Gypsy Madden's Blog, page 4
January 18, 2022
Book Review: Arcane Mutations: A Hundred Halls Novel (Animalians Hall - Book 4)
Arcane Mutations: A Hundred Halls Novel (Animalians Hall – Book 4) by Thomas K. Carpenter
5 stars
Category: Young Adult
Note: I received a free ARC from the author.
Summary: After the betrayal of the previous school term and feeling like she and Kali just didn’t belong in the Hunters division of the Animalians Hall, Pax has left the Hundred Halls and taken up her grandmother’s invitation to come visit her in Norway. She finds that her grandmother is part of a group of people that have bonded with creatures like Kali, completely shaking Pax’s knowledge since she had been told by the professors in the Animalians Hall that no one had seen Kali’s species in centuries and that her species was dangerous to humans. But she is informed that that’s partially true. Since her bond with Kali is incomplete and lopsided, Kali will eventually suck the life out of her unless Pax can fix the bond between them.
Comments: Yay! For once, since the Gamemakers books, this story didn’t read like I was playing an MMO RPG. I have hope that the author has actually broken himself out of writing in that MMO mindset. There was a scene though that felt like it was copied from Star Wars: Phantom Menace (the scene where Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn took Anakin to the Jedi Council to formally seek to train him as a Jedi. And the council argued against saying that he was too old, while Qui-Gon Jinn argued that he had a special access to the Force). That was at least the only scene that I recognized from something else and I love it when authors keep it original. There were times when the book felt like a montage of training as Pax tries to fix the bond. I loved the relationship she builds with Okho, even though she thinks of him as a James Bond villain. I hope that relationship continues to get built in the next book since they made a good partnership and meshed better than any of the other characters this far into the series. I also hope Jan continues into the next book as well. I loved that he was a jerk in one scene. It made him an interesting character instead of just a bland morally good person. I would love to see him further grow as a character. I loved that we finally got to answer the mystery of Kali and the crag worm that infected her parents. Everything about Kali is finally fully addressed in this book, which I had started to worry wouldn’t be since the idea that Kali was dangerous seemed to have gotten tossed out the window in the last two books. Though the solve on the bond felt like a letdown. It felt like human egotism that she couldn’t possibly deign to change her way of life. I loved the second half of the book which really picked up the pace and set an approaching deadline, leading to a whole lot of action and adventure and one very scary creature. I look forward to seeing this series come full circle as Pax returns to the Portland Zoo in the next book. I’m hoping for a chance to really explore the place since it’s so frequently referred to.
5 stars
Category: Young Adult
Note: I received a free ARC from the author.
Summary: After the betrayal of the previous school term and feeling like she and Kali just didn’t belong in the Hunters division of the Animalians Hall, Pax has left the Hundred Halls and taken up her grandmother’s invitation to come visit her in Norway. She finds that her grandmother is part of a group of people that have bonded with creatures like Kali, completely shaking Pax’s knowledge since she had been told by the professors in the Animalians Hall that no one had seen Kali’s species in centuries and that her species was dangerous to humans. But she is informed that that’s partially true. Since her bond with Kali is incomplete and lopsided, Kali will eventually suck the life out of her unless Pax can fix the bond between them.
Comments: Yay! For once, since the Gamemakers books, this story didn’t read like I was playing an MMO RPG. I have hope that the author has actually broken himself out of writing in that MMO mindset. There was a scene though that felt like it was copied from Star Wars: Phantom Menace (the scene where Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn took Anakin to the Jedi Council to formally seek to train him as a Jedi. And the council argued against saying that he was too old, while Qui-Gon Jinn argued that he had a special access to the Force). That was at least the only scene that I recognized from something else and I love it when authors keep it original. There were times when the book felt like a montage of training as Pax tries to fix the bond. I loved the relationship she builds with Okho, even though she thinks of him as a James Bond villain. I hope that relationship continues to get built in the next book since they made a good partnership and meshed better than any of the other characters this far into the series. I also hope Jan continues into the next book as well. I loved that he was a jerk in one scene. It made him an interesting character instead of just a bland morally good person. I would love to see him further grow as a character. I loved that we finally got to answer the mystery of Kali and the crag worm that infected her parents. Everything about Kali is finally fully addressed in this book, which I had started to worry wouldn’t be since the idea that Kali was dangerous seemed to have gotten tossed out the window in the last two books. Though the solve on the bond felt like a letdown. It felt like human egotism that she couldn’t possibly deign to change her way of life. I loved the second half of the book which really picked up the pace and set an approaching deadline, leading to a whole lot of action and adventure and one very scary creature. I look forward to seeing this series come full circle as Pax returns to the Portland Zoo in the next book. I’m hoping for a chance to really explore the place since it’s so frequently referred to.
January 11, 2022
Book Review: Magic in the Blood: La Bruja Roja
Magic in the Blood: La Bruja Roja by Kat Parrish
5 stars
Category: New Adult
Note: I read this as included in The Witching Hour anthology.
