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Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader
Cassandra Clare, Rachel Caine, Holly Black, Sarah Rees Brennan, Robin Wasserman, Kendare Blake, Michelle Hodkin, Sara Ryan, Kami Garcia, Sarah Cross, Kelly Link, Gwenda Bond, Kate Milford, Diana Peterfreund and Scott Tracey
8.5
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Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, epic urban fantasy set in a richly imagined world of...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated You Are Not Alone in Books
Mar 19, 2020
A few seconds change Shay Miller's life forever. It's almost ironic, as Shay, 31, and a market researcher, is obsessed with data. She's been keeping data books since age eleven, listing statistics and facts the way other girls write in diaries. Shay's recently lost her job, and her roommate and best friend, Sean, spends more time with his girlfriend than her. She feels hopeless and isolated. Then everything changes, and Shay finds herself swept up in the glamorous world of the Moore sisters, Cassandra and Jane. They have a way of making Shay feel different. They also seem to be everywhere, shaping Shay's life in strange ways.
I've learned by now when I pick up a book by the Hendricks-Pekkanen duo that I need to just suspend disbelief for a bit and go with it. If I can do that and enjoy the ride, then the book is a fun little escape mechanism. When looked at via this prism, You Are Not Alone was very successful.
The book is told from different points of view that often stray into various time periods, and it took me a while to keep all the characters straight. Cassandra and Jane have a host of friends, and I had to bookmark the page that introduced them all so I could remember who was who for a while. There seem to be unreliable narrators galore for a while--can we trust Shay? The sisters? Their friends?
I don't want to get too much into the plot and give anything away. It's a crazy story and again, not really probable (I hope). However, it's highly addictive, and I found the book to be compulsively readable. I also really grew to like Shay, even if I was suspicious about her.
There are some great twists and turns in this thriller, which I really enjoyed. I liked how this one kept me guessing, even if there was an eye roll or two in there too. It was definitely wild! 4 stars.
I've learned by now when I pick up a book by the Hendricks-Pekkanen duo that I need to just suspend disbelief for a bit and go with it. If I can do that and enjoy the ride, then the book is a fun little escape mechanism. When looked at via this prism, You Are Not Alone was very successful.
The book is told from different points of view that often stray into various time periods, and it took me a while to keep all the characters straight. Cassandra and Jane have a host of friends, and I had to bookmark the page that introduced them all so I could remember who was who for a while. There seem to be unreliable narrators galore for a while--can we trust Shay? The sisters? Their friends?
I don't want to get too much into the plot and give anything away. It's a crazy story and again, not really probable (I hope). However, it's highly addictive, and I found the book to be compulsively readable. I also really grew to like Shay, even if I was suspicious about her.
There are some great twists and turns in this thriller, which I really enjoyed. I liked how this one kept me guessing, even if there was an eye roll or two in there too. It was definitely wild! 4 stars.
Littlejohn's Britain
Book
Richard Littlejohn's cast of characters - including Two Jags, the Wicked Witch, Captain Hook and the...
Marked in Flesh (The Others, #4)
8.7
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In the fourth novel in Anne Bishop’s New York Times bestselling series, the Others will need to...
Paranormal Urban Fantasy Prophecy Vampire Shapeshifter Werewolf
Elektra
10.0
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The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and...
Greek Mythology Historical fiction Retellings Feminism Audiobook
You Let Me In
10.0
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'By the end of the third page I was not only hooked, but beginning to think that this might be the...
Trigger warning: possible child abuse.
The Red Scrolls of Magic
Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu
8.7
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Magnus Bane, a centuries old High Warlock, has taken possession of one of the great relics of the...
David McK (3251 KP) rated Fall of Kings (Troy #3) in Books
May 14, 2023
The final part in David Gemmell's 'Troy' trilogy, this was also the final book he ever wrote, as he passed away (in 2006) before it was finished by his wife Stella Gemmell and published in 2007.
As evidenced by the title, this particular volume deals with events leading up to and the actual fall of the city of Troy itself, with the Trojan Horse largely responsible (still) for this fall, but having a more mundane explanation than in the legend.
