Ricky Pine's Blog, page 104
February 25, 2017
Review: Crown of Midnight
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. MaasMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I remember it used to be that I preferred the even-numbered entries in the Throne of Glass series to the odd-numbered ones, because I tended to feel like (except for the first, of course), the odd-numbered ones are loaded with filler (HoF and EoS especially are guilty of this.) But after rereading Crown of Midnight for the third time - I actually sort of gave up the first time, then really enjoyed it on the second read - I realize t...
February 24, 2017
Review: Windwitch
Windwitch by Susan DennardMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I've found over the last year or so that while the YA Cool Kids' Table (the likes of Schwab, Bracken, Aveyard, Maas, Silvera, etc.) all can't stop raving about Susan Dennard and her Witchlands, the average reader has a harder time buying into the hype. I enjoyed Truthwitch well enough, but unfortunately, Windwitch is a come-down, a case of Sophomore Slump.
That's not to say the book is entirely a write-off. Far from it, because like its pred...
February 22, 2017
Review: Take the Key and Lock Her Up
Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Ally CarterMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
For the final time, back to Malta...sorry, Adria. (No, seriously, you can't tell me Adria isn't an alternate Malta, not when the capital is a walled city named Valancia and it's been fought over by so many world powers over the years.)
I'll admit, this book started on a bit of a sour note for me because the first fifty pages or so were quite jumbled and chaotic and I was worried that perhaps Carter had taken the series a lit...
February 20, 2017
Review: Wayfarer
Wayfarer by Alexandra BrackenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Not unlike with Bracken's Darkest Minds trilogy, I feel that her Passenger duology improves considerably going into the finale, with a lot less dead air and a lot more action. Sure, Wayfarer is quite a long book, so it's not entirely devoid of such staticky spots, but when the action and alternate history ideas come in, they come in fast, fast, fast. It's also got a certain unpredictability factor, given how many times and places in hist...
February 18, 2017
Review: City of Fallen Angels
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra ClareMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I wouldn't have minded if Clare had initially kept her promise and stuck to writing the "new" Mortal Instruments trilogy about Simon only. But after reading this one, I am very glad she kept the stories going for the others, especially because it improved the story by making it considerably more complex than anything she'd written up to this point, even before one takes into account the number of characters introduced in this...
Review: Throne of Glass
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. MaasMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've been an off-and-on fan of the Throne of Glass series for quite a while. I read the first two books, gave up after Crown of Midnight, then my friend convinced me to give the series another try. Which I did, and I was happy for it.
These days, you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone, other than a hardcore stan, who'll admit to enjoying Throne of Glass and its sequels, because so many in the community look down on the series for its ge...
February 17, 2017
Review: City of Glass
City of Glass by Cassandra ClareMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Good thing I'm rereading this third Mortal Instruments book now - they're already adapting elements of its story into the Freeform series. Like Alec and Magnus eventually taking their relationship public, Hodge being kept in the cells under Idris, the introduction of Aldertree (whom the TV series serves up with a heaping dose of Adaptational Attractiveness, of course), and a few other storylines I can't discuss here because spoilers.
I...
February 15, 2017
Review: The Immortal Rules
The Immortal Rules by Julie KagawaMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
So I kinda remember reading this one a few years back, when I was first getting into Julie Kagawa and gobbling up the Iron Fey books right and left, but for whatever reason I slept on this trilogy and didn't really enjoy it enough to complete it. Now, however, I'm glad I took a trip back to The Immortal Rules, because I'm realizing now, five years after its publication when The Walking Dead was in its heyday, this book captures the...
February 13, 2017
Review: City of Ashes
City of Ashes by Cassandra ClareMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
And the series continues! Out of the original TMI trilogy, this one is my favorite, for several reasons. One, Max made his debut here - they should have introduced him in Book 1, he would have made a great deal of fun for everyone. And also, this one has the most memorable humor out of all of them. My favorite being this exchange: (warning: my quotes may not be exact)
Jace: I guess it's true what they say. There are no straight men in...
Review: RoseBlood
RoseBlood by A.G. HowardMy rating: 1 of 5 stars
*sigh*
I'm sorry, but as much as I love A.G. Howard and her beautiful books, I couldn't bring myself to finish this one. Not only did I go in with trepidation because I'd heard the book overuses the "Gypsy" slur (to make matters worse, it's the half-Romani narrator who uses it, and it's pretty clear she has no intention of reclamation), not only did I go in with next to no knowledge of The Phantom of the Opera, but I also went in with tons of...