Summary: After the death of her mother, Aixa grew up with her grandmother in a small town called Sangre de Cristo just on the Mexican side of the Mexican-American border. She is a blood witch, though not remotely as powerful as her grandmother, and trained to practice on the side of the light and to steer clear of Rosamara the powerful dark witch who everyone in town is afraid of. Being that it’s a border town, drug traffickers treat it as prime real estate and Aixa finds herself meeting more than a fair share of people involved with the drug trade and that Rosamara plays a central role in the corruption of Aixa’s small town.
Comments: (This felt a whole lot longer than 156 pages. I would have pegged it as closer to 300). This was a fascinating story full of Mexican culture. And for once, it wasn’t caricatured. The culture and way of life in a town taken over by drug traffickers felt fully detailed, fleshed out, fully believable and still with magic interwoven into it. Yes, it felt seedy and corrupted, but the town was so fleshed out, there were plenty of innocent characters mired in the situation needing rescuing. How fleshed out the detailing was both a plus and a minus for the story. I loved all the detail, and meeting all the different characters, from the local priest, to Esperanza who loved to bake, to the girlfriend of a drug lord who found her gold digging wasn’t the lifestyle she wanted. But on the other hand, it felt mired in characters. I had trouble keeping people straight, and they all had names, right down to the various people who ended up as victims of the turf war of the drug trade. I got the feeling the story was much larger at one time and had been edited down for interesting content. But because of that, characters just seemed to appear out of nowhere already knowing Aixa. Like Dale. He just appears in one scene as her boyfriend (I loved their brief romance!). I backtracked trying to see how they met, but there weren’t any prior mentions of him. I loved the creepy legend building Rosamara up throughout the book. Aixa really didn’t meet up with her until the very end of the book, so it was mainly just rumors and exploits of her that fueled the tension of the story, making her into a larger-than-life demonic force. So, when the final fight was over in just a page, I blinked and missed it. I had to backtrack. I loved the grittiness of the story. Both good characters and bad characters get killed not just because of magic, but because of the drug trafficking making quite a few of the deaths be rather out of the blue since Aixa tried to avoid most of the dealings with the traffickers, but they were always in the background. I loved Aixa. She’s a strong, capable woman who’s grown up knowing about magic and the evil that can be done with it, and she’s had to grow up in this corrupted town full of poor good people being muscled around by the drug trade and how the money spent by the rich people with the drugs goes into the local economy. Most of the time she keeps her head down since she knows what happens to people who get noticed by the drug traffickers, but every so often she does try to right wrongs.
5 stars
Category: New Adult
Note: I read this as included in The Witching Hour anthology.
Summary: After the death of her mother, Aixa grew up with her grandmother in a small town called Sangre de Cristo just on the Mexican side of the Mexican-American border. She is a blood witch, though not remotely as powerful as her grandmother, and trained to practice on the side of the light and to steer clear of Rosamara the powerful dark witch who everyone in town is afraid of. Being that it’s a border town, drug traffickers treat it as prime real estate and Aixa finds herself meeting more than a fair share of people involved with the drug trade and that Rosamara plays a central role in the corruption of Aixa’s small town.
Comments: (This felt a whole lot longer than 156 pages. I would have pegged it as closer to 300). This was a fascinating story full of Mexican culture. And for once, it wasn’t caricatured. The culture and way of life in a town taken over by drug traffickers felt fully detailed, fleshed out, fully believable and still with magic interwoven into it. Yes, it felt seedy and corrupted, but the town was so fleshed out, there were plenty of innocent characters mired in the situation needing rescuing. How fleshed out the detailing was both a plus and a minus for the story. I loved all the detail, and meeting all the different characters, from the local priest, to Esperanza who loved to bake, to the girlfriend of a drug lord who found her gold digging wasn’t the lifestyle she wanted. But on the other hand, it felt mired in characters. I had trouble keeping people straight, and they all had names, right down to the various people who ended up as victims of the turf war of the drug trade. I got the feeling the story was much larger at one time and had been edited down for interesting content. But because of that, characters just seemed to appear out of nowhere already knowing Aixa. Like Dale. He just appears in one scene as her boyfriend (I loved their brief romance!). I backtracked trying to see how they met, but there weren’t any prior mentions of him. I loved the creepy legend building Rosamara up throughout the book. Aixa really didn’t meet up with her until the very end of the book, so it was mainly just rumors and exploits of her that fueled the tension of the story, making her into a larger-than-life demonic force. So, when the final fight was over in just a page, I blinked and missed it. I had to backtrack. I loved the grittiness of the story. Both good characters and bad characters get killed not just because of magic, but because of the drug trafficking making quite a few of the deaths be rather out of the blue since Aixa tried to avoid most of the dealings with the traffickers, but they were always in the background. I loved Aixa. She’s a strong, capable woman who’s grown up knowing about magic and the evil that can be done with it, and she’s had to grow up in this corrupted town full of poor good people being muscled around by the drug trade and how the money spent by the rich people with the drugs goes into the local economy. Most of the time she keeps her head down since she knows what happens to people who get noticed by the drug traffickers, but every so often she does try to right wrongs.
January 10, 2022
Book Review: Nobel Secrets: An Aether Physics Novella
Nobel Secrets: An Aether Physics Novella by Cecilia Dominic
5 stars
Category: New Adult
Note: I read this as included in the Rogue’s Gallery Anthology.