The same characters appear in this version: Agamemnon, Odysseus and Hektor chief among them, with supporting work by Cassandra and both Andromache (Hektor's wife) and Helikaon proving to be more prominent than I remember from that legend (both of whom were also prominent in the first two entries in this series i.e. 'Lord of the Silver Bow' and 'Shield of Thunder'). There's also room for some of the cast of those earlier novels (such as Banokles or Gershom), but this particular entry, I felt, was not so much about them as about the 'power players' (if you will) of Hektor, Achilles and Odysseus.
As evidenced by the title, this particular volume deals with events leading up to and the actual fall of the city of Troy itself, with the Trojan Horse largely responsible (still) for this fall, but having a more mundane explanation than in the legend.
The same characters appear in this version: Agamemnon, Odysseus and Hektor chief among them, with supporting work by Cassandra and both Andromache (Hektor's wife) and Helikaon proving to be more prominent than I remember from that legend (both of whom were also prominent in the first two entries in this series i.e. 'Lord of the Silver Bow' and 'Shield of Thunder'). There's also room for some of the cast of those earlier novels (such as Banokles or Gershom), but this particular entry, I felt, was not so much about them as about the 'power players' (if you will) of Hektor, Achilles and Odysseus.
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Detective Comics Volume 3: League of Shadows in Books
Nov 30, 2020
<i>A little bit of "backstory": I am a sucker for well-executed Ra's al Ghul story! To me, he is one of Batman's best adversaries and one of my personal faves! Add in more human, less off-the-scale like he is under Tom King's run Batman, and you've got a great treat for me! Now, that said, on to my review.</i>
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/MW33UBM.gif"; width="300" height="200">
I am still enjoying my return to reading DC's books rather than the current slop Marvel is serving up. My latest undertaking has been James Tynion IV's run on DETECTIVE COMICS. Last night, I devoured the 3rd volume, "League of Shadows", largely for the reasons in my backstory above.
I know some folks on interwebs have issues with Tynion's writing for the Dark Knight. I've read things like "bland" and "his stories go NOWHERE". I don't know which of his Batman entries they are reading, but thus far, not a one has disappointed.
This one was particularly interesting as it dealt with Cassandra Cain, a former Batgirl/now calling herself "Orphan" as that is what her parents have chosen to do, leaving her <i>orphaned</i>. Her mother is Sandra Wu-San, or as she is better known, Lady Shiva. There is no love lost between Cassandra and her mother; essentially, Shiva treats the poor girl as if she was dead, not even a product of her womb. Sad, really. But, it is good to see Cassandra and Shiva's relationship dealt with following the whole "Rebirth".
I may be in a serious minority here, but I really liked the ending (not <i>really</i> much of Spoiler), where Batman holds her in a embrace, letting her known she is not alone..ever. Sure, Bats is all about the whole "Dark Knight" and "Oooh, feel my scary presence, criminals!", but it was nice to see his human, father-esque side to his character. Much better than the way he is being handled in his main book!
Equally meaty and worthwhile was Ra's inclusion as part of the story. I found him to be well-written, feeling much like "The Demon's Head" that is his being. I was totally able to hear, in my head, his dialogue as read by David Warner, who did his voice in BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. That definitely seems like Tynion is truly writing at the top of his game!
I was also quite pleased with the subplot of more background to Batwoman's character. I was not really that familiar with her character, other than in the animated DC film. That aside, I found her to be real and decidedly interesting, especially her relationship with her father. Again, some excellent writing from Tynion!
And speaking of Batwoman, how cool was it to see Batman assembling Bat-Family 2.0? This plot element harkened back to the Silver Age, where DETECTIVE COMICS would often do double-sized issues that focused on the then-Bat-Fam: Batman, Robin (Dick Grayson, not yet Nightwing), Batgirl, and sometimes, Elongated Man would get a story in it as well.
