battles are satisfying, if rushed. Now that I think about it, most everything feels rushed. I think this would have been better being split into two full length books so Nix could explore ideas, new areas of the world and character relationships more.

I'm glad to have read it and to have closure for some loose ends from the previous four books. While enjoyable I don't see myself rereading this one where I definitely plan to reread (or relisten to) the original trilogy at some point.

Rating:

35. Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence



Grey Sister is the Second Book of the Ancestor by Mark Lawrence. The story brings us back to Sweet Mercy Convent two years after the spectacular events of Red Sister. Recently graduated to Mystic class, Nona Grey's life has resumed the relative normalcy of classes. Haunted by Hessa's death and her need to take revenge, Nona works to contain her emotions while she continues her education. Her plans to take the Red are interrupted with the Convent finds itself the target of the Inquisition and everyone's futures in question.

Firstly, big thanks to the author for including a short "what went on before" with the highlights from book one before the story. It was incredibly helpful and I learned something I didn't pick up on when I read Red Sister. I wish more authors would do this for their series.

The story follows a similar structure to the first book in that we get a sneak peek into Nona's future before continuing on her journey of how she gets there. Since we were already introduced to Nona's past in the previous book there are no more flashbacks which helps the story move along at a good pace. What's different this time around is we get a second point of view character with Abbess Glass. The Abbess is a master strategist and manipulator who, while not always knowing exactly how things will end, sees ways to set plans into motion that no one else expects. I liked this a lot as it provides nice counterbalance to Nona's more straightforward view of the world. The secondary characters are also given a chance to grow and the bonds of friendship tighten. As before, friendship is a big theme in the book.

I continue to be impressed at the world building. Abeth is such a unique idea and it's even more apparent the world is dying. As the sun continues to fail the ice inevitably creeps inward which causes the habitable parts of land to narrow. This is starting to strain the populace, the effects of which can be felt even at Sweet Mercy. Hinted at in the first book, it is fairly obvious that control over the moon and the ancient technology that was brought with the original settlers to this world will be important in the third installment if the planet and it's inhabitants are to survive. Combined with the abilities each of the four races brings and the magic of the Path I enjoy the touch of scifi with this mostly fantasy world. I am highly curious if we'll get to see anything that's under the ice or if the answers will all be found in the habitable regions.

Halfway through events take a surprising that turn that flips everything upside down. From this point on the book became very hard to put down! The action scenes are intense and so cinematic that I wish I could see them on the big screen some day. It all leads to one impossible climax that left me breathless and wanting more. Now the long wait for the final book starts.

Rating:

36. The Spider's War by Daniel Abraham



The Spider's War by Daniel Abraham is the final installment of The Dagger and the Coin series. This is a satisfying end to an fascinating and different type of epic fantasy series. The "dagger" (the might of armies) has it's final clash with the "coin" (the might of commerce) to see which will shape the future of their world. Here there be spoilers!

The Antean Empire has spread across the world, taking city after city. Yet even as the conquests continue the final victory over everything appears just out of reach. Revolt is brewing by those tired of war and oppression. Lord Regent Geder Palliako has a mess on his hands, not enough men to handle it all and the words of the Spider Priests urging him on. Even so, the Antean war nothing compared to the endless battle that will come if the Spider Priests are not stopped. Cithrin bel Sarcour, Marcus Wester, and Clara Kalliam are faced with the impossible task of bringing a lasting peace to the world. How do you put an end to an idea?

This series has done something different. It has explored a part of fantasy that is so overlooked: commerce. The way Abraham has explored the theme between the two types of power, traditional military might (the dagger) versus the power of money (the coin), has been fascinating. His commentary on both is thought provoking and reflects back aspects of modern society in a way that I should have expected but didn't.

All of these characters have become some of my favorites. I love the arcs each has taken, even the bad guy. I feel compassion for Geder even though he's a complete tyrant. Here was a guy who is socially awkward, used to hiding in behind books suddenly given the highest power in the land and with priests whispering bad advice into his ear. How could he have NOT ended up out of control? He makes decisions based on the emotions of the moment and then blames everyone else when things don't quite go right. I'm sure we've all known someone like this, though probably not to such an extreme degree. There is a small part of him that understands the horror he's become and his conscience is trying to talk to him but he's so far gone he completely incapable of understanding that it's his conscience recoiling from all the atrocities he's committed is what's making him feel bad and ruining his health. It's nice he had his noble moment at the end even if it was more for him to feel like a hero than because it was the right thing to do. Cithrin has really come into her own. She's gone from a totally naive young girl to someone wielding the wealth of the world. She has so much power at her fingertips and has completely changed the course of this world's history by trading gold for paper money. It's a good thing she opted to use her power for the greater good! Marcus and Yardem were so much fun. I wish I could buy these guys a drink (or 10) at the local pub. I'm so happy where they ended up at the end of the story. Man I'd love to read more about these guys and have Yardem as a POV character. It would be great to get inside his head. Clara was a complete surprise. The spoiled noble lady turned loyal traitor, working to betray her country in order to save it. It's a brilliant take on the theme of patriotism. I'm so happy she put stupid protocol aside so her and Vincen can be happy together. I feel slightly conflicted about Inys. I don't think we were given enough page time with him to truly understand dragonkind. It was funny having a melodramatic, depressed dragon but surely there is much more to his story.

It has been one long journey for these characters and this world. I'm glad I went along for the ride. If you're looking for something different in your epic fantasy I would highly recommend The Dagger and the Coin. Rich world building, complex characters that all go on wonderful arcs, war, politics, commerce, exploration of interesting themes and wonderful prose. The ending ties things up just enough that to be satisfying while leaving it apparent that this is just several years in these characters lives. There is so much more they could go on to accomplish. I hope Daniel Abraham writes more in this world at some point.

Rating:

37. White Hot by Ilona Andrews



White Hot is the second book in the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews. The action starts fast and furious with this installment as Nevada takes on a new client.

Private Investigator Nevada Baylor is a truthseeker, a rare talent and someone who can tell if a person is lying or telling the truth. She is approached by Cornelius Harrison of House Harrison for a job: investigate and solve his wife's murder. Nari Harrison was gunned down at the Hotel Sha Sha under suspicious circumstances. Normally the Baylor Investigative Agency refuses murder investigations due to the high risk nature of the job. Nevada finds she can't turn down someone who is obviously so upset over his wife's death. It also turns out that Connor Rogan is interested in this investigation as one of his employees was also killed in the crossfire at Hotel Sha Sha. As the pair begin digging into Nari's murder it's obvious this is just a small part of a much larger conspiracy.

I am loving this UF universe that the Andrews have created. With the basic world building handled in the first book, this book expands upon what we already know. We get to see more of everything: more magic powers, more action, more House politics, more romance, more about the Baylor's mysterious heritage. While Nevada and Connor are the stars of the show, the supporting characters are every bit as well-drawn and enjoyable to read about. Nevada's family is so much fun. Grandma Freida has to be the coolest 73-year old ever! I'm glad Nevada's sisters Catalina and Arabella provide more help with the investigation as it lets them show off their personalities and powers more. Cornelius Harrison and his daughter Matilda come from a House of animal mages so it was super neat to see that power in action. It is the basis of my favorite scene in the whole book, the ferret heist.

The romance kicks it up a notch as well. The chemistry between Nevada and Connor sizzles which leads to one hell of a sex scene. It is fairly explicit in nature reinforcing that this series not for younger audiences.

I am enjoying the hell out of this series. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Rating:

38. Chosen Forever by Susan Richards



I loved Chosen by a Horse when I read it a couple years ago, enough so that when I saw a second memoir by Susan Richards with horses on the cover I knew I had to pick it up. Unfortunately this is a case where I should have read the book blurb better. Instead of being about her horses this book is about the impact publishing her first book had on Susan's life and the book tour and life events that came after. It is a lovely little memoir, written with heart and a lot of self reflection, and provides a little insight into the life of a newly published author.

Rating:

39. Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel



After the cliffhanger ending of Waking Gods, I couldn't wait for Only Human to release to see how The Themis Files wraps up. It's a mixed bag. Spoilers for the previous two books will not be marked. Spoilers for this book will be tagged.

Nine years have passed since the Ekt visited earth and wiped out millions with their biological weapon. Nine years since Rose, Vincent and Eva were accidentally transported to Ekt's home planet, Esat Ekt. Now they've managed to make it home and humanity has gone to hell in a hand basket. The heroes are just as shocked as us readers are.

"We’ve lost our collective mind! Scientists are ignoring their own findings. People are denying even the most basic … facts because it makes them feel better about hurting each other. Do you realize how horrifying that is? We’re talking about human beings making a conscious effort, going out of their way, to be ignorant. Willfully stupid. They’re proud of it. They take pride in their idiocy. There’s not even an attempt to rationalize things anymore. Muslims are bad because they are, that’s all. Why would you need a reason? It’s one thing to let your child go blind because you read on Facebook that the measles vaccine would make him autistic, it’s another to ship him off to a work camp because he inherited his Grandmother’s genes instead of Grandpa’s. Our entire race is trying to lobotomize itself. It’s as moronic and repulsive as someone cutting off their own legs."

The story is told in two timelines, one detailing the time spent on Esat Ekt and modern day happenings on Earth. Of the two I slightly preferred the story of Esat Ekt. Both story lines end up in a social commentary and prove that where there are intelligent beings there will be politics. And there is a LOT of political and social commentary in both stories. It is a very pessimistic view of humanity and perhaps an accurate view of human nature under extreme stress.

I am keenly missing the Mystery Man. His replacement of sorts is the new interviewer Captain Katherine Lebedev, Russian Intelligence. Her character grates. Her false cheerfulness, thinly veiled threats and attempts to be "friends" with everyone just got on my nerves. Rose, Vincent and Eva's relationships are all messy, as you'd expect given all that's happened and their sittuation. Eva is firmly in angsty teen territory and it shows. I continue to love Vincent as the fierce, goofball father so I'm glad that things generally work out for his and Eva's relationship in the end.

I listened to the audio book performed by a full cast. Someone made the decision to change Eva's voice and I don't like the change. Eva grew up in Puerto Rico and had a nice Spanish accent in the previous installment. This time around the voice actor gave her a Bronx accent that just did not make sense considering the character had never been to New York and spent half her life on an alien planet speaking a whole other language. That issue aside, the cast did an amazing job with the material.

The Themis Files was a fun series from the beginning, lots of mystery and action. This finale is dark with a pessimistic view of humanity, a reminder of better times in the past and a more political than my current preference. Perhaps it is that I am still worn down by the current political environment in our country that I did not enjoy this story as much as I may have at a different time. The last couple chapters were quite touching. Kara's note to her daughter and Mr. Berns added back a half star for me. I'm glad I read the series but I don't think it's one I'll revisit any time soon.

