I happened upon Too Many Curses and enjoyed it very much. Finding a good comic fantasy is always fun. I really liked the fact that Nessy was a non-hum...moreI happened upon Too Many Curses and enjoyed it very much. Finding a good comic fantasy is always fun. I really liked the fact that Nessy was a non-human (She's a kobold), actually there are hardly any humans in this story. There are a lot of beings that were once human, but not any longer. The various curses were all cleverly handled. The book is just bursting with clever ideas actually. If you want something fun to read, I would recommend this book.
I'm going to keep an eye out for more of Martinez's books. I really liked his style and the other titles look very interesting. Had not heard of him before this which feels like a failing on my part.(less)
I enjoyed 100 Cupboards for the most part. The fantastical aspects, mainly the cupboards, were very intriguing. They reminded me a bit of the mini-ser...moreI enjoyed 100 Cupboards for the most part. The fantastical aspects, mainly the cupboards, were very intriguing. They reminded me a bit of the mini-series The Lost Room. It was their surface mundanity but with a fantastical aspect underneath that charmed me. I mean one of the first cupboards the children open is to a mailbox. But it is a mailbox not on Earth.
The story introduces a lot of different elements that aren't quite explained, but this is clearly the first in a series, so that's to be expected. It starts simple enough. Henry goes to live with his aunt and uncle in Kansas after his parents are kidnapped. One night in his new room, a strange cupboard emerges from the wall. He uncovers 98 more and discovers how to open them. Each one connects to a different place. Some good, some bad. One of the bad ones notices him and reaches through.
I liked Henry, the protagonist. His sheltered life, his conflicted feelings over his parents, and simple yearning to play baseball were handled very well. But many of the other children made me want to punch a wall. (Because hitting a child is reprehensible, but Anastasia would have sorely tested me.) I don't recall having such a visceral rage for a child in a story for a long time. Especially not one in juvenile fiction, but two of the girls - Anastasia and Henrietta - had my blood boiling at certain points. And the girls never seemed to appreciate the consequences that are visited upon them. They are physically hurt, loved ones are almost killed, and they're still going, "La, la, la, I want to go through a cupboard." Like I said, striking a child is evil, but locking one in a room without supper is still okay, right?
I'm not sure if I'll read the next one. I am intrigued about the worlds N.D. Wilson hints at in the book, but I may have to skim a bit to see how many times the names of those two girls appear. My blood pressure may not be able to handle much of them. (less)
I really don't know what to compare this book to. It seems so real and raw that I found myself having to put it down occasionally to look up cute cat...moreI really don't know what to compare this book to. It seems so real and raw that I found myself having to put it down occasionally to look up cute cat videos on Youtube to lift my spirits because the weariness, bleakness, and hopelessness expressed in this book really began to wear on me. Don't get me wrong, these emotions were all appropriate, but for the sake of my psyche, there's no way I could read this in one sitting. It’s powerful how Brooks really examines the zombie apocalypse from every angle, and I appreciate that the zombies didn’t end the world, but it sure as hell changed it. There’s a distant glimmer of hope at the end, but not much.
This is an amazing read. No doubt about it. Having the story told by various survivors ranging from the common man to the men in power was engrossing. The research that must have gone into this is mind boggling. I also appreciate how broken up the narrative was. Having the interviews be only a few pages long really kept the pace up and the writing fresh.
I dread how the upcoming film of the same title will handle this book, especially as Brad Pitt is the headliner. I like Brad Pitt, but I can honestly say, I didn’t picture him once while reading this book. I dread they’ll do an I, Robot to World War Z. (less)
This is a complete 180 from Lee’s dark, twisty novels. The Dragon Hoard is a light, humorous fantasy featuring a comical, evil enchantress hell bent o...moreThis is a complete 180 from Lee’s dark, twisty novels. The Dragon Hoard is a light, humorous fantasy featuring a comical, evil enchantress hell bent on making one innocent prince’s life miserable. Many of the names in the story are symbolic such as Prince Fearless (though he isn’t really), King Purple, and the enchantress Maligna. The innocent prince that Maligna is after is called Jasleth, and the first thing Maligna does to him is fire off a curse that randomly turns him into a raven for an hour every day. He goes to seek his fortune and meets up with Prince Fearless and with 48 other princes go on a quest for the dragon hoard. Only about four of the princes are given actual names. The rest are referred to by their number.
