SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion
Archive: Past Team Challenges
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R4: Team #6 ~ Twisted Sixes
Title/Author: Sabriel by Garth Nix
Read for shelf: magic
Date finished: March 21
Rating: ★★★★
Review: If I tell you that this book had magic, zombies and early 20th century technology, I'm sure your reaction will be: WTH? But believe it or not, the author managed to create a cohesive world that seamlessly mixes all these elements in a way that makes sense.
The first part of the book was a bit slow because it was mostly Sabriel on her own. But once she gets some companions (a talking cat and a fellow mage), things become more interesting. Mogget (the cat) is particularly witty and Touchstone (the mage) is full of secrets, begging to be uncovered.
Tim Curry was marvelous as the narrator. His pacing, voices of different characters and emotions were right on point. His voice is also very soothing but powerful at the same time so it really conveyed that magical feeling you would expect in fantasy.
I really cannot wait to read the rest of the trilogy.
Great reviews, Ladies! I've finished mine as well. Just need to take a minute to get my thoughts together and post a review. Be back soon w/that.
It's Friday, yay!Really looking forward to the new shelf announcement tomorrow. :)
Shelf is up! It's PNR-UF. LOADS to choose from, but no idea what I'll read. Gotta look through my options and see what strikes my fancy. Plus, I owe ya'll a review for Oracle's Moon. Not sure if I'll have time to hop back on GR today or not. But, if not, Monday, I promise!Hope everyone has a great weekend and finds a good book to read this week. CHEERS!
Title/Author: Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
Read for shelf: magic
Date finished: Mar 24th
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½
Review: OK, so I like this overall story and series so I am giving it an adequate rating right now. I might like it more later, but right now I am a bit upset with our young Mr. Paolini so he isn't getting more than the 3 1/2 I've given him here.
This, like the other books in the series, was well conceived and moderately well executed. He is a developing writer so having lots of excess info that doesn't really have a substantial plot impact is to be expected.
HOWEVER.....WTF!!!!
All I can say here without being a super spoiler girl is that half (yes half) of this book had nothing to do with the actual story of this book. Gah!
I'm going to do some deep breathing now. ...in through the nose...out through the mouth....ahhhhhhhh
BSB Week 7 (Mar 18 - Mar 24):
magicCompleted: 5/5
D.G.: Sabriel Mar 21st ★ ★ ★ ★
Dana: Inheritance Mar 24th ★ ★ ★ ½
Josie: Undone Mar 21st ★ ★ ★ ★
Juana: The Immortal Highlander Mar 18th ★ ★ ★ ★
Steph: Oracle's Moon Mar 21st ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Dana wrote: "Title/Author: Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
Read for shelf: magic
Date finished: Mar 24th
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½
Review: OK, so I like this overall ..."
Sounds like he needed a stronger Editor Dana.
He did!I've listened to interviews with him before that were actually conducted by his editor and I honestly wondered if his editor was his high school girlfriend. Yikes! :)
That REALLY sucks, Dana! It seems you aren't the only one disappointed in the latest book of that series. I don't know that I'll ever read it given these reviews. I can read like a million books for the PNR-UF shelf but my goal is to read something from a series I started. I've been starting lots of series lately and need to get that under control.
Hey guys I will be reading Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward
for PNR-UF.
Oh no, Dana! I haven't got round to reading that yet but it's sad that it wasn't great for the last book of the series and for how long it took coming :(I'm probably, once again, not going to be able to read my book until Tuesday cos I have lots of work in. I think I'll go with
or
since like DG, I'm trying to finish some series :)
This one is HUGE!!!! So many choices...hhhhmmmm. I've got
all on my waiting list. The decision is the hardest part. :)
Sorry! Here's my review. Didn't mean to hold up our stamp! Crazy busy weekend!