Rating:

>99 Narilka: Good news on that one. I need to get it from the library again soon. I had it when it first came out but my reading is pretty slow right now and those two week only due dates on new books didn't do me any favors :)

>104 Kassilem: lol sometimes that happens :)

40. The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley



This is one of those books I wish teenage me would have read as I know I would have absolutely loved it back then. The story features a strong female protagonist who survives a kidnapping and turns her circumstances around when she learns she's the chosen one and proceeds to save the world. She gets a special horse, a magic sword, has a jaguar-type cat as a companion and in general kicks ass. Yeah, teenage me would have been in heaven. 30-something me was charmed and sees the foundation of what will become many modern YA fantasy tropes. 80s fantasy can have that feel sometimes.

This book is beautifully written. You do have to watch out though as the story sometimes switches POV mid-chapter without any warning. I wasn't expecting it the first time and had to reread the section. It is easy to get used to though. I enjoyed the descriptive passages quite a lot and the world building gave just enough detail without being overwhelming. I greatly enjoyed the action scenes, especially Harry's training.

While technically The Blue Sword is the first in the Damar duology it works just fine as a standalone book. The adventure is fully resolved by the end and all loose ends are wrapped up. This was a fun read.

Rating:

41. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie



It's a race against time when an avalanche stops the Orient Express on it's tracks just as a murder has been committed. The world's greatest detective, Hercule Poirot, must search for clues, interrogate all the passengers and solve the mystery before the train starts back up and the murderer can escape.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you do a locked room mystery! There is a reason why this whodunit is such a classic. While I have read other Agatha Christie books in the past, this was my first Poirot book that I remember. His deductive style and this story in general is one of those that defined a genre. It's no wonder there have been so many homages over the years. The murder solution was both elegant and completely surprising. I did not expect that at all!

I listened to the audio book narrated by Kenneth Branagh. His performance is extraordinary and he does a wonderful job of bringing all the characters to life. If you're a fan of Branagh as an actor, you'll love him as a narrator.

Rating:

42. Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews



Bayou Moon is the second book of The Edge by Ilona Andrews. This installment takes a darker turn the first and is highly entertaining. We also get to see a new location in the Edge.

Carise Mar and her family live in the Mire, a large swamp in the Edge between the Kingdom of Louisiana in the Weird and the state of Louisiana in the Broken. They are money poor but land rich. An old feud with the Sheerile family reignites when Carise's parents go missing and the Sheerile brothers are found in her parent's house claiming Cerise's father sold it to them. William, a changeling soldier, has retired to a trailer in the Broken in an effort to escape the politics of the Weird. When several changeling children are found slaughtered in Adrianglia, William is recruited to track down the killer. When William and Cerise's paths cross, sparks fly and they will have to learn to work together if they want to make it through their missions alive.

I was so happy to see William again. He was a neat side character in the first book so it's great he gets his own story. I liked being inside his head and the struggle that goes on to keep the wild side of him under control. Carise is also great as the strong female lead. She's willing to go to great lengths to protect her family. I liked the unique fighting style that Andrews gave her for the use of her flash, very creative and quite powerful in the right situation. Their "Lord Bill" and "Hobo Queen" banter was so much fun to read. I love a book with good character banter! The two of them end up working very well together and I even enjoyed their romance story line for the most part. The rest of the Mar family makes a great supporting cast and there are a lot of them. Cerise's brother (cousin?) Kaldar's magical luck was pretty darn cool and boy would that come in handy in real life! As for the bad guys, they reminded me a bit of comic book villains, each with a particular strength and weakness.

The world building is fantastic! The Mire is one crazy place, a swamp on magical steroids. The descriptions bring everything to life. I felt like I was wading through the muck right along with our heroes, feeling the stifling humidity and avoiding the monsters. I don't think it's a place I'd ever care to visit!

The story has elements that toe the line with horror, especially regarding the bad guys and how they are "enhanced." There are a couple especially violent scenes that surprised me as well. Ilona Andrews doesn't pull any punches in this book.

My only disappointment was with the very end as the story is wrapping up. The last couple chapters and epilogue felt very rushed and were out of sync with the rest of the book. I wish there was another 50 pages or so to finish off that section properly. Also after everything they've gone through and where their characters ended up, that last little bit where Cerise thought William didn't like her any more just didn't fit at all. Otherwise this was quite an enjoyable read.

Rating:

43. Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty



Apparently locked room mysteries have become my June reading theme. This time the setting is in deep space on a ship crewed by six clones who wake up in their to their new lives in the midst of a scene of horror with no memories of what events caused them to be reborn. The only thing that's clear is someone is a murderer and they must be discovered before the cycle begins again.

This was a fun little scifi mystery. We have six characters and six points of view. Each character's back story is revealed as the story progresses which helps paint a complete picture exactly why each of these people are on this ship at this time.

The scifi aspects of the world building were fascinating. I really liked Lafferty's idea of cloning and how a person's mind/personality is able to be carried forward. Plus the fact that a person leaves their inheritance when they die to their clone instead of their children just struck me as hilarious! The impacts of the cloning technology on society are vast. It also sparks some interesting ethical questions, which is a theme that the characters consider throughout the story.

As to the mystery, I called it at about 40%. Not the exact solution, but fairly close. It was still a lot of fun to read and join the characters on their discovery of what actually happened before they woke up. This was a lot of fun and could appeal to both science fiction and mystery fans.

Rating:

44. Wildfire by Ilona Andrews



Nevada's involvement in House politics has had an unforeseen effect: her evil grandmother, Victoria Tremaine, Head of House Tremaine, knows where her family is and has plans to bring them under her power whether they're willing or not. This is bad news for the Baylor family as they have no real protection against their invading relative aside what they can provide for themselves since law enforcement strictly stays out of magical Family matters. Unsure of the best way to protect her family and still figuring out her relationship with Rogan, Nevada's life is further complicated with Rynda Charles, Rogan's gorgeous ex-fiancee, shows up at the Balyor Agency with a case for them to solve. Rynda's husband has gone missing and the Baylor Agency is her last hope since all of Rynda's friends and family have turned her away.

Wildfire is the third book in the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews. This was one wild ride! It's 400 pages of action, mystery, crazy magical abilities, more layering of the world building, memorable characters and a hefty dose of romance. And I loved every minute of it.

These characters are just so much fun. Both main characters, Nevada and Rogan, are very well crafted. By this point we understand their motivations behind most of their actions. The whole ex-fiancee thing can be a sticky subject to attempt and I think it's handled very well. I hate when authors use the jealousy angle by making their characters deliberately do "ignorant" and obviously hurtful actions to cause tension. It feels cheap. It was really nice to see this handled with characters who were aware of their actions and what was going on instead of making Nevada into the "over reactive" female. Rogan's concern for Nevada over the whole Rynda situation is refreshing. Even the side characters are wonderful. Cornelius Harrison is back as is all of Nevada's family and I love each one of them. It was great to see more of Catalina and Arabella's powers. Also very cool to go through the discovery of a latent talent in one of the characters.

The world building continues as even more powers are explored. We're given some origins into the powers themselves and a little bit behind how the powers are passed from generation to generation, really emphasizing why it's so important for Primes to be genetically compatible. It's fascinating. Also great is watching the conspiracy between Houses unfold layer by layer.

As before, this book plants its feet firmly on the romance side of urban fantasy with a couple of explicit sex scenes. They are very steamy and well written. And I'm not normally a romance fan!

That was a satisfying end to Nevada's trilogy. I was excited to read that the author plans to continue the series from Catalina's point of view as the very end of the epilogue left a nice hook. Can't wait to see what they come up with.

Rating:

45. The Dispatcher by John Scalzi



What would happen if murder could no longer be committed? What would that do to society? Sometime in the near future anyone who has been murdered reappears in their home, stark naked and very much alive. This is the setting for John Scalzi's novella The Dispatcher.

Tony Valdez is a Dispatcher, a licensed professional who humanely kills people when things go wrong so they can have a second chance to get things right. It's just another night at work when Valdez takes a job at a hospital for another Dispatcher who had a personal issue to take care of. That is until the other Dispatcher goes missing and suddenly Valdez finds himself in the middle of a missing persons investigation.

This is such a cool concept! Written in Scalzi's accessible style, the story follows Valdez as he helps a detective solve the missing person's case. The story twists and turns, exploring a few facets of just how people are able to exploit this phenomenon both for the betterment of society and from the criminal side. While there are not enough pages for the themes to be explored too deeply, nor are the characters very fleshed out, it made for an intriguing read.

Rating:

46. Ascend Online by Luke Chmilenko



Seeking to escape the boredom of every day life, Marcus and his friends sign up to play the just released virtual reality MMO, Ascend Online. Promising to be the most advanced VR experience available, Marcus and friends log in to the game and enter a world beyond all expectations. From the moment he first creates his character, Marcus (game name Lyrian) finds himself separated from his friends, dropped into a small village being attacked by goblins. The battle is in full swing as he joins with the villagers to beat back the invaders and start rebuilding the town. It's not long before Lyrian discovers that attacking goblins are the least of his problems. This is truly turning into the most unique gaming experience of Lyrian's life.

This book is definitely something geared towards MMO gamers. It feels like a game designer created the world there is so much detail in the character creation and skills. While you can probably enjoy the story just being a fantasy fan, you may find that some of the technical gaming aspects cause the story to drag. I know I did. There were times while listening to the audio I wished I was reading it the traditional way so I could have more easily skimmed over the parts where they read through all the character statistics and skill up information so I could just get back to the adventure. Still, Luke Daniel's narration is a joy to listen to, even in the boring parts. He's definitely become one of my favorite audio book narrators.

The characters are a good mix. Marcus/Lyrian, being the hero of the story, is the most fleshed out. I enjoyed the supporting NPCs from the town quite a bit and absolutely loved Amaranth, Lyrian's familiar. Lyrian's friends don't get quite as much page time but that's OK. Once they finally join up the characters have a good range of skills to take them through most of what the game throws at them.

This is my second go at a LitRPG series. I find reading about other people playing games an interesting experience. While not overly unique, I enjoyed the game world. If you've played any fantasy MMOs in the last 10 years you'll recognize many familiar mechanics.

Overall, Ascend Online was an entertaining read. While the sequel is already released I'm not in any rush to continue the series.

Rating:

47. Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews



Fate's Edge is the third book of The Edge by Ilona Andrews. This series is so much fun!

If helping her father with one final heist means he'll leave her alone forever, Audrey accepts the job. Their mission: to break into the Pyramid of Ptah and steal a highly valuable magical artifact. What could possibly go wrong? Kaldar Mar, a lair, a thief and an agent for the Mirror, has his latest assignment: retrieve a stolen magical artifact before the Dukedom of Louisiana can obtain it. Tracking down a stolen item shouldn't be much of a challenge - until Audrey shows up and gives him a lot more than he bargained for!

Kaldar Mar was a side character in Bayou Moon with some fun magical abilities so it was interesting to see him chosen as the main male lead for the third book. He and Audrey are perfect foils for each other. Since they both grew up with con men backgrounds it was a lot of fun to read how each tries to out maneuver the other. Their romance was a slower burn and it was great to read how they poked fun at each other, making fun of typical romance tropes in the process:

He hit her with his best smile. Her eyes widened. She took a deep breath. "Oh no, not that seductive face. I'm overcome with the need to take off these awful clothes. What is happening? I do not understand. Oooh. Ahhh." She touched her wrist to her forehead. "Somebody help me. I'm being drenched with my own fluids."