I have to admit I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and for things to get very bad and horrifying, but everything remained happy and innocent throughout. I’m a little conflicted on this. On the one hand, I wanted the story to stay light and funny, but after I finished and sighed in relief, I felt a little cheated that some crazy horror hadn’t happened.
This was Lee’s first book published. I think if anyone had read this when it first came out, they would’ve envisioned Lee’s writing to go in a very different direction that in it did. While I’ve found humor in many of her books, especially the YA books, none of them have been this silly and light-hearted. I’m really glad I read this book. (less)
I (re)read A Hidden Magic by Vande Velde not too long ago, and I admit, it made me worry that I wouldn't like this book by her. I've read books I like...moreI (re)read A Hidden Magic by Vande Velde not too long ago, and I admit, it made me worry that I wouldn't like this book by her. I've read books I liked (Dragon Bait and Companions of the Night), but A Hidden Magic was fresh in my mind. I'm happy to say Witch Dreams was a better read, though like A Hidden Magic, it's surprisingly short. At the heart, it's a murder mystery with a young girl playing detective in a medieval town. The mystery of who killed her parents has plagued Nyssa for six years to the point where people think she's crazy, but she's also a witch (or rather a psychic which is more accurate) who with a small token from her target can enter their dreams. She's determined to get revenge, and when the one who killed her parents comes back to town, she sets out get it.
Again, this book was 120 pages long, so the story goes very fast and some things are handled very briefly. One thing they glossed over in the book was the passage of time from Nyssa's parents death to the day Elsdon, the suspected murderer returns to town. She was ten when her parents died and now is 16. That's a lot of time for someone so young. She works in a wool merchant's house as a maid, but is that what she's done for six years? It didn't seem like it, and what about her brother? I know now that I've read the whole story why Vande Velde may have glossed over the years, but it still feels a little lacking. I wonder why she made so much time lapse. Why not have it only a year or two? Why six?
I knew the whodunit pretty early in the story, but it may be just because of my love of police procedurals. I thought the way Nyssa worked it out was clever. Overall, I thought it was a good read. I think tween girls would enjoy it and maybe some boys as well. (less)
Picked up this slim volume of poems on the 4th of July. I was charmed by all of the clever rhymes that managed to accurately portray cats, plus Gorey'...morePicked up this slim volume of poems on the 4th of July. I was charmed by all of the clever rhymes that managed to accurately portray cats, plus Gorey's illustrations were a treat. I admit that I didn't know the musical Cats was based on these poems. I haven't seen the musical except for snippets of the song Memories and that song is not actually in this book. It's a collection of silly poems about cats. What's not to like?
I wish there had been a pronunciation guide for some of the names though. I have no idea if I was saying them right. I guess I could watch Cats to see. (less)
I kept picking up this graphic novel, reading a few pages, only to then put it down again. I could never get into it. The story zooms everywhere and i...moreI kept picking up this graphic novel, reading a few pages, only to then put it down again. I could never get into it. The story zooms everywhere and is very epic, but the characters are not really developed and the dialogue is at times kind of preachy. I don't know if it all reads better in the original French or not. This story is heavy in metaphysics, and it felt like a lot of the supposed profundity of the text whizzed over my head, or maybe Jodorowsky tried to jam too much into this one story. Like I don't understand why he felt the need to introduce the five humors of John Difool, portrayed as funny little cartoon imps, when they didn't seem to add anything to the story or maybe that whizzed over my head, too. But there is a lot going on in this book and stuff is introduced on the fly that seems to be really big, but we don't get to spend any time on it. I thought maybe I wasn't really reading the first in a series and some of the characters were developed in previous stories, but though Jodorowsky wrote some prequels, this was supposed to be a standalone story. There are so many characters that we don't get to know any of them, except possibly Difool, and he just barely. Though I felt like I wasn't getting much of the story, I persevered because I'd never read a work drawn by Moebius and wanted to keep looking at his artwork, and I had to read to understand what the artwork was portraying.
