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Debbiereadsbook (1202 KP) rated The Game Warden's Mate (The Hunt #1) in Books
Nov 22, 2023
thoroughly enjoyable take on alien abduction!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
As the new game Warden, Xrez must make sure the rules are followed and The Hunt makes a profit. It is, after all, his family's fortune. But somehow, this new Hunt has already broken a rule: no humans, and this Hunt is JUST humans. Esme finds herself, along with the others, on an alien planet, being hunted. The higher up the Game they get, the better their life will be when they get out. But they cannot go home. Xres keeps helping her, and she doesn't know why. Xres can't keep away from Esme, but he's there on false pretenses. When she finds out the truth, will she forgive him?
I thoroughly enjoyed this take on alien kidnapping.
I found Esme to be a strong woman, faced with a good deal of adversity. Being kidnapped will do that to ya! Xres, however, I found a bit of a wet blanket at times and he did grate on my nerves. I mean, what did he expect Esme to do when she discovered his betrayal, hmm??
I did like the way everything played out in the end, though.
It's steamy and smexy in places, and dark and deadly in others. I loved the supporting cast!
Now, when I looked wherever I looked, I couldn't see any others. I've now discovered there are 5 books in this series and I really hope I can get my hands on them! I was intrigued as to who might be next, and I'm so glad. The rest of the series is about the others in this Hunt and the one female who is already in Level Three.
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
As the new game Warden, Xrez must make sure the rules are followed and The Hunt makes a profit. It is, after all, his family's fortune. But somehow, this new Hunt has already broken a rule: no humans, and this Hunt is JUST humans. Esme finds herself, along with the others, on an alien planet, being hunted. The higher up the Game they get, the better their life will be when they get out. But they cannot go home. Xres keeps helping her, and she doesn't know why. Xres can't keep away from Esme, but he's there on false pretenses. When she finds out the truth, will she forgive him?
I thoroughly enjoyed this take on alien kidnapping.
I found Esme to be a strong woman, faced with a good deal of adversity. Being kidnapped will do that to ya! Xres, however, I found a bit of a wet blanket at times and he did grate on my nerves. I mean, what did he expect Esme to do when she discovered his betrayal, hmm??
I did like the way everything played out in the end, though.
It's steamy and smexy in places, and dark and deadly in others. I loved the supporting cast!
Now, when I looked wherever I looked, I couldn't see any others. I've now discovered there are 5 books in this series and I really hope I can get my hands on them! I was intrigued as to who might be next, and I'm so glad. The rest of the series is about the others in this Hunt and the one female who is already in Level Three.
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Crescendo (Hush, Hush, #2) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Genre: YA
ISBN: 9781416989431
Publication date: October 19th 2010 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Rating: 5
(No summary, to keep spoilers out!)
Ok. Crescendo definitely wasn’t what I expected. I definitely liked it—maybe loved it. But I can’t say I enjoyed reading it. I won’t spoil it, but we’ll just say there were times when I wanted to wring the characters necks. It was wonderful, and it was miserable.
And Patch. Oh Patch.
Ok. Can’t say anything else about Patch.
I admire a book that surprises the crap out of me. Crescendo did that. I had absolutely no idea of who was the bad guy until the very last page, and it was nothing but wishful thinking that kept the hero in his position. Although the tension, both romantic and emotional, made it difficult to read at times, I tore through it and couldn't put it down.
So here are the things that made it wonderful:
1. The plot was woven perfectly, intricately, and complexly, and it surprised me. There was so much to it, that it might take a while for me to completely wrap my head around it. It did not have plot overkill, thank goodness, but it would have if it hadn’t been organized and written so well.
2. The emotional turmoil was very real… reading it was almost depressing… if I hadn’t had so much faith in Patch… Wow. Having faith in Patch isn’t a good thing, is it?
3. Not only was the plot complicated, but it was fast paced the entire time. There was no down-time, there was nothing simple.
As far as the writing, I have nothing great to say about it. It was every-day satisfyingly mediocre writing style and vocabulary, but it wasn’t bad.
And of course, the characters… well they don’t have that many redeeming qualities, do they? I mean, really. Name five things about Patch that make him a worth-while guy, besides being sexy and smelling delicious. And yes, sometimes I wanted to yell at Nora to forget about her pride and just “do it!” (no not that! you’ll understand when you read it!)
Now for my favorite part: The end. It was good and bad: Good because I got the end that I wanted in the first place (!!!) and bad because at the very end, the last paragraph, I read it and freaked out… SERIOUSLY? BECCA, THAT’S NOT AN ENDING! It was worse than Catching Fire. But the rest was wonderful! *swoons*
So. I absolutely recommend Crescendo. I recommend reading it when you have all day to devote to it, because you won’t want to stop and leave yourself feeling angry and depressed. Because really, the whole mood of this book is angry, sad, and depressing. But it was ok that way.
Then again… you may want to wait to read it until book 3 comes out. Because there will definitely be a book 3. And I definitely want it right now.
