SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion
Archive: Past Team Challenges
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R12: Team #2 ~ Read or PAIRish
NancyHelen, have a good trip and wave as you fly over.
Yay! Stamp Dancing for you Team #2 LOL
I requested the stamps for Dark and Stormy and Favorite!
Shelf updates:#7 Aug 26 - Urban Fantasy
✔ Steph: Kitty Saves the World - review
✔ Nancy: Fool Moon - review
JustMel: City of Bones
✔ Vivian: Stolen - review
✔ Steph: Tangling with the Tiger - review
✔ NancyHelen: Magic Bites - review
✔ JustMel: Tiger Billionaire: The Whole Story - review
✔ Vivian: Skinwalker - review
✔ Steph: My Savior - review
✔ NancyHelen: Moon Called - review
✔ JustMel:Succubus Blues - review
✔ Vivian: Kitty Steals the Show - review
#11 Sept 23 - Cover Love
✔ Steph: Wicked Embers - review
NancyHelen: Shiver
JustMel: Succubus On Top
✔ Vivian: Days of Blood & Starlight - review
#12 Sept 30 - Itchy Witch
✔ Steph: Magic for a Price - review
NancyHelen: Magic Burns
JustMel: Demon Street Blues
✔ Vivian: Blood Engines - review
#13 Oct 7 - New2You Series
✔ Steph: Hell Bent - review
NancyHelen: Fantasy Lover
JustMel: Night Pleasures
✔ Vivian: Unshapely Things - review
Vivian wrote: "I requested the stamps for Dark and Stormy and Favorite!"Yay!!
I finished my book Friday night. I'll post my review before this week's shelf. Hope everyone's having a good weekend.
CONGRATULATIONS, Read or PAIRish!We now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'dark & stormy' and 'favorite'.
[Our updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Woohoo!! Keep those reviews comin'! :D
Congrats on the stamps Read or Pairish!
Series: Allie Beckstrom
Shelf: Itchy Witch
Read: 3 Oct
Rating: ✮✮✮✮½
Review:
Magic for a Price is the final book in Devon Monk's Allie Beckstrom series. I got a late start to this series, but my procrastination to start it paid off because I was able to jump from book to book without a single minutes wait. And, it was glorious. Each book ends on a cliffhanger - each cliff and its hang varied, but I do not envy those who had to wait between installments.
Magic for a Price picks up days after Magic Without Mercy. Allie and gang are recuperating and dealing with the aftereffects of a major magical battle. In Allie's world, "The first rule of magic is if you use magic, it uses you. There is always a price to pay for using magic. Always." This fact really set the tone for the unique world Monk created with this series. Throughout each book and the battles fought in them, the characters' price for using magic changes them - sometimes for the better, sometimes not.
I'd accrued quite a list of questions throughout this series and Monk did a great job of answering them in a very fluid manner throughout the finale. Similar to Monk's House Immortal series, this series' side characters are as big a part to the story as the mains, in my opinion. They are all well hashed out with their own journeys and growth throughout the series.
Speaking of side characters, I'm so happy I don't have to leave Allie's world entirely just yet - I have the spin-off Broken Magic (featuring Shame and Terric) duet to read next. And, in Monk's last newsletter, she announced a spin-off spin-off, of sorts. (view spoiler)
You finished the series woohoo! Even though it's sad to see favorite series end, I feel so accomplished and am excited to see characters get some peace and HEAs (assuming there's a happy ending).
I did :) True! I'm stuck between the yay-another-one-completed and the awww-it's-over. LOL! I really had fun reading that series. It had its issues here and there, but overall, a blast to read and get lost in.
Shelf: Itchy Witch
Date finished: Oct 6
Rating: 3 stars
Blood Engines is the first in a series about sorcerer Marla Mason, she is practical, self-preserving, and not above using others for her own benefit. This story is a race against time, another sorcerer is putting together a spell to take out Marla and she needs to locate a magical Cornerstone in order to survive. She and her sidekick travels to San Francisco to find the item just as someone is killing off powerful sorcerers in the city and they get tangled in all sorts of situations with gods, frogs, and sex parties.
The first half of the story is a slow build and none of the characters are immediately lovable. Luckily, the second half picks up and moves quickly as Marla and a mishmash of characters work together to save San Francisco. I don't love Marla but I see her character starting to soften up a little and maybe show an inkling of feelings for those close to her. The series has room to grow and improve and I may continue to see where it goes.
We can claim the Meow! shelf stamp tomorrow! I just finished reading and will post my review tomorrow since it's getting late and I have to go to bed... :(
Great review, Vivian. I've seen that one around, but haven't read it. Yay on another stamp! :)
Just a couple more hrs until our next shelf announcement.