Summary: Pauline has always kept her head down, not wanting to be noticed and content at having quiet time on her own at her job as a secretary at a prestigious university. Sensing others’ emotions has made her good at anticipating other people’s needs, and because of that she gets pulled in to help a young professor with his current invention who has had an emotional break down after a romantic breakup. The brother of the young professor, a handsome young duke, notices Pauline’s beauty and the caring she uses to help his brother with. All of which ruins her keeping a low profile with her mother’s killer on the loose and hunting for her.
Comments: I loved this regency romance. It’s trying to market on being a steampunk, though the only steampunk element was the professor’s invention which we never even see properly working. We only see Edward tinkering on it in a couple of scenes. It’s primarily a Regency drama (I read those too, so that wasn’t an issue) with all of the things you would expect in a period drama. We have the two from differing backgrounds trying to bridge the gap and an interfering mother and staff, a handsome man with a title who’s trying to avoid marriage though being driven toward it, a solitary woman a bit forward for her time, and all of the proper manners and customs of the gentry. It’s a Cinderella story with a murder mystery, Jack the Ripper style (Inspector Davidson of the Inspector Davidson series also puts in an appearance in this), and I do love a good Victorian mystery. Pauline’s powers to sense other people’s emotions was never explained. I loved the relationship between Christopher and Edward. And I would like to see Edward actually succeed at finding love, so I will be continuing with Eros Element.
5 stars
Category: New Adult
Note: I read this as included in the Rogue’s Gallery Anthology.
Summary: Pauline has always kept her head down, not wanting to be noticed and content at having quiet time on her own at her job as a secretary at a prestigious university. Sensing others’ emotions has made her good at anticipating other people’s needs, and because of that she gets pulled in to help a young professor with his current invention who has had an emotional break down after a romantic breakup. The brother of the young professor, a handsome young duke, notices Pauline’s beauty and the caring she uses to help his brother with. All of which ruins her keeping a low profile with her mother’s killer on the loose and hunting for her.
Comments: I loved this regency romance. It’s trying to market on being a steampunk, though the only steampunk element was the professor’s invention which we never even see properly working. We only see Edward tinkering on it in a couple of scenes. It’s primarily a Regency drama (I read those too, so that wasn’t an issue) with all of the things you would expect in a period drama. We have the two from differing backgrounds trying to bridge the gap and an interfering mother and staff, a handsome man with a title who’s trying to avoid marriage though being driven toward it, a solitary woman a bit forward for her time, and all of the proper manners and customs of the gentry. It’s a Cinderella story with a murder mystery, Jack the Ripper style (Inspector Davidson of the Inspector Davidson series also puts in an appearance in this), and I do love a good Victorian mystery. Pauline’s powers to sense other people’s emotions was never explained. I loved the relationship between Christopher and Edward. And I would like to see Edward actually succeed at finding love, so I will be continuing with Eros Element.
January 9, 2022
Book Review: Scarlet's Three (Society of Supernatural Sleuths - Book 1)
Scarlet’s Three (Society of Supernatural Sleuths - Book 1) by Kailin Gow
4 stars
Category: Young Adult
Summary: Scarlet Seeley is a young lady in the Victorian age with the ability to see the supernatural. She sees ghosts all over the place and that ability has helped in solving cases with the famous Sherlock Holmes, a friend of her parents, who are famed archaeologists. When Sherlock writes to her about a case he wants her to solve with her expertise, she is all too eager to bid her parents and the hot sand of Egypt goodbye and races back to London. Sherlock introduces her to Cruces who employs her to find a magical ring that a maid stole from him. The search takes her to a gypsy encampment and uncovers a host of fae and vampires along the way, along with a mysterious malevolent organization.
Comments: This is marketed as a Bully Romance, but honestly, I never saw her bullied at all (except by a villain in one of the final scenes). It’s even a stretch to call it a romance or reverse harem. There are three guys who are interested in her, yes. However, she doesn’t seem personally invested in any of them, and basically just strings them along because she likes the attention and she likes being kissed. She has the emotional range of Sherlock Holmes, which I get that she’s supposed to be a female version of. There is a graphic sex scene at the end, which should be noted since this is marketed to a YA audience with the heroine being young. I loved the idea of a young female detective who works with Sherlock Holmes in the Victorian period (And this isn’t Steampunk. There are supernatural relics in this, yes, but there was no use of technology or inventions in this), and I loved the idea of it being centered in London. However, the setting and period details really aren’t described (aside from the tavern and the gypsy encampment, Sherlock’s flat, and Cruces’s mansion). It does have plenty of supernatural details and creatures, and the usual vying for territory and dominance and struggles for power. I was really hoping the mystery would take a larger role, and really build intrigue, but the mystery was basically to find Cecelia who had the ring, and they managed to find her almost immediately. The focus of the book was mainly to introduce the supernatural players in this world, the organization in power, and introduce the guys interested in her. This is the beginning of a series, so it does set up for the next book with one of the characters in jeopardy.