And that’s all I have to say about that.
Content/recommendation: Ages 16+ for some sensuality. And you have to read Hush, Hush first or none of it will make any sense.
By the way, I got my ARC of Hush Hush at ARC swap. So head over there to see if there are any goodies you’d like to swap for. Last I checked, there was an ARC of Fallout, Tyger Tyger, Party, Perchance to Dream, and quite a few more. http://arcswap.webs.com
Genre: YA
ISBN: 9781416989431
Publication date: October 19th 2010 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Rating: 5
(No summary, to keep spoilers out!)
Ok. Crescendo definitely wasn’t what I expected. I definitely liked it—maybe loved it. But I can’t say I enjoyed reading it. I won’t spoil it, but we’ll just say there were times when I wanted to wring the characters necks. It was wonderful, and it was miserable.
And Patch. Oh Patch.
Ok. Can’t say anything else about Patch.
I admire a book that surprises the crap out of me. Crescendo did that. I had absolutely no idea of who was the bad guy until the very last page, and it was nothing but wishful thinking that kept the hero in his position. Although the tension, both romantic and emotional, made it difficult to read at times, I tore through it and couldn't put it down.
So here are the things that made it wonderful:
1. The plot was woven perfectly, intricately, and complexly, and it surprised me. There was so much to it, that it might take a while for me to completely wrap my head around it. It did not have plot overkill, thank goodness, but it would have if it hadn’t been organized and written so well.
2. The emotional turmoil was very real… reading it was almost depressing… if I hadn’t had so much faith in Patch… Wow. Having faith in Patch isn’t a good thing, is it?
3. Not only was the plot complicated, but it was fast paced the entire time. There was no down-time, there was nothing simple.
As far as the writing, I have nothing great to say about it. It was every-day satisfyingly mediocre writing style and vocabulary, but it wasn’t bad.
And of course, the characters… well they don’t have that many redeeming qualities, do they? I mean, really. Name five things about Patch that make him a worth-while guy, besides being sexy and smelling delicious. And yes, sometimes I wanted to yell at Nora to forget about her pride and just “do it!” (no not that! you’ll understand when you read it!)
Now for my favorite part: The end. It was good and bad: Good because I got the end that I wanted in the first place (!!!) and bad because at the very end, the last paragraph, I read it and freaked out… SERIOUSLY? BECCA, THAT’S NOT AN ENDING! It was worse than Catching Fire. But the rest was wonderful! *swoons*
So. I absolutely recommend Crescendo. I recommend reading it when you have all day to devote to it, because you won’t want to stop and leave yourself feeling angry and depressed. Because really, the whole mood of this book is angry, sad, and depressing. But it was ok that way.
Then again… you may want to wait to read it until book 3 comes out. Because there will definitely be a book 3. And I definitely want it right now.
And that’s all I have to say about that.
Content/recommendation: Ages 16+ for some sensuality. And you have to read Hush, Hush first or none of it will make any sense.
By the way, I got my ARC of Hush Hush at ARC swap. So head over there to see if there are any goodies you’d like to swap for. Last I checked, there was an ARC of Fallout, Tyger Tyger, Party, Perchance to Dream, and quite a few more. http://arcswap.webs.com
Debbiereadsbook (1202 KP) rated Close to Home (Sawyer's Ferry #4) in Books
Jun 28, 2019
my fav of the four!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 4 in the Sawyers Ferry series, but you don't NEED to read the other books for this one to make sense. The previous stories come before this in time, and the previous characters pop up here too. But, you know? two 5 stars and a 4star read from me, so why not, eh?
Witt somehow manages to get himself a beating, and by some miracle, drives himself to the only place he feels safe: Sawyers Ferry. His boss did not like it when Witt said no. Mason is struggling at his place with his house mates family visiting, so when Logan and Jackson ask Mason to move into their place to keep an eye on the still recovering Witt, he jumps at the chance to not only get out his house, but to get to know the shy man a whole lot better. Something about Witt pulls at Mason, and he can't figure out what, not yet. But when Witt's boss turns up in town, Mason figures it out real quick. Witt is HIS and Mason will do everything he can to protect him.
So, book 4 and this carries a far darker story line. Witt has been working with a bully, and managed to, up to now, avoid any serious confrontation but when Witt says no to more overtime, that confrontation happens and Witt suffers at the hands of his boss. How he managed to get as far as the ferry, he will never know, but Logan and Jackson are there, they will help him. Then Mason is in the house, and Witt doesn't quite know what to do about the man who seemed to have invaded his dreams somewhere along the way.
Mason works with Barrett at the Copper Creek Brewery. He met Witt some time ago, the smaller shy man trying to almost hide in the sofa. But Mason noticed, he noticed a lot about Witt. Visiting Witt at the hospital bought all kinds of rage out of Mason, and all kinds of other feelings he didn't want to examine just yet. Being able to look after Witt when Logan and Jackson go out of town is just the best thing.