Our next shelf is up! New2You Series | Read: the first book in a new2you seriesGuess what I'll be reading? :D
Thanks, Mr R! Also, this shelf brings us one more closer to a winning pattern. If/when we get our COVER LOVE and ITCHY WITCH stamp, then this one and DRAGONS is ever called (before another team wins) WE WIN! :D
Shelf is up! New2You Series. My pick is
. Side note, this is an actual paper book from the library. It will be weird for me to need actual light to read, I'm so used to reading at night in the dark lol.Hope everyone is having a good week. I've been in fall cleaning mode and the dust is so not good with my allergies but I like the idea of cleaning out crap. Also have a box of books I'm letting go of. I figure if it's been two years and I haven't read you, you can be donated. That's probably a good time frame?
I've got that one TBR too. I'll be interested to hear how you like it. Yeah, last PB I read frustrated me b/c I couldn't read it in bed without waking hubby w/the book light. How quickly we get used to reading on ebook readers, yah? I do miss physically flipping pages and handling my books though. Man, that sounded kinda Creepy McCreeperson. It's always nice to clean out crap - lighten the load. I'm trying to get motivated to do the same. It's always difficult for me to let go of books, but I figure they're off to the library so someone else will love on them. I think two years is a good amount of time. If it's been that long and you look at it now with no real interest to read it I think it's probably safe to donate.
Shelf: Meow!
Date Finished: 10/05/15
Rating: 4/5 STARS
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Fair warning: this was originally published as a four part series, so there are some repetitions and things are a bit choppy. This does not detract from the story as a whole, however. Some of the sayings and the way the characters spoke may seem a bit off, but keep in mind that this was written by a British author. I actually liked that about this book.
The characters were very well written, and the fated mates angle was a big hit with me (as usual). The friendship and loyalty between Dahlia and Finola was very believable. It reminded me a bit of my relationship with my girls. Finola is a determined young woman who is trying to get on her feet and stay there after a bit of a trouble in her childhood, and to get over her rude ex-boyfriend. Sebastian is a strong wealthy young man who tries to escape fate, but of course fails. The two of them are an excellent match despite their financial differences.
One thing I absolutely loved about this story was the action. The bad guy reminded me so much of Rumplestiltskin (aka the Dark Lord from Once Upon a Time) with the way he behaved and how he spoke, which made for an excellent bad guy. On the other hand, the thing I disliked the most was all the whining and crying in the final section of the book before the big showdown. Finola was really starting to get on my nerves. However, the ending makes up for this and the story ends well.
So all-in-all, this was a good read, and I will definitely take a look at other works by this author.
Happy Reading, Mel!
Nice review Mel! Sounds like a fun series. I will update and request our stamp later today when I'm on my laptop.It is definitely hard to part with books, and with series they are so pretty all bundled together on the shelf but I got cut throat, packed a second box for donation.
On a side note, I am currently obsessed with this tea:
I don't think my body appreciates the daily caffeine but it is yummy.
LOL! Sometimes you gotta make room for those you want to save indefinitely and those you know you'll want to read. Painful, I hear ya!I've never been a fan of tea. LOL about the caffeine. I used to drink so many Coca-Colas a day that I joked I needed an IV instead. But, I've since kicked my coke(cola)-fiend habit for the most part and cut it down to one can a day and water only the rest of the day. YAY me! But, hubby likes tea, so I'll mention this one to him.
Hi guys - just checking in again. We're safely in our new home in Adelaide. We're all very jet lagged and I still haven't quite got my head around the fact we're here. We managed to get a wifi dongle working in the house but internet is limited. Give me a day or so and I'll get myself organised again and I'll get caught up...!
WOOHOO! Glad you made it safely, NancyHelen & Fam! Enjoy Australia! Rest and recoup. We're not goin' anywhere.
Glad u guys made it safely NancyHelen!
I still drink it a couple times a year but coke scares me. When I can use a liquid to clean oil from the driveway and remove rust, I try to limit my consumption. Requesting stamp now :)
Glad you made it safely NancyHelen!Steph - just saw your pick for this week, just a tad obsessed with that world aren't we? ;)
Welcome NancyHelen!!!!! That jetlag can be a killer, and the kids wouldn't know why they feel crotchedy so wind down and enjoy the weather. LOL.To those elsewhere, the weather has been crazy here, we were in the mid 30's (95ishF) on Monday & Tuesday and back down to 21-26 Wed & Thur & back up to 28 today. And it would be similar in Adelaide, cause the weather is coming from that direction :)
Vivian wrote: "Glad you made it safely NancyHelen!Steph - just saw your pick for this week, just a tad obsessed with that world aren't we? ;)"
Absolutely! Though I haven't had much read time since I started it :/ When I obsess, I OBSESS! LOL! ;)
CONGRATULATIONS, Read or PAIRish!We now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'meow'.