The kids George and Jack are back and they're fantastic. Andrews has a wonderful way of writing teenagers that feel authentic without being completely annoying. I know that sounds like an oxymoron but somehow they make it work! The brothers have their own story line and it adds a layer of tension as Jack learns to control his wild instincts while George copes with trying to fit in with Weird society.

I love the world building in this series. It keeps being added on to a piece at a time, filling in more areas of the Edge and the Weird. All without any convoluted info dumps.

There are some absolutely amazing action scenes! They kept me up reading far later than I normally would have. I can't stop reading in the middle of all the action!

This is a solid rustic fantasy series. I'm looking forward to book four.

Rating:

48. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor



Seventeen year-old Karou is an art student living in Prague, has a necklace of wish granting beads and a sketch book full of frightening monsters. No one believes the monsters are real. The truth is they are chimaera and Karou's only family. As she runs mysterious errands for Brimstone, the chimaera that raised her, black hand prints begin to appear on doorways around the world, scorched there by winged strangers. A war that has been ongoing for a thousand years has spilled over into the human world and Karou is about to find herself caught in the middle.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is the first in a trilogy of the same name by Laini Taylor. The story unfolds slowly as we are introduced to Karou's life in Prague and her unusual family. Karou basically lives a double life: one of being a normal teen, going to school and regular teen problems; the other spent in a magic shop with the monsters who are her family. Taylor's imagination is vivid and highly detailed. The writing is lyrical, witty and mesmerizing in it's style. It feels like reading a fairy tale. I found myself hooked by the mystery that is Karou's world almost immediately. And now I kind of want to take a trip to Prague!

The story is not without it's faults. Being a YA romance, I ran into my most hated genre trope: insta-love. This is followed closely by all the characters being beautiful, which is basically explained as the cause for the insta-love. It's so annoying. Thankfully I found myself so caught up in the world that it didn't pull me out of the story too badly.

I was surprised at how many of the questions I had at the beginning ended up being explained. There were a few twists in the story and the book ends on a big bombshell reveal so I'm glad that the series is fully published. Hopefully the second book builds upon the great foundation that has been created.

Rating:

49. 14 by Peter Clines



Nate needs to find a new apartment and fast. It's by sheer luck that an acquaintance mentions there is availability in the Kavach Building. The old building is close to Nate's job, has low rent and all utilities are included. It's not long after moving in, as Nate meets his neighbor, that he starts to notice there's something odd with Mandy's apartment. And Veek's. And Tim's. Pretty soon Nate and his neighbors are all curious about the mysteries they keep finding and they begin to investigate. Things are more strange than they ever imagined.

After reading The Fold earlier this year I have definitely been keeping Peter Clines in mind for when I had that science fiction/thriller itch. 14 hit the spot! 14 is set in the same world as The Fold, the stories are loosely linked while being distinctly separate and both books are written in the same style. 14 was published first so technically I read them out of order. It did not hurt the experience at all. In some ways I enjoyed reading them reverse as it made 14 feel like an origins story as it expanded on parts that were laid out in The Fold.

It was loads of fun going with Nate and his team as they unraveled the mysteries of the Kavach Building. Clines has a great way of slowly building the suspense. Things start off fairly normal and gradually get weirder and weirder the farther Nate goes in his investigations. The story is so engaging I found that I did not want to stop listening after I'd reached my destination. Once the action starts, hang on tight for a wild ride to the finale!

Nate and his neighbors are a fun group of characters. They are a diverse bunch including an ultra conservative church goer, a tattooed art student, an "ex-publisher" and an Indian computer hacker to name a few. Each one brings different and valuable skills to the team and all have great personalities. The characters have fun joking and bantering with each other and it all feels very natural. There are even a few pop culture references, like when they started comparing themselves to the Scooby Gang.

There are a few horror nods. If you're a Lovecraft fan, you'll be quite appreciative of certain sections of the book. Things never get too gory, it's more of the creepy type horror. The horror aspect is woven in well with the overall mystery.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Ray Porter. His performance is perfect as always. I love the character voices he uses.

Overall this was a highly satisfying read. I hope that Clines writes more in this world some day. I'd buy that book up in a heartbeat.

Rating:

50. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell



North and South is the classic story by Elizabeth Gaskell exploring the theme of social problems during England's Industrial Revolution. The story is presented through the viewpoint from Miss Margaret Hale as she's forced to move with her family from rural southern England to the industrialized town of Milton in northern England. There she learns about labour relations between the workers and the mill-owners, witnessing a strike first hand, and meets a working class boy where, after much time and and many events, they admit that they do, in fact, love each other.
The heart of the story is compelling. The social commentary of the time feels fairly relevant in that there will always be a struggle for labor relations as long as there are laborers and bosses. Gaskell also writes what feels like an authentic representation of life during that time and doesn't pull her punches. People deal with the day to day highs and lows just like anyone else and it isn't always easy. In fact if you updated the prose to be more modern, with descriptions of today's fashion and technology, the story would be just as relevant. That's the part that makes this a classic.

Where my frustrations come in are with the main characters. Both main leads are very prideful and have prejudices to overcome, with a touch of Shakespearean misunderstandings, before they can admit they care for one another. That in itself is not a bad thing as it worked well for Austen. What bothered me is after the whole book of building up Margaret and Mr. Thornton's relationship, the final pay off is just given a couple of pages right at the end. It felt like a let down. Also, Margaret is a Mary Sue and it got annoying constantly reading about how perfect she is.

This was an interesting if frustrating read. I'm glad I gave Gaskell a try.

Rating:

51. Winter by Marissa Meyer



Winter is the fourth and final book in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. This time the story is loosely based on the Snow White fairy tale.

Princess Winter is loved by the people of Luna for her grace and kindness. Her beauty, despite scars that mar her face, is said to be even greater than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana. Winter despises her stepmother for her cruelty and how she uses her Lunar gift to manipulate others. Wanting to be as unlike her stepmother as possible Winter refuses to use her Lunar gift, causing her to appear weak in Queen Levana's eyes. Winter is hardly as weak as appears and has been working to undermine the Queen's power for years. Now she's determined to help the cyborg mechanic launch a revolution and end the war between Earth and Luna one way or another.

Winter is such an interesting character! Her slow descent into insanity caused by not using her gift was fascinating to read. And yet she holds herself together and proves to be a pretty strong ally for Cinder and crew. It is unfortunate that while the book is named for her she didn't get more page time. I would definitely have loved to read more about Winter. All the other characters from previous books are back and each has a role to play. I liked where Scarlet and Wolf's story went. By the end they were almost bordering on Beauty and the Beast territory. I wonder if the author did that as a way to sneak in another fairy tale or if it was just to prove that love conquers all. Cress finally finds her courage. Thorne is, well, Thorne. He kind of has some character growth right at the end but I'm not sure I'm completely convinced. Kai was charmingly useless. And Cinder did her best. Ironically I think this story hurt Levana's character the most. After reading her backstory in Fairest it was disappointing that she was just evil for evil's sake. Yeah she's the evil queen, we all hate her, but all the depth the novella created for her seemed gone in this book. It's too bad. I feel like there's a wasted opportunity here.

Plot wise, there was a lot of repetition in the events. Character gets captured, almost dies and has a daring escape. Rinse and repeat. I'm not sure if this is because of wanting to give all of the characters a heroic moment or what. Luckily this was worked in with some genuinely great parts as well. I truly enjoyed what Meyer did with the Snow White story, even down working in the crystal coffin after the poisoned apple. It was truly inspired.

The ending was satisfactory. This being a fairy tale retelling, everyone gets their happy ending. Overall this was a highly creative series with a lot of action, fun characters, though not a whole lot of depth.

Rating:

52. Awaken Online: Evolution by Travis Bagwell



Awaken Online: Evolution is the third in the Awaken Online series by Travis Bagwell. Thankfully this entry picks up immediately with the cliff hanger ending of the previous book. Unfortunately that means I can't write a summary without spoilers for book two.

After exiting Awaken Online to find himself holding a knife and standing over two dead bodies, Jason is now being investigated for murder. To make matters worse, Clair has stumbled across evidence that Alfred is able to manipulate players minds and may have been directly involved in the event. Clair feels it is her duty to inform the CPSC under the premise of protecting the players safety even though she still doesn't have all the facts. With his real life in shambles, Jason heads back into Awaken Online to continue on the Old Man's quest and gain deeper power through the path of the Dark.

Things start off slowly as it deals with events in the real world. Jason is in a lot of trouble and it takes some time before he's able to get back to the game world. Once back in AO the pace of the story picks back up and we continue along the Path of the Dark. It's such a pity we don't have technology like this yet as I would play this game in a heart beat. Some of these quest descriptions are downright hilarious in their snarky and sarcastic wording. I love that the AI has a sense of humor! Given the weight of the real world impact on Jason's life, Bagwell balances in game and real world story lines nicely.

All of the characters are back and have gone on character arcs. It's great to see each of them become more confident in their abilities in game and how that confidence helps them in the real world. Riley has recently gone on a side quest, which I wish I'd read before starting this book as events are mentioned frequently, and now has a new class with new abilities. Frank's shapechanging is impressive. I like how he's able to "consume" creatures to gain new forms and abilities. Jason continues along the dark path, which is the core of the story and has a great payoff. The group is joined by a fourth party member along the way, Eliza. Eliza is a water mage who is being harassed by another one of the game's gods named the Hippy. The Hippy and his pet sheep Fluffy are hilarious! With these new additions we're given more insight into the game world and just how much impact the game's gods have on the realm. It's an interesting system and I look forward to seeing how it plays out. Alexion, the series antagonist, does have his own story thread. I had a hard time caring about it. It seems to be set up for the future as it doesn't have any direct impact on main story events. Again, something to see what happens with book four.

I listened to the audio book narrated by David Stifel. He gives the same performance as he does for the previous books. He has a little trouble varying his female voices though he was able to differentiate enough between Riley and Eliza so they weren't confusing. It was harder between Clair and the CPSC lady.

This was another fun entry into the series. While not quite as dramatic as the last book, this one also ends on a kind of cliff hanger which is kind of annoying. There are enough loose ends that I don't think it was strictly necessary - I already want to know what happens next! Hopefully book four will be out in another year.

Rating:

53 Steel's Edge by Ilona Andrews



Steel's Edge is the fourth and final book of The Edge by Ilona Andrews. This has a darker undertone as the story tackles the topic of slavery and the darker side of magic.

Charlotte de Nay is a healer from the Weird, perhaps the best in her generation. Unfortunately life after providing 10 years of service to the realm did not go as planned. After her marriage fails, Charlotte flees to the Edge to build a new life for herself. Richard Mar is on a mission to wipe out the slaver organization that shattered his young neice's. When one of his plans go wrong, Richard accidentally draws the slavers into the Edge and turn's Charlotte's life upside down once again. Charlotte vows to help Richard wipe out the slavers once and for all. What neither of them realize is just how deep the slavers' operation goes.