Slowly, Witt comes out of himself. He is painfully shy, and Mason so darn gentle with him, it was a delight to see Witt break his shell. And when Witt decides to take the plunge and take what he wants, or rather WHO he wants, ooooeeee that was so hawt!
It was great fun watching these two dance around each other for a huge part of the book! Mason admitted his feelings to Barrett and Frnakie quite early, but Witt took a while to get there. Neither man was sure what the other was feeling!
Brody pops up, and Mason's best friend. He has a short in this series, Laguna, which is availble for free from Profilicworks. And I do mean SHORT! 34 pages is all, but I do know that Ms Ashwood will be writing Brody and Beckett's full story shortly! Can't wait for that, I tell ya!
I just got back off my holidays, and I read this on the plane. Fabulous way to pass a 4 hour flight!
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 4 in the Sawyers Ferry series, but you don't NEED to read the other books for this one to make sense. The previous stories come before this in time, and the previous characters pop up here too. But, you know? two 5 stars and a 4star read from me, so why not, eh?
Witt somehow manages to get himself a beating, and by some miracle, drives himself to the only place he feels safe: Sawyers Ferry. His boss did not like it when Witt said no. Mason is struggling at his place with his house mates family visiting, so when Logan and Jackson ask Mason to move into their place to keep an eye on the still recovering Witt, he jumps at the chance to not only get out his house, but to get to know the shy man a whole lot better. Something about Witt pulls at Mason, and he can't figure out what, not yet. But when Witt's boss turns up in town, Mason figures it out real quick. Witt is HIS and Mason will do everything he can to protect him.
So, book 4 and this carries a far darker story line. Witt has been working with a bully, and managed to, up to now, avoid any serious confrontation but when Witt says no to more overtime, that confrontation happens and Witt suffers at the hands of his boss. How he managed to get as far as the ferry, he will never know, but Logan and Jackson are there, they will help him. Then Mason is in the house, and Witt doesn't quite know what to do about the man who seemed to have invaded his dreams somewhere along the way.
Mason works with Barrett at the Copper Creek Brewery. He met Witt some time ago, the smaller shy man trying to almost hide in the sofa. But Mason noticed, he noticed a lot about Witt. Visiting Witt at the hospital bought all kinds of rage out of Mason, and all kinds of other feelings he didn't want to examine just yet. Being able to look after Witt when Logan and Jackson go out of town is just the best thing.
Slowly, Witt comes out of himself. He is painfully shy, and Mason so darn gentle with him, it was a delight to see Witt break his shell. And when Witt decides to take the plunge and take what he wants, or rather WHO he wants, ooooeeee that was so hawt!
It was great fun watching these two dance around each other for a huge part of the book! Mason admitted his feelings to Barrett and Frnakie quite early, but Witt took a while to get there. Neither man was sure what the other was feeling!
Brody pops up, and Mason's best friend. He has a short in this series, Laguna, which is availble for free from Profilicworks. And I do mean SHORT! 34 pages is all, but I do know that Ms Ashwood will be writing Brody and Beckett's full story shortly! Can't wait for that, I tell ya!
I just got back off my holidays, and I read this on the plane. Fabulous way to pass a 4 hour flight!
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Lone Star Legend in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Lone Star Legend by Gwendolyn Zepeda
Genre: YA Fiction
Rating: 2.5, DNF
Sandy S. has a second identity online—she blogs at a personal blog as Miss TragiComic Texas, and works for a website called Nacho Papi. Sandy is good at living her dual-identities and keeping them separate. But when people start connecting the the personal blog and the new website, and then recognizing her on the streets from the videos…
(From back of the book:) No matter how many passwords and aliases we use, there really is no such thing as privacy when you live your life online. Celebrities expect this, but what about the average person? Gwendolyn Zepeda’s novel plays with this idea of public vs. private and what happens when those lines get crossed.
I found Lone Star Legend to be very slow. It was hard to get into, and even halfway through the book I wasn’t sure what the actual plot line was.
There is a lot of drama. She breaks up with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend’s students find her personal blog and her rants about him and it embarrasses him. People recognize her in the coffee shop from TV. The man she interviews on a whim becomes the new biggest internet phenomenon, but he doesn’t want his photo on the t-shirts that she has already started to sell. These are just a few things that happen in the story, and none of it really leads anywhere.
And if a story doesn’t lead anywhere, and I have no desire to finish it, I’m not going to. Because I could be reading other things.
With that in mind, my positive comments include these: Zepeda is a pretty good writer. The writing and the dialogue is witty and fresh and alive and pretty funny at times. There were some great lines, great scenarios, and great laugh-out-loud sections… there just weren’t enough to keep me reading. The characters are well developed and defined and likeable, and it’s a pretty enjoyable read… little bits at a time.
But Lone Star Legend just wasn’t my thing, I guess. It kind of stinks, too, because I love the idea. As a blogger, people I know personally always tell me about stuff they read on my blog… but however much I wanted to enjoy it, I just couldn’t get into it.
