Ricky Pine's Blog, page 63

Review: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Honestly, it's weird how much every time I try a Kiersten White book, I never really get into it. Though this one's my favorite of hers that I've read so far - and I'm more than hopeful that the very forthcoming Slayer is quick to take over that throne - it's not saying much when all the other Kiersten White books I've read have really disappointed me. Not unlike my strange inability to really get into Holl...

The Crimes Of Grindelwald: "You Never Met A Monster You Couldn't Love."

***NO SPOILERS FOR THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD, BUT SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST FANTASTIC BEASTS FILM, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE HARRY POTTER NOVELS, ABOUND HEREIN. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.***

Over the years, it's become a running gag of sorts that J.K. Rowling will drop a whole new bit of long-hidden behind-the-scenes Potterlore on Pottermore, and virtually the entire internet rolls their collective eyes at her for having done so. Me, I'm enough of a lore fiend who's memorized so much tr...

Review: Muse of Nightmares

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think I could've done with a reread of Strange the Dreamer before tackling Laini Taylor's latest, especially given that the first book came out over a year and a half ago and I kinda forgot most of what happened. Well, to be fair, that first book was baroque as hell and, dare I say, a little self-indulgent in its weirdness. And in hindsight, it really does feel like a major case of Prolonged Prologue leading up to Muse of Nightmar...

Review: The Traitor Baru Cormorant

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this one on Alta's recommendation and my feelings about it are...decidedly mixed. I mean, she compared it to The Fifth Season - pretty high praise. And when the book opens up, it pretty well lives up to such a comparison by plunging the reader straight into a world where a distant empire enforces an oppressive regime, forcing its colonies to adhere to a certain unreasonable standard of racial and sexual "purity." No...

Review: Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee

Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another ARC I've gotten at work, and here it's Jeff Zentner's third novel. He really wowed me with The Serpent King a few years back, getting five stars for feels alone just like Adam Silvera does with all his books thus far. Now, we get a good spiritual successor to Zentner's debut in Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee, which plays out like a sort of cross between The Serpent King and iCarly, if you can believe th...

Review: Kingdom of Ash

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I like the title a lot more than I should. People who know me well enough will know why.

Though I'm not impressed with that bright yellow background on the cover. It's like they wanted it to look like someone got into the printer's room and went number one all over every copy. I mean, it looks better in person when the colors are a little more muted and the title shines more brightly and silver-like, but printed here on GR it looks a litt...

Review: The Luminous Dead

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, thank you, Harry, for bringing this ARC to my attention.

Harry told me today that he was really amazed by the level of talent displayed by Caitlin Starling in this, her debut novel, and I have to say he's very well on the mark. I can see the comparison to Annhiliation from the back-cover copy pretty easily, though it manages to be more minimalist - driven mostly by two characters, one of whom is predominantly offscreen in a mi...

Review: Vengeful

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The follow-up to Vicious could very well be the end of another duology for Schwab, which I rather hope to be the case given how long and arduous and difficult the process for writing this book was, according to her. But also because it finally builds up to a really satisfying ending - even with a hint of "And the adventure continues!" - that I'd really, really, really hate to see her write a third book that overrides it. Once again, I find mys...

Review: As She Ascends

As She Ascends by Jodi Meadows
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"It's just building and building and becoming more and more toxic! It's a botched job!"
-The Thirteenth Doctor

I feel like not enough people are reading this trilogy, and when it comes to selling them at work...well, to paraphrase that one Imperial official whom Darth Vader was telling off at the start of Return of the Jedi say it, I shall double my efforts. Especially in the wake of this, the middle entry of the trilogy, which I'm feelin...

Review: Dactyl Hill Squad

Dactyl Hill Squad by Daniel José Older
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think this is Older's first MG book? Whatever the count of MG books he's got, this one's one of his best by far. It's a concept that's unbelievably imaginative, a historical fantasy centering black and brown kids in 1863 New York, fighting a society that even though there aren't supposed to be slaves in New York, it's still racist af and there's one Magistrate Riker (for whom Rikers Island was not, in fact, named, per Older's...