Author: Leigh Bardugo Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy; YA Fantasy Rating: 5.0/5.0 One sentence review: The Oceans Eleven of YA Fantasy – only much better.
Summaries
Six of Crows A young criminal mastermind (think Thomas Shelby, but seventeen and less trusting of pretty women who can sing) takes on a job that will make him wildly successful or perhaps dead. He recruits the best of the best to aid with this almost impossible hiest.
Crooked Kingdom After being double-crossed, our gang of outcasts is fighting for their lives, for the city that created them, and the very fate of their world.
Review: I read A Court of Thorns and Roses about a month ago. Since reading it, I have reread it three or four times, begged everyone I know to read it, and tried several other book series to help me move on from ACOTAR. Six of Crows set me free from Maas’s claws, but gave me the worst book hangover that I can remember. Six of Crows is perfect. It is a perfect book. (Of course, I do mean that is is perfect for me. I am sure someone out there dislikes this book, because it takes all kinds.)
From the first scene with Kaz Brekker, I knew he was going to be one of my favourite fantasy characters of all time. And, he is. (The only reason I started watching Peaky Blinders is because a friend said Thomas Shelby is Grown-Up Kaz. I have an entire dissertation ready for both characters, their similiarities, their differences, what makes them so compelling, etc. Just let me know if that is the content you’re interested in. Additionally, Peaky Blinders is the only thing getting me through this book lull. It has enough story and depth that I am counting it as my light reading for recover.)
Anyway, back to it. All of these SIX main characters rank fairly high in my favourite characters of all time. All six of these characteres are so detailed and completely developed and have such distinct voices that it is not a chore to deliniate them. Rather, each character feels like someone you have known for years.
The world-building is incredible. As anyone who has visited the GrishaVerse knows, Burdago has created a fantasy world that draws heavily on the history of our own world but has a fairly interesting magical system. We even get a cameo from one of my favourite characters from Shadow and Bone so I was thrilled. It was like seeing an old friend in an unexpected place.
I could talk about this forever, but it kind of requires you reading it so it can be a two-way street.
Release Date: 21 April 2020 Author: Robert Jackson Bennett Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy Rating: 4.0/5.0 One sentence review: A rich and exciting sequel to Foundryside.
Summary: Three years after the events of Foundryside, Sancia, Berenice, Orso and Gregory are running a “shareware” consulting scriving company. As people are realising their newfound freedom from the chains of the merchant houses, a being legendary for its abuse of power and cruelty threatens Tevanne. Our band of misfits must find a way to protect their home and their lives.
Review: Bennett expands brilliantly on the world created Foundryside. This is not a sequel meant to fill space between more action-heavy books. Rather,Bennett brings the strong world(s)-building, in-depth character development, action-packed plot, and detailed/unique magic system into this novel and enriches each aspect masterfully.
Bennett has a way of bringing grand, fantastical scenes to the reader so that they are both foreign and completely commonplace, simultaneously. There are these huge, world-shattering scenes encountered by very real human characters. This depiction of the huge and daunting mixed with the tiny details that characterize individuals makes the extraordinary elements attainable, rather than overwhelmingly fantastical.
Bennett is a treat to read and this series continues to solidify him as one of my favourite modern authors.
I hope you are holding up well in these strange times, J.Wood
ARC Disclaimer: I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this book. I am so grateful to NetGalley, Random House, and Bennett for this opportunity.
Release Date: 20 September 2016 thru 10 September 2019 Author: Kerri Maniscalco Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Genre: YA Fantasy/Romance, Historical Fantasy, Mystery? Rating: 5.0/5.0 One sentence review: My best friend said it best Audrey Rose is “the feminist Victorian idol I never knew I needed.”
Summaries:
Stalking Jack the Ripper A young lady wishes to pursue forensic science rather than enjoying appropriate past-times for a well-bred lady in London’s high society. When a career murderer begins killing women in London and the cops falsely accuse her uncle, Audrey Rose refuses to sit idle while the police let the real murderer hunt down more women.
Hunting Prince Dracula Rumours of the return of Vlad the Impaler are surfacing in a Romania, which Audrey Rose and Thomas are enrolled in a program for forensic science. As students and townspeople die, Audrey Rose pushes through her own PTSD to hunt another career murderer before more students are murdered.
Escape from Houdini On their passage to America, Thomas and Audrey Rose are thrilled and dazzled by the performers of the midnight carnaval. When brutal murders begin to loom over each performance, Audrey Rose has just a few days to figure out who is behind the murders or the killer may be set loose as soon as they land in America.
