Derek Bailey's Blog: DB Books and Reviews, page 7

REVIEW: ASCENDER VOL 2: THE DEAD SEA

The dog with the backwards tongue..After beginning the ASCENDER series at the end of December, I somehow managed to let months slip by before reaching for the second one. I don't know why I waited so long, but hopefully I will mix the next two in with other reads over the next couple of months. HOW I RATED IT 4/5 I continue to have a good time with this follow up series

MINI REVIEW: ZERO TWIST (A HYBRID HELIX STORY)

He's got a monkey on his back... I downloaded this short story a little while ago after the author was discussing it in Discord. I've been thinking about maybe trying to get back into this series later this year, so I figured I would pick this up as a nice, quick read to help me get out of a little bit of a slump.  HOW I RATED IT 4/5 This short episode manages to pack all

MARCH READS

March was a slower reading month for some reason, but I really enjoyed what I got through and made it partway through two more amazing books. 1. Holy Is His NameA 5/5 experience that was both intellectually and spiritually engrossingWhile I didn't necessarily intend to rip through this one (typically I read religious books slowly to make sure I can fully absorb them), I found

MINI REVIEW: HOLY IS HIS NAME

What is Holiness? I purchased a hardcover copy of this book during an event at a local parish where I was lucky enough to listen to Dr. Hahn speak. His oration was incredible and I found myself eager to try some of his writing, so I picked up a copy of this book as well as one other. HOW I RATED IT 5/5 It is typically my hope that I am either intellectually or spiritually

REVIEW: LOST SOULS (INFINITE EXISTENCE #1)

An empire set in the stars...I often complain how I never ever win any sort of raffle or giveaway, but I finally was selected as a winner for a Discord giveaway and wanted to read my prize right away. HOW I RATED IT 4/5 Some rough edges and a somewhat abrupt end sequence held things back for me somewhat, but I ultimately found myself quite impressed with this book which serves as a

FEBRUARY READS

February was a small, but mighty month with some great reads that moved my reading goals for this year along nicely.  1. Arcanum Unbounded (The Rosharan System and my  Overall Thoughts)This ended up being a super interesting 4/5 experience for meThe only section/novella that I had left coming in to February was the one that is set on Roshar (the world of The

REVIEW: ARCANUM UNBOUNDED (THE COSMERE COLLECTION)

Tales from across The Cosmere...Years after purchasing this during a Barnes and Noble sale, I have finally made my way through this collection.  HOW I RATED IT 4/5 This collection of stories set in Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere pairs punchy standalone novellas with essential stories that build upon his lineup of mainline series like MISTBORN and THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE. THE

REVIEW: DEFIANT (SONGS OF CHAOS #3)

Sons of the night...In the spirit of continuing to catch up on series I've started, I decided to read the third available book in the Songs of Chaos series, mistakenly thinking it was the last. HOW I RATED IT 4/5 In spite of my incorrect belief that this was the last book in a trilogy, I had a great deal of fun with the third entry into the SONGS OF CHAOS series. NOTE: 

JANUARY READS

As the new year kicked off, I was honestly not sure how much I would be able to reasonably get to, but I managed to enjoy several great reads as well as finish up something that wasn't working well for me. 1. Holy MomentsThis was a 5/5 source of modest spiritual reflection I've enjoyed a couple of Kelly's books the past couple of years and found this one to be another simple,

REVIEW: A SHADE OF MADNESS (ASHES OF AVARIN #2)

Madness and magic...After enjoying A TOUCH OF LIGHT for what it was, I've been curious to continue into the second book in the series, especially since the first book ended so abruptly. HOW I RATED IT 4/5  Although I enjoyed this a lot more than the first book in the series and found myself getting invested much more quickly, there are still a couple of key elements that hold