Genre: YA Fiction
Rating: 2.5, DNF
Sandy S. has a second identity online—she blogs at a personal blog as Miss TragiComic Texas, and works for a website called Nacho Papi. Sandy is good at living her dual-identities and keeping them separate. But when people start connecting the the personal blog and the new website, and then recognizing her on the streets from the videos…
(From back of the book:) No matter how many passwords and aliases we use, there really is no such thing as privacy when you live your life online. Celebrities expect this, but what about the average person? Gwendolyn Zepeda’s novel plays with this idea of public vs. private and what happens when those lines get crossed.
I found Lone Star Legend to be very slow. It was hard to get into, and even halfway through the book I wasn’t sure what the actual plot line was.
There is a lot of drama. She breaks up with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend’s students find her personal blog and her rants about him and it embarrasses him. People recognize her in the coffee shop from TV. The man she interviews on a whim becomes the new biggest internet phenomenon, but he doesn’t want his photo on the t-shirts that she has already started to sell. These are just a few things that happen in the story, and none of it really leads anywhere.
And if a story doesn’t lead anywhere, and I have no desire to finish it, I’m not going to. Because I could be reading other things.
With that in mind, my positive comments include these: Zepeda is a pretty good writer. The writing and the dialogue is witty and fresh and alive and pretty funny at times. There were some great lines, great scenarios, and great laugh-out-loud sections… there just weren’t enough to keep me reading. The characters are well developed and defined and likeable, and it’s a pretty enjoyable read… little bits at a time.
But Lone Star Legend just wasn’t my thing, I guess. It kind of stinks, too, because I love the idea. As a blogger, people I know personally always tell me about stuff they read on my blog… but however much I wanted to enjoy it, I just couldn’t get into it.
Natalie Swain (4 KP) rated Everless in Books
Jan 4, 2019
Everless by Sara Holland.
It tells the story of Jules, a 17 year old girl who is desperately trying to find a way to help her father pay his debts. A very common troupe in YA but in Everless there is a new and interesting system.
You pay with your life. You bleed onto an iron coin - lets say you give up a year of your life. Bleed it onto the coin and the person taking the coin eats/drinks it and they gain that year you gave up. So naturally the rich live long and the poor die early.
Jules gets the chance to work in Everless and after her father repeatedly telling her no and it's too dangerous - she still goes.
She reminds of Ariel who defies her father but at the same time - she's 16. He knows way more about life than you!
Jules sounds like a 12 year old girl. The way it was written made her sound very young and immature and my issue is, is that it was a lot of tell and not much show. There was a lot of info dump at the beginning of the book and I didn't really connect with Jules or feel sorry for her situation because I felt nothing towards her.
When a situation in Everless means that she should and could leave she refuses to.
Jules NEEDS to know the answers to the secrets surrounding her.
“Maybe I am a mystery— a secret— that needs unravelling...”
Her character moved forward on emotion and not using her intellect. So she often got herself in situations that she shouldn't be in.
Now the romance!
There is Roan and Liam Gerling two brothers who are are very different.
Roan is the typical sweet guy who is apparently kind to everyone.
And then there is Liam - the brooding secretive guy that Jules "hates," and everybody else "hates"
It becomes clear that both men are not what they seem but Jules ignores all the signs and only follows what her heart is telling her.
Things seem straightforward and the secrets seem obvious but there was genuine surprises.
However that being said, it's a great mystery and there's still so much more intrigue and I am excited to be reading the next book very soon!
Natalie xoxo
It tells the story of Jules, a 17 year old girl who is desperately trying to find a way to help her father pay his debts. A very common troupe in YA but in Everless there is a new and interesting system.
You pay with your life. You bleed onto an iron coin - lets say you give up a year of your life. Bleed it onto the coin and the person taking the coin eats/drinks it and they gain that year you gave up. So naturally the rich live long and the poor die early.
Jules gets the chance to work in Everless and after her father repeatedly telling her no and it's too dangerous - she still goes.
She reminds of Ariel who defies her father but at the same time - she's 16. He knows way more about life than you!
Jules sounds like a 12 year old girl. The way it was written made her sound very young and immature and my issue is, is that it was a lot of tell and not much show. There was a lot of info dump at the beginning of the book and I didn't really connect with Jules or feel sorry for her situation because I felt nothing towards her.
When a situation in Everless means that she should and could leave she refuses to.
Jules NEEDS to know the answers to the secrets surrounding her.
“Maybe I am a mystery— a secret— that needs unravelling...”
Her character moved forward on emotion and not using her intellect. So she often got herself in situations that she shouldn't be in.
Now the romance!
There is Roan and Liam Gerling two brothers who are are very different.
Roan is the typical sweet guy who is apparently kind to everyone.
And then there is Liam - the brooding secretive guy that Jules "hates," and everybody else "hates"
It becomes clear that both men are not what they seem but Jules ignores all the signs and only follows what her heart is telling her.