The introduction to this book was by Brian Michael Bendis, which consists of him beseeching the reader not to rip off this book. I admit many of the elements in this story were familiar from other stories, notably The Fifth Element. Jodorowsky and Moebius sued the director Luc Besson for copyright infringement. They didn't win their case, but I think they had plenty of cause, and I think Jodorowsky and Moebius' estate may want to take a hard look at the past series of Dr. Who because there are a lot of things that are very similar. I recognized the microscopic spaceship and possibly the protoqueen/the flesh as being from this book. I'm sure there are more. (less)
This is a slim book published 33 years ago. I'm a fan of Tanith Lee and have read many of her books. Shon the Taken is not one of her best books, but...moreThis is a slim book published 33 years ago. I'm a fan of Tanith Lee and have read many of her books. Shon the Taken is not one of her best books, but it was still enjoyable. The story centers on the title character Shon who lives in a simple village full of many superstitions. One of those superstitions is that east of the village, across the river, is the home of Death and his people, also called King Crow and Crow's children. These dark beings hunt the woods between the village and Death's city, and anyone they touch becomes possessed and must be killed. Shon is caught one night in the woods by Crow's children and returns to his village only to be put on trial and sentenced to death by stoning. He escapes and sets out to get revenge on King Crow and his people who have completely ruined his life.
One thing Lee excels at is maintaining a sense of mystery about a place or person. Shon doesn't understand many of the things that happen to him and worse for him, he has become a mystery to himself. The strangeness of everything is very intriguing and kept me reading. This is a good book to a read on a lazy afternoon. I was surprised to see in the publishing details that this was originally published by Macmillan Children's Books. Shon is only a teenager, but some of the stuff he goes through seems kind of weighty for a child to fully comprehend. Lee has written other juvenile literature like the Unicorn series and The Claidi Journals, which all seemed very appropriate for juvenile literature (and highly enjoyable). Shon the Taken reminded me more of The Birthgrave Trilogy or the Four-BEE Series, which are classed adult fiction. Putting the question of juvenile versus adult fiction aside, I don't think there is anything truly objectionable in the story for a young teen, and maybe what Shon goes through would resonate with a younger reader more than it did for me.
Really, Lee writes with such a deft hand that the plot flows effortlessly. I think many would enjoy this story, especially if you enjoy reading about mysterious people and places. All the mysteries are answered at the end and everything concludes satisfactorily and the journey to the conclusion is enjoyable. The story doesn't seem dated at all but is rather timeless. (less)
This was actually a reread. I was looking at my bookshelves the other day and saw it. It was in my already read books group (as opposed to my unread b...moreThis was actually a reread. I was looking at my bookshelves the other day and saw it. It was in my already read books group (as opposed to my unread books group) and picked it up because I couldn't remember a single thing about it, and the description didn't ring any bells. It wasn't until I was thirty plus pages in that I could definitively say I'd read this book before.
I've read other Vande Velde books and enjoyed them and have quite a few more on the TBR shelves, but this one was a little disappointing. It was very light on the characterization. There's a very lovely story here, but we're presented with only the barest bones of it. I feel it could have been easily twice as long. Jennifer and Norman's relationship doesn't develop. We're told they're in love and that's it. A little more relationship building would have been nice.
I feel this book is too lightly written. It hangs precariously between juvenile and easy reader. It could've been a lovely easy reader or an outstanding juvenile novel. The illustrations are lovely and some bits are great, but overall, I can understand why I forgot this book completely. (less)
This was a great ending to the series. I loved how Katniss' relationships changed, especially with Gale. I loved how she was a pawn in the revolution....moreThis was a great ending to the series. I loved how Katniss' relationships changed, especially with Gale. I loved how she was a pawn in the revolution. I am really impressed with how Collins resolved everything. This book proves she deserves all the praise heaped upon her. (less)
This certainly isn't a happy zombie story. This was much more of a downer than I was expecting. I guess considering it's post-zombie apocalypse that's...moreThis certainly isn't a happy zombie story. This was much more of a downer than I was expecting. I guess considering it's post-zombie apocalypse that's only fair, but still, this is a pretty depressing story, but it is very compelling.(less)
I picked this book up to read for the Vaginal Fantasy Hangout. Considering this was the pick for February, you can see how far behind I am with every...more I picked this book up to read for the Vaginal Fantasy Hangout. Considering this was the pick for February, you can see how far behind I am with everything. I was kind of surprised that the second pick of the group would be a non-urban paranormal mystery, but I found myself quickly engrossed in this Victorian mystery. While I couldn’t put the book down, I find the gloss quickly wears off due to fridge logic and an ending that seemed a little too scandalous.
