Roadside Reader - YA/Fantasy

[Lulu [at] Reckless Reading]

On my site, I post reviews on mostly fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, and YA. New reviews tend to go up on Mondays and Fridays, with book memes and other fun stuff going up during the week :)

http://www.roadsidereader.com/

[Lulu [at] Reckless Reading]

New review:


I was a big fan of the Sookie Stackhouse series (the show, not so much.) But, for some reason, I just hadn’t been able to really get into Charlaine Harris’ other series’ (Lily Bard, Aurora Teagarden.) But, when I read about Midnight Crossroad, it felt like something different and yet, familiar at the same time. I was intrigued enough to buy the book and give it a once over. Well, let me tell you, I am HOOKED! Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris is a fantastic urban fantasy read that feels like it should be read under the sun, with a fun drink in hand. I mean, there’s murder and mystery of course, but it still feels light. It feels fun. It feels quirky.

Read More: http://www.roadsidereader.com/midnigh...

[Lulu [at] Reckless Reading]

A serial killer raising a young orphan girl in a post apocalyptic landscape? You’ve already got me sucked in! The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis was one of the books I have been most excited about reading this year and it certainly lived up to the hype! This book was absolutely, devastatingly amazing. Cruel, yet oddly uplifting.
Full Review: http://www.roadsidereader.com/the-wol...



It’s hard to find a title that actually lives up to the Epic Fantasy genre claim. Many try, and fall very short of reaching the standards some, possibly just I?, have when it comes to Epic Fantasy. Age of Myth by Michael J Sullivan, however, manages to take the genre and run with it, creating his own new and unique world that feels very epic and very fantasy, without falling into tired tropes. It is very fast-paced, possibly too fast, which is what I felt was its main downfall, knocking it down a star.
Full Review: http://www.roadsidereader.com/age-of-...



In The Arrival of Missives by Aliya Whiteley, the author continues to stun me with her expert wordcraft. Transitioning from the previous short work of New Weird fiction, The Beauty, Ms. Whiteley easily feels at home in the historical/science fiction genre. It was a solid short story, which I thoroughly enjoyed, however, I could not give it higher stars since I did end up feeling a little cheated towards the end. Perhaps it is because Ms. Whiteley is such a great author, I wanted more out of The Arrival of Missives. Literally, more — I wanted the story to continue.
Full Review: http://www.roadsidereader.com/the-arr...

[Lulu [at] Reckless Reading]

I have been EAGERLY anticipating Dark Matter by Blake Crouch since I first heard about it. The premise of alternate realities is something I absolutely love and this novel definitely delivered! The story was fast-paced, exciting, and the science seemed super interesting.
Full Review: http://www.roadsidereader.com/dark-ma...

[Lulu [at] Reckless Reading]

Just seeing Icarus and labyrinth, I was extremely excited! Being a huge Greek mythology nerd (and a classics minor student in uni), I knew I needed to read this, thinking it would be heavily mythology based. Surprisingly, it wasn’t really. Instead, Children of Icarus by Caighlan Smith is more of a general YA dystopian novel, which isn’t to say that’s a bad thing. Just different from what the short synopsis seemed to suggest.
Full Review: http://www.roadsidereader.com/childre...

[Lulu [at] Reckless Reading]

This book was so amazing that immediately after finishing it, I purchased TWO copies for myself. If that doesn’t tell you something, I don’t know what else will. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff is an amazing feat wordsmanship that takes your breath away with the very first chapter. The worldbuilding, character development, pacing, and story are incredible, each at the very top of excellence. Do yourself a favor, if you’re in the US, go pre-order this right now while you still can and get a signed copy of the book. If you’re in the UK, try picking up one of the special editions. This is likely the best fantasy book I’ve read in 2016, or even in a very long while. Probably not since The Name of the Wind have I been so enthralled (and this author actually seems like he will continue writing the series instead of abandoning it like Rothfuss did after The Wise Man’s Fear.)
FULL REVIEW: http://www.roadsidereader.com/neverni...



A global environmental disaster sets the backdrop for The Sunlight Pilgrims by Jennie Fagan, yet for all that the synopsis emphasizes these apocalyptic times, the story focuses more on family connections and growing up/living in a small town. The main part of the story that drew me in and kept me interested was Stella and seeing her try to cope with life in a tiny, bigoted crowd.
FULL REVIEW: http://www.roadsidereader.com/sunligh...

[Lulu [at] Reckless Reading]

It’s not every day you find a book where the Devil is accidentally conjured and a wife accidentally sold. It’s even rarer to find one where it’s actually funny, which is why The Gentleman by Forrest Leo was such a fantastic treat to read! The writing is so well done that you find yourself swept away with Savage in his quest to save his wife and stop trying to think rationally about anything. For such a bumbling fool, the author does a tremendous job portraying the charisma that has kept Savage afloat in society for so long.
FULL REVIEW: http://www.roadsidereader.com/the-gen...

[Lulu [at] Reckless Reading]

I was immediately drawn to this book by its amazingly stunning cover. Pair that with an exciting synopsis about monsters and secrets, I was hooked. While The Kraken Sea by E Catherine Tobler certainly delivered on what the synopsis promised, I did feel like the entire story (which was more of a short novella being only 128 pages long) was extremely rushed. The characters, while seemed well developed, but we never really went in-depth with any and the world-building lacked, leaving many questions unanswered.

FULL REVIEW: http://www.roadsidereader.com/the-kra...