4 stars
Category: Young Adult
Summary: Scarlet Seeley is a young lady in the Victorian age with the ability to see the supernatural. She sees ghosts all over the place and that ability has helped in solving cases with the famous Sherlock Holmes, a friend of her parents, who are famed archaeologists. When Sherlock writes to her about a case he wants her to solve with her expertise, she is all too eager to bid her parents and the hot sand of Egypt goodbye and races back to London. Sherlock introduces her to Cruces who employs her to find a magical ring that a maid stole from him. The search takes her to a gypsy encampment and uncovers a host of fae and vampires along the way, along with a mysterious malevolent organization.
Comments: This is marketed as a Bully Romance, but honestly, I never saw her bullied at all (except by a villain in one of the final scenes). It’s even a stretch to call it a romance or reverse harem. There are three guys who are interested in her, yes. However, she doesn’t seem personally invested in any of them, and basically just strings them along because she likes the attention and she likes being kissed. She has the emotional range of Sherlock Holmes, which I get that she’s supposed to be a female version of. There is a graphic sex scene at the end, which should be noted since this is marketed to a YA audience with the heroine being young. I loved the idea of a young female detective who works with Sherlock Holmes in the Victorian period (And this isn’t Steampunk. There are supernatural relics in this, yes, but there was no use of technology or inventions in this), and I loved the idea of it being centered in London. However, the setting and period details really aren’t described (aside from the tavern and the gypsy encampment, Sherlock’s flat, and Cruces’s mansion). It does have plenty of supernatural details and creatures, and the usual vying for territory and dominance and struggles for power. I was really hoping the mystery would take a larger role, and really build intrigue, but the mystery was basically to find Cecelia who had the ring, and they managed to find her almost immediately. The focus of the book was mainly to introduce the supernatural players in this world, the organization in power, and introduce the guys interested in her. This is the beginning of a series, so it does set up for the next book with one of the characters in jeopardy.
January 6, 2022
Book Review: Slipper in the Snow (Slipper in the Snow - Part 1)
Slipper in the Snow (Slipper in the Snow - Part 1) by Alice Ivinya
4 stars
Category: Young Adult
Note: Short Serial. I obtained a free copy via the author’s newsletter.
Summary: Prince Simeon’s mother is holding a ball to encourage her son to choose a bride before his father dies from an illness. But Simeon finds most women to be just interested in his title and their flirting to be fake and forced. During the ball, he meets a lady with blue hair who can’t speak. She takes him into the bowels of the palace where she leads him to a plot against the crown.
Comments: There is plenty of action and mystery in this very short section of a four-part serial. It ends on a to-be-continued note (though not really a cliffhanger). Think Cinderella meets The Little Mermaid, and, yes, I’m a sucker for fairy tale retellings and I liked the melding of the two stories. For a short, this is detailed in its setting descriptions and descriptions of action. But it never really broadened the prince to be more than the basic Cinderella prince and the girl didn’t really have any personality either beyond being mysterious and unknown, so I never really got emotionally attached to either of them. The prince was gaga over the girl and I never really saw why he was attracted to her. He was just entranced by her blue hair from what I could tell, but that normally wouldn’t be enough to enrapture a guy like that. And I was rather bored with the plot against the crown. I think I needed more fantasy elements. There wasn’t really anything in this section that was outside the realm of could actually happen.
4 stars
Category: Young Adult
Note: Short Serial. I obtained a free copy via the author’s newsletter.
Summary: Prince Simeon’s mother is holding a ball to encourage her son to choose a bride before his father dies from an illness. But Simeon finds most women to be just interested in his title and their flirting to be fake and forced. During the ball, he meets a lady with blue hair who can’t speak. She takes him into the bowels of the palace where she leads him to a plot against the crown.
Comments: There is plenty of action and mystery in this very short section of a four-part serial. It ends on a to-be-continued note (though not really a cliffhanger). Think Cinderella meets The Little Mermaid, and, yes, I’m a sucker for fairy tale retellings and I liked the melding of the two stories. For a short, this is detailed in its setting descriptions and descriptions of action. But it never really broadened the prince to be more than the basic Cinderella prince and the girl didn’t really have any personality either beyond being mysterious and unknown, so I never really got emotionally attached to either of them. The prince was gaga over the girl and I never really saw why he was attracted to her. He was just entranced by her blue hair from what I could tell, but that normally wouldn’t be enough to enrapture a guy like that. And I was rather bored with the plot against the crown. I think I needed more fantasy elements. There wasn’t really anything in this section that was outside the realm of could actually happen.
January 4, 2022
Book Review: Adrift
Adrift by Melanie Pickering
4 stars
Category: Teen
Note: Novella-length. Included in the Mermaid Kisses anthology. I obtained a free copy via the author’s newsletter.
Summary: When her family moves to a beach house in Pepper Cove for the summer, Lyssa and Grady are convinced it’s going to be a boring several months. But then they spot a group of teenagers with a bonfire on the beach and join them. Lyssa meets Wyatt, but his flirting has other motives.
The mer siren Wara has been trapped in the body of Wyatt ever since his partner Yori drowned Wyatt so that they could each have a human body. Now, Yori is less than patiently waiting for Wara to bring her a human girl she can possess.