The story begins with Juliet’s husband dying. Being a proper lady, there are many proper things one must do for the funeral. I liked reading about all the pomp and formality, made imminently bearable because Juliet doesn’t care one real wit about them, but she follows through with it all because it is what one is expected to do.
I don’t want to spoil any of it for you because I do think it was a very worthwhile read, but the fridge logic man…In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, here is TV Tropes definition of this handy term, “It refers to some illogical or implausible plot point that the audience doesn't realize during the show, but only long afterwards.” http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php... There are certain things I’m willing to let slide, but what’s revealed about Juliet’s husband seems a little too far-fetched. I mean they were married for years and had grown up together, but she did not know him at all it appears. How did that happen? And don’t tell me that back then, couples didn’t know each other, and some couples today don’t know each other. This wasn’t an arranged marriage, and they’d grown up together. I don’t know, I could’ve accepted some of the things revealed, but the stuff with hubby was off the charts.
And there’s one maddening spot in the book where the author pulls away and doesn’t let us see what is truly happening, and it is maddening because of a later mention of a particular bruise and a fat lip that seems to indicate something pretty sinister in my book, but doesn’t seem to be construed as such in this book. And I’m really trying not to be spoilery.
All-in-all the resolution of the mystery is where this book falters. I was really digging it until the end when everything started hitting the fan. Stuff just seemed to be coming out of left field. I was turning the pages going, “What?” And afterwards, I closed the book, slept on it, and the next day was going, “Wait, really, what?” Which is unfortunate because I’d loved the character progression of Juliet. Her slow blossoming was lovely to read.
I’m curious about the next book, which may be more tolerable if Juliet isn’t supposed to be lifelong friends with the victim and/or suspects. If she’s an outsider, it may all be understandable.
You may notice I haven’t mentioned Brisbane, our detective, except if you’ve read the book and know what the maddening scene refers to. Anyway, Brisbane was interesting. He’s still a mystery himself, and I don’t know how I feel about some of the revelations with him, and I’m afraid if I think about him too much that he’ll go down in my esteem. I mean he’s a jerk, but he’s upfront about it, but really, he’s a first class jerk. Ugh, I'm thinking about him now, and I do believe I would've kicked him in the balls. Still, I really enjoyed the book while I was reading it, but I don't like thinking about it afterwards.(less)
With every trilogy, the second book always has the tough job of continuing the story but not finishing it. Catching Fire being the...moreCatching Fire Review
With every trilogy, the second book always has the tough job of continuing the story but not finishing it. Catching Fire being the second in the Hunger Games Trilogy had to keep the momentum but stop before the story can truly come to a rest. The second book picks up where The Hunger Games left off. The first book had a relatively easy job. It introduced us to the characters, the world, and had the actual Hunger Games to drive the story. In the second book, Catching Fire had to expand the story and progress beyond the Hunger Games.
I don’t know how spoiler free I can keep this review so read at your own risk from here on out.
I have only just finished reading the book and have to return it tomorrow to the library so I’m rushing myself a bit with this review, but on the whole, I liked the story. Katniss continues to struggle with understanding people, but in the first book, she struggled with who to trust and everyone who was clearly trustworthy we could silently root for her to accept. In the second book, the rug gets pulled out from under her, and she finds herself a pawn in a new game and with no one to trust.
This time around, the events feel a bit rushed and some feel a bit too drawn out. Having not read the third in the series, I don’t know if some of the scenes and characters that I thought were a bit superfluous will pay off later. But I did begin to wonder at this world and how practical it was. It is an awful totalitarian place with cruel traditions that have no regard for human life. Instead of fully going with the story, I felt myself begin to be a little incredulous of it. My suspension of disbelief began to waiver. I began to wonder what’s the point of all of this? The Capital lives in luxury completely uncaring of the harsh, deadly conditions of the districts. It appears clear that the district inhabitants out number the capital and even if all official communication was cut between districts, it’s just hard to imagine this sort of world existing. In many ways, it seems too stylized to exist. (I mean how much money do those Games cost every year? They build special arenas every year! And all just to kill 23 kids annually? I can’t see how the psychological terrorism can justify the very real monetary cost.)
