Reviews

Review: First Watch

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First Watch
First Watch by Peter Hansen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’m not really sure what category First Watch falls into, more sci-fi than anything else with a somewhat vague romantic thread and ending. I quite like the writing and the sci-fi bent with Edouard endebted to some sea creature for his life but the ending feels too easy and the romance feels thrown in and rushed. Despite these stumbles, I think First Watch stands out as unique, captivating, and worth reading. I’m interested to see what else the author has to offer but I’m leery about anything with a pseudo romance attached. I think the sci-fi elements are considerably stronger and better executed than the romantic additions. Continue reading →

Review: The Iron Temple

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The Iron Temple
The Iron Temple by Ginn Hale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rifter Book Nine: The Iron Temple is perhaps the most straightforward and linear of the entire series. The previous eight books have jumped back and forth from past to present to tell the story of what happens in the future and how the future came to be. Book nine is simple, straight-forward action as John/Jahn/Jath’ibaye fights for the Fai’daum but in reality he’s fighting to save Laurie and Ravishan. In this installment, John comes fully into his Rifter power and can’t be killed, so instead he endures many, many situations where he should be killed but instead saves the day and kills everyone else. It’s violent but fast paced, engaging, and only slightly repetitive. As always the ending is a pretty strong cliffhanger though the ending is predictable – after all, the story already told us what happened. Continue reading →

Review: Long Way Home

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Long Way Home
Long Way Home by Carolyn Gray
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Long Way Home is technically a sequel to Red-Tainted Silence but it’s easily, and perhaps better read as a stand-alone story. RTS is such a good novel that any sequel would have a tough time measuring up. The author smartly went for a secondary character to star in the sequel but it lacks the intensity and excellence of the first book. This one is ok/decent enough but it pales considerably when compared to the first book. The writing, the characters, even the plot all seem to struggle making this a choppy and ultimately disappointing story. Continue reading →

Review: Stowaway

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Stowaway
Stowaway by Becky Black
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

I consider this book to be sure reading fantasy, in that nothing is very realistic about the plot, characters, actions, and dialogue but that’s not really the point. The story is trying to be entertaining and not necessarily concerned about things like world building, logic, and realistic behavior. If you’re a reader that doesn’t need a realistic take then this is probably entertaining enough to read and enjoy. I found it to be so but if you’re the type that harps on realistic actions in books then this one will likely drive you nuts and I’d suggest you avoid it. Continue reading →

Review: Pretty Monsters

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Pretty Monsters
Pretty Monsters by Andrea Speed

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the first Andrea Speed story I’ve read and it makes me want to start on her backlist immediately. The story is only a few pages, barely enough to grab your attention but it does. The premise is pretty simple and it’s one I’ve seen before but that doesn’t mitigate the cute and fun details the author included. It’s a nice little story that whets your appetite but it’s not long enough or meaty enough *cough* to satisfy just yet. Continue reading →

Review: The Book Of Daniel

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The Book Of Daniel
The Book Of Daniel by Z.A. Maxfield
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

While I like the St. Nacho’s series a lot, I’m not really happy with the turn it’s taken. Of course that could just be me but this book felt disjointed, rushed, and totally scattered. There wasn’t one consistent theme running throughout the book and the characters seemed to change randomly with whatever emotion they needed to express. I quite liked Daniel and Cam from the previous book but I couldn’t stand either one of them in Book of Daniel. They’re selfish, cruel, totally unforgiving, and would change at the drop of a hat. The book feels like it didn’t know exactly what direction to go but threw a few themes and concepts to see what sticks. Continue reading →

Review: Khyber Run

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Khyber Run
Khyber Run by Amber Green
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Khyber Run is a very interesting war novel and definitely kept my attention from beginning to end but it’s very oddly published with Loose Id. The story is absolutely not a romance, there is no discernable evidence of romance anywhere, and there are a few explicit sex scenes based on situations rather than emotion. Instead, this is a very absorbing read about the war in Afghanistan and the personal affect on one family and in particular one person. His quest to avenge his brother is the main theme and if anything this is merely a fictional story about war. Maybe if you squint it could be called gay fiction due to the few quickie rough sex scenes but that’s still a stretch in my opinion. If you’re looking for a very intricately detailed war story from a personal level, this may work for you. Continue reading →

Review: Tonight or Else

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Tonight or Else
Tonight or Else by M. King
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Tonight or Else is a fantasy story with an unusual ending. It’s exactly the kind of story I expect from King, mythical with a lot of exaggerated details and a compelling narrator. I like how King’s stories are always different with a darker tone than most in this genre and although there is rarely a happy ending, the characters emerge strong and vibrant at the end. Continue reading →