But as he tries to lure Lyssa out to Yori, he finds himself falling in love with Lyssa.
Comments: I love mer stories. And though this one is dark and violent, it was still a fun, romantic read. I kept wondering what their parents would have made of what they were doing on the beach since the parents were absent through the entirety of the book except for the first scenes. I loved the relationship Lyssa had with her brother Grady and how Grady was described who seemed like such a typical teen boy. The relationship between Wara and Yori didn’t feel quite so clear cut since I kept wondering why he had been with her to begin with since Yori kept coming off cruel and heartless each time. But then that’s probably because I never got to know the original Wara before he became Wyatt. The ending feels really abrupt, almost like the author didn’t know how to end it and just sort of cut it off. Though the bonus scene on the author’s website does fix that problem and gives it a fulfilling conclusion. The book ending feels right out of Erin Hayes’ Cotton Candy Quintet series, which felt out of step with the rest of the book. The other problem I had with the book is that Wara being other really never came out during the story, he never got any come-uppance for what happened to Wyatt, no one ever came looking for Wyatt, and it never came out what happened to the real Wyatt which felt like a dangling plot thread that was just glossed over.
4 stars
Category: Teen
Note: Novella-length. Included in the Mermaid Kisses anthology. I obtained a free copy via the author’s newsletter.
Summary: When her family moves to a beach house in Pepper Cove for the summer, Lyssa and Grady are convinced it’s going to be a boring several months. But then they spot a group of teenagers with a bonfire on the beach and join them. Lyssa meets Wyatt, but his flirting has other motives.
The mer siren Wara has been trapped in the body of Wyatt ever since his partner Yori drowned Wyatt so that they could each have a human body. Now, Yori is less than patiently waiting for Wara to bring her a human girl she can possess.
But as he tries to lure Lyssa out to Yori, he finds himself falling in love with Lyssa.
Comments: I love mer stories. And though this one is dark and violent, it was still a fun, romantic read. I kept wondering what their parents would have made of what they were doing on the beach since the parents were absent through the entirety of the book except for the first scenes. I loved the relationship Lyssa had with her brother Grady and how Grady was described who seemed like such a typical teen boy. The relationship between Wara and Yori didn’t feel quite so clear cut since I kept wondering why he had been with her to begin with since Yori kept coming off cruel and heartless each time. But then that’s probably because I never got to know the original Wara before he became Wyatt. The ending feels really abrupt, almost like the author didn’t know how to end it and just sort of cut it off. Though the bonus scene on the author’s website does fix that problem and gives it a fulfilling conclusion. The book ending feels right out of Erin Hayes’ Cotton Candy Quintet series, which felt out of step with the rest of the book. The other problem I had with the book is that Wara being other really never came out during the story, he never got any come-uppance for what happened to Wyatt, no one ever came looking for Wyatt, and it never came out what happened to the real Wyatt which felt like a dangling plot thread that was just glossed over.
January 3, 2022
Book Review: Hero Academy (Just Cause Universe - Book 13)
Hero Academy (Just Cause Universe – Book 13)
By Adrienne Dellwo
4 stars
Category: Teen.
Note: I obtained a free copy via the author’s newsletter.
Summary: After growing a set of dragonfly wings, Chloe Wyld enrolls at Hero Academy. She meets a bunch of other young people with superpowers, including up-and-coming hero Zayden Lord, already known for saving people in several major accidents.
Comments: Even though this is listed as being Book 13 in the Just Cause Universe, this can be read as a standalone, though the faculty of Hero Academy has starred in other Just Cause books. This was first and foremost a high school drama, reminiscent of all the indie paranormal academy dramas currently on the market, with the superhero bits strictly secondary, so there was a lot of focus on Chloe discovering dating, getting to know her roommate, tangling with another student, and learning when to seek the help of teachers. There wasn’t much imagination put into the classes, which seemed rather standard: there was a philosophy class, a history class, and gym (for a superhero school, I expect amazing classes). The age of the kids was Percy Jackson demographic, so think early teens. This story did have fun introducing the reader to a host of characters with varied powers, with everyone being unique in their powers (it felt weird that no one had the same powers), including the fliers who all had different types of wings even. I loved that this book starred a girl just coming into her powers and didn’t try to sexualize her or reduce her to being the only token girl in an all-boys club. This book makes a point of being diverse (which it really wasn’t. I mean, there were characters with Spanish names and one with an Asian name, and some with darker-colored skin, but beyond that, there were no cultural details brought in) and topic conscious, which felt very forced at times, specifically the sexual harassment parts felt very lectured and pointed, rather than just touching on it organically, though it was interesting how it spotlighted the idea of a disabled superhero. It was nice seeing everyone work together as a team and get to know each other, but for my tastes it was too high school drama and I was hoping for a slightly older demographic.
By Adrienne Dellwo
4 stars
Category: Teen.
Note: I obtained a free copy via the author’s newsletter.
Summary: After growing a set of dragonfly wings, Chloe Wyld enrolls at Hero Academy. She meets a bunch of other young people with superpowers, including up-and-coming hero Zayden Lord, already known for saving people in several major accidents.
