Ricky Pine's Blog, page 137

Review: The Shadow Prince

The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

At first, I found the Haden chapters to be the book's weak point, until he and his little entourage began their work on How To Pass For Human. Hilariously, they failed in a lot of key ways, and their initial reactions to just about everything - Teslas, iPhones, etc. - were amusing as Tartarus.

Then, as the book moved on and Haden and Daphne's interactions grew more interesting, the story really picked up. In particular - the revelatio...

The Force Awakens: Mr. Abrams' Magnum Opus

(PLEASE NOTE: While I'm sure most people reading this review will have already seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens, for those who haven't, I'm endeavoring to keep things spoiler-free.)

True story: today, I finally got to see the most hyped, most amazing, all-around best movie of 2015. And when I got home, my mom, because she's not quite as into Star Wars as I am, decided to ask about the group I saw the movie with, and - I kid you not - one of her top questions was, "So, any girlfriend pros...

Review: Tandem

Tandem by Anna Jarzab
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this one because of the glowing praise from Marie Lu, and also for its hooky premise of parallel universes. And indeed, the parallel universes are the book's greatest strength, as it allows for some seriously excellent world-building. But sadly, this one wonderful aspect is saddled with a tired, hackneyed plot and characters who just didn't engage me as well as they should have.

Ironically, I'm currently reading another book that...

Review: Sky Key

Sky Key by James Frey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The sequel to The Calling is written in the same bizarre style as its predecessor - it still feels like a slightly-less-metaphorical Shatter Me, but the action is still as insanely Matthew Reilly-like as ever. Sure, a lot of storyline details and tropes feel like they were also recycled from The Lorien Legacies, but that doesn't ruin the enjoyment at all for me. I'm fully invested in this trilogy - I need to finish it now.

Sun Key - I'm assuming...

Review: Angel Killer

Angel Killer by Andrew Mayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I discovered this one when Andrew Mayne followed me on Twitter. His books looked interesting enough, so I followed him back and ordered this first book right away, as well as the second one.

I was not disappointed.

It comes in a larger-than-normal paperback like many lesser-known mystery novels I've seen - most of which are of the Christian-fiction variety. This one, though...not so much, not with the heavy use of Satanic imagery in the kil...

Review: Need

Need by Joelle Charbonneau
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm surprised to see how little love Joelle Charbonneau's been getting on Goodreads. Ever since I can remember, I've seen buttloads of bad reviews for The Testing and its sequels, but I loved how evil those books were, and how they expertly Hunger-Gamed standardized tests and college admissions. This book is a different kind of evil, a modern-day Twilight Zone story about a diabolical new social network, invitation-only, rolling out to stud...

Review: Johannes Cabal: The Fear Institute

Johannes Cabal: The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third adventure of old Johannes Cabal is, once again, Something Completely Different. The titular place enlists Cabal's help on an expedition into the land where Lovecraft's famous Eldritch Abomination creations reside - according to legend, anyway. Howard warns us from the outset that this book is going to be nightmarish, so we shouldn't laugh at it at all...and yet, that's exactly the reaction I have for...

Arrow's Most Diabolical Cliffhanger Yet

***SPOILER ALERT***

"Come, they told me, pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
A newborn king to see, pa-rum-pum-pum-pum..."
- "The Little Drummer Boy"

*sigh* Well, my loyal Pinecones, I'll just let Stephen Amell speak for me re: the above song.

Don't think I'll be listening to Little Drummer Boy anytime soon. #Arrow— Stephen Amell (@amellywood) December 10, 2015

Yeah, after they used it as the soundtrack to Felicity getting shot last night, I'm gonna change the station every time I hear this song. Even the excellen...

Review: The Iron Warrior

The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It took a long time for Kagawa to finish this series, and good thing too - she clearly took that long time, that extra time, to make sure it ended right. Ethan and Kenzie have already proven themselves worthy successors to Meghan and Puck and even Ash, and this book only cements that awesomeness of theirs. The whole time, the stakes are unbelievably high, as there's still that one tiny hope that Keirran can be redeemed in spite of the...

Review: The Elfstones of Shannara

The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So it's this book that the upcoming Shannara Chronicles MTV series is based on...cool. Coolcoolcool. I say that's better than them going for adapting Book 1, which, while still good, feels a little too Tolkien for a TV series. This book felt a little more personal, a little closer to its protagonist, and a little more adventurous too. Oh, but that ending, though...I'm dreading the day the TV series adapts that part. :(

Since t...