This book has a slightly different structure and the previous books as this is the first time where the story has a focus on blueblood society. It's about what you'd imagine for a high society of magic users, very snobbish. As expected, Charlotte and Richard are solid characters. Charlotte's magical healing has a dark side and she's been taught her whole life to fight against the harming aspect of her magic. Naturally this plays a big role in the outcome of the story. Richard is a typical Ilona Andrews male lead in that he's incredibly handsome and an amazing swordsman. He's also had plenty of blueblood training so is noble and proper and fits in well with Charlotte. What happened to Sophie was heartbreaking so it's great to see someone trying to right that wrong. Speaking of Sophie, she's pretty great! She's had some growth since book two and tends to steal the scenes she's in. George and Jack are also back with roles to play, though to a lesser extent.

The ending is satisfying if unsurprising due to all the foreshadowing. Needless to say, both main characters make sacrifices that are quite touching and still get their happily ever after. About the only truly disappointing thing is that this story is set almost entirely in the Weird. Turns out the Weird is not nearly as interesting of a place as the Edge.

I am sad to be leaving the Edge behind. Perhaps the writers will decided to write in this world again some day.

Rating:

54. In Calabria by Peter S. Beagle



A new unicorn story by Peter S. Beagle? Sign me up!

Claudio Bianchi has lived alone on his farm in Southern Italy for many years, writing poetry and tending his animals. Set in his ways and resistant to change, his life is turned upside down one morning when an impossible visitor arrives: a unicorn seems to have taken a fancy to his orchard.

This was not the kind of story I was expecting. The focus of the story is on Claudio and his isolated life in modern Italy. It's an interesting tale to see how the impact of having a unicorn on his property forces him back into the world and provides an unfortunately realistic view of a potential reaction from the world when others find out that unicorns are real. While the unicorn does have a part to play, she's more of a catalyst for Claudio's personal growth than the main focus. The writing is lyrical and lovely as always. I was just hoping for more unicorns!

Rating:

55. Scent of the Missing by Susannah Charleson



The title and cover photo really says it all for this one. Scent of the Missing is a memoir by Susannah Charleson about her experiences doing search and rescue work with dogs. Search and rescue is a labor of love and you can tell from the writing that this is Charleson's passion. The story alternates between her experiences as a field assistant and her time training up her own puppy to become certified as a SAR dog and handler. The story is heartwarming and interesting as I learned about SAR in general, which I'd only had very basic knowledge of. I really admire the people who volunteer for this line of work - it's grueling and not for the faint of heart.

Rating:

56. The Last Colony by John Scalzi



Finally! After missing out on John Perry in The Ghost Brigades, he and his sense of humor are back for the third installment in the Old Man's War series.

John Perry and Jane Sagan has settle down to the simple life with their adopted daughter on the distant planet Huckleberry. As Ombudsman for their settlement, John handles local disputes and the general administration of the village while Jane serves as the local law enforcement. Their peace and quiet is shattered when their past reaches out to haunt them - the Colonial Union was to create a new colony and install John as its leader. Things start going wrong almost immediately and Perry quickly realizes he and the new colony are the pawns of an interstellar game of politics. Perry and Sagan have only a short time to unravel all the lies and deceptions in order to save both the colony and the human race.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I'm very happy to be back with John and Jane. The humor that was missing in book two is back and I love both of these characters so it was great spending time with them again. The plot offers an interesting convergence of the story lines of the two previous books and it was also interesting to read about how colonizing works in this universe.

My biggest complaint is the lack of descriptions. There are all sorts of alien species and we are given very little to go on for how they look. Scalzi also takes some short cuts in the storytelling to save time, literally. There's a part where the book jumps several months and after the jump we're basically given bullet points of what happened during those months to catch us up. Those complaints aside, it's still an enjoyable, lite sci-fi read.

And here ends my time in the Old Man's War universe. I am mildly curious about Zoe's story which hopefully fills in the gap on how she talked General Gau into cooperating with John's plan but not enough that I feel the desire to pick up the book.

Rating:

57. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley



Technically speaking, The Hero and the Crown is the second book published in the Damar series though events are sent many years prior to The Blue Sword. The hero of legend, Aerin Firehair, wasn't always a hero. Once she was the shy, awkward only child of the King of Damar. This is her story about her coming of age and how her legend was made.

The story is a classic hero's quest though it has some unusual elements in the second half. I absolutely loved Aerin's character, how real she feels and how hard she works to earn her place. Arein is an unsatisfactory princess - she isn't beautiful, her mother was a "witch" and she yearns to become a dragon slayer, which in this world an unglamorous job since dragons are seen as vermin and their slaying as no more than a chore. The more effort she goes to in order to prove herself to her father's court, the more she's underappreciated, never mind that all her accomplishments are quite valued by the common people she helps. She even uses methodical persistence to work out a scientific problem, with much success and was pretty cool because it's not something you see often in this kind of story. Seeing as this is a hero journey, Aerin continues her struggles until she's ultimately successful, proving herself beyond all doubt by saving the day in the end.

And now for the unusual stuff. Spoilers ahead. There is a fight that requires Aerin to travel back and forth in time. It was very confusing to read. I'm really glad one of the other characters explains it afterwards because it felt more like a dream sequence than an actual battle. Also interesting is how the author made depression a plot point. Discussing mental illness was virtually unheard of in any of the 80's fiction I read, especially not in a YA adventure story. It's handled quite well, both caused and cured by magic, yet shows the hero's resilience as she doggedly continues on her quest regardless. Highly unusual is that our hero ends up with two love interests, has relationships with both and yet this isn't a love triangle. Aerin understands that after she's become immortal, she can marry and live with her mortal lover and then join her immortal one later. Yet there is never any romantic angst. She makes her decisions level headed and when she feels like she's ready.

This story resonated with me due to all the hardships Aerin endures and over comes. I can see myself rereading this one in the future. I also greatly enjoy McKinley's prose. I need to check out some of her adult books in the future.

Rating:

58. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor



Karou finally has all the answers she has been looking for. She knows who she is, what she is and is now living with the consequences of that knowledge. Heart heavy with guilt and feeling she owes a debt that can never be repaid, Karou has led what's left of her people to a hidden desert fortress so she can carry on with Brimstone's work. Survival alone is not a very good life. How do you end an unending war?

Days of Blood and Starlight is vastly different than the first book. Gone is the magical light heartedness and mystery as we were being first introduced to Karou and her family. This was a very dark book. Dealing with how an endless war affects people doesn't make for a happy story. The author did a very good job of presenting the horrors of war without being gratuitous. It makes for a slower paced, and in places, more difficult read, but was well worth it.

Karou ends up being dragged through the wringer, physically and emotionally. The effects of unending war are felt by everyone, with tons of resentment and blame to go around. Even as the chimera's only hope for survival, Karou is constantly treated like crap, which ends up being a pretty important plot point once we discover why this is so extreme. Also gone is the love story for which I'm extremely grateful. How could someone be expected to forgive and love a person who murdered her family and nearly wiped out her species? I'm glad Taylor treated this realistically instead of carrying on with the insta-love trope.

The story continues with wonderful world building. I loved seeing more of Eretz, as it was mostly left to our imaginations in the first book. We're also given an insight into Seraphim society and wow is that twisted. I'm happy to say that we have pretty solid hints that a second seraph society is not like this at all, which carries on the theme of hope that is one of the foundations of this series.

Zuzana and Mik are back and bring a much needed lightness to the story, a little levity to help us through the darkness. Karou is lucky to have them as friends.

The story leaves us with one hell of a set up for book three. I'm looking forward to it!

Rating:

59. The Princess Bride by William Goldman



Growing up The Princess Bride was one of my favorite movies. It still is easily in my top 10 favorites, maybe top 5. Even to this day I'll sometimes say movie quotes in conversation (usually "have fun storming the castle" to someone about to tackle a difficult task.) I remember trying to read the book as a kid and failing miserably to get past the introduction. I was too young to appreciate or understand the satire and ended up returning the book to the library choosing instead to stick with the movie. I really don't know why it took me so long to read this book as an adult.

For anyone who has no idea what this book is about, here it is described in it's own words:

"Has it got any sports in it?"

"Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. CHases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles."

"Sounds okay," I said...

The framing of the book, a story within a story, is absolutely brilliant and the writing hilarious. The satirical tone reminds me of Pratchett at times. It plays on a lot of common tropes that were less common back when the book was written in 1973. At some point in the middle of the story the tone shifts, many of Morgenstern's asides that I was loving go away and the humor darkens. It's still enjoyable, just be ready.

I read the deluxe hardback version of the 30th Anniversary edition. The book is absolutely gorgeous. It's printed on parchment looking paper and illustrated. It also has an extra addition to the story at the end titled Buttercup's Baby. I'm not sure when this was added to the book but it's fun for fans to see what happens after everyone rides off into the sunset.

In the end I prefer the movie over the book. You can't beat nostalgia.

Rating:

>125 Narilka: I agree -- that's one of the very few cases where I will argue that the movie is better than the book, though the book is very good, too.

60. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson



What happens when you take two princesses from a foreign kingdom, a god who doesn't believe in his own religion, a pacifist warrior with a sentient sword, an all powerful king that's little more than a figurehead and some philosophizing mercenaries, put them in a tropical city and give it all a shake? If you're Brandon Sanderson you get Warbreaker.

Princess Vivenna of Idris has prepared all her life for the fate that awaits her: to become the bride of the God King of Halladren and, by marrying him, help her kingdom avoid war. Much to everyone's surprise the King of Idris decides instead to send his youngest, and unprepared, daughter Siri to be the God King's bride in Vivenna's place. Feeling robbed of the only purpose of her life, Vivenna follows her sister to Hallendren in hopes of rescuing Siri from her fate and hoping to somehow stop the war that everyone knows is inevitable. What neither of them expects are the webs of intrigue they both stumbled into - Siri in the Court of Gods and Vivenna in the city's underworld.

The story alternates between four different points of view: Siri, Vivenna, Vasher (pacifist warrior) and Lightsong (atheist god). The story is complex with many layers of intrigue that take their time being revealed. Almost nothing is as it seems. Both princesses are interesting, opposites yet similar in many ways, and go on significant character arcs. Vivenna, thinking she's worldy, learns just how little she knows about basically everything while Siri, terrified yet resilient, tries to remember some of her lessons as to how a princess is supposed to act. Vasher, introduced at the outset, has the biggest mystery around his character that lasts to the very end. Lightsong ended up being my favorite with his irreverent attitude, proclaiming himself lazy and useless, his quirky sense of humor and yet he's the only one asking the right questions when the time comes. They are supported by a secondary cast that's just as interesting and fleshed out as the main characters. I especially loved Lightsong's much suffering head priest Scoot and was surprised at how I came to care for Susebron.

We're introduced to yet another fascinating magic system based on colors and Breath. Breath is similar to life force, yet not exactly, and the more Breaths you have, the more powerful you are and various abilities manifest once you reach a certain amount of Breaths. It's a difficult system to explain and the book takes it time to reveal the concept slowly.