Things seem straightforward and the secrets seem obvious but there was genuine surprises.
However that being said, it's a great mystery and there's still so much more intrigue and I am excited to be reading the next book very soon!
Natalie xoxo
I'm Not Dying With You Tonight
Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal
Book
"An absolute page turner, I'm Not Dying with You Tonight is a compelling and powerful novel that is...
Ari Augustine (10 KP) rated Crave (Crave, #1) in Books
May 4, 2020
I am super torn about CRAVE by Tracy Wolff.
First off, the world is kind of amazing. I did love the Hogwarts-Vampire Academy-Narnia-in-Alaska vibes I was getting from the setting. It was beautiful, secluded, and totally magical. Grace is hilarious most of the time, filled with snark and near corny knock knock jokes, but I also enjoyed how she called characters out on their crap. She wasn't always a reckless mess, which was nice, and I readily felt for her grief over the death of her parents. From the beginning, I was there for her pain, her panic attacks, her bravery, her wit, and this new adventure before her. Second to Grace is Jaxon, who I adored in so many ways. Perfection and arrogance aside, he's totally a broody vampire, but this isn't the ONLY side to his character we get, and unlike so many other characters we could compare him to, he does change throughout the course of the book. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that maybe Jaxon, not Grace, is the main lead of this story. They had amazing chemistry, sexy banter, and I deeply enjoyed the tug o' war between them.
Okay. Now for the....not so great. For one, while the setting is so magical and new, we don't really get to explore it much. Yes, we get the AMAZING library filled with witches, unusual tomes, and gargoyles, but I would have loved to hear more about the classes, the different cliques, the way this new place functioned. Unfortunately, because Grace was left out of the loop for pretty much the whole book, we were, too. So we end up not really getting to explore this new place much and that really sucked. This brings us to a second thing I struggled with: Grace.
While I absolutely adored her character, I also kind of wanted to smack her and scream "OPEN YOUR EYES". Even with Macy (her cousin) half spelling it out and with all the impossibilities going on (like students standing outside in below 0 weather without jackets), Grace just sort of files it away as odd, but shrugs. Meh. So that guy wanted to murder me? Meh. So these beads shock everyone but me? Meh. So I fell from a tree and somehow this hot guy caught me midair? Double meh. The list goes on. This went on for the ENTIRE BOOK. And while it was all painfully obvious to us, it sailed over her head like an invisible wind. This really bothered me. Just like the instalove with Jaxon bothered me. Look, I believe in instant attraction. I know a hottie when I see one and, yeah, there's always that little phase of infatuation and attraction, but this started intense and just sort of ended with love bombs. The chemistry, as I said before, was amazing, but I wished we could have had more to go on. It bothered me that Grace was constantly throwing herself at Jaxon, forcing herself on him and forcing him to open on. She also made so many assumptions about Jaxon and I was waiting for her rationale, which never really came. It's like meeting a feral dog in the tundra and believing it wont harm you because it's one of God's creatures or something. She totally idolized him, and I think that, more than anything, kept preventing me from fully loving her as a character.
Odd things I don't know how to feel about: I can totally see where people here are comparing it to Twilight. It pretty much follows the same Vampire Romance formula. Human girl meets broody vampire boy who has a dark past, a set of fangs, and, of course, many enemies. The girl almost always sacrifices herself for love and that happens here, too. I will argue that these characters had WAY MORE personality than Bella and Edward, though. In fact, I FUCKING LOVES all the scenes where Grace handed Jaxon his ass. In fact, this is pretty much why I was unable to put the book down despite all the issues I had with it later. What struck me, though, was I couldn't shake the feeling that the book was either laughing at Twilight (by being a better version of it) or if it was laughing at itself....as if Twilight were the inside joke. This was actually the most entertaining part of the book, and I was unable to figure out if this was meant to be comedic or if I was just reading it that way. Does this make sense? There were so many Twilight references and at one point, Grace event comments to herself about how she wasn't going to be like those female heroines in YA fantasy novels. I don't know. I read this alongside a friend who also felt like the book wasn't taking itself seriously, but neither of us could tell if this was deliberate or not.
Overall, it was a light and entertaining read. Was it perfect? No. Is it funny? Hell yes. Lots of delicious fangy hotness? Um...YEAH. And despite all the problems I had with it, it was still a fun book to setting into during midterms week.
First off, the world is kind of amazing. I did love the Hogwarts-Vampire Academy-Narnia-in-Alaska vibes I was getting from the setting. It was beautiful, secluded, and totally magical. Grace is hilarious most of the time, filled with snark and near corny knock knock jokes, but I also enjoyed how she called characters out on their crap. She wasn't always a reckless mess, which was nice, and I readily felt for her grief over the death of her parents. From the beginning, I was there for her pain, her panic attacks, her bravery, her wit, and this new adventure before her. Second to Grace is Jaxon, who I adored in so many ways. Perfection and arrogance aside, he's totally a broody vampire, but this isn't the ONLY side to his character we get, and unlike so many other characters we could compare him to, he does change throughout the course of the book. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that maybe Jaxon, not Grace, is the main lead of this story. They had amazing chemistry, sexy banter, and I deeply enjoyed the tug o' war between them.
