Gasp! by Z.A. Maxfield
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Overall I liked Gasp but perhaps I’ve moved out of serious fandom with this author. The books remain good and the same quality as always but they don’t engage me enough anymore. I find myself skimming parts and liking the characters well enough but forgetting the book pretty quickly once it’s done. The story is entertaining to read but not enough for me to really escape into the drama and romance. Part of that is the lopsided pace with the beginning starting slowly only to revel in the details of Nigel and Jeff together but then change the pace entirely by separating the two. I found these changes abrupt and jarring when I’d just settled into the slow, smooth upscaling of their relationship. Not to mention there are a few holes and leaps in the plot but I will say there are more good things to like about the book. Continue reading →

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 →