Capturing the Devil When a career murderer begins slaughtering women in New York, Thomas and Audrey Rose’s worst fears are confirmed. The hunt for the worst villian yet lands Audrey Rose in the toughest situation of her life.
Review: I adored this series and a week after finishing the bonus content, the novella, and the last book, I am missing the characters fiercely. As a woman in STEM, I have a soft spot for every series which depicts a woman in STEM (Marie Brennan’s Lady Trent Memoirs is one of my favourite series for this reason.), so I am sure to be a bit biased.
Characters The characters are so well-written that they frustrate you so much throughout the series. I want to cover the two main ones: Audrey Rose and Thomas. They are the main protagonists. We are introduced to several other rich and loveable characters, but if you don’t like these two, you’ll struggle reading this series.
As the series progresses, Audrey Rose grows in wonderful ways through mistakes that infuriate an idealist or romantic reader. There are so many times that you want to yell at her to make a better choice than the dumb one you can see her making. However, given her sheltered upbringing, the decisions and missteps make so much sense. Maniscalco has a good handle on her characters and it can be painful to read at times because people can suck sometimes, even the best ones.
Thomas Cresswell is a humanised Sherlock Holmes and just adored him. The ebooks through my library included bonus content in the first three books in this series, which did make me like him more than the original text. Thomas is a complex character and the first-person point of view can short change the depth of his character in lots of ways. Each time we are given a glimpse into his world in the bonus content and the novella, the more the tiny but very important details which let us into the thoughts of Thomas in the series texts start to become noticeable. All that is a confusing way of saying, sometimes Thomas can act in a way that isn’t clear or that seems a bit out of character when you see him from Audrey Rose’s perspective; however, when you step away from her thoughts and look at Thomas as a complex and separate character from the one in her mind, he makes more sense. (Which I think is simply brilliant writing. We so often understand people through our the filter of our thoughts which often short-changes them and simplifies the complexity of their actions into patterns we understand about them.)
Romance The romance is quick and it is subtle. I found it enjoyable; I am not patient enough for a slow burn. It was a bit too quick in some ways, but I think when you encounter situations in which one of you could die or is threatened, the timeline speeds up from your everyday romance. I also find that some romances are a whirlwind. These two do hit it off almost immediately, but I did so with my spouse so I cannot complain about that. I think if you don’t find bickering and challenging and teasing each other romantic or flirty, you may feel blindsided by the romance. I have read some reviews where they said this is a hate-to-love romance, poorly executed. I must disagree. I don’t think these two every felt real animosity toward each other. It is more playful annoyance and competitiveness than any actual dislike.
I almost skipped the third book due to some whispers of a love triangle. (You know how I feel about a love triangle.) However, I do not believe Maniscalco was attempting to write a love triangle, truly. The third book seems to be more about Audrey Rose realising that there is more than one life path open to her. I remember struggling with that when I was in my early-twenties as well, so it was nice to see a character wrestling with her future.
Writing Maniscalco does an excellent job of setting the tone in each scene, so that it is absolutely perfect. Your skin crawls, your breathe races, and you often find yourself caught up completely in the events of the book. At times the pacing is a bit painful. The middle two books had a few periods that you had to push through to get to the “good part”. I found about halfway through both books, I’d skim ahead for some action-y bits. Once satisfied, I would go back and trek through the slow bits to get to the meat again.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention what a wonderful job the artist did on the book covers. Just look at those beautiful things.
Wishing you the best of days, A Bookish Girl
Please forgive my many typos. I will edit this soon, but I am a bit tight on time and wanted to share this with you all before I blinked and it was a month later.
Release Date: 07 April 2020 Author: Emily A. Duncan Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy; YA Fantasy/Romance Rating: 4.5/5.0 One sentence review:Ruthless Gods is a dark and fantastical continuation of Wicked Saints.
Summary: Nadya seeks out her gods. Serefin seeks an escape. Malachiasz is seeking.
Review: Duncan has a way of making you desperately want for things that are bad. Bad for the characters, bad for the world, and just simply bad. If you’re like me, you’ll find yourself reading this solely for the monster.
There are several characters in this series. Each character has their own motivations, which muddies the waters a little bit in an interesting way. We get the story from a few points of view, but we don’t get a chapter from the point of view of the most interesting characters. It does leave the reader to decide on motives of the most complex characters, but I would like to know what they think of themselves. (Maybe this is where AO3 or fanfiction.net can fill the void, but I’d like some canon here.)
As the story progresses, the world is growing and changing. It feels like Duncan is setting up an entire world for readers to explore in the future. At times this extensive world-building can be a bit confusing – I am still trying to figure out how the magic system works and what are the gods, even? The confusion keeps the story interesting though and doesn’t really take much from the story.