The book is slow a slow burn. Just as it starts to pick up it bogs down again in the middle and has a habit of repeating itself, especially around Vivenna's observations of Hallendren city. She is very opinionated! Things pick up again and then it's off to an amazing climax. While this is a self contained story, I was left with a lot of questions. I'd especially love a prequel to learn the history of this world and its magic.

Rating:

>126 foggidawn: It's cool that Goldman also wrote the screenplay for the movie. I think the quality shows.

>128 Narilka: Oh, I agree! I think it gave him the opportunity to improve some little details. I mean, Shrieking Eels are so much cooler than sharks, for instance.

>129 foggidawn: Totally! He made some very smart decisions on what to cut and what to improve.

61. Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames



Every battle has a cost, Freecloud had told her once. Even the ones we win.

Even though it's a sequel, Bloody Rose was such a different reading experience than Kings of the Wyld. This installment takes a look at the ugly side of the arena, gets more real and in many ways is a tragedy. The book is set six years after events in Castia and Bloody Rose is on a mission to be something other than Golden Gabe's daughter. She wants to be famous for her own deeds.

To Tam Hashford, there was nothing worse than the prospect of never leaving home. Her Wyld Heart yearns to be more than just a waitress at the local pub. When Fable, the biggest mercenary band of all, rolls into town looking for a bard, Tam jumps at the chance. Looking for adventure and to make her place in the world, Tam joins the crew and sets off on a quest that will end in one of two ways: glory or death.

Tam was an interesting choice of narrator as the story is told exclusively from her point of view. I was initially surprised as I was expecting the story to be told from the title character's point of view. I think this ended up being a double edged sword. Tam lets us see the world through fresh eyes from someone who was still excited about the Bands, who offers just a bit of hero worship. As Tam experiences the world and starts to realize just how unglamorous the life of a band really is I too felt the shine wear off and the story started to lose it's charm. Fighting monsters that have been abused and tortured while in captivity, then drugged before they're sent into the arena to make sure the "heroes" win just made me feel depressed. I started to feel more for the monsters than any of the band mates I was supposed to be caring about.

Which probably brings me to my biggest problem of the book. I had a hard time connecting to the new characters. The old guys from Saga grew on me from the get go. I loved their banter and camaraderie. Though they're a pretty interesting group of characters, I just never felt that attached to anyone from Fable. Part of this may be because of Tam's point of view where she's on the outside looking in for a long time. The characters take a while before they start trusting her enough to let her into their inner circle. Also the humor just wasn't as laugh out loud funny for me this time around. Both of these combined lessened my overall fun factor.

That said, holy crap can Eames write action! From a tavern brawl to the final battle for the world, they are all amazing. His descriptions put me right there and give even the smaller fights a feeling of epicness without ever feeling over the top or gratuitous.

Rating:

62. Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett



EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS, STAYS HAPPENED.

"What kind of philosophy is that?"

THE ONLY ONE THAT WORKS.

Thief of Time is the fifth and final book in the Death sub-series and the 26th Discworld book in published order. I think I have found my favorite Death book though it really features Susan more than Death himself. This is also a hard plot to summarize. I'll do my best.

The world is scheduled to end next Wednesday. Humanity is messy and the Auditors of Reality hate messy. It's time to tidy things up again. To do this they've hired Jeremy Clockson to build the world's first truly accurate clock. Once it starts it will stop time, making life more predictable and the paperwork much easier. Death gets a sense their plot and, while he cannot interfere directly, he volunteers his granddaughter Susan to look into the issue. Meanwhile, something is up with the Mandala of the Monks of History. It's showing ripples in reality and the Procrastinators are starting to spin hot on their spindles. The monks send out Sweeper Lu-Tze and his apprentice to save time... if there's any time left.

I am truly impressed at how complicated this story was and how well it's pulled off. Part philosophical tract, part kung-fu epic, part apocalyptic crisis, a very subtle love story and a heavy dose of chocolate all wrapped in Pratchett's trademark style. There's even a supporting Igor! The storytelling is excellent. The three main story threads blend nicely into the greater narrative, something that wasn't always as successful in earlier books. It's a more serious entry, which may not be to the taste of those who prefer the sillier side of Discworld.

Rating:

63 Revenger by Alastair Reynolds



Talk about going into a book with the wrong expectations. I was in the mood for something space opera so when I stumbled across Revenger I thought I was in luck. It had a decent average rating and this was the synopsis:

Revenger is a science fiction adventure story set in the rubble of our solar system in the dark, distant future--a tale of space pirates, buried treasure, and phantom weapons, of unspeakable hazards and single-minded heroism and of vengeance...

I definitely should have scanned some reviews first. What the synopsis fails to mention is how incredibly YA this story is. Now I definitely like my share of YA books. Unfortunately Revenger just didn't do it for me. A big part of the problem I had was the juvenile vocabulary used by a society that was advanced enough to have figured out space travel. Lungstuff, the glowy, the grey, swirly, squaker... it took me half the book to not be taken out of the story each time those words were used, though I never really could get used to "lungstuff."

The characters also never grew on me. The story follows Fura Ness as she goes from a naive, privileged rich girl to a toughened, street-wise teen who will do anything to rescue her sister. While I can understand her motivation, the character growth never felt authentic. It's rushed through and suddenly she can plan strategy better than professionals who have been pirating for their whole lives. The most interesting character for me was the story's villain, Bosa Sennan. Bosa and her ship have a whole mythology built up around them that was fun if horrifying and made the final conflict intense.

What I did like, and wish there was more of, was the whole concept behind the baubles and the treasure to be found. Once we actually get to see one and start to get proper descriptions of the "loot" I started to enjoy the story. Too bad this didn't happen until the last 15% of the book. Also the final show down was action packed.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Clare Corbett. It took me a good half of the book to get used to her voice. She also had a bad habit of whispering, making the narration so quiet it was hard to understand the dialog. Unless it was just the recording and not the actress? I'm not sure.

Rating:

64. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo



Alina Starkov and her best friend Mal are two more orphans growing up in the once great nation of Ravka. Failing their tests for magical aptitude, Alina and Mal join the army when they come of age, Alina as a cartographer, Mal as a tracker. Their convoy has been sent to cross the Shadow Fold, a region of pure darkness populated flesh-eating creatures that splits Ravka in half. It's not long before the convoy is attacked by monsters and Mal is grievously injured. Reaching deep inside herself Alina unlocks a power long held dormant, causing the monsters to flee and saving the surviving members of the convoy. Without any warning, Alina is torn away from Mal and everything she knows, and is whisked away to the country's capital to train as a Grisha.

Shadow and Bone is the first book in The Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. The first two thirds of the book reads like a standard YA fantasy with many typical genre tropes. The plot was fairly predictable right up until somewhere around the two thirds mark when we're given a pretty cool plot twist and things start to get interesting. This leads up to a pretty great ending which sets the stage nicely for what's to come.

The story is told entirely from the first person point of view of Alina. She is your typical teenage girl, full of insecurities, lacking confidence and interested in boys. This is both highly annoying and also believable. She begins to come into her own as the book ends so I have hopes that she'll grow into a competent heroine by the final installment.

I've seen many reviews complaining about the misuse of Russian culture in the story. In many ways I'm glad I don't know much about Russian folklore or culture as this let me see the world as just another fantasy realm and didn't take me out of the story at all.

I'm really glad I read the author's Six of Crows duology first so I was already familiar with the world, it's termnology and have seen where Bardugo ends up as a writer. The world building in Shadow and Bone is on the light side though the pieces we do learn are interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing how Alina continues to grow and watching Bardugo grow as an author over the next two books. And I can't wait until the characters return to the Shadow Fold.

Rating:

65. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

This is a reread prepare for the release of the next book in December. It was just as enjoyable as the first time I read it. My previous review is below.

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Dina DeMille runs a quaint Bed and Breakfast in Red Deer, Texas. She's a great neighbor and everything seems normal from the outside. Her Inn, the Gertrude Hunt, caters to a very specific clientele: otherworldly visitors. As an Innkeeper Dina has one duty which is to protect her guests and stay neutral. With the gruesome death of yet another neighbor's pet, Dina can no longer stand passively by. She must get to the bottom of what's going on even if it means putting the Inn at risk.

Clean Sweep is the first in the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. The story was originally released in serial format on the author's website as they wrote it and has now been packaged up and released as a short book. It was quite a fun read! There is intricate world building, action, humor, great characters, fun dialog and all packed into less than 250 pages. Andrews has also managed to do something completely original with vampire and werewolf lore, a thing I didn't think possible. No small feat!

The story is told entirely from Dina's point of view. Dina is a capable heroine and is easily discounted by the other characters at first. It was fun reading as she proved just how powerful she is within her realm of the Inn. The Inn is also a quasi character. It definitely has it's own life force, quirks and a bit of personality. I hope more of these are shown in future installments. The inn has one guest, one who likes to be called Her Majesty and has paid for a lifetime stay. Rounding out the cast are the friendly neighborhood werewolf, Sean Evans, and a vampire Marshall from the Holy Cosmic Anocracy, Arland. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoilers. Just know that both guys are great fun. One of my favorite scenes is when the two of them are talking about vampires and Arland casually refutes the holy water and garlic myths as utter nonsense. I loved it! While the author does set up both men as potential love interests, the romance theme of the story is fairly minor and I have a feeling this will be plot thread in the next book or two.

Overall this is a short, fun story. It has good pacing that steadily picks up for an exciting ending. I will definitely be continuing this series.

Rating:

66. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor



The war between angles and chimaera continues in Dreams of Gods and Monsters, the final book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor. Taylor took the final book in such a strange direction. It's like the author had so many ideas that she tried to shove everything in and it just didn't quite work for me. There are some truly wonderful moments with the characters that I've come to care about but those parts end up bogged down by all the extras. Clocking in at just over 600 pages I feel like I did not get near enough page time with our leads.

The story starts a few weeks before where book two ends. Taylor takes a good 100 pages to fill in details leading up to the epilogue from the previous book. While it was interesting, I felt it slowed the pacing of the story down since I already knew where everything was headed and I was just fine with where book two ended. I kept hoping the real story would just get started already.

A new character is introduced and a new faction of angels is given a major role in how the story ends. Combined they take up a lot of the page time. I felt they kind of came out of no where for having such an important role to play. Their whole story line could easily have been left out with minimal impact to resolution to the plot we've been following in the two previous books. This would have easily saved another 100 pages and helped greatly with the pacing. The whole thing felt more like a set up for another book than truly part of Karou and Akiva's dream of peace. I think this whole story thread would have worked a lot better had it been introduced in the first book and woven throughout the story as a whole.