Okay. Now for the....not so great. For one, while the setting is so magical and new, we don't really get to explore it much. Yes, we get the AMAZING library filled with witches, unusual tomes, and gargoyles, but I would have loved to hear more about the classes, the different cliques, the way this new place functioned. Unfortunately, because Grace was left out of the loop for pretty much the whole book, we were, too. So we end up not really getting to explore this new place much and that really sucked. This brings us to a second thing I struggled with: Grace.
While I absolutely adored her character, I also kind of wanted to smack her and scream "OPEN YOUR EYES". Even with Macy (her cousin) half spelling it out and with all the impossibilities going on (like students standing outside in below 0 weather without jackets), Grace just sort of files it away as odd, but shrugs. Meh. So that guy wanted to murder me? Meh. So these beads shock everyone but me? Meh. So I fell from a tree and somehow this hot guy caught me midair? Double meh. The list goes on. This went on for the ENTIRE BOOK. And while it was all painfully obvious to us, it sailed over her head like an invisible wind. This really bothered me. Just like the instalove with Jaxon bothered me. Look, I believe in instant attraction. I know a hottie when I see one and, yeah, there's always that little phase of infatuation and attraction, but this started intense and just sort of ended with love bombs. The chemistry, as I said before, was amazing, but I wished we could have had more to go on. It bothered me that Grace was constantly throwing herself at Jaxon, forcing herself on him and forcing him to open on. She also made so many assumptions about Jaxon and I was waiting for her rationale, which never really came. It's like meeting a feral dog in the tundra and believing it wont harm you because it's one of God's creatures or something. She totally idolized him, and I think that, more than anything, kept preventing me from fully loving her as a character.
Odd things I don't know how to feel about: I can totally see where people here are comparing it to Twilight. It pretty much follows the same Vampire Romance formula. Human girl meets broody vampire boy who has a dark past, a set of fangs, and, of course, many enemies. The girl almost always sacrifices herself for love and that happens here, too. I will argue that these characters had WAY MORE personality than Bella and Edward, though. In fact, I FUCKING LOVES all the scenes where Grace handed Jaxon his ass. In fact, this is pretty much why I was unable to put the book down despite all the issues I had with it later. What struck me, though, was I couldn't shake the feeling that the book was either laughing at Twilight (by being a better version of it) or if it was laughing at itself....as if Twilight were the inside joke. This was actually the most entertaining part of the book, and I was unable to figure out if this was meant to be comedic or if I was just reading it that way. Does this make sense? There were so many Twilight references and at one point, Grace event comments to herself about how she wasn't going to be like those female heroines in YA fantasy novels. I don't know. I read this alongside a friend who also felt like the book wasn't taking itself seriously, but neither of us could tell if this was deliberate or not.
Overall, it was a light and entertaining read. Was it perfect? No. Is it funny? Hell yes. Lots of delicious fangy hotness? Um...YEAH. And despite all the problems I had with it, it was still a fun book to setting into during midterms week.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Snow like Ashes in Books
Oct 9, 2018
The world-building in this book is fascinating. At first, it seems like yet another YA novel about displaced royals trying to win back their kingdom, but this royal is in much more dire straits than most. Meira is a refugee living on the run with seven others, one of them her rightful King. All the rest of their people have been enslaved by the conquering country, and their kingdom's link to the magic inherent in the land has been broken.
A little backdrop is needed. In Meira's land, there are eight countries. The Rhythm countries, where seasons proceed as normal, and the Seasons - 4 countries locked in one season each. The rulers of each country have a magic conduit that lets them feed magic to their people - but the conduits are gender-locked. In four of the countries, only women can use the conduit; in the other four, only men. Meira and her little band are all that's left of the free people of Winter. Spring invaded sixteen years ago, killed Winter's queen, broke the locket that was their magic conduit (each ruler has one) and enslaved their people. Because the queen only had a son, he can't wield Winter's magic anyway. They're still trying to find the two pieces of the locket so when he has a daughter, she can wield it. You'd think at this point, since he's of age, he should be trying to get as many women pregnant as possible to up the odds of getting a royal heir who can wield the magic, but that...doesn't come up.
The book does delve into the country's people being oppressed, used as slaves, and being incredibly abused by the conquering country, and this is where I ran into a quandary. The Season's people reflect their countries: Autumn's people have copper skin, Spring's citizens are blond-haired and green-eyed - and Winter's people are white. Pale skin, snow-white hair, blue eyes. Writing white people as the oppressed people just rubs me the wrong way. (In that false "help I'm being oppressed because other people want equal rights!" kind of way.) Yes, this is fantasy, yes, it has nothing to do with our world's politics - but it bothers me. It's at least not white-savioring, as Meira's trying to save her own people, but I don't know. Is it better or worse to write white people as the oppressed protagonists?
