Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

Kyera (8 KP) rated Our Dark Duet in Books

Jan 31, 2018  
Our Dark Duet
Our Dark Duet
V.E. Schwab | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.0 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
Oh, my heart. I can't. I absolutely adore V.E. Schwab's books and this series is no different. Her stories are more of a slow burn than constant, action-packed scenes but that style lends itself fantastically to her incredible world building. The first book took place solely in Verity, or V-City, a place overrun by monsters. We heard about the other cities in This Savage Song, but in Our Dark Duet, we were able to experience one of the other ones. People always said that there were no monsters in Prosperity, but they were wrong. The city just had a different type of monster.

One of those different monsters finds its way to Verity and forces Kate to return home. Both Kate and August are different, having been forced to confront or suppress their demons. August is still my favourite of the two main characters, despite his struggles. They both experience character development that makes you feel for them and only wish for their happiness.

I am glad that we got a little more development of some of the secondary characters. Schwab populated her books with such a variety of interesting and unique characters that you want to get to know them better. You want to discover their motivations, desires, fears, and secrets. The additional depth provided to Ilsa makes you love her and just want to protect her from harm. The other character that I loved the introduction of would be spoiler-y, so I'll just say I enjoyed the unique perspective they gave to the story and the diversity they added.

This world was so richly populated and described that it easily blooms into existence within your mind. Although this is only a duology and the final book, I would love to see more books set within this world. Perhaps the story in Verity is done, but there are plenty more monsters and cities to explore.

The story takes readers along on a steady, but not slow, ride that culminates with a dramatic flourish that will leave you breathless, a little heartbroken, yet hopeful.

I would highly recommend this fantastic urban fantasy series to all young adult/teen readers who enjoy fantasy, immersive world building, character development and V.E. Schwab's other books (like the Shades of Magic trilogy).
  
I'll start by saying I LOVE THIS SERIES! Darynda Jones has written such an amazing likeable but slightly dumb, sometimes genius character in Charley Davidson. You can't help but like her.

This starts with Charley sitting in a psychiatrist's office as she equally does a job and confesses everything that she's learned about herself over the last ten books to the doctor in the chair. Turns out the shrink is dead and haunting the office. There is one big case that Charley is working on in this and it's the couple who kidnapped Reyes when he was a baby. There's a few other smaller things thrown in and we see Charley learn how to be who she was born to be with a little help from Reyes.

As I've already mentioned, I love this series. It is right up my street with it's snark, humour and romance. Characters that we've grown to love over the last ten books make reappearances, some new characters pop up and some that have been mentioned peripherally make themselves known. It's hard to give too many details without spoiling it for those who haven't got this far in the series.

If you've not at least started this series, then I can't recommend it enough, really. That is, if you like urban fantasy/paranormal romances. Or demons. Gods...

I have book 12 in paperback, too, and haven't decided whether to read it straight away yet - despite that bit of a cliff hanger that happened at the end! - as I feel I would immediately want to read book 13 to finish the series and I don't have it yet. It's on my to-buy list.
  
Exile (The Society #5)
Exile (The Society #5)
Mason Sabre | 2017 | Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
146 of 250
Kindle
Exile ( The Society book 5)
By Mason Sabre

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

What happens when prophecy comes knocking on your door?

The next heart-pounding instalment in Mason Sabre's Paranormal and Urban Fantasy, Society Series, Stephen Davies has been sentenced to death ...

Everyone knows that being exiled is as good as a death sentence. Even worse when you are the son of the Alpha ...

Former ruler of his own domain and warrior for his father's pack, Stephen Davies is one of the fiercest tiger shifters the Other world has ever known. A legend in his own right, he has earned both the respect of his own kind, and the fear of the Humans.
In Exile, however, all is different ...

Stephen has barely arrived in this God forsaken place when the bus he is on is stopped and attacked by a creature he has never seen before. She's there to rescue him, but her actions cast Stephen into an unravelling new world. Not only does he find himself in unexpected places with the strangest people, but his tiger seems to think he has found the one true thing he has been looking for ...

A mate.

The only problem is that someone is hunting Stephen, and they don't care who they hurt to get to him.

Nice little catch up with Stephen and finally discovering his powers. Love the new characters and the children are intriguing I wonder what daddy alpha would have made him do especially half human ones! I’m really enjoying this series and this one didn’t disappoint.
  
Battle Ground
Battle Ground
Jim Butcher | 2020 | Contemporary, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another Dresden Files book! (0 more)
A little bit of judicious editing, and this could have been the second half of the previous novel instead of split over two (0 more)
Cue the sound of my jaw hitting the floor, at roughly around the halfway mark ...
Entry number 17 (!) in Jim Butcher's 'Dresden Files' urban fantasy series, although - like many other reviewers/readers - I feel it is only fair to point out that this is, in essence, the 'back half' of the previous (Peace Talks).

By which I mean it picks up almost instantly after the ending of the previous - which, correct me if I'm wrong, is also the first time Butcher has done so? - with Harry, Karrin, Lara and co racing back to Chicage from Demonreach island just as the Fomor launch their all-out invasion.

Cue roughly 300 pages dedicated solely to how that plays out. And I mean 300 pages of action scene after action scene, with all the drivers for the plot laid back in Peace Talks. The other 100 pages or so are the aftermath of this; the fallout, if you will.

Truth be told, you do tend to get a bit punch drunk after a while, which is why I haven't rated this as highly as I usually would for a Dresden Files story.

Well, that, and there's also a shocking event round about the halfway mark, which nearly had my jaw hit the floor ...

I think Jim Butcher had used the title 'Changes' previously, for book number 12 in the series. If that title hadn't already been taken, and if he had been looking for another title for this, it would have fitted like a glove.
  
Demons in the Big Easy
Demons in the Big Easy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Adventurous in her youth, Cassandra built gateways between Domhan and its parallel realm of Earth. Now she’s too old for that kind of thing. But something is making it easier for demons to pass into Domhan. Not only that, but their behavior becomes inexplicable: whenever Cassandra banishes one, it laughs at her rather than resists, and it promises it will soon devour her essence and that of every resident of her small village. Cassandra is certain such a thing is impossible, for strong wards protect her village.
But then Cassandra’s granddaughter Aine falls through an unstable gateway. Cassandra is the only one within a hundred miles capable of creating a gateway and bringing Aine back. Despite her aching joints, Cassandra goes after her, and the gateway lands her in New Orleans. But something goes wrong with her tracking spell, which indicates Aine exists in four different places at once. As Cassandra struggles to find the true location of her granddaughter in the Big Easy, she discovers the source of the demons’ confidence. Now, with an unlikely pair of allies—her timid granddaughter and a homeless man who may or may not be crazy—she has to not only save her granddaughter but also prevent both Domhan and Earth from being overrun by demons.

I really enjoyed this novella.
Demons in the Big Easy is a short urban fantasy novella following an elderly witch Cassandra as she searches for her lost granddaughter across dimensions.
I think this story has more to tell and would be first in line if the author decided to expand on it.
This story had a perfect mix of mystery, bad guys and horror. I could not believe the end, I never would have thought who the head demon was.
I am hoping for a sequel!