I always struggle reviewing an incomplete series because sometimes seeing the full story makes you reevaluate every book. As the second book of three, Ruthless Gods has the difficult task of carrying the story without resolving it, while also being a complete story without the other two. It does achieve this Herculean task fairly well. I am looking forward to the last of this series.
I did receive an advanced copy of this novel from NetGalley in expectation of a review upon finishing the book. The views are my own. Thank you Emily Duncan, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley.
Release Date: 19 Nov 2019 Author: Holly Black Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy; YA Fantasy/Romance Rating: 4.5/5.0 One sentence review: In many ways, The Queen of Nothing is the perfect conclusion to The Folk of the Air trilogy.
Summaries: Tensions are high in the world of Faerie and Jude finds herself fighting for power, once again.
Review: I read this book in one sitting after my little one went to bed, which is to say that I sacrificed the one luxury I have in life, sleep, to finish this series. After completing the book, I immediately went back and reread some key scenes. I did this not because I thought I missed anything but because I absolutely loved every detail in those moments. I think if you’ve enjoyed this series thus far, you will be satisfied with this final instalment.
I cannot review the book in much more detail without spoiling it completely. So, read it! Read it!
I am just going to go over to tumblr and get into some discussions about Cardan and Jude, look at some fan art, and read so many fanfictions that I forget the canon and have to reread the series.
-A Bookish Girl
Update: I did read two other vampire books, Dark Lover(The Brotherhood #1) by JR Ward and Carpe Jugulum (Discworld #23; Witches #6) by Terry Pratchett, for my October vampire theme, but I am swamped right now so they may not get a full review at this time. I am sorry! I am working on organising a queue of scheduled posts so that a new review will be up every other Monday, but it may take a little while for it to work as I would like.
Anyway, I am finishing up Ruthless Gods (Something Dark and Holy #2) by Emily A Duncan and expect to have a review soon.
Release Date: 18 Jan. 2010//10 Jan. 2012 Author: Beth Fantaskey Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy; YA Fantasy/Romance Rating: 3.5/5.0 One sentence review: A new take on the vampire love story filled with a bit of angst, a bit of action, some growth, and some blood.
Summaries
Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side: A high school senior learns that she vampire royalty meant to marry a prince. Jessica struggles to get a grasp on her identity, her future, and reality itself. Meanwhile, her betrothed is discovering life as an American teenager.
Jessica Rules the Dark Side: As Jessica struggles to rule her new kingdom, her husband is imprisoned for murder. Jessica has to find the strength to fit into the role of ruler while also seeking evidence to free her prince.
Review: The books start out feeling like a fun, cheesy romp similar to The Princess Diaries, but takes a turn into more complex territory.
Fantaskey gives us a neat new possibility for becoming a vampire – being born a vampire. Unfortunately, the females have to be bitten (chosen) by a male for the transformation to be completed.
In the first book, there is a lot of shame placed on high school females for having physical relationships. The heroine has never kissed a guy for about half of the story. She often frowns upon the clothing and lifestyle of other girls in the story. It was uncomfortable, at best, and obnoxious, most of the time.
The first novel also includes a scene which hints at child abuse. So, trigger warning there because it was unexpected and a bit shocking to me. But, I just was expecting a shallow, YA romance with a bloodsucking love interest.
The second novel is a “who-dunnit” with an answer any reader will realise in about 2.4 seconds. Given the main conflict is figuring out who is framing the prince, it makes the book less fun to read than the first book. However, it was nice to see Jessica regain her confidence and grow into her position as a ruler.
Overall, this is an enjoyable series with a much stronger first novel than second. The story is interesting and fairly unique for a vampire novel. (However, it is very similar to The Princess Diaries.) I would not shove this into a friend’s face and demand they read it; but if you are a fan of vampire romance, this is a better read than Twilight and a decent story for the genre.
Release Date: September 1991–1992 Author: L. J. Smith Publisher: Harper Paperback Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy; YA Fantasy/Romance Rating: 3.5/5.0
Summaries: Spoiler alert: The premises of sequential books may spoil previous books in the series. Continue at your own risk.
The Awakening: The queen of her small-town high school, Elena is enamoured by an addition to the student body, Stefan, an attractive foreigner with a seemingly immediate dislike for her. Elena is determined to make him hers.
Meanwhile, Stefan is trying to live life as a normal teenager being a centuries old vampire. But, a series of deaths and attacks are occurring during which Stefan cannot account for his own actions have him worried that his blood lust is not as controlled as he thought.