So in the second book, I began to consciously question the reality while I was reading, which is never a good thing. Katniss and Peeta get pulled into a second Hunger Games a little too easily. I know it’s supposed to be by machinations of the President, but still, did we need to go down this route again? I was still drawn in to Katniss’ struggles with her feelings and trust issues, but I also began to be too aware that she is fictional and thus I did not need to worry too much about her. I became detached.
I will of course read the third book, but I’m afraid a wariness will be present in me when I begin. I won’t fall into the text like I did with the first book. I will wonder what Collins will do to Katniss next instead of hoping Katniss can get out of her next predicament.
Lots and lots of spoilers follow…
I admit that when I began the second book, I expected to watch Katniss become a mentor to another poor tribute, and I was curious about how that would affect her. But having her put into another Hunger Games stretched my credulity a little too far. I was okay up through the part with her speaking engagements, but once President Snow drew that envelope I was like, “Really, we’re doing this again?” I know it was orchestrated by the bad guys, but it felt too orchestrated, and on a side note, why hasn’t anyone done a pregnancy test on Katniss? That seems like priority one and then leak that it’s false. Or why not leak the kissing incident with Gale? That would’ve put a nail in her and Peeta’s romance pretty quick. Events just seem to be a little heavy handed. How is killing Katniss in a new Hunger Games going to destroy her as a revolutionary symbol? Better to get her hooked on that morphling stuff and let everyone see her as a druggie. Better to keep her alive as a strung out addict than martyr her in a contrived death pool.
I’m curious where the story will go from here. I would like it to be about how Katniss is an unwilling revolutionary symbol, but since I got the plot for the second book wrong, I don’t know if that will be the case. I just really hope there isn’t yet another Hunger Games in the story. (less)
This is actually a reread for me. I’d read the first three in the series and never finished it. I think the series may not have been fully published b...moreThis is actually a reread for me. I’d read the first three in the series and never finished it. I think the series may not have been fully published by then and that’s why I didn’t finish because I really enjoyed the first three books. Recently, I saw on Netflix that they’d made the books into a television series. I put the DVDs in my queue, but I decided that I wanted to finally read the full series first. I purchased the volumes that I didn’t own yet and am set to read them all.
Happily, I didn’t remember much of the plot of Blood Price when I reread it so I could get drawn into the story. Blood Price was published in 1991, well before the urban paranormal explosion. The books were recommended to me by a B. Dalton employee. (I miss that store.) I’d read Anne Rice, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Suzanne Collins before Tanya Huff. And one thing all of those vampires had in common was an aloofness to humans. They did not rub shoulders with us warm-blood folk. So Huff’s Henry Fitzroy was a breath of fresh air with his romance novel writing, condo, and desire for human connection. There was just enough in flashback to establish his character without weighing him down with too much history, and he just seemed so non-grandiose. He was short for Pete’s sake! So yes, I instantly liked Henry Fitzroy, but it was Vicky “Victory” Nelson, who really grabbed my attention, the fallible, everyday human. Her unwillingness to give up in the face of her mounting blindness made her admirable. She was no superhero, no Anita Blake with her superpower necromancy, far from it. Vicky couldn't walk down a street at night without real concern. Not because something would attack her, but because maybe she'd trip on a curb and seriously hurt herself. And the dreaded phone calls from her mother with their eventual guilt trips were a nice touch.
The mystery itself was actually a little too easy. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but the bad guy isn’t that hard to find. Huff does put a lot of it in the killer’s perspective and we get inside his head, but he’s not that complex. I suppose the mystery couldn’t be too complex if Huff wanted to give her characters any time to shine. Several of Fitzroy’s flashbacks were simply for background information about him, not directly involved with the mystery.
I’ll be reading the next in the series soon. I read the first three in the series before stopping, but I have them all now and plan to finish before the end of the year.
