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Archive: Past Team Challenges
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R7: Team #4 ~ 4get the Competition
Lol get the popcorn ready! You get to meet some pretty famous people in the next one and the giant squirrel is CRAZY!
A giant squirrel! Oh my!I'm going to have to wait a few on reading that one. I got a hold of the short stories and want to read those before I read book three!
I cannot wait!
Shelf: Angels & Demons
Book: Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione
Finished: July 9th
Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
Review:
Series Note: Eternal Rider is book #1 in Lords of Deliverance the spin off of the Demonica series. There are numerous references in the book the characters and events from Demonica and it may be difficult for newcomers to fully grasp Ione's world without reading that series first - forewarned is forearmed!
The story has tremendous potential but unfortunately, the romance falls flat.
The emotional bond between Ares and Cara is non-existent and they have absolutely nothing in common. In fact, Cara is overly judgmental and holier than thou about Ares's past while Ares sees Cara as weak and ineffectual. Both are right and wrong, which makes it difficult to sympathize with either character. Cara eventually grows a backbone and gets over herself but her sudden acceptance of the darkness and violence in the world of the Horsemen is unrealistic. Ares gets in touch with his sensitive side and learns to accept Cara but it is all too little too late.
The prophecy surrounding Ares is problematic for two reasons. First, the syntax is ambiguous and there seems to be an error in word choice (view spoiler) that the editor has failed to catch. This wouldn't be too bad if the prophecy didn't play such a pivotal role in the plot and make it difficult for the reader to wrap their head around certain events (view spoiler). Second, the resolution of the prophecy is contrived with the sudden and inexplicable appearance of heretofore unseen character (view spoiler).
So why the 3.5 stars? Ione's writing and world building are engrossing, and the premise of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse fighting their potential for evil while attempting to prevent the prophecy of Armageddon coming to pass is fascinating and well worth the effort of reading the book.
Moreover, the secondary characters are very compelling. Reseph AKA Pestilence is exceedingly complex and it will be interesting to see if and how Ione manages to redeem him. The other Horsemen (or persons) are fleshed out well, particularly Limos, whose secrets will be unveiled in the next installment.
Dystopian ShelfRead:
by Veronica RothFinished: 7/9/13
Rating:★★★★☆
Review:
4.25
So I'm late to the party on this one but I'm glad I finally read it! The world building was pretty unique and Tris and Four were well written. It took me a second to get into it but once I reached the halfway mark I couldn't put it down. I love it when the villains are written to where you absolutely hate them. Ms. Roth did an excellent job with the villains, I hate them with every bone in my body. Looking forward to seeing what book 2 brings us!
Lauren I have one more Demonica book to go then I'll be ready for the Lords of Deliverance Series. I love the idea of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse can't wait to get to those!
My dystopian book :)
- ★★★★☆ - 09/07/13It was a great end to the series and plenty happened to keep it interesting. Some of the things that happened were completely unexpected and I had to read back over a few pages to make sure I'd got it right. (view spoiler) It did live up to my hopes though and I'm very glad that I chose to read this series, even if the wait between books was annoying.
Looks like we're on a roll with the reviews today, ladies! Great work. @Jenne - I really enjoyed the Demonica series. Hope that LOD lives up to expectations...
Stamp Update:We need:
1 more review for: Strong Heroine and Cover Love.
2 reviews for: Angels & Demons and Dystopian
I finished
for the Strong Heroines shelf on 7/6/13.Rating: ★★★★★
Review: Wasn't really sure what the book was about when I bought it, but I ended up loving it. It was pretty exciting. I really loved some of the characters. A little bit of a cliffhanger ending. I'm totally dying for the next book now, and I think I have to wait like a year for it. :-(
It is so great when you find an unexpected gem. Glad you enjoyed it, Alyssa.
Yay! Off to get our Strong Heroines stamp:Shelf #3: Strong Heroines
✔Lilac: The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau - June 18th, ★★★: Review
✔ Jenne: Dark Protector by Alexis Morgan - June 15th, ★★★★: Review
✔ Alyssa: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - July 6th, ★★★★★: Review
✔ Lauren: The Maze by Catherine Coulter - June 22nd, ★★: Review
✔ Kimberly: Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost - June 20th, ★★★★: Review
CONGRATULATIONS, 4get the Competition!You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'strong heroines'.
[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Good Job!! :D
Thanks Steph! That was really quick :0)
Welcome! Caught me while I was online. ;) WTG 4TC!
OOOO! I like 4TC!! It makes us sound like a biker gang!!!
Congrats 4get the Comp!
Maybe keepers will get called today :)
I'm ready for a new shelf!!!
We sure need to buckle down and get our stamps in. We have two 4 in a rows now and the game has been going for a bit now.
I'm going to read
and hope it's better than the cover lol.....
Generally Kaitlyn O'Connor's books are way better than the covers. LOL.
Yay, another 4 in a row! :)I would really like us to win but at the same time I don't want the game to end yet. It's been lots of fun and helped me to decide what to read next.
Anyway, in case either Keepers or Vampires is called next Saturday I've made sure that I have books that will fit into those shelves on hand so if they do get called I'll be able to read them straight away.
For aliens I'll be reading
Yahoo! two 4 in a row!Stamp Update:
Cover Love - 1 review
Angels & Demons - 2 reviews
Dystopian - 2 reviews (this one isn't a priority as it only gives us 2 in a row).
I was going to read
for the Free space but ended up reading something else. So I will read it for for the Aliens shelf instead.