Comments: Even though this is listed as being Book 13 in the Just Cause Universe, this can be read as a standalone, though the faculty of Hero Academy has starred in other Just Cause books. This was first and foremost a high school drama, reminiscent of all the indie paranormal academy dramas currently on the market, with the superhero bits strictly secondary, so there was a lot of focus on Chloe discovering dating, getting to know her roommate, tangling with another student, and learning when to seek the help of teachers. There wasn’t much imagination put into the classes, which seemed rather standard: there was a philosophy class, a history class, and gym (for a superhero school, I expect amazing classes). The age of the kids was Percy Jackson demographic, so think early teens. This story did have fun introducing the reader to a host of characters with varied powers, with everyone being unique in their powers (it felt weird that no one had the same powers), including the fliers who all had different types of wings even. I loved that this book starred a girl just coming into her powers and didn’t try to sexualize her or reduce her to being the only token girl in an all-boys club. This book makes a point of being diverse (which it really wasn’t. I mean, there were characters with Spanish names and one with an Asian name, and some with darker-colored skin, but beyond that, there were no cultural details brought in) and topic conscious, which felt very forced at times, specifically the sexual harassment parts felt very lectured and pointed, rather than just touching on it organically, though it was interesting how it spotlighted the idea of a disabled superhero. It was nice seeing everyone work together as a team and get to know each other, but for my tastes it was too high school drama and I was hoping for a slightly older demographic.
December 29, 2021
Book Review: Cindi/Elle: When Shoes Speak
Cindi/Elle: When Shoes Speak by Bokerah Brumley
4 stars
Category: New Adult
Note: I read this as included in the Promise Forever anthology. Novella-length.
Summary: After graduating college, Cindi receives a letter from her grandmother asking for help with her dress shop in Paris, Texas. She meets her grandmother’s neighbor, and elderly man who runs a gentleman’s suit shop and had a glorious pair of glass slippers in the shop window. Cindi is entranced by the shoes, and Principe, the suit shop assistant knows he needs to save Cindi from his uncle and the carnivorous shoes that will eventually consume the women who wear them.
Summary: This was inspired by the Cinderella tale, but to call it a retelling would be a very large stretch. Yes, there is a girl named Cindi, and a fairy godmother, and a pair of shoes, and Prince, and some mice and a cat, but that is where the similarities end. There is no ball, there is no losing a shoe while running from the prince, there is no turning pumpkins into carriages, and Cindi isn’t even the one treated like a servant. It does, however, weave an interesting original tale with plenty of magic and a scary pair of shoes that are determined to make Cindi theirs and suck the life out of her and everyone around her rather gruesomely. Principe, the real hero of this story, has to brave the cruelty of his uncle, who beats him to a pulp frequently. Though I don’t think I really understood why there was a sweatshop of mice at the store, or how they could talk. Cindi becoming Elle reminded me a bit of the new Cruella movie with Emma Stone’s character adopting an obnoxious and outrageous second persona who dressed lavishly.
4 stars
Category: New Adult
Note: I read this as included in the Promise Forever anthology. Novella-length.
Summary: After graduating college, Cindi receives a letter from her grandmother asking for help with her dress shop in Paris, Texas. She meets her grandmother’s neighbor, and elderly man who runs a gentleman’s suit shop and had a glorious pair of glass slippers in the shop window. Cindi is entranced by the shoes, and Principe, the suit shop assistant knows he needs to save Cindi from his uncle and the carnivorous shoes that will eventually consume the women who wear them.
Summary: This was inspired by the Cinderella tale, but to call it a retelling would be a very large stretch. Yes, there is a girl named Cindi, and a fairy godmother, and a pair of shoes, and Prince, and some mice and a cat, but that is where the similarities end. There is no ball, there is no losing a shoe while running from the prince, there is no turning pumpkins into carriages, and Cindi isn’t even the one treated like a servant. It does, however, weave an interesting original tale with plenty of magic and a scary pair of shoes that are determined to make Cindi theirs and suck the life out of her and everyone around her rather gruesomely. Principe, the real hero of this story, has to brave the cruelty of his uncle, who beats him to a pulp frequently. Though I don’t think I really understood why there was a sweatshop of mice at the store, or how they could talk. Cindi becoming Elle reminded me a bit of the new Cruella movie with Emma Stone’s character adopting an obnoxious and outrageous second persona who dressed lavishly.
December 28, 2021
Book Review: The Brothers Djinn
The Brothers Djinn by Cate Rowan
4 stars
Category: Adult
Note: Novella-length
Summary: Three brothers who are constantly brawling and in trouble seek new jobs after wearing out their welcome in their current village. Darius, the eldest, has to constantly look after and reign in his two younger brothers, Val, who is over-confident and loves sleeping with as many women as he can, and Jasper who broods and is constantly picking fights. During their trek, they find a mysterious palace in the middle of nowhere, ruled by a mysterious, beautiful woman. She seduces all three of them and sends them on a quest for her to take a gift to a friend of hers.