The new Bat-Fam consists of Batman (of course!), Batwing (Lucius Fox's son), Batwoman, Orphan (Cassandra Cain), Azrael (who I consider to be not-so-interest, leaving me to skip the last issue of this volume as it was 100% Azrael-centric), Spoiler (Stephanie Brown), Red Robin, and the-now-trying-his-hand-at-being-a-rehabilitated-good-guy Clayface. Quite a mixed bag, almost like a Skittles version of the Bat-Fam, but interesting choices for a collaborative team.
The team functions well enough, but there is some static and tension, as would be true of any team assembled such as this lot. All in all, I really dug the gang, and they really worked well together. Super-smooth idea of introducing a Bat-Fam 2.0! Bravo, James Tynion IV,you are AWESOME for doing this!
It is also worth mentioning the artists for this volume: Marcio Takara and Christian Duce. I was already familiar with Takara's delicious style from his work on Marvel's ALL-NEW WOLVERINE. Christian Duce was previously unknown to me, but after seeing his super-legit art skills, he is going to be one for me to keep an eye for going forward!
Blah, blah, blah, am I right? I could go on and on, but if you weren't reading my blathering, you could be reading this excellent Bat-book. I was going to give it 5-Stars, but I see that I was just giving them out for a while not unlike Oprah giving away new cars! So, that's it! Go already! You need to get a'readin'!
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/MW33UBM.gif"; width="300" height="200">
I am still enjoying my return to reading DC's books rather than the current slop Marvel is serving up. My latest undertaking has been James Tynion IV's run on DETECTIVE COMICS. Last night, I devoured the 3rd volume, "League of Shadows", largely for the reasons in my backstory above.
I know some folks on interwebs have issues with Tynion's writing for the Dark Knight. I've read things like "bland" and "his stories go NOWHERE". I don't know which of his Batman entries they are reading, but thus far, not a one has disappointed.
This one was particularly interesting as it dealt with Cassandra Cain, a former Batgirl/now calling herself "Orphan" as that is what her parents have chosen to do, leaving her <i>orphaned</i>. Her mother is Sandra Wu-San, or as she is better known, Lady Shiva. There is no love lost between Cassandra and her mother; essentially, Shiva treats the poor girl as if she was dead, not even a product of her womb. Sad, really. But, it is good to see Cassandra and Shiva's relationship dealt with following the whole "Rebirth".
I may be in a serious minority here, but I really liked the ending (not <i>really</i> much of Spoiler), where Batman holds her in a embrace, letting her known she is not alone..ever. Sure, Bats is all about the whole "Dark Knight" and "Oooh, feel my scary presence, criminals!", but it was nice to see his human, father-esque side to his character. Much better than the way he is being handled in his main book!
Equally meaty and worthwhile was Ra's inclusion as part of the story. I found him to be well-written, feeling much like "The Demon's Head" that is his being. I was totally able to hear, in my head, his dialogue as read by David Warner, who did his voice in BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. That definitely seems like Tynion is truly writing at the top of his game!
I was also quite pleased with the subplot of more background to Batwoman's character. I was not really that familiar with her character, other than in the animated DC film. That aside, I found her to be real and decidedly interesting, especially her relationship with her father. Again, some excellent writing from Tynion!
And speaking of Batwoman, how cool was it to see Batman assembling Bat-Family 2.0? This plot element harkened back to the Silver Age, where DETECTIVE COMICS would often do double-sized issues that focused on the then-Bat-Fam: Batman, Robin (Dick Grayson, not yet Nightwing), Batgirl, and sometimes, Elongated Man would get a story in it as well.
The new Bat-Fam consists of Batman (of course!), Batwing (Lucius Fox's son), Batwoman, Orphan (Cassandra Cain), Azrael (who I consider to be not-so-interest, leaving me to skip the last issue of this volume as it was 100% Azrael-centric), Spoiler (Stephanie Brown), Red Robin, and the-now-trying-his-hand-at-being-a-rehabilitated-good-guy Clayface. Quite a mixed bag, almost like a Skittles version of the Bat-Fam, but interesting choices for a collaborative team.