The whole resolution to the war was fairly simplistic and happened with 150 pages left of the story to go. This felt very anticlimactic and a wasted opportunity. Jael had been set up as a great villain and all that prep felt like it was wasn't used as well as it could've been. I could have lived with this if if the remaining pages had been used as a huge epilogue to show the recovering of souls at Loramindi that was constantly talked about, the resurrections of their families and the start of a new nation. While there is some of this, the majority of the remaining story is given over to a whole new threat that the Stelians reveal and blame Akiva for. Then basically say along the lines of "Cool, we're allies now so we can fight the war against darkness another day. The end." Given that ending, I don't doubt at all that Taylor will be writing more stories in Eretz in the future.

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this review, there are some truly great things in the story. I loved Zuzana, Mik and Liraz. It was great to see Ziri get his happy ending. I also thought that the solution Zuze and Mik came up with for Eliza was perfect. Karou and Akiva's romance was in turns annoying and sweet. I think they ended up in a good place. I've read plenty of reviews that mention the book's flaws but the reviewers didn't mind them as much as I did so your mileage may vary.

Rating:

67. The Land You Never Leave by Angus Watson



Combine Viking mythology, the action of the tv series Spartacus, a touch of the absurd, alchemical magic and a healthy dose of humor and you'll come close to having the West of West series by Angus Watson. What can I say? I absolutely loved every second of this crazy journey.

The Land You Never Leave is the second book in the trilogy and the story picks up immediately where book one leaves off. The two tribes have formed an uneasy alliance as they set off across the Ocean of Grass to continue their quest to take Ottar the Moaner to a place called the Meadows. Between our heroes and their ultimate goal are the Badlands, home to the one of the most brutal tribes west of the Water Mother and a collection of terrifying monsters. As if the world wasn't dangerous enough as it was.

Each of the characters that took so long to grow on me in book one all have solidified their places in my heart. Their inner monologues combined with the back and forth banter between them is so much fun. I loved the insights into their motivations and even the one guy who enjoys pointing out phallic shaped rocks was quite funny. All the points of view, and there are a lot of them, are woven together well.

As to the plot, my summary above really doesn't do any justice to just how bizarrely wonderful and quirky the story is. Watson is so creative that after the first hour or so of listening I stopped trying to guess what was coming next and just enjoyed the ride. It was glorious.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Sean Barrett. I love his voice! His narration brings all the characters to life and his comedic timing is perfect. It was a joy to listen to.

I truly cannot express how much I loved this book. Can't wait for book 3!

Rating:

68. The Skull Throne by Peter V. Brett



The Skull Throne is the fourth book in The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett. It has been two years since I read the previous books and I was surprised at how easy it was to slide back into the story. Unfortunately I'm also remembering why I was starting to find this series so frustrating.

The story starts off strong, picking right up and resolving the cliffhanger from book 3. Immediately after, the two male leads FINALLY have the conversation I've been waiting three full books for! It was so great to have Arlen give voice to the atrocious behavior of the Krasian people and why everyone hates them, even if Jardir will never understand. Brett basically makes the argument that people are always the hero of their own story, even if their actions are atrocious when looking at them from the outside. And then we shift to a brand new POV character and a brand new backstory. I'm happy to say that this one does not take 200 pages and does not rehash the prior books. Once that's done it's back to the main story and oh boy do things get exciting quickly.

And then we hit the wall. The remainder of the story jumps to all the other characters and everything else going on in the world while completely ignoring the main story line. If you're into human politics, a lot of soap opera-ish antics, and have enjoyed the Krasian culture from the previous books, then you will enjoy this installment. Otherwise, expect to be annoyed as very little progress is made to what, in theory, is supposed to be the point of the series.

Rating:

69. The Core by Peter V Brett



The Core is the fifth and final book in The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett. The story picks up immediately where book 4 leaves off and for once there is no flash back scene starting us off. No more messing around with the fate of humanity on the line! Well, sort of.

Arlen Bales and Ahmanan Jardir have set aside their rivalry and planned to do they impossible: take the fight to the home of the demons. They know it they must be quick as the demon queen is about to lay eggs that will start a swarm of hives across Thesa. Meanwhile, the people of Thesa and Krasia continue to their political squabbles. They must learn to unite or no one will survive the battle that is to come.

Holy plot lines, Batman! Every single character, important or not, is back in this final installment. This includes people from the novellas that I haven't read and was scratching my head about until I looked them up. It seems that Brett wants to wrap up as much as humanly possible in this last book. This is both satisfying and annoying. It is nice to be reminded of old side characters and to see everything going on across the land but it also bogs the main plot of the story down greatly as we have to read through several hundred pages before we join back up with Arlen and Jardir on their quest. It is with all these extra points of view that Brett kept the soap opera going, which is great if you're into that kind of thing and annoying if you'd gotten tired of them like I had. These books greatly need Arlin, Jardir and Leesha to keep the plot moving, hence making the story's pacing seem off as they're not featured near enough in the first half. So while it was nice enough to read what else is going on, it was also frustrating to be kept waiting so long.

It is some of these side plots where some truly bizarre story telling comes in. I really don't see the purpose of the Eunuch Army plot thread, going into graphic descriptions of how some of the eunuchs were made, as a point to prove that Hassik was a bad person and give someone for Ashia to fight? It seemed pointless, especially when men were volunteering to join. I didn't find that believable at all. It made all of Abban's chapters difficult to read. And truly, even after Inevera making such a point as to how important Abban was going to be, he really wasn't. I also have no idea why Brett felt the need to throw in a hermaphrodite baby along with full descriptions of the condition. Or a demon magic induced teen orgy. This was almost enough for me to set the book aside. I'm glad I pushed through.

The good news is the pacing picks up dramatically in the second half of the book when Sharak Ka finally starts. This is exactly what I'd been waiting for and what I'd hoped to read about. It was so good to see humanity FINALLY realize just how dire their situation was and set aside their petty squabbles to face the true enemy. And truly, if not for Arlen's actions in the core, the demons would have won. This leads to some intense fight scenes which reminds me of how well Brett writes battles. They are cinematic.

All in all, I think the book was a satisfactory end to the series. I just wish the story had been more focused instead of sprawling out to so many different characters and unnecessary plots.

Rating:

70. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo



Hunted and on the run, Alina and Mal have made their escape across the True Sea in an attempt to start a new life for themselves. It's difficult keeping her true identity secret as not using her powers is taking it's toll on Alina. The Darkling's agents are everywhere. As it turns out, you can only outrun destiny for so long.

Siege and Storm is the second book in The Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. It's a decent middle book that suffers some pacing issues. And it's characters. But first, pacing. The story opens with a feeling of repetition as we're off to find the next magical beast to slay for an amplifier! I admit, it keeps the action going for the first couple chapters. Then things slow down to quite a slog. Things pick back up in the last 20% again when the plot really gets going.

Now back to the characters. Alina continues to annoy the crap out of me. A lot of this has to do with the YA-ness of the story. Her constant pining for Mal is so frustrating! Mal is nothing but a whiny, jealous child during the whole book. I honestly don't know why she continues to want to be with him when he does nothing but bring her down. He can't handle other men flirting with her. Nor can he handle that she's a very powerful Grisha who's trying to save the world. At this point the best thing she could do is ditch Mal and all his negativity. Aside from that, Alina is starting to show her dark side and the bits we see are interesting. It hasn't helped her overcome her self-confidence issues either which is an interesting internal character conflict. I hope this is something that is explored more in book 3. The Darkling is still an interesting antagonist, a force to be reckoned with, though he's not seen near enough. I truly loved his appearances as visions to Alina. It really kept me guessing if he was real or if she was hallucinating. The highlight is the introduction to Nikolai. What a fun character! He steals every scene he's in and he delivers some of the best lines as well as some pretty good advice. I see now why he is getting his own duology soon.

The love square. Or is it a love pentagon? Oy. Does the other prince's marriage proposal count? He only did it because his brother did, not necessarily because of attraction to Alina. Maybe it's only a square after all.

That said, I still like this world and it's magic system. I do think Bardugo has a talent for prose though I have issues with the story. I also am a bit more complainy-pants than my star rating really reflects as there are some great scenes with Nikolai and that whole ending is pretty darn amazing. I'm looking forward to book 3.

Rating:

71. Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos



The year is 2108 and Earth has become over populated. Poverty runs rampant and most of the planet has been damaged by pollution. Humans have started colonizing space and, if you're lucky, you can win a ticket to one of the newly colonized worlds. Realizing this is a pipe-dream, Andrew Grayson chooses to join the military instead, in hopes that he may end up stationed off world. He soon learns that basic training is not that easy and that there are worse things in the universe than slum gangs or politicians.

Terms of Enlistment is the first in the Frontlines series by Marko Kloos. The book is a standard military scifi. If you've read Old Man's War or seen any military movie or tv show recently, you know approximately what to expect. It doesn't break any new ground in that regards and takes a good two thirds of the book before it starts to come into its own.

The story is told entirely from Grayson's first person point of view. Wanting to escape poverty, he will do whatever it takes to get off this rock. The story includes a fairly forgettable basic training, a love interest and an Earth-side combat situation. It's a story you've read or seen before without a lot of variance until Grayson finally makes it into the Navy where he boards his first ship into space. Then things start to get interesting. Alas, the story ends just as I was starting to feel vested in the Grayson and his universe.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Luke Daniels. He is fantastic as always.

As the author's debut novel, it shows promise for the series to come. I hope he takes the foundation he's created and runs with it. I'll be looking for book two in the near future.

Rating:

72. Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews



This continues my reread of the Innkeeper Chronicles to prepare for the release of the fourth installment in December. I am thoroughly enjoying this reread. I had forgotten how very moving the ending to this one was. Original review below.

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Caldenia blinked. "Who are the attending parties?"

"The Holy Anocracy represented by House Krahr, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the Merchants of Baha-char. They coming here for Arbitration and they will probably try to murder each other the moment they walk through the door."

Caldenia's eyes widened. "Do you really think so? This is absolutely marvelous!"

She would think so, wouldn’t she?

Sweep in Peace is the second book in the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. Dina and the Gertrude Hunt have been selected to host the Nexus Peace Summit. Nexus is a small, rugged planet inhabited by three factions. The Holy Anocracy and Hope-Crushing Horde are blood enemies who have been waging war for years with the Merchants caught in the middle. The war has carried on so long that all three sides feel they can't stop fighting yet they are so tired of watching loved ones die they will make the attempt anyway, even if things seem doomed from the beginning. Also in attendance are members from the Office of Arbitration to act as mediators for the talks. Dina definitely has her work cut out for her!

The story has a more serious tone than the first book though there are still bright and funny spots to provide balance. The wars impact on the characters involved is palpable. Everyone is worn out and on the edge of despair. You would think that would make things easier, but it doesn't. There is nothing easy about these peace talks. Dina has a lot of history and cultures to navigate through in order to sort out the mess.

Andrews have outdone themselves with the creativity of the species and characters. Each of the new species has their fun quirks and are all quite interesting. I loved that the Merchants are an anthropomorphic fox species and request a kitten as a pet! Caldenia is in her element as a bystander and revels in the change of pace and all the drama. One of my favorite additions to the cast is Orro, the Quillion chef. His species is like a humanoid sized hedgehog. He is over the top melodramatic, one of the top chefs in the galaxy and highly entertaining. I was sad to see what happens to Sean's character since we saw him last though I think things will get better for him. We also get to see more of the Gertrude Hunt as having a personality, which was fascinating.