That question aside, this was a well-written novel of fighting against an oppressor. There is definitely still work to be done at the end of the book, and there are two more books, as well as two short stories. While I am a little curious what ultimately happens, I don't know if the series has earned more time on my reading list.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
A little backdrop is needed. In Meira's land, there are eight countries. The Rhythm countries, where seasons proceed as normal, and the Seasons - 4 countries locked in one season each. The rulers of each country have a magic conduit that lets them feed magic to their people - but the conduits are gender-locked. In four of the countries, only women can use the conduit; in the other four, only men. Meira and her little band are all that's left of the free people of Winter. Spring invaded sixteen years ago, killed Winter's queen, broke the locket that was their magic conduit (each ruler has one) and enslaved their people. Because the queen only had a son, he can't wield Winter's magic anyway. They're still trying to find the two pieces of the locket so when he has a daughter, she can wield it. You'd think at this point, since he's of age, he should be trying to get as many women pregnant as possible to up the odds of getting a royal heir who can wield the magic, but that...doesn't come up.
The book does delve into the country's people being oppressed, used as slaves, and being incredibly abused by the conquering country, and this is where I ran into a quandary. The Season's people reflect their countries: Autumn's people have copper skin, Spring's citizens are blond-haired and green-eyed - and Winter's people are white. Pale skin, snow-white hair, blue eyes. Writing white people as the oppressed people just rubs me the wrong way. (In that false "help I'm being oppressed because other people want equal rights!" kind of way.) Yes, this is fantasy, yes, it has nothing to do with our world's politics - but it bothers me. It's at least not white-savioring, as Meira's trying to save her own people, but I don't know. Is it better or worse to write white people as the oppressed protagonists?
That question aside, this was a well-written novel of fighting against an oppressor. There is definitely still work to be done at the end of the book, and there are two more books, as well as two short stories. While I am a little curious what ultimately happens, I don't know if the series has earned more time on my reading list.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Seizure (Virals, #2) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/03/review-seizure-by-kathy-reichs.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste
I had no clue why the title was Seizure. For all I knew, seizure meant something to do with a stroke or a heart attack and could possibly result in death if not fixed ASAP. I could be wrong with that definition as well. What I never knew however, was the other definition. The Dictionary enlightened me:
<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2czRrDxmYY8/UUEOb7ipebI/AAAAAAAABKE/7MBpVauz380/s320/Seizure+Definition.JPG"; />
I guess I was partially right. Apparently there goes proof I'm not a walking/talking dictionary. Living proof. I'm honestly better off as a spellchecker any day. I must be bored if I did know the definition for every word that exists. Extremely bored. To the point of desperation. Which isn't happening any day until the zombie apocalypse at the least.
Seizure is the second novel in the Virals series (first book is Virals, but my review for it never existed on this planet because my book blogging life never existed at the time) written by Kathy Reichs. It's been awhile after the Virals have transformed from a super-virus. Due to financial problems, Loggerhead Island is at risk to be shut down, and the Virals may have to separate, facing the super-virus on their own. At least until Tory Brennan hears about Anne Bonny's legend. It's said that her treasure is buried right in Charles Town, but no one has succeeded in finding it for around 3 centuries.
What I like about Seizure is the storyline. It's creative, and it twists a legend (I don't know the actual legend though) to fit in with what's going on with the Virals after their transformation. I also love how the characters have changed a lot from the first novel, or at least, most of them, and how there are new characters introduced. Whitney's still as annoying as before (just get out of Tory's hair already! Dx) and Chance hasn't changed much. As for everyone else? Well, I can't say. I can say they changed, but I can't say how. I might as well tape an index card on my forehead with the words SPOILER.
What I dislike? My prediction (always. I fear I'm aiming correctly... even though I have terrible accuracy). I sense a love triangle coming soon. And as typical as it goes with love triangles in YA, it might get ugly with the tension. The best part about that though? I might be off the mark. Or I may be bull's eye (I hope not!). Don't take my prediction for granted. It's just a thought. I might be wrong, or I might be right. I guess we'll see.
Speaking of which, the third book in the series, Code, came out last Wednesday, March 12. Who's excited for a new Virals adventure? :D
Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste
I had no clue why the title was Seizure. For all I knew, seizure meant something to do with a stroke or a heart attack and could possibly result in death if not fixed ASAP. I could be wrong with that definition as well. What I never knew however, was the other definition. The Dictionary enlightened me:
<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2czRrDxmYY8/UUEOb7ipebI/AAAAAAAABKE/7MBpVauz380/s320/Seizure+Definition.JPG"; />
I guess I was partially right. Apparently there goes proof I'm not a walking/talking dictionary. Living proof. I'm honestly better off as a spellchecker any day. I must be bored if I did know the definition for every word that exists. Extremely bored. To the point of desperation. Which isn't happening any day until the zombie apocalypse at the least.