Read: 20 Mar
Rating: ★★★★★
Shelf: magic
Review: We first met Grace and Khalil in Serpent's Kiss when Carling and Rune showed up seeking the Oracle. Khalil, a powerful Djinn, once concerned with the balance of favors (owned and owed), now finds himself concerned about the children in Grace's care, and eventually Grace herself. Grace, now the guardian of her niece and nephew, is struggling to make ends meet while raising the two darlings. She is also trying to get a handle on her new Oracle powers, passed down to her when her sister died.
After reading the snippet in the previous book, I knew that these two would be a fun pairing. But, I didn't expect to enjoy the story as much as I did. I was more into the story of Grace and Khalil, than the mystery, but that was interesting as well. The children were adorable, esp little Chloe. I loved watching Khalil change throughout the book; it was very touching.
I really enjoy this series and can't wait for the next book later this year. I couldn't resist the snippet at the end of OM and it's got my interest piqued!
BTW - I'm reading
for the 'PNR-UF' shelf.
For the PNR-UF shelf, I'm reading
. Going well but not great.
LOL! Those are very similar to each other. I have to space them out when I read from that series. Hope it perks up for ya. I actually enjoyed that one more than the first.
Oh yes...def. better than the first. I wasn't sure if I was going to continue that series because it's so similar to BDB but I haven't felt like reading BDB #7 so I figure I could pick this one up.But I agree. This really need to be spread out. :)
Yeah magic!!! Off to get a stamp. :)BSB Week 7 (Mar 18 - Mar 24): magic
Completed: 5/5
D.G.: Sabriel Mar 21st ★ ★ ★ ★
Dana: Inheritance Mar 24th ★ ★ ★ ½
Josie: Undone Mar 21st ★ ★ ★ ★
Juana: The Immortal Highlander Mar 18th ★ ★ ★ ★
Steph: Oracle's Moon Mar 21st ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Urban fantasy is the bomb!!! C=BSB Week 8 (Mar 25 - Mar 31): PNR - UF
Completed: 4/5
D.G.: Kiss of Crimson Mar 30th ★ ★ ★
Dana: The Darkest Seduction
Josie: Unknown Mar 31st ★ ★ ★ ★
Juana: Lover Reborn Mar 30th ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Steph: Angels' Flight Mar 28th ★ ★ ★ ★
Steph wrote: "Sorry! Here's my review. Didn't mean to hold up our stamp! Crazy busy weekend!"Hold up our stamp?!? Bah!
I loved the first Elder races book and really want to move forward with them. I was hesitant though because so much of what I liked had to do with Pia and Dragos and per PNR rules each new book will have new H/h to focus on, but.....
Check out book 5 right? Cool! I have to get my keister in gear and catch up so I am ready for Pia when she arrives again this fall. :) Yeah!
SHELF: PNR-UF
Title/Author: Kiss of Crimson by Lara Adrian
Read for shelf: pnr-uf
Date finished: March 30
Rating: ★★★
Review: This book was better than the first in the series but it was still very pedestrian. The hero was a hunk of a guy with commitment issues and the heroine was a beautiful woman haunted by her past. Hmmm...where have I heard that before?
I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters and didn't see how they fell in love so quickly. Although Dante said he loved her without the blood bond, I really don't know how that's possible when the bond was created on his side from the beginning and all his feelings for her seem to be tied to that.
Tess, the heroine, wasn't particularly bright or insightful. She had this very handy gift that could be used for right or wrong but she never uses it when her life is in danger. Nope, she has to wait for the hero to risk his life to save her because she's such a dimwit that she never makes uses of the weapons she has handy.
I don't see any progress in this series so most likely this will be it for me.
