Dark Around the Edges: Heaven’s On Fire by Cari Z.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Episode 1 of Cari Z’s new serial Cambion is an explosive start. Heavens on Fire is a quick introduction to a new world and set of characters. It’s short, filled with bite, and intriguing. It definitely left me wanting to read what happens next so this is a great first foray. Continue reading
Overture: Life of the Party by S.L. Armstrong
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Episode 2, Life of the Party, of the Immortal Symphony serial is intense and slightly uncomfortable. I had a hard time enjoying the story, since it’s mostly one extended orgy scene, as it just felt wrong for the main character Gabriel. I didn’t feel like he had any comprehension what he was doing and furthermore, he kind of came off pretty innocent, naïve, and frankly stupid. I didn’t particularly like his character or his choices and thus I didn’t like this episode. It’s likely to be a highly personal choice I realize and I’m curious enough about the story to continue on even if I’m left feeling unsettled after this offering. Continue reading
Overture: A Meeting of Fate by S.L. Armstrong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Overture is episode 1 of the new serial Immortal Symphony by K Piet and SL Armstrong. The story is a twist on the classic Dorian Gray tale and definitely explores the sexual side. Dorian never ages, but instead the portrait of him ages. Over the centuries Dorian has indulged in base pleasures to banish the tedium of his life. Using the sexual power he has over others is the best drug he’s ever experienced. Dorian’s interest is piqued by an American named Gabriel and two chance meetings lead to a possible future. Continue reading
Dualed by Elsie Chapman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading Dualed but towards the end the numerous problems in the book just compounded to the point I was happy it was finally over. Which is sad because I was thoroughly engaged and entertained for most of the book until the flaws overwhelmed the story. There are a lot of things to like about this, which are mostly about the concept, but sadly in the end I just didn’t even like the main character let alone care that she’s the one that survives. I’ll probably read the next one depending on what the premise is. Continue reading
Family Man by Heidi Cullinan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’d sum up Family Man as a feel good story. The two men have obstacles in their lives but really the power of family and acceptance makes everything ok. It doesn’t matter that one of the men was married three times before or the other is ten years younger and has an alcoholic mother, family will get you through anything seems to be the moral of the story. It’s a nice moral definitely and the couple is sweet with a nice combination of personalities. The relationship and especially the physical side are well developed and very genuine. It’s a well-written story with a ton of romance that makes you happy you read it. Continue reading
Harm’s Way by Geoffrey Knight
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was intrigued by the blurb and not sure what to expect. This isn’t romance, more like a murder mystery, yet very absorbing. In fact I practically sped-read it wanting to find out what happens. While the writing is very good and the concept unique and eye-catching, I’m not sure what I think of the story as a whole. It’s fascinating and makes you think, so for that alone I’d recommend it. However I didn’t always like the characters or like the book itself, probably the actions themselves that turned me off more than anything. I’m glad I read this but wouldn’t read it again. Continue reading
Claimings, Tails and Other Alien Artifacts by Lyn Gala
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this quick novella. It’s incredibly hot, interesting, and a lot of fun. The writing is clean and descriptive with a nice blending of instruction and emotion. Blending an alien world and culture with a human submissive is a fun idea but the story is very clever. From start to the finish the entire novella is well crafted. The characters are also well developed, even if the differences in cultures are sometimes hard to imagine. This is a great introduction for those new to this author and fans are likely to appreciate the quirky humor and excellent writing. Continue reading
Screwing the System by Josephine Myles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I like Josephine Myles’ work quite a bit and Screwing the System is easily one of my favorites from her. The writing is clean, crisp, and evocative and the characters are engaging from the start. The sex is incredibly hot and the relationship is pretty low key. I found a few easy coincidences that I could have done without but beyond these there are very few, if any, missteps. Instead it’s a fun and interesting story to read without a lot of drama or problems. There’s no big drama and end scene, which is actually nice, and maturity wins the day. Continue reading
The Twelve by Justin Cronin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I truly loved The Passage. I read the book then even listened to the unabridged audio version (which took months) and I enjoyed every bit of the story; even when it droned on with minute detail. Unfortunately I pretty much hated The Twelve. There is very, very, very little that connects the first and second books. Some of the main characters from the first book are revisited but the main plots have little to do with the main plots of the first book. Instead this reads almost like a prequel for half the book and then a sequel that takes a completely different route for the second half. I found the tone much darker, unforgiving and losses the brilliance of the themes of the first book. In fact I was so disappointed and sorry I’d read this. I can’t imagine I’ll continue with the series as it feels more self-indulgent than anything. Continue reading
I’ve been on a dystopian kick for a while (shocking I know) so here is what I’ve been reading lately. I don’t usually write reviews for books that have 2500 reviews already, after all what is there to say that hasn’t been said? These are just brief summaries and very few thoughts about them…
Legend by Marie Lu 4 stars
Two 15 y/o’s at the opposite end of the spectrum, one a rich, privileged kid and one a street con and famous criminal, come together to take on the powerful Republic. In a post-apocalyptic world, the classes divide life in extreme ways. Day and June are two gifted teens that just may change the world. I found this book a true delight. I sped read through it and loved the distinct voices. The action is near constant without overwhelming the story and balances with some good drama and emotion. It’s not perfect though and the world building struggles heavily, or rather the lack there of. The concepts are familiar and basic so the story definitely skimps on adding to current lore or even developing it’s own world. It’s more romance than anything and the two kids act like seasoned adults considerably more than teenagers. However I still really enjoyed this and got easily swept up in the intensity and drama.
As soon as I put down Legend, I picked up the sequel. June and Day have escaped LA and are working with the Patriots to take down the Republic. Each has their own assignment, necessitating the two to be separated for most of the book. I was worried that it wouldn’t live up to the first book, but it surprisingly does despite some continuing problems. Once again the world building is problematic and sparse and I think it always will be the case in this trilogy (or more). The characters don’t really grow much or have any distinct progress but I liked them regardless. The action is omnipresent and interesting and the characters themselves are engaging. They finally showed signed of being impressionable teenagers and some romance angst, which while eye rolling I had to appreciate. I recommend both of these books for readers wanting more YA romance with a dystopian background than the other way around.
Angelfall by Susan Ee 3.5 stars
Another YA (I seem to be on a theme). This one stars Penryn as she races to save her crippled sister from the evil archangels. Angels have descended from heaven and killed most people, forcing others to scavenge and avoid gangs. Teaming up with Angel, Raffe, Penryn has a rocky road to finding her sister. This one is less romance and more about world building, such as it is, and the circumstances the two main characters find themselves. The setting is very familiar post-apocalyptic and doesn’t really stretch beyond the new twist of angels being the horrific act destroying life as we know it. The girl is 17 but acts much older. However there is some good character building and background that make this more reasonable and believable. I liked the shifting feeling of morality and desperation this story gives off without ever going too dark and depressing. The writing is engaging and the book flew by quickly. My only qualms were the ending because I wanted it to go a different way and the fact that the sequel isn’t out for another year. This first book was published in 2011 so that’s quite a lot of time between books.
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