Seizure is the second novel in the Virals series (first book is Virals, but my review for it never existed on this planet because my book blogging life never existed at the time) written by Kathy Reichs. It's been awhile after the Virals have transformed from a super-virus. Due to financial problems, Loggerhead Island is at risk to be shut down, and the Virals may have to separate, facing the super-virus on their own. At least until Tory Brennan hears about Anne Bonny's legend. It's said that her treasure is buried right in Charles Town, but no one has succeeded in finding it for around 3 centuries.
What I like about Seizure is the storyline. It's creative, and it twists a legend (I don't know the actual legend though) to fit in with what's going on with the Virals after their transformation. I also love how the characters have changed a lot from the first novel, or at least, most of them, and how there are new characters introduced. Whitney's still as annoying as before (just get out of Tory's hair already! Dx) and Chance hasn't changed much. As for everyone else? Well, I can't say. I can say they changed, but I can't say how. I might as well tape an index card on my forehead with the words SPOILER.
What I dislike? My prediction (always. I fear I'm aiming correctly... even though I have terrible accuracy). I sense a love triangle coming soon. And as typical as it goes with love triangles in YA, it might get ugly with the tension. The best part about that though? I might be off the mark. Or I may be bull's eye (I hope not!). Don't take my prediction for granted. It's just a thought. I might be wrong, or I might be right. I guess we'll see.
Speaking of which, the third book in the series, Code, came out last Wednesday, March 12. Who's excited for a new Virals adventure? :D
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated House of X/Powers of X in Books
Nov 30, 2020
I regret that it took me almost a month to finish my re-visit of HoX/PoX, but it did. And, not because the book sucked (COVID-19's mandatory "Stay-at-Home" shit starts to grate on the nerves, y'know?)! ANYWAY...
***
Say what you want about Marvel and their annoying reboot kerfuffles, but this whole "Dawn of X" that Jonathan Hickman is helming? FUCKING BRILLIANT, okay?!!? I swear to ya, the X-books haven't been this exciting or even remotely relevant in about twenty years! And as some who's been reading the X-books since the late 70's (yeah, I'm THAT old!), you can be sure that means something!
I have been bored with Wolverine's character the last handful of years. Other than the film LOGAN, I thought his character was overused and something of an ass, if I have to be honest. However, here? Holy crow, I am digging the ol' canucklehead again! Thank you, Mr. Hickman!
And I am going to keep this next bit Spoiler-free, just in case there is anyone reading this review and they have not yet finishing a'readin' it... Who knew [SPOILER-FREE] was a frikkin' mutant?! Again, I am a reader of the X-Men since the late 70's, but I still never had an even inkling that they were a mutant! And the way it was all presented? EPIC! I wanted to hate it, because it sounded so frikkin' trope-ish, without any redemptive potential! None of us likes to be proven wrong, but in this, yeah, I'll take it! Hickman did a smashing job with this plot point, one in which I am apt to conclude that when "Dawn of X" reaches its pinnacle (whenever this is.. <u>Thanks, COVID!!</u>), it's gonna come back around and it's a'gonna pack one hell of a punch!
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/188153395@N04/50081223842/in/dateposted-public/"; title="Image00016"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50081223842_cb1c47d5be_n.jpg"; width="220" height="218" alt="Image00016"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And I am fairly certain that what I am about to say is not going to be a spoiler, as I feel this has been true for some time now, but good Lord, Professor X is a dick! He is playing chess, with a board in his head that only he knows of, and anyone who is close to him gets relegated to "pawn status"!
I totally get where he, Erik (Magneto) and [SPOILER-FREE] are working towards with the whole mutant-nation of Krakoa, I truly do! But, with Xavier keep his hand of cards close to his chest, it seems sketchy at best! While we have seen Xaviers in past X-books where he wasn't as good as we thought, but it got old hat, y'know? Here? Yeah, I'm in for the long haul, as I am curious where this is all going to go and I suspect it's not going to go well as far as Xavier is concerned!
And amaz-a-balls as Hickman is with all this, it would be so unbecoming of me if I didn't address the fab art on both series! We had Pepe Larraz on HoX, while R.B. Silva handled the art for PoX. And let me tell ya, both of them did bang-up jobs, really bringing the icing for two already outstanding "cakes"! Bravo, gentleman, bravo!
So, time to wrap this up.. If you have any vested interest in all things mutant-related and have felt severely disappointed in the way things have been handled for the last twenty years plus, then you sincerely owe it to yourself to read this book! Worse case scenario? You're a closed-minded S.O.B., like I used to be, and there's just no pleasin' yer ass!
Peace. y'all!
***
Say what you want about Marvel and their annoying reboot kerfuffles, but this whole "Dawn of X" that Jonathan Hickman is helming? FUCKING BRILLIANT, okay?!!? I swear to ya, the X-books haven't been this exciting or even remotely relevant in about twenty years! And as some who's been reading the X-books since the late 70's (yeah, I'm THAT old!), you can be sure that means something!