The team functions well enough, but there is some static and tension, as would be true of any team assembled such as this lot. All in all, I really dug the gang, and they really worked well together. Super-smooth idea of introducing a Bat-Fam 2.0! Bravo, James Tynion IV,you are AWESOME for doing this!
It is also worth mentioning the artists for this volume: Marcio Takara and Christian Duce. I was already familiar with Takara's delicious style from his work on Marvel's ALL-NEW WOLVERINE. Christian Duce was previously unknown to me, but after seeing his super-legit art skills, he is going to be one for me to keep an eye for going forward!
Blah, blah, blah, am I right? I could go on and on, but if you weren't reading my blathering, you could be reading this excellent Bat-book. I was going to give it 5-Stars, but I see that I was just giving them out for a while not unlike Oprah giving away new cars! So, that's it! Go already! You need to get a'readin'!
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated All Our Yesterdays in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I'm a little fond of <i>All Our Yesterdays</i>.
Terrill writes the book in a very weird format – it takes awhile to get into the story and get a grip of what is really going on. Marina is a self-conscious person who lets her friends dictate <em>everything</em> for her – how to win boys, how to dress, how to talk, etc. Marina just comes across as a very shallow person hoping to win over the love of her best friend, James Shaw, while trying to find out who is attempting to murder him.
Em, on the other hand, is someone completely different – she's more determined, went through more trauma... Basically, Em has been through more than Marina, and I think she's a vital asset to the story's enjoyment (Marina plays a vital role as well, but if it were just her, it would have been boring). She teams up with Finn in the hopes to shut down Cassandra, a time travel device created with the intention for good things (stopping wars and disasters, for instance) but later became more of a problem rather than for everyone's good.
But back to the whole weird format. Since I've never actually come across Terrill's format ever in another time travel book, it's completely mind-boggling. One minute it seems like both Em and Marina are the same, the next, they're completely different. The only constant variable going on throughout the entire book is James and Finn (even those two were different and the same – they were just obvious). It really just takes awhile to realize the time period is the same, but the viewpoints are different.
Quite literally, 350+ pages of <i>All Our Yesterdays</i> is dedicated to getting rid of the evil mastermind behind Cassandra, but it's so much fun seeing how <i>Terrill</i> clicked the weird format so well together.
P.S. I personally think <i>All Our Yesterdays</i> works out just fine as a stand-alone. Although I would love to see a sequel and how Terrill will take the story now that the main problem has been solved, I don't really see anything that could happen aside from a "tragic" love story.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-all-our-yesterdays-by-cristin-terrill/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Terrill writes the book in a very weird format – it takes awhile to get into the story and get a grip of what is really going on. Marina is a self-conscious person who lets her friends dictate <em>everything</em> for her – how to win boys, how to dress, how to talk, etc. Marina just comes across as a very shallow person hoping to win over the love of her best friend, James Shaw, while trying to find out who is attempting to murder him.
Em, on the other hand, is someone completely different – she's more determined, went through more trauma... Basically, Em has been through more than Marina, and I think she's a vital asset to the story's enjoyment (Marina plays a vital role as well, but if it were just her, it would have been boring). She teams up with Finn in the hopes to shut down Cassandra, a time travel device created with the intention for good things (stopping wars and disasters, for instance) but later became more of a problem rather than for everyone's good.
But back to the whole weird format. Since I've never actually come across Terrill's format ever in another time travel book, it's completely mind-boggling. One minute it seems like both Em and Marina are the same, the next, they're completely different. The only constant variable going on throughout the entire book is James and Finn (even those two were different and the same – they were just obvious). It really just takes awhile to realize the time period is the same, but the viewpoints are different.
Quite literally, 350+ pages of <i>All Our Yesterdays</i> is dedicated to getting rid of the evil mastermind behind Cassandra, but it's so much fun seeing how <i>Terrill</i> clicked the weird format so well together.
P.S. I personally think <i>All Our Yesterdays</i> works out just fine as a stand-alone. Although I would love to see a sequel and how Terrill will take the story now that the main problem has been solved, I don't really see anything that could happen aside from a "tragic" love story.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-all-our-yesterdays-by-cristin-terrill/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>