On something of a side note, I didn’t realize this until someone in my writing group pointed it out, but Vicky in Scary Mary has the same name as Vicky in the Blood series. I picked Nelson as a last name because it is pretty common in my area. I didn’t remember Victory’s last name was Nelson, too. (less)
Garth Nix creates amazing worlds in his fantasies, and the first book in the Seventh Tower series is no exception. I teetered between giving this thre...moreGarth Nix creates amazing worlds in his fantasies, and the first book in the Seventh Tower series is no exception. I teetered between giving this three and four stars because I felt some of the fantastical elements were rather rushed. He throws out brief two sentence descriptions of all these unknown beasts, and they seem to be there purely to identify what the form a shadowguard assumed rather than truly adding to the story, and since none of the animals have familiar names, it's hard to keep track of them and what they're supposed to be.
The magic system is intriguing being based on light in a dark world with a strict color heirarchy for the society with those in the red tower being lower than those in the orange and so on. Finding out more about this world would be interesting. I will try to read the next in the series, but I'm not rushing out to get it. The book is listed as being for nine and up. I feel like maybe Nix was light on details to keep the younger readers interested, but older readers will be left wanting when they crack open the book. Because it is the first in a series, nothing is resolved, and Tal is no where near his goal. This is rather dissatisfying. Nix, at least, didn't leave off at too taunt a cliffhanger. I think he would've lost a star on this review if he had. (less)
Yes, I finally read this widely read, highly acclaimed, soon-to-be major motion picture book, and it was good. The story was familiar. The idea of peo...moreYes, I finally read this widely read, highly acclaimed, soon-to-be major motion picture book, and it was good. The story was familiar. The idea of people being chosen by lottery to kill each other has been done before. I feel every review should at least mention Battle Royale. I have not read the book but I've seen the movie of the same title and many elements are the same. Both stories center around teens who are forced to kill each other until there is one victor.
This is not to say that Battle Royale was the originator of this storyline. Go back to gladiator days and this story was actually lived by some poor souls. The idea of kill or be killed is plum storyline material. How Collins story stands out I think is in the character of Katniss Everdeen. She has lived a hard life and had only herself to rely upon, but she is still a good person. She's fiercely protective of her sister, is entirely self-reliant, and has a strong moral code. But she doesn't trust people and views everyone with suspicion and cannot accept things people say to her at face value. Her struggle to accept that other people might actually care for her and confusion of who she might care for beyond her family is wonderfully handled. I plan to read Catching Fire and am intrigued with how the story will progress beyond The Hunger Games. The world Collins created is still largely unknown but what Collins revealed in the first book makes me eager to learn more. (less)
Ember is a retelling of the Cinderella fairytale with Cinderella, renamed Ember, as a witch and with Prince Charming living under a curse that makes e...moreEmber is a retelling of the Cinderella fairytale with Cinderella, renamed Ember, as a witch and with Prince Charming living under a curse that makes everyone adore him. Every aspect of the classic story has been twisted and reinvented. Ember is the exact opposite of the Disney-fied Cinderella that we have all come to imagine. She’s hard, cruel, and unrepentant, though she acknowledges her shortcomings and fully owns them. The stepmother and stepsisters are not the cruel harridans that we’ve come to expect, and there are no woodland creatures in sweet little caps singing songs. If there had been any, Ember would have gutted them for her spells.
This story was a delight to read. The dark twists Sharpe gives this fairytale reinvigorates the oft-told tale and gives it edge before unimagined by any retelling that I’ve seen. Ember is a strong, engaging character. She’s proactive and does not get things handed to her by a fairy godmother. She is her own fairy godmother. The Prince is an intriguing character as well, not just a means to happily ever after. His struggles and abuse of his curse make him believably human. Their courtship is not smooth and the pitfalls are nicely handled.
The only qualms I have with the story is that it is too short, and the central deception goes on too long for believability. Sharpe creates an intriguing world that could have been explored a little more through Ember’s growth into the witch she becomes, and though it is told in the first person by Ember, seeing Prince Adrian’s struggles with his curse would have been interesting, which could have possibly been accomplished through his journal that we get a brief peek at. I guess the fact that I finished wanting more is a compliment to the author rather than a problem with the story.