Comments: In the vein of the old tales of the Arabian Nights, this fanciful story has plenty of adventure, mystery, and magical items and wonderous locations. It namedrops plenty of famous gods and goddesses and legendary figures from Sumerian lore and has a gift giving moment that feels right out of Lord of the Rings before they head off on a quest. I loved that the author did the research into the ancient legends and went with a culture that we readers don’t see all that often. Admittedly, I bought the book for the title, expecting the djinn to play a large starring part in the book. I was a bit disappointed when I had gotten to nearly the end of the book and hadn’t run across any djinn. A flying carpet and even a lamp, but no djinn. According to the message at the back of this book, this story is supposed to be the first set up installment of a larger series that will star each brother on their own, which I would like to see (though I’m not really looking forward to the books being basic urban fantasy. As in, I loved that this story was set in ancient times, though the setting was rather non-descript. I am starting to think the author may have abandoned the idea of follow up books since it’s been three years since this one was published). I didn’t really latch onto any of the brothers. They did come off as male, but rather dislikeable. I mean, there was Val, the womanizer who pretty much had his prowess going through his brain at every second (that was one of the larger turn offs for me just how obsessed all the characters were with sex in this). There was Jasper who resented being the middle sibling and resented that his brothers got to do things before him, and was sour so much of the time. And there was Darius, who sees women as being trouble, and is distrustful. Their lives were so woven around each other, they really didn’t have room in them for long-term relationships with other people. So, the infatuation with Ina, wasn’t going to be anything more than surface for any of them, which felt cheap. And I didn’t care for Ina either, even before any reveal. Mysterious woman in a palace that just appears out of nowhere who entices the wayward travelers, yeah… Still, the story did intrigue me to see if the brothers ever would grow up and turn into likeable people and how they might rescue themselves from their predicament, and if the younger brothers would ever get over themselves. It does end on a to-be-continued note to kick off the series though it does feel like the section of the story set in this time period has come to a close.
4 stars
Category: Adult
Note: Novella-length
Summary: Three brothers who are constantly brawling and in trouble seek new jobs after wearing out their welcome in their current village. Darius, the eldest, has to constantly look after and reign in his two younger brothers, Val, who is over-confident and loves sleeping with as many women as he can, and Jasper who broods and is constantly picking fights. During their trek, they find a mysterious palace in the middle of nowhere, ruled by a mysterious, beautiful woman. She seduces all three of them and sends them on a quest for her to take a gift to a friend of hers.
Comments: In the vein of the old tales of the Arabian Nights, this fanciful story has plenty of adventure, mystery, and magical items and wonderous locations. It namedrops plenty of famous gods and goddesses and legendary figures from Sumerian lore and has a gift giving moment that feels right out of Lord of the Rings before they head off on a quest. I loved that the author did the research into the ancient legends and went with a culture that we readers don’t see all that often. Admittedly, I bought the book for the title, expecting the djinn to play a large starring part in the book. I was a bit disappointed when I had gotten to nearly the end of the book and hadn’t run across any djinn. A flying carpet and even a lamp, but no djinn. According to the message at the back of this book, this story is supposed to be the first set up installment of a larger series that will star each brother on their own, which I would like to see (though I’m not really looking forward to the books being basic urban fantasy. As in, I loved that this story was set in ancient times, though the setting was rather non-descript. I am starting to think the author may have abandoned the idea of follow up books since it’s been three years since this one was published). I didn’t really latch onto any of the brothers. They did come off as male, but rather dislikeable. I mean, there was Val, the womanizer who pretty much had his prowess going through his brain at every second (that was one of the larger turn offs for me just how obsessed all the characters were with sex in this). There was Jasper who resented being the middle sibling and resented that his brothers got to do things before him, and was sour so much of the time. And there was Darius, who sees women as being trouble, and is distrustful. Their lives were so woven around each other, they really didn’t have room in them for long-term relationships with other people. So, the infatuation with Ina, wasn’t going to be anything more than surface for any of them, which felt cheap. And I didn’t care for Ina either, even before any reveal. Mysterious woman in a palace that just appears out of nowhere who entices the wayward travelers, yeah… Still, the story did intrigue me to see if the brothers ever would grow up and turn into likeable people and how they might rescue themselves from their predicament, and if the younger brothers would ever get over themselves. It does end on a to-be-continued note to kick off the series though it does feel like the section of the story set in this time period has come to a close.
December 20, 2021
Book Review: A Matter of Dragons (Dragons of the Iron Mountains - Book 1)
A Matter of Dragons (Dragons of the Iron Mountains – Book 1) by Meredith Hart
4 stars
Category: Adult
Note: I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review.
Summary: Rayne, who has always wanted to be part of the Valgros army, but not allowed to join the boys club, is sent along with a friend to slay the red dragon of Cairncliff and spread the glory of Valgros. To the city of Cairncliff, where magical creatures are welcome, Valgros is known for being a savage, brutal, ignorant kingdom. Rayne and her friend find Cairncliff not to be what they expected. The cute, picturesque city with friendly villagers is a far cry from the rampant crime riddled slum cowering in terror from the dragon that they had been expecting, making them question their mission. But Rayne finds new determination after getting to know Doshir, the charming antique shop owner, who sweeps her off her feet, but neglects to tell her is a dragon, and lies about several other things as well.