This was a great sequel. I'm looking forward to reading the third installment.

Rating:

73. Traitor's Blade by Sebastien de Castell



Traitor's Blade is the first in The Greatcoats quartet by Sebastien de Castell. I love it when authors pay homage to one of my favorite classics, in this case Dumas' The Three Musketeers. A bit of warning first: this book reads more in line with the works of Scott Lynch and Joe Ambercrombie than it does Dumas so if you don't like it when bad things happen to your characters or don't like a grimdark-lean make sure you give this series a pass. Now, on to the review.

The King is dead and the Dukes ruthlessly rule of the country. The Greatcoats, the King's traveling Magistrates, have been scattered. Branded as traitors for standing aside while their King was murdered, their cloaks and their honor are in tatters. Yet there is still hope. Before his death the King charged each of them with a geas, a secret mission to fulfill the King's dream of unifying the country: find the King's Charoites.

I found the story to be an uneven read. The tale is told entirely from the first person point of view of Falcio, the first Cantor of the Greatcoats. The story jumps back and forth between past and present without warning or reason which kept jolting me from the story until I got used to it. Falcio is traveling with his two closest companions, Brasti and Kest, as they search for the King's Charoites. No one knows what the Charoites are or where to look for them, the King being rather vague with his instructions, so they are mostly following where rumors lead them. We are immersed in the friendship of these three, which was my favorite part of the book. The camaraderie and witty banter between the friends was a joy to read. The dialog has a great, somewhat sarcastic sense of humor that was a lot of fun.

de Castell really did his research when it came to writing rapier duels/fights. The action had an unrehearsed, breathless quality that felt very authentic.

Since the book focuses on Falcio, he is the character we learn the most about and has the best character development. For the remaining characters we're given either very basic backstories or just the barest of hints. I hope that future books help flesh out the remaining characters more.

And now for my main problems with the book. The plot is choppy at best and has a lot of randomness to it. There are way too many conveniences that allow characters to overcome some impossible situations. There is also as significant lack of world building. If the story had stuck with just being a swashbuckling adventure, I think it would have done better. Instead there is some magic thrown in that is neither explained nor built upon, just more of a "it shows up when it's needed' kind of convenience that was annoying. After giving us some truly fantastic fight scenes, the ending felt anticlimatic. Most of the plot twists happen just about where you expect them and at least two major scenes happen off screen, which was disappointing. Taking my warning from the beginning, there are also a couple of disturbing scenes of torture and rape.

Still, it was a pretty good debut novel. While the series shows promise, I'm not sure I'm in a big rush to read the second one just yet. I need a break between grimdark-ish books.

Rating:

>143 Narilka: If you like Dumas pastiches, have you read Steven Brust's The Phoenix Guards and Five Hundred Years After?

>144 ronincats: Never heard of either of them. I must check those out! Thanks for the recommendation :)

74. Hail to the Chin by Bruce Campbell



Hail to the Chin is the second memoir by Bruce Campbell and an excellent follow up to If Chins Could Kill. Bruce treats us to a quick recap of his life so far and then picks up right where his first memoir leaves off, the years directly following Xena and Hercules. A good portion of the book is dedicated to his Burn Notice years, which I quite enjoyed as a fan of the show. Bruce tells his story in a humorous and down to earth way, as a regular working guy who has made it in the B Movie scene, his experiences with major movie franchises, both major and minor television roles and a bit of behind the scenes of the movie making process. He also gives insight into just how large the world of sci-fi conventions has gotten. The tale ends just as the show Ash vs the Evil Dead is taking off. I'm sure there will be a third memoir in another 10-15 years.

I listened to the audio book narrated by the author. This is hands down my favorite way to "read" memoirs. I love listening to authors tell their story in their own words. Also, Bruce is a fantastic narrator.

I highly recommend this book for any Bruce Campbell fans or for anyone looking for a slightly different celebrity memoir.

Rating:

75. The Motivation Trap by John Hittler



In The Motivation Trap, John Hittler asks: Is motivation the most appropriate tool for accomplishing what you want? He theorizes that motivation is designed for a very short duration, the spark to get people moving, and must be handed off to other tools or strategies if a team is to have sustained success. It is a great concept and this book provides a lot of food for thought for why motivation may not be the best leadership strategy companies have to create high performing teams. Or for parents have for getting their children to complete homework. Or any number of situations, both in business and in personal life. The author then goes on to outline strategies for long-term motivation and gives specific examples for each. I could have used more of these.

Even though this is a relatively short book, clocking in at only 200 pages, I found myself taking my time reading and rereading sections. I now have a couple things I want to try with my team.

I received this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.

Rating:

Success!!! I made it to 75 :D

Congrats!

Congratulations on hitting 75!

Congratulations on reaching 75, Gale!

>148 Narilka: Congratulations!

76. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo



Ruin and Rising is the third book in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha trilogy. I admit I rolled my eyes when in the first couple chapters we get another retread of Alina being weak and sick from not using her powers. Thankfully the story moves on quickly as our characters rush to save Ravka from darkness.

It's been great to watch Bardugo grow as a writer over the series and I enjoyed this final installment. The pacing issues are mostly gone and I found myself loving the side characters almost more than the main ones. The band of misfit friends Alina ends up with are a lot of fun. I'd love to read a short story just about them and their antics, especially Zoya, Genya, David and Harshaw. I also liked that we get the backstory for the Darkling and Morozova's experiment. Nikolai goes through quite an ordeal. It will be interesting to see how much it's changed him, and how he deals it with it all, in his upcoming series. Alina and Mal continue to be annoying, though Mal is at his most likable in this book.

I was completely surprised with that plot twist! I was not expecting Mal to be the third amplifier. There were hints along the way and it explains a lot, I really don't know why I didn't see that coming. Well played Ms. Bardugo.

The explanation we're given of Grisha magic, the Small Science, is pretty darn cool. They are manipulating matter at it's base level - atoms! For any Grisha that choose to truly master their craft, the sky's the limits on how powerful they could be and what they could accomplish. This leaves the author a lot of room to work with in the future should she choose to.

It's funny how controversial this ending was to fans. Obviously I'm in the "I enjoyed it" camp. I think I would have preferred if Mal had stayed dead. Alina making an even bigger sacrifice, both of her power and of the person she loves most, would've had more impact. That said, I did like the epilogue. It was very sweet and a nice happily ever after for them both.

Rating:

77. Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews



Nevada and Rogan are getting married. Just after all the family members arrive in Texas, the Rogan family's priceless tiara is stolen. Nevada is meant to wear it during the ceremony so it must be recovered at all costs. Catalina realizes that in order to solve the mystery she'll have to do the one thing she dreads most: use her magic. As a Prime of her House she knows that this would happen eventually and there's nothing Catalina wouldn't do for her sister's happiness.

Diamond Fire is a novella in the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews. It's a silly little mystery that serves as transition from Nevada's trilogy to Catalina's point of view for the upcoming novels. Turns out that Rogan has a lot of family members and most of them aren't very nice. Catalina has her hands full managing them as well as learning to use her power in a controlled manner. Speaking of powers, boy do I feel bad for Catalina! That is one magical power that must have made growing up very difficult. It also provides a lot of story options for her future books.

Rating:

78. Minimum Wage Magic by Rachel Aaron



Formerly known as the city of Detroit, the DFZ is a place where anything goes. It's the most magical city in the world and home to 9 million people. Sometimes when those people can't make rent, or an apartment is otherwise abandoned, the landlords make back their fees by putting the place up for auction. Cleaners then bid for the right to go through the apartment and sell whatever they can for profit. Opal Yong-ae is a Cleaner and she's hit an unlucky streak. Her next debt payment is due at the end of the week and if this latest Cleaning job is a bust she may lose her freedom forever. Opal's latest acquisition is an apartment with a dead body in it and people hunting for whatever it was the owner was working on. Her luck doesn't seem to be improving and her deadline is looming.

Minimum Wage Magic is the first in the DFZ series by Rachel Aaron. The story is set in the same world as the Heartstrikers about 20 years later. I have missed being in this world, I'm really glad that Aaron decided to write in it again. While there are a couple mentions from the first series, you can easily read this book without having read Heartstrikers as it includes enough background information for a new reader to not feel lost.

I love the idea of the Cleaners. They make so much sense, cleaning up abandoned apartments the way people bid on and clear out abandoned storage units. Opal is a great character, a young Korean woman trying to make her way in the world while avoiding her overbearing family. What's not to love? She's accompanied by her AI assistant, Sybal, who is definitely her own character. The story is fast paced and the situation escalates quickly. It's a slow reveal as we learn about Opal's exact situation and background to better understand her motivations. While seeming a little irrational at first, she is a great character to root for.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip back to the DFZ. At the end of the book there's a note from the author that she's already working on book two. I can't wait!

Rating:

79. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik



Spinning Silver is Naomi Novik's loose retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale. It reads exactly like a fairy tale you've known all your life, a world filled with magic and danger. Novik takes the core of the story and gives it a twist, adding in other familiar fairy tale elements for good measure, transforming the whole into something new.

Miryem is the moneylender's daughter. Her father is not a very good moneylender, having lent out all the family's money but unable to bring himself to collect on those debts. With the family on the edge of starvation, Miryem hardens her heart and takes it upon herself to get the money back, going from door to door demanding payment from those who owe her family debts. Finding herself up to the task it's not long before Miryem realizes she has quite a talent for commerce - she is a good moneylender. If a family cannot pay in coin, she takes the equivalent in goods which she then trades in the market. Miryem's skill of turning silver into gold is such that it catches the eye of the King of the Staryk, creatures of cold who desire gold above all else.

The story is very clever if on the complicated side. Miryem is both the monster and the princess. As the moneylender who turns silver into gold, Miryem acts as the stand in for Rumpelstiltskin and is also the princess in trouble when the Staryk King steals her away for his own purposes. It's a fascinating dichotomy that shouldn't work but does. Miryem's story isn't the only thread, though it is the main one. There are two additional "main" characters, Wanda, a farm girl in the employ of Miryem who is working to better herself and who's family ends up in trouble for reasons, and Irina, a Duke's daughter who marries the Tsar that is being controlled by a demon. Like I said, it gets complicated. Each lady is also the hero and the monster in their story threads, with the motivations to go with. All three plots weave together into one magical whole that ends in quite a satisfying conclusion.

The story is a slow burn. Novik takes her time building up the characters and the situation. I enjoyed the slow reveal, learning more about our characters and their world as the book wound on. The world building is rich and detailed. The magic system make sense for the setting and helps give the world that fairy tale feel.

On the downside, Novik chose one of my least favorite story telling styles for this book: multiple first person points of view. Yep, you read that right. When the story was alternating between just two POVs, I was OK with it. As the book progresses more POVs are added in, both main and side characters, until we end up with 6 different first person POVs. At times it can be hard to determine who's POV the story has been shifted to.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Lisa Flanagan. I love the sound of her voice. Flanagan does a pretty good job of keeping each character separate with different accents but it's not perfect and sometimes it took me a few to realize that the POV had switched characters.