ALL DONE
Title/Author: Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward
Read for Shelf: PNR-UF
Date Finished: March 30, 2012
Rating: 5 stars
Review: Amazing, That is what I have to say. I mean who hasn't read the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and not liked it. Well Tohr is feeling masses of pain over the loss of his Shellan Wellsie. And by not letting her go Lasseter has told him that she stuck along with their son in a place called "the In Between". So in order to let Wellsie and their baby boy pass on to the Fade, he has to let them go. What better way Lasseter thinks than to feel love again for someone else. Wellsie is pleading with Lasseter to help her so she can go on. But first he has to convince Tohr that it will be best for everyone if he got with No'One one. Oh and Xcor and his band of bastards as they call them are still getting in the way, and worst of all is now they are targeting the uptight Glymera to try to sway them away from Wrath the Blind King. Will they succeed in their endever to destroy Wrath? Well only time will Tell. Will Tohr finally get over his shellans death and let them go? I'd like to think so.
Title/Author: Unknown by Rachel Caine
Date finished: 31st March
Rating: ★★★★
Review: Carrying on with my run of Rachel Caine was the second in the Outcast Season, with our fallen djinn Cassiel. I'm not going to say too much about the plot because it will be spoilery but I don't know if I like the police being so involved all the time. Cassiel is one of the most unique main character's I've ever read about. My fave scene was with her hand (anyone who's read it will understand lol), it was pretty awesome.
Hey, Ladies, great reviews! I've finished my book also, just need to take a few mins later today to write my review. I've got that one TBR, Juana, but have been hesitant to start it b/c I was so sad when Wellsie died and didn't see him with anyone else, esp No'One. But, I'll get to it shortly. AND, I saw that Quay is up in 2013! YIPPEEEE! She's always said they'd get a novella, which is a bummer, but I'll take whatever I can get. Maybe by now she gets that they deserve a full length book - that's what her fans (I'd imagine) all want anyway. We'll see.
This week's shelf is: 'Reader's Choice' *Personal shelf, not a GR shelf. And, looks like it still doesn't give any one team BINGO. YAY! Mr. R is being good to us and not ending the game yet.
Hope everyone has a great weekend! Don't forget ~ Today (for me) is April Fool's Day, so be on the look out for pranksters or fool someone for a laugh. ;)
I'll let ya know when I've chosen my RC book and be back later with my review of Angels' Flight.
Hey guys, for "Readers Choice" I will read
Seduced By A Spy by Andrea Pickens
I couldn't wait and started a book and then the shelf was called about 10 minutes later! Lol, oh well.So, I'm guessing for Reader's Choice you can choose any book so I'll probably go for
after I've finished my current book :)
For Reader's Choice, I'll be reading
.
Dana wrote: "Yeah magic!!! Off to get a stamp. :)BSB Week 7 (Mar 18 - Mar 24): magic
Completed: 5/5
D.G.: Sabriel Mar 21st ★ ★ ★ ★
Dana: Inheritance Mar 24..."
Did we get our stamp for magic?
Not yet, Steph's been busy. We were lucky to get the shelf announcement. LOL Don't worry you're in the queue :)
Oh sorry, Steph! Don't mean to rush you. ;)
No worries, DG. :) CONGRATULATIONS, Twisted Sixes!
We now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'magic'.
[Our updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Good Job!! :D
Angels' Flight by Nalini SinghMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Shelf: PNR/UF
Read: 3/28/12
Review:
I love the darkness to the vamps and angels in this series. They are not your "Oh, I wanna be one of them" kinda supes. You are drawn to them, their beauty, their abilities, but they also have a freak factor that keeps you (or at least me) from wishing you could be one of them. The whole 100-yr obligation to some of these angels creeps me out. Definitely a risk maybe better skipped. Although ... if you could find just the right angel ... ;)
This anthology contains shorts that will entice you to read the whole series and, if you already have, it will fill in some blanks.