[Our updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Woohoo!! :D
Congrats on the stamp Read or Pairish!
:) Thank ya, ma'am
OK, I think I've figured out where I'm at. I hate feeling disorganised!I've still got
and
to finish. And for the shelf call I missed, I'll read
.
Hi team! Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. I hid out in a library for a few hours to keep cool today and got a little studying/reading done. Finished this week's book, review to come shortly. I am hoping the weather cools down soon, I don't understand temperatures in the 90s in the fall.
Shelf: New2You
Date finished: Oct 11
Rating: 3 stars
This isn't the best series debut I've read but it's not the worst either. Connor Grey is a druid assisting police with a murder investigation that involves faeries. He has also lost most of his magical mojo and is trying to accept the new him with limitations and also realizes the powerful him was a jerk and makes attempts to be a better person. The story is told in a realistic way, Connor actually sleeps and showers and there are lulls in his day where he has to wait on others and spends hours on the boring investigative stuff. That and some info-dumps made parts drag but I did enjoy the story and the slow reveal of the murderer.
There are fun side characters like Stinkwort the oreo-loving Flit (call him Joe) and Meryl, don't know how to describe her but she's awesome. They bring a little snark and liven up the story.
Neither do I... Beyond ready for summer to call it quits.
Good morning ladies! Finished my PNR shelf read last night. Review coming later this afternoon. Get ready to claim another stamp!
Question... Can I change my cover love book? I really wanna read the next Georgina Kincaid book for that shelf... Now that I'm hooked...
You can definitely change the book, just let me know which one so I can make the change. Georgina is so addicting, I really enjoyed that series :)
Hey guys! Hope everyone is doing well!Good review, Vivian. I've had that one TBR for a while.
Series: Broken Magic #1
Shelf: New2You Series
Read: 11 Oct
Rating: ✮✮✮✮☆
Review:
Hell Bent is Monk's Allie Beckstrom spin-off. It features Shamus Flynn, Death magic user and Terric Conley, Life magic user. The two are Soul Complements or "Breakers" who, when using magic together, are able to break magic and make it do whatever they want. The story picks up three years after the events in Allie's finale, Magic for a Price. It is not necessary to read Allie Beckstrom first or at all, though I recommend reading it if you enjoy Hell Bent because it will give readers further background into the world and characters, some of which overlap in both series.
If Shame and Terric had a Facebook page, their relationship status would most definitely be: 'It's Complicated'. They each struggle to contain their individual magics while dealing with the consequences. Shame is ... starving for life. The Death magic inside [him] demand[s] to be fed life. Any life. [His], if there was nothing else to devour. It [grows] stronger, more uncontrolled, the more [he] denie[s] it. Conversely, each time [Terric] used Life magic, it took him longer to come back to being [himself] ... when [they used magic together] Terric wasn't Terric anymore. He wasn't human. And [Shame fears] one of these days [Terric] wasn't going to recover from that.
"Soul Complements are in a unique position. When they work magic together, they are able to briefly break magic into its dark and light states, and cast it once again with the full force and effect it once offered."The gang has recently learned that Soul Complements are being targeted by the government. Since the every-day magic user's magical impact has weakened, the government wants to use the power Soul Complements possess as a weapon. Upon learning of this news, some pairs decide the flee, but Shame and Terric as well as Allie and Zayvion are not runners they're fighters. To make matters worse, an old enemy resurfaces and is killing with magic.
I really enjoyed the first book in the Broken Magic duet. From the start, Shame has been one of my favorite characters, so I was happy to have the opportunity to learn more about him and his Soul Complement, Terric. And, it was great catching up with characters from Allie Beckstrom. Monk, always good at creating intriguing side characters, has introduced several very likable, new characters. One book remains, Stone Cold, then I'll finally be forced to say farewell to this magical world and its strong characters.
Cool beans!!! So for the Cover Love shelf, I will be reading
Shelf: PNR
Date Finished: 10/12/15
Rating: 5/5 STARS
Ok. So first off, let it be known that I am COMPLETELY HOOKED on this series after just one book. I have officially added myself to Richelle Mead's fan list.
This book had some of everything it seemed. Romance, action, mystery, erotica (just a bit), comedy... And even though this is clearly paranormal (with Georgina being a centuries old succubus and all), the entire story was written in a way that made everything seem real. Georgina drew me right in (who knew succubus powers worked through digital words too!). She had me sticking up for her, hurting along with her, puzzling out the mystery with her, aching for the guys in her life with her, sympathizing with her...