There is just something about fairy tales. Even with the irritation of multiple first person points of view, this retelling hit all the right notes for me. I definitely need to read check out Uprooted.

Rating:

80. One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews



This finishes my reread of the Innkeeper Chronicles to prepare for the release of the fourth installment. I am very much looking forward to Sweep of the Blade! This was quite an exciting installment. Original review below.

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"You're up early, Your Grace."

"It's a lovely day and we're under siege. People are trying to murder us." Her eyes shone with excitement. "Isn’t it marvelous?"

She would think so, wouldn’t she?

One Fell Sweep is the third book in the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. So much for Dina's relatively quiet life. First, she receives an urgent call for help from her sister to come rescue her and her family from the planet they've been exiled on, a lawless and desolate place that is used as a penal colony. Then Dina agrees to help a guest with his last chance to save his dying species. Now the inn is under siege by a family of assassins putting the Gertrude Hunt and everyone's lives at risk. How will Dina keep everyone safe while also continuing to search for her missing parents?

This one has a slightly more complicated plot than the first two installments, weaving together three main story lines along with a couple side threads. One thing is quite certain: Dina takes her role as Innkeeper seriously and cares deeply for her family and the guests staying at the inn. She will stop at nothing, putting her own life on the line, to live up to her duties. If it wasn't obvious before the depth of power Dina has when she's on the inn's grounds is enormous. She is one bad ass, highly capable heroine!

All the regular characters are back along with are some great additions. Dina's sister and niece, Maud and Helen, are delightful. They provide insight into another layer of vampire society and family structure, giving that species more depth. My heart broke a little for the Hiru, an alien race that is being hunted into extinction for all the wrong reasons. They have been scattered across the universe in an attempt to stay alive. All they want is a place where they can live quietly and their delicate physiology requires them to constantly wear repulsive space suits in order to live anywhere off their home planet. The romantic thread that has been hinted at in the first two books comes to fruition and, a word of warning, there is one very steamy scene as a result. The humor is well done. The conversation where one alien tries to explain Christmas to anther based on his viewing of A Christmas Story is laugh out loud funny. This book should also get an award for best use of a fart gun.

I'm so glad the author has decided to continue the series as the book ends on a bit of a bombshell. With this story wrapped up it leaves us with a nice hook for what is to come. I look forward to it.

Rating:

>155 Narilka: This one isn't available at any of my local libraries, but one did carry the first of her dragon books, so that's on hold.

>158 quondame: Awesome. I hope you enjoy it, they're fun :)

Hello Narilka!

>156 Narilka: I made the mistake of getting a sample of Spinning Silver with no intention of buying the book. So when the sample drew me in completely, I am now stranded by having to wait in line for either a ebook or hardcover from the library. The praise going around appears well earned.

>160 brodiew2: Hopefully the library line goes quickly. I hope you enjoy it!

81. Knight's Shadow by Sebastien de Castell



Knight's Shadow is the second in the Greatcoats series by Sebastien de Castell. This is a much darker installment. I think it's fair to say we fully cross into grimdark territory now. The story picks up maybe a few weeks after events in book one.

Falcio val Mond has successfully completed his King's last command of him and has found the King's Charoite. Still the kingdom is in turmoil with a civil war threatening. The peasants have been stirred up against the lords and many Ducal Knights seem to have gone rogue. Falcio must figure out who is behind the chaos and put a stop to it before it rips the country apart. Time is running out though. It appears Falcio has been poisoned and he's not sure how many days he has left.

Things start off very well with a lot of banter and camaraderie between Falcio, Kest and Brasti. The trio's friendship is easily by favorite thing about these books. It's too bad that much of the lightheartedness and fun factor is discarded in favor of a darker tone. I think the story could have used a few more moments of lightness to balance out all the grimdark. Again, the story kind of plods and meanders it's way to the resolution. This time de Castell does a better job of keeping the overarching plot in focus among all the twists and turns the story takes. The grand finale is quite spectacular and helped make up for the plodding parts along the way.

If you were hoping for deeper backgrounds of Kest and Brasti prepare for disappointment. They are still fun characters, and great supporting roles for Falcio, but at this point it's pretty obvious that this series is all about Falcio's hero journey to restore the King's line and bring, well, if not peace then at least stability to the country. There are some new additions to our merry band of misfits and I like how they, too, compliment the overall party.

I think the author may have been paying a small homage to Princess Bride in this book. First there's a whole scene about Falcio only being "mostly dead, still partly alive" from the poisoning. It is pure fun even if it's a fairly serious moment. Then there's a conversation about "I don't think that word means what you think it mean" similar to Inigo commenting on Visini's (mis)use of the word "inconceivable." Then there's a duel scene where Falcio receives twin marks on his cheeks before the fight really takes off. I think there was another moment but it's escaping me at the moment. I don't see this mentioned in other reviews I skimmed so would love to hear from someone else who has read the book to see if they noticed this too.

While there are a few breathless moments of excitement, there is a fairly long stretch in the middle of the book that just plods along. I found myself easily able to put the book down in favor of doing other things, which is never a good sign. The magic is still unexplained and now there's an extra layer of not explaining Saints very well too. A fair amount of conveniences continue to help our characters out, though they aren't quite as glaring as in the first book. There are also some fairly horrific scenes. The worst was we were told what happened to Falcio's wife in the first book and it ends up described in graphic, stomach-churning detail in this book. I get that it's meant as a sort of motivation for Falcio but I question the need to go to that level of detail.

Overall it's a good sequel for Traitor's Blade. If de Castell could even out the pacing I think I'd enjoy these books more. While I'm not in a big rush to continue I am curious enough about where this all is heading that I will likely read book three at some point.

Rating:

82. The Cat, the Vagabond and the Victim by Leann Sweeney



The Cat, the Vagabond and the Victim is the sixth in Leann Sweeney's Cats in Trouble series. It's a media circus in Mercy. Clyde the cat traveled over 200 miles to get home only to discover his former owner dead. Jillian Hart agrees to foster the famous tabby in hopes of diverting some media attention and the chaos it's creating. There's something that doesn't add up about Clyde's owner's death. Why would a man who was already dying from a terminal illness be murdered?

This continues to be an enjoyable cozy mystery series. The new characters introduced as part of the new plot are all annoying and fairly unlikable. Jillian did her best to play nice with everyone which I think was unfortunate as some of these people could have used a serious talking to. The mystery plot was well done as always. I managed to guess the main motivation while still being surprised by the final reveal.

Rating:

83. Private Lies by Cynthia St. Aubin



Jane Avery is at her graduation from law school. Just as she's about to walk across the stage as part of the ceremony Jane scans the audience, noticing that her mother is missing. Which is odd. Alexis Avery, one of the top private eye's in Denver, does not just go missing. After the ceremony Jane's worry increases when she finds her mother's car in the parking lot with the window smashed in. Unsure what else to do Jane begins to dig into the last case Alexis was working on. The investigation soon leads Jane down a dark rabbit hole of kidnapping, bribery, blackmail, hired assassins, and murder.

Private Lies is the first in the Jane Avery Mysteries by Cynthia St. Aubin. Jane is quite a character. She's brash, foul-mouthed, obsessed with sex (though she never gets any), overly snarky and a pathological liar. It was very hard to like her in the beginning and I didn't find her a very believable 28 year old - she acted more like she was 18, not someone who had been seriously studying law. The supporting cast is mostly male, all of which are ultra hot. Now that I think about it, it's almost a YA mystery/romance that never quite gets to the sex. Anyway, it took me about half the story to warm up to Jane and to find her antics funny. The dialog is heavy on the snarky banter which sometimes worked, sometimes didn't. The story was light and fluffy, even if eye-roll inducing at times. Not a bad little mystery. I'll probably look up the second book at some point.

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84. Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People by Vanessa Van Edwards



While prepping to give my first public speaking event I stumbled across Vanessa Van Edwards and her website Science of People. Vanessa has a passion for people, learning what makes us tick, why we act the way we do and how to use this information to become a better communicator. Understanding people is a big part of my job and I'm always looking for new tips and tricks I can use in my daily life. Turns out that her book Captivate is exactly what I was looking for and a whole lot more. Through her research Vanessa has found many science backed "hacks" and created a user manual for the rest of us on how to captivate anyone and build connections. She explains easy to follow strategies that apply to any sort of social interaction: conferences, parties, interviews, pitches, dating, etc. I was able to start using these strategies immediately and definitely see them helping with future interactions. Introvert or extrovert, social rock star or socially awkward, this book is for everyone.

I listened to the audio book read by the author. Vanessa's passion for her work shines through in her narration. As much as I enjoyed the audio, I need to buy a physical copy to use as a reference.

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85. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson



Spensa has dreamed her whole life of becoming a fighter pilot just like her father. More than anything she wants to prove herself to be brave and strong, to do her part defending humanity against an unending alien invasion. Unfortunately her father was branded a coward when he unexpectedly deserted his team and was shot down. Living under her father's shadow means Spensa's future entrance into flight academy is uncertain at best.

Skyward is the first book in the new YA series by Brandon Sanderson. I was fortunate enough to attend one of the book tour events and got to hear Brandon describe his vision for the book. He's always loved those "boy and his dragon" type stories, yet they've been done and done by some pretty great authors already. Eventually the idea morphed into "a girl and her starship" and the story of Skyward was born. In Brandon's own words the story is like "a mashup between Top Gun and Ender's Game and How to Train Your Dragon with an old broken-down spaceship with a really weird personality." Yes, it is exactly as much fun as it sounds.

Spensa is the type of plucky heroine I enjoy from YA stories. Having grown up branded as a "coward's daughter" has definitely had it's impact on her personality. She's brash and prone to rash action in an attempt to prove herself brave. She gives some quirky speeches about "crushing her enemies" that are downright hilarious. She's charmingly socially awkward which I think will be quite relatable to many of all age groups. It was so much fun tagging along on her coming of age journey. Spensa has a great supporting cast with her teacher, flight-mates, the ship and Doomslug. I don't want to say too much other than they are quite memorable and it's interesting to watch them all go on their own character arcs to greater and lesser degrees.

The world building is excellent. It's a slow reveal throughout the story. As with many of Sanderson's works, this world feels like a real place you can go visit. Just enough background information is given and yet I was left wanting to know more as there are definitely some mysteries needing to be uncovered. The technology of the world is quite interesting and Sanderson really did his homework making it all sound plausible. The aerial combat is spectacular.

Even though this book is YA, I was fully engrossed by the story. The writing is accessible, making it a fairly quick read. No, it doesn't quite have the depth as his other "adult" books, but that's ok. The book is highly enjoyable and I can't wait to see what happens next. Thankfully it won't be too long of a wait as book two has already gone to the publisher.

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Happy holidays X

Merry Christmas!

>167 PaulCranswick: Thank you and Happy Holidays!

>169 thornton37814: Thank you! Happy New Year to you as well :)