Angels' Pawn (#0.5) {Also sold as a single novella: Angels' Pawn}
Features Ashwini, Elena's friend and one of the Guild Hunters, and Javier, a vampire who Ash has been tasked with tracking on several different occasions. In this short, however, they work together. Great getting some more insight into their relationship. The sexy Cajan and the kick-ass Huntress make a great pair. (Rating: 4★)
Angels' Judgement (#1.5)
Features Sara, Elena's BFF and now Guild Director, and Deacon, Slayer and Weapons master. I love these two together! This short gives readers some background on Deacon, as the Guild's Internal Affairs (sort of) Slayer. It also gives us a look at Sara's decision to take the Guild Director position. (Rating: 3★)
Angel's Wolf (#4.5)
Features the Nimra, Louisiana territory holder/Angel, and Noel, one of Raphael's vampires. Noel has been sent to help/watch Nimra. He's none to pleased initially, but when he begins to feel something for her, after believing his abuse broke his chance at love, he's surprised and remains at her side. Nimra is one of those Angels with a heart. She is good to those around her, sometimes to her detriment. (Rating: 3.5★)
Angels' Dance (#4.75)
Features Jessamy, the very old teacher/historian/grounded (b/c of a lame wing) Angel, and Galen, the warrior Angel. This short is chock full of tidbits that fans will love. We learn more about Jessamy's lame wing, Galen's enormous heart, the origin of Illium's "Bluebell" nickname and his love of a human, Raphael as a boy, and a bit more of Jason, the secretive spy Angel. Jessamy and Galen's story was my favorite by far. Galen is huge and gruff, but his love for Jessamy is felt throughout their story. I loved the Galen's interaction with her school children as well. It was also great to see Jessamy's transition into a stronger woman. Though, she's never thought of ending her life, and she's VERY old, she is finally able to realize that her lame wing is not reason to cut herself off from others. (Rating: 5+★)
For the 'Reader's Choice' shelf, I'm reading
.
Congrats on the stamp Twisteds!
Title/Author: Play of Passion by Nalini Singh
Date finished: 2nd April
Rating: ★★★★★
Review: Why are these books just so awesome?
Usually I don't really do well with PNR. Or the randoms snippets from different characters and the enemy (see: the Lessers in BDB). And the world is not so good. With Psy-Changeling, I love these parts the most. Every character is interesting and I am so so excited about Kaleb (when is it his turn??).
So in Play of Passion Drew was absolutely adorable. That's about all I have to say really since I've dived into the next one. Hawke. Bring it.
I soo agree with you, Josie. I really think that Singh has done a better job of intermixing the overall story arc of the series and the romance in a way that doesn't take away from the couple like in BDB.
Yes! She is my fave PNR author by far :D
I completely agree. She rocks the world building, character development, HEA, all of it! Love, love, love! :D Enjoy Hawke! I can't wait for my re-read. I've just finished re-reading #3 and will moving onto Clay & Talin in Mine to Possess next. I'm such a book boyfriend slut when it comes to this series. I always think to myself, "I ❤ XYZ the mostest." Then, I read the next book and I love him too and so on. LOL!! They are all great characters.
Lol, enjoy re-reading! I don't know who's been my fave, probably Hawke, the one as it happens I'm reading now lol so your theory is probably true, Steph! I can't stop KoS, literally eating the pages.
SHELF: Reader's Choice
Title/Author: The Famous Heroine / The Plumed Bonnet by Mary Balogh
Read for shelf: Reader's Choice
Date finished: April 2
Rating: ★★★
Review: This book contained two separate stories previously published separately, both based on one of the characters making assumptions about the other based on the clothes they were wearing. They also involved the hero compromising the heroine and having to offer marriage as a result.
The Famous Heroine (3.5 stars): This story was very cute with the heroine being under a very interesting misapprehension about the hero that I've never seen in romance. And it was the kind of thing you cannot ask a person so the usual 'if only she had asked him!' couldn't apply in this situation. The heroine was a hoot and given her character, I could believe why she made that sort of mistake.
Even with the misunderstanding, they really got to know each other so there was a basis for love. There was also a lot of shared laughter, which I don't see that often in romance but I believe is so important in a relationship.