Georgina treated her friends like family. She struck me as being the "mama" of the group. Something I could relate to since I'm the one my friends tend to turn to for advice, and the one always worried and nagging them to be safe lol. The other characters were just as well written and had me liking and/or seriously disliking them depending on who they were. The twist wasn't a huge surprise since I was following the mystery rather closely, but it was very satisfying to find out I was right :)
Overall... AWESOME read! I will most definitely be reading the next book in this series, and plan to do so in the very near future. (And I mean in the next few days...)
Great reviews ladies! Glad you both enjoyed your reads. I am looking forward to a new shelf tomorrow. Been taking a break from the paranormal with Gummi Bears Should Not Be Organic: And Other Opinions I Can't Back Up With Facts. I'm not a parent but working with kids and having nieces and nephews it's still really entertaining. Requested our PNR stamp.
Mel - if you're on a roll with Georgina, you can always read #3 for the urban fantasy shelf :)
This is what I have for outstanding shelves, let me know if I missed anything.#7 Aug 26 - Urban Fantasy
✔ Steph: Kitty Saves the World - review
✔ Nancy: Fool Moon - review
JustMel: Succubus Dreams
✔ Vivian: Stolen - review
✔ Steph: Wicked Embers - review
✔ NancyHelen: Shiver - review
✔ JustMel: Succubus On Top - review
✔ Vivian: Days of Blood & Starlight - review
✔ Steph: Magic for a Price - review
✔ NancyHelen: Magic Burns - review
✔ JustMel: Demon Street Blues - review
✔ Vivian: Blood Engines - review
#13 Oct 7 - New2You Series
✔ Steph: Hell Bent - review
✔ NancyHelen: Halfway to the Grave - review
JustMel: Night Pleasures
✔ Vivian: Unshapely Things - review
#13 Oct 14 - Reader's Choice
✔ Steph: Boundary Lines - review
✔ NancyHelen: Blood Bound - review
JustMel:
✔ Vivian:Kitty in the Underworld - review
#14 Oct 21 - Coupledom
✔ Steph: Burn - review
NancyHelen: Follow the Crow
JustMel:
✔ Vivian: Blood Assassin - review
I'm so sorry I've fallen behind. Can I switch out my New2You read to
instead? I did start
but I couldn't get into it, so I moved on to Halfway to the Grave instead and I am enjoying it much more.
That's a fun one NancyHelen! One of the first series I started reading when I got into the whole paranormal stuff. Some of my favorite vampires are still from that series. I'll change it now.And not trying to put pressure on anyone but we have 8 in a row! Honestly, the game is supposed to be fun, not stressful. Life is busy, this is probably the first time this late in the game I'm actually caught up with all my reading. I'm just excited that we're close to a bingo!
Oh, boy. OK, I'm going to get on now. Its just that my normal reading time - from when the kids go to bed until about 11.30pm - has been all over the place because I have been so exhausted. I keep falling asleep over my book/iPad, which really annoys me. A week on from the move and I am slowly adjusting but I'm not quite there yet. I hate my reading time being swallowed up by the need to sleep!
SOS: Serious Overload of Series
Books mentioned in this topic
Throttle Me (other topics)A Mad Zombie Party (other topics)
The Queen of Zombie Hearts (other topics)
Hidden Sins (other topics)
Magic Strikes (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Patricia Briggs (other topics)B.B. Griffith (other topics)
Jeaniene Frost (other topics)
Ilona Andrews (other topics)
Patricia Briggs (other topics)
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Shelf: Favorites
Date Finished: 10/02/15
Rating: 5/5 STARS
Ladies and gentlemen! A.W. Exley has done it AGAIN!!!
Aside from the sadness I feel from this being the final book in the Artifact Hunters series, I was completely glued! Filled with action from start to finish, it was very easy to sink back into Cara and Nate's steampunk/paranormal world. As is her usual style, A.W. Exley creates a world of steam vehicles mingling with horse drawn carriages and Queen Victoria herself.
With London trapped in a seemingly unending winter, Nate and Cara are given an assignment from the Queen to find the source and put a stop t it. The dynamic duo learn more about Cara's family's past, and Cara gets a taste of the lengths Nate would go to in order to keep her safe. Cara also learns a thing or two about herself and continues to grow.
I loved the way this story ended, even though I definitely wanted (needed) more. I would have liked to see what happened with Cara and Nate's growing family, what happens with Fraser, and of course all the artifacts!
All in all, this series is a must read and I highly recommend it to lovers of steampunk, and the paranormal romance genres.