Sharpe warns that only readers 18 and older should read the story, but the sex is not too graphic or pervasive. What’s there suits the story well, though Ember and Adrian do go at it like rabbits. A sequel is planned, and I will happily read it.
The protagonist is not a ghoul. I was disappointed by this, and the talking parrot is annoying. It's a light read. The protagonist can interact with g...moreThe protagonist is not a ghoul. I was disappointed by this, and the talking parrot is annoying. It's a light read. The protagonist can interact with ghosts. (less)
I want to read the next in the series. Can any better compliment be given? I am intrigued by Charlie's family and the Red King and want to know more....moreI want to read the next in the series. Can any better compliment be given? I am intrigued by Charlie's family and the Red King and want to know more. I will read the next one!(less)
This was a great story. I loved all the characters and Kate's journey. Special mention must be made of Taggle! Loved him! Loved his evolution and gosh...moreThis was a great story. I loved all the characters and Kate's journey. Special mention must be made of Taggle! Loved him! Loved his evolution and gosh, he was just wonderful. I couldn't put this book down. A friend loaned this to me, and I believe I read it in a day. I wish I owned it. I will definitely buy it if I see it on the shelf. It was lovely.(less)
This was an awesome book. I really enjoyed the protagonist's struggle with her werewolf side and her desire to be normal. I loved that we are introduc...moreThis was an awesome book. I really enjoyed the protagonist's struggle with her werewolf side and her desire to be normal. I loved that we are introduced to her in the middle of her life. We don't begin when she's bitten or at her first change. She's an established werewolf who is used to her existence. Some of the situations of the other pack members seemed way too perfect. Everyone's rich! But Elena and Clay were great characters. I could've read another 500 pages, which is good since I have the sequel Stolen sitting on my shelf.
I've seen a few reviewers compare Elena's struggle to the modern woman's struggle. Girls are indoctrinated to be sweet, soft creatures. That idea has been eroding over the past fifty years, but it hasn't eroded completely. And Elena's struggle with her concept of normal and who she truly is resonated with me and made the story much richer than many urban paranormals I've read. Her revelation that she was a bitchy, argumentative woman, not because she was a werewolf but because she was human was a beautiful thing.
Well, Dead Girls' Dance picks up where Glass Houses ended. I wasn't sure it would by the sneak peek at the end of Glass Houses that was included in my...moreWell, Dead Girls' Dance picks up where Glass Houses ended. I wasn't sure it would by the sneak peek at the end of Glass Houses that was included in my paperback edition, but I'm glad it did. Caine continues to expand the world of Morganville. Our heroine Claire has to strike out on her own to save her friends. Everything continues to happen very quickly and action keeps coming. Caine does offer some nice respites from the action though that allow the reader a little bit of a breather, but one has to wonder how much longer someone can continue to live under the pressure and anxiety that Claire and her friends have to deal with. Luckily, Dead Girls' Dance doesn't end on such a dramatic cliffhanger like Glass Houses, but there is plenty of drama fodder for the next book, which I already own and plan to read.
One thing that I do question is the actual Dead Girls' Dance. I almost wish there hadn't been a party with that literal title. From the jacket blurb and the fact that the book takes it as its title, I expected it to figure much more greatly in the overall plot, but it is almost an afterthought at the end, while what happens there while horrific, it also seems superfluous to Claire and Eve's quest. They had much closer and dire problems to deal with without adding the Dead Girls' Dance to the mix. But still that is a minor quibble, and I can see mechanically why Caine included it. It does serve some purpose. I look forward to reading the next in the series.(less)
**spoiler alert** I liked this book enough to finish it, but it took me a while to read because I put it down a lot without feeling compelled to pick...more**spoiler alert** I liked this book enough to finish it, but it took me a while to read because I put it down a lot without feeling compelled to pick it back up. The main character Cassie goes on the run from a slew of vampires on the first page, and the action never stops after that which got very tiring after a while. Cassie has a long history with vampires having been raised by them, and it was nice how she accepted them and didn't question their ways. They were ruthless killers, and she knew that, and she knew she couldn't change them. While Cassie had this long history with the vampires, which was believable half the time. There were some characters she supposedly knew really well, but I had trouble believing. One was Thomas, her roomie. On the one hand, the narrative indicated that they didn't get to know each other well, but on the other hand, Cassie seemed really hurt by him and very vested in him. I never really believed in the relationship. This is another story where there were far too many characters for me to keep up with and the ones I was interested in didn't have much time if any in the story. Tony, the vampire after Cassie, was only seen during a conference call. He's very important to the story but was never really in the story.