The Plumed Bonnet (2.5 stars): This story was very convoluted, with the author having almost to do plot somersaults to justify these two people ending together. The misunderstanding was completely understandable on his part and I couldn't believe that a woman who had been in the world for 6 years would be that naive and not realize what he was up to. Neither wanted to married the other and I couldn't understand the hero's insistence on the marriage even after she refused him several times.
Then they supposedly fell in love with the other without really knowing each other's character or even liking each other. As usual with Balogh, the love scenes were really clinical and suspiciously similar to the ones of The Famous Heroine but without the laughter, which made them tedious and uninspiring.
So overall, I think you can skip Bonnet but I definitely recommend The Famous Heroine. It's a sweet story and I'm sure you'll get a few laughs.
Josie wrote: "Lol, enjoy re-reading! I don't know who's been my fave, probably Hawke, the one as it happens I'm reading now lol so your theory is probably true, Steph! I can't stop KoS, literally eating the pages."I hear ya! Nom.nom.nom! LOL! Enjoy!! I was on bated breath with every page turn of that one. Couldn't read it fast enough, but didn't want it to end. Seems that's the trend with most of the books in that series for me.
Good review, DG. I've only read one story by Mary and it was in
. Sadly, I ended up giving her story in the anthology 2★. I really requested it (from NetGalley) for the Gardella short.I finished
this AM and LOVED it! Back ASAP with a review. I wanna jump into
right now (damn it!) but I have midterms. BLEH! :/PS: Today's (4 April) my 20th wedding anniversary!! Hubby couldn't get the day off, but gave me the most sweet and adorable card. How'd I get so lucky?! *blush*
Happy anniversary Steph *blows big sloppy kiss your way* LOLGood luck with the midterms!!
LOL! Thanks :D and, thanks! I need it! :p
Happy Anniversary, Steph!!I've read over 20 books written by Balogh but I haven't liked any of her new stuff and that's why I'm going through her backlist.
Thanks :DWonder why the decline in more recent books. But, glad you are able to find others you still enjoy.
Maybe she's just run out of puff. There are a few authors that I like the earlier stuff from, hence my re-reading. Though I still get the new stuff unless it becomes unreadable.
Happy Anniversary, Steph! Hope you have a great day :)Lol! I'm so sad that I've finished KoS but I'm going to go and read all the deleted scene now ;)
SOS: Serious Overload of Series
Books mentioned in this topic
Snow Blind (other topics)Bottoms Up (other topics)
Lover Awakened (other topics)
Mine to Possess (other topics)
Caressed by Ice (other topics)
More...
Title/Author: Undone by Rachel Caine
Date finished: 21st March
Rating: ★★★★
Review:
'Undone' is the first in the series of Rachel Caine's 'Outcast Season', a spin-off of the Weather Wardens. I strongly recommend reading them in publication order before reading this one, so that would entail reading the first seven WW. I think the book would make more sense, you'd have a better idea of the world and it wouldn't give any spoilers away when you come to read the WW (I think the twists in the series is one of its best traits).
Okay, so Cassiel is a Djinn who has been cast out by the head of the Old Djinn and who needs the Wardens to survive. She is completely different to Joanne (who does make an appearance which was fun), arrogant and quite alien I suppose - I liked seeing her character progression through the book. Not sure about Luis yet, I don't feel I know him enough to truly love him at the moment but I'm hoping that will come in the next book.
The gangs were a weird addition. Then we got back on track with the ginormous-end-of-world-threat.
Do I like it as much as the Weather Wardens? No, but I'm not too worried about that since it took me a few books to really get into them anyway. With Rachel Caine, I think it takes a while to get used to her writing. I'm not talking about the writing style, I'm talking about the content. She is not afraid to go all out on ideas and I like that (at first I was a little unsure). It's almost like an epic fantasy... set in the real world... but different. I also like that she's not afraid to kill off some characters.
I will be reading the next one hopefully soon after I've read Cape Storm :)