Comments: I liked the plotline: Two intrepid dragon hunters from a neighboring kingdom sent in to kill a dragon and spread the glory of their kingdom. Which in this modern world you could see was a bad idea from the start. That’s how to cause an international incident. But these two are rather behind the times and only see magical beings as evil monsters. It’s an interesting metaphor alluding to racism and intolerance of the other cultures/or at least ignorance of other countries/cultures.
I loved the romance between Doshir and Rayne. They have good chemistry and fun misunderstandings complicating things. I loved that they could get drunk together and laugh together, and I loved Doshir trying to impress Rayne by pretending to be something else which you just knew would eventually backfire on him. I loved that Doshir and Rayne both made mistakes making them feel more real.
On the other hand, Rayne and Doshir feel like they’re copies of Lyria and Vethe from The Flame and the Blade series and I loved the romance there for all the same reasons. The personalities are almost exactly the same. Like Lyria, Rayne is yet another warrior woman more at home in armor than a dress, itching to do her talking with a sword of draggers, and trying to make her way in male-dominated waters. While Doshir, like Vethe, is born with a special magical heritage, who has a charming cocky façade while feeling awkward and uncertain, who likes his alcohol, and is sympathetically lonely.
I usually avoid shifter fiction these days because they all read about the same and there is almost never any new ground covered or ideas introduced. And this story is no exception. Doshir, who is supposed to be dragon by birth, reads as thoroughly human with next to no dragon traits, and only turns into a dragon once in a while. There’s really not much about him that screams dragon. He’s a very undragony-dragon. And the couple of times he does turn into a dragon, its’s only for transportation and combat. There’s even one scene where I spotted my pet-peeve where Doshir refers to it as “my dragon” as if it was a separate being within him distancing himself from the dragon instincts, which had me scratching my head since he’s supposed to be the dragon himself. So many authors do that, distancing the animal instincts from the human as if they can’t reconcile the idea of the animal instincts as being part of the person and would go too much against their morals.
Though this is the beginning of a series, you do feel like the plotline of Rayne coming to Cairncliff to dispatch a dragon is concluded, so it does feel like a complete book, while it still sets up with some questions at the end to lead into the next book.
4 stars
Category: Adult
Note: I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review.
Summary: Rayne, who has always wanted to be part of the Valgros army, but not allowed to join the boys club, is sent along with a friend to slay the red dragon of Cairncliff and spread the glory of Valgros. To the city of Cairncliff, where magical creatures are welcome, Valgros is known for being a savage, brutal, ignorant kingdom. Rayne and her friend find Cairncliff not to be what they expected. The cute, picturesque city with friendly villagers is a far cry from the rampant crime riddled slum cowering in terror from the dragon that they had been expecting, making them question their mission. But Rayne finds new determination after getting to know Doshir, the charming antique shop owner, who sweeps her off her feet, but neglects to tell her is a dragon, and lies about several other things as well.
Comments: I liked the plotline: Two intrepid dragon hunters from a neighboring kingdom sent in to kill a dragon and spread the glory of their kingdom. Which in this modern world you could see was a bad idea from the start. That’s how to cause an international incident. But these two are rather behind the times and only see magical beings as evil monsters. It’s an interesting metaphor alluding to racism and intolerance of the other cultures/or at least ignorance of other countries/cultures.
I loved the romance between Doshir and Rayne. They have good chemistry and fun misunderstandings complicating things. I loved that they could get drunk together and laugh together, and I loved Doshir trying to impress Rayne by pretending to be something else which you just knew would eventually backfire on him. I loved that Doshir and Rayne both made mistakes making them feel more real.
On the other hand, Rayne and Doshir feel like they’re copies of Lyria and Vethe from The Flame and the Blade series and I loved the romance there for all the same reasons. The personalities are almost exactly the same. Like Lyria, Rayne is yet another warrior woman more at home in armor than a dress, itching to do her talking with a sword of draggers, and trying to make her way in male-dominated waters. While Doshir, like Vethe, is born with a special magical heritage, who has a charming cocky façade while feeling awkward and uncertain, who likes his alcohol, and is sympathetically lonely.
I usually avoid shifter fiction these days because they all read about the same and there is almost never any new ground covered or ideas introduced. And this story is no exception. Doshir, who is supposed to be dragon by birth, reads as thoroughly human with next to no dragon traits, and only turns into a dragon once in a while. There’s really not much about him that screams dragon. He’s a very undragony-dragon. And the couple of times he does turn into a dragon, its’s only for transportation and combat. There’s even one scene where I spotted my pet-peeve where Doshir refers to it as “my dragon” as if it was a separate being within him distancing himself from the dragon instincts, which had me scratching my head since he’s supposed to be the dragon himself. So many authors do that, distancing the animal instincts from the human as if they can’t reconcile the idea of the animal instincts as being part of the person and would go too much against their morals.
Though this is the beginning of a series, you do feel like the plotline of Rayne coming to Cairncliff to dispatch a dragon is concluded, so it does feel like a complete book, while it still sets up with some questions at the end to lead into the next book.