One thing that suprised me was Chance's use of historical figures as vampires. This could be an incredibly clever idea, but I never got a real sense of these historic figures. For the most part, they never featured heavily in the story, and I didn't get a true sense that this would be for example what Raphael would be like if he were a vampire. The character could've been anyone because his actions and personality didn't seem modelled after the artist.
This is a minor quibble, but Chance's vampires can go out during the day, feed without biting, and wipe memories--Why aren't they ruling the planet? Anyway, the story is basically a set up for Cassie inheriting a whole slew of powers on the last page. There's a bit of a deus ex machina at the end, whcih was as annoying as the character that delivered it. I liked many parts of the book, but it seemed like Chance was trying to do too much with this one story. By the end, I wasn't sure what all had gone on and what all still needed to be done and not really caring. There's time travel, vampires, wererats, witches, ghosts, faeries, and mention of demons. I won't be actively looking for the second in this series unless I'm given serious guarantees that it gets better.(less)
Bring on the Faerie Apocalypse! Really enjoyed the world Simner created in this book. It was wonderfully terrifying. The way the plants and animals we...moreBring on the Faerie Apocalypse! Really enjoyed the world Simner created in this book. It was wonderfully terrifying. The way the plants and animals were changed by rampant magic was very interesting. Wish a bit more of the history of the war was revealed and a little more time spent in the village before the journey so we could see 'mundane' life, but this appears to be the first in a series so that's all fodder for future books. (less)
This was a very fun read. I didn't know much about the Morganville Vampire series except a lot of people seemed to like it. I picked it up and was hoo...moreThis was a very fun read. I didn't know much about the Morganville Vampire series except a lot of people seemed to like it. I picked it up and was hooked. The characters and situation are great. The vampires are clearly the bad guys, which is actually refreshing in our post-Anita Blake/Sookie Stackhouse world. I've already placed my order for the second in the series and look forward to cracking it open. The story ended on quite the cliffhanger. (less)
**spoiler alert** The story, writing and characters were all good and fascinating, but there was so much going on! And Huff was not interested in slow...more**spoiler alert** The story, writing and characters were all good and fascinating, but there was so much going on! And Huff was not interested in slowing down to explain anything. There were some fly away comments to help, but for the most part, the reader is on their own in this rich magical world.
There was one aspect of the story which I was a little uncomfortable with, and I don't know if I'm just more prudish than others, but it caused me to have trouble falling firmly on the side of the Gales, which may have been Huff's intent, but would've liked some discussion or something about it. I don't know if it's spoilery to say this (it appears in first few pages), but they liked to keep things in the family. They tried to make sure the family wasn't too close, but still it was kind of unnerving how matter of fact they were about it, and we know from history it's not good to do that sort of thing.
That aside, the writing is sharp. A lot of funny dialogue is sprinkled throughout and interesting characters are everywhere (probably too many). But because of my before mentioned hangup, I don't think I'd read a sequel if Huff wrote one. I do have hazy plans to reread her Blood series. I never finished it and would like to. (less)
This book was frustrating not because of the writing or the plot but because it says it's number 1 in a series when it's actually the continuation/seq...moreThis book was frustrating not because of the writing or the plot but because it says it's number 1 in a series when it's actually the continuation/sequel of a novella that was published in the anthology Prom Dates From Hell. I didn't know about the anthology before picking up this book, but I could tell that I was missing a lot of backstory and character details, and I kept checking the cover flap to make sure it was the first in the series. Instead of reintroducing the characters and world, Harrison just drops the reader into the story midstep. I wish the novella had been included in the book. It has the true beginning of this story. Or if the novella couldn't be included, I wish Harrison had paused sometimes to give us some exposition. It would've helped. As it was, I didn't feel like I knew or cared about any of the characters by the end.
I've enjoyed other Harrison books and really expected to enjoy this one. I don't think I'll read the sequel.(less)
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