The Struggle: After Damon left Stefan to die, Elena is desperate to find him. Damon tries to seduce and possess Elena.
The Fury: Elena wakes up as a vampire in love with Damon and no memory of Stefan. As she adjusts to her new existence, a dark presence is taking over the town. The three must work together to find a way to save their town.
The Reunion: After Elena’s death, her best friend, Bonnie, has a dream that Elena is warning her that the town is in trouble. Bonnie works alongside Stefan and Damon to stop the evil power.
Review: The protagonist, Elena, is not a likeable character throughout the first book. I would not say there is even much character development throughout the first two books. She is the “queen” of her high school and acts mostly like a brat is expected to. The romance is ridiculous and based on nothing more than air. The writing isn’t life-changing. It is not bad, but it isn’t great. And despite these flaws, I enjoyed this series. I am not sure if that is because of my own crush on the amoral and wonderfully dark Damon or if I am a sucker for this YA genre trope, but this series is delicious brain candy.
The first book was the most challenging to get into for me. I did not love the main character and the dramatics of her life and her need to capture the attention of the new guy on campus didn’t interest me that much. I didn’t know anyone like that as a teenager so I struggled with relating in any way to the story. Once the action and mystery started to bloom, I could not stop reading. James made me buy into the story without being warm to her protagonists, which just shows how talented she is with plotting out a story.
The rest of the series is more enjoyable. The characters are less annoying, Damon gets more page time, and the relationships get another dimension. The last book really makes the series come together and is the reason I rated this series more than 2.5-3.0 stars.
There is an uncomfortable love triangle, which plays out much better in the television drama than the novels. Either way, it is a love triangle and it is about as fun to read about as every other love triangle. It is less obnoxious than the werewolf/vampire triangle in that series that probably took some ideas from this one.
It is the start of my favourite season and an excellent excuse to tuck into books about vampires.
Release Date: 02 March 2010 Author: Seth Grahame-Smith Publisher: Grand Central Publishing Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy, Historical Fantasy Rating: 4.0/5.0 One sentence review: A surprisingly excellent story.
Premise: This one is fairly easy, folks. This is the story of Abraham Lincoln, only without the omission of his vampire hunting career.
Review: I added this book to my list after listening an episode by one of my favourite podcasts, The Worst Bestsellers. (I highly recommend both the podcast and that episode.) I borrowed the e-book from the library and settled into a story that I would have never picked up on my own.
I liked it. Somehow, this absurd premise is handled with a deft enough hand that you cannot help but go along for the ride. Grahame-Smith uses secret diaries of President Lincoln to masterfully blend the biographical events with the fantastical elements. The tragedies of Lincoln’s life are handled delicately. As a reader, you are heartbroken alongside Lincoln, even as you are told and accept the role vampires had in these events.
While not all vampires are evil in this story, they are heinous villains when they are villains. So when they are brutally murdered in a scene of violence and gore, you find yourself cheering Abe on rather than cringing away from the images. The vampire fights and deaths are campy, rather than graphic.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was a fun kick-off to my vampire-themed reading for this autumn. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, irrelevant look into some US history and/or President Lincoln.
I am off to enjoy a milky cup of Earl Grey tea, a cosy blanket, Caden snuggles, and the mix-reviewed series, The Vampire Diaries.
Release Date: 04 Oct 2018 Author: Sarina Dorie Publisher: Residental Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy Rating: 4.0/5.0 One sentence review: A lighthearted and fun read filled with humour and fantastical adventure.
Premise: In a magical world, a witch drained of magic navigates several misadventures.
Review: Dorie delivers an action-packed fantastical adventure with a dash of romance that satisfies in under three hundred pages. These books are like watching a favourite television programme. You can easily picture the situations, you care deeply about the characters (even when they drive you mad), and you are left with a decent conclusion, but also could devour the entire series in one sitting if life gave you the time to do so.
This series is starting to turn into a love fest for the main character, which can be a bit frustrating for me. (We all know my deep hatred for a love triangle, but a love quadrilateral?!) Yet, Dorie handles it in a way that is more entertaining and often humorous than frustrating. I plan on getting my hands on the rest of this series to see how it all plays out.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
![Escaping From Houdini (Stalking Jack the Ripper Book 3) by [Maniscalco, Kerri]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/514Tj4q7tyL.jpg)
![The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air Book 3) by [Black, Holly]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51plpz3fziL.jpg)
![Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by [Fantaskey, Beth]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518FXrG8rqL.jpg)
![Jessica Rules the Dark Side by [Fantaskey, Beth]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Z5t4X2UjL.jpg)
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