@Lilac - do you know what you'll be reading for the Angels & Demons shelf? Just so my OCD can be kept under control, lol!
I've dropped Alyssa a note to come on by for an update when she gets a chance. I know that she's been busy with her move so I'm hoping it will be soon :0)Happy reading everyone!
I've got my Angels and Demons book done. Hopefully, I'll get the review up later today. I think I'm going to read Cover Love next.
I finished
for the Angels and Demons shelf on 7/12/13.Rating: ★★★★★
Review: Re-read before the movies comes out. Loved it just as much as before. I'm going to have to catch back up on this series. I have Book 5 just sitting around, and I haven't read it yet. O.O
Lauren wrote: "I've dropped Alyssa a note to come on by for an update when she gets a chance. I know that she's been busy with her move so I'm hoping it will be soon :0)Happy reading everyone!"
Thanks for checking up on me, Lauren.
I moved in with my friend and her boyfriend right at the end of June. Now, we're fixing up a place and moving by the end of July. So, of course, there's drama and chaos going on. I'm bound and determined to catch back up though.
Lauren, I'm interested to see what you think of Edge of Dawn since we're reading the same book.Go Team!!!
@Alyssa - no problem. Wow! A double move. That is very brave of you - moving even once is chaotic!@Kimberly - Yes, it will be interesting to see if we have the same reaction. I'm starting it today.
Sorry I'm having a hard time deciding between
and
for Angels and Demons. They're so different but I want to read them both.
Finished: 15 July
Aliens
Rating: 3 Stars
How long does a series have to go before it’s gone too far?
With so many characters and having to remember their back story, this was like reading with a bunch of marbles in my head. I almost wish this were a spin off rather than a continuation of the original. Something like the Young Justice cartoon. But wait, this is kind of like the cartoon. The superhuman offspring are the stars of the show with the actual superheroes there to supervise. With an analogy like that, it makes it easier to understand the premise of this story and the others going forward. But that still doesn’t mean I was all that into it.
My other issue with this book is the story of Kellan and Mira. I could have cared less about the two of them. They were too melodramatic for me. “I love you Kellen. I can’t live without you. Blah blah blah…” And you know I skipped over all the smutty parts because I didn’t see the words “knitting needles,” “purl,” or “…making a sweater,” to make me care what they were doing while naked.
And seriously, what is up with the last few chapters having all the action? I think I’ve all about had it with having to wade through 250 pages just to get to the good stuff in the end.
I have to upgrade this to 3 stars because of the last few chapters. As much as I don’t want to, I’m willing to wade through just to find out more about the new threat against the Order.
I'm halfway through
- while the reboot of the world building is intriguing, Kellan and Mira just aren't speaking to me. I prefer the secondary characters :0(
Ill have my aliens book done today or tomorrow at the latest.
Shelf: Aliens
Book: Edge of Dawn by Lara Adrian
Finished: July 19th
Rating: 3 Stars
Review:
Edge of Dawn, book #11 in the Midnight Breed series, can be considered a reboot as it opens 20 years following the events of the previous 10 books and focuses on the children of the original warriors.
Fast forwarding into the future is usually a big no-no for me but in this case it works. Adrian has reinvented her initial world by reinforcing basic concepts and adding innovative tenets, such as a governing body comprised of both human and Breed members, rebel groups fighting against the new order, and a powerful, otherworldly enemy bent on destroying the Breed. It is also nice to catch up on the "old guard" and to see where their lives have taken them.
Unfortunately, the rest of the book is disappointing. The plot revolving around a conspiracy to annihilate the Order with UV technology takes a back seat to the romance, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if the romance between Mira and Kellen hadn't fallen completely flat.
Mira has grown into a hard and not particularly likable woman, and it is impossible not to mourn the loss of the sweet girl from the earlier books. Kellan is an unremarkable hero and the explanation for his disappearance is completely illogical (view spoiler). Their chemistry never manages to compensate for the flaws in their personalities.
In contrast, the secondary characters are much more appealing. Lucan's son, Dare, is very intriguing in his attempts to emerge from his father's shadow. Corinne's stoic son, Nathan, never allows his emotions free reign until he apparently meets his match. Chase and Tavia's children have obviously inherited some of their father's recklessness and there are several other Breed offspring of interest who will probably flesh out additional books in the series.
While this particular installment has its problems, Adrian's world building is fantastic and the premise of a new conflict between the Breed and the Atlanteans is original and exciting. I look forward to seeing what the Midnight Breed has install for us next.
Lauren, you said it a lot better than I could have.
Thanks Kimberly. I really love this series although this book doesn't quite manage to live up to the standards set by the previous ones. I'm hoping Nathan's book is better. It is set up nicely in this one.
SOS: Serious Overload of Series
Books mentioned in this topic
Marked (other topics)Marked (other topics)
Dune (other topics)
Marked (other topics)
Marked (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ilona Andrews (other topics)Jennifer Estep (other topics)
Kaitlyn O'Connor (other topics)
Veronica Roth (other topics)
Kevin Hearne (other topics)
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Finished: 9 July
Dystopian
Rating: 4 Stars
This was another fun installment of the adventures of Atticus, his trusty dog Oberon and their many friends. I swear, if Atticus had a car it would be a light blue Volkswagon Vanagon.
I especially liked seeing more of Lief and Hal. Other than the fact that one is a werewolf and the other is a vampire, I can't tell them apart. In fact, just thinking about them is making me laugh.
The next book is going to be fun because everyone's going to storm Asgaard? If it is anything like the battle at the end of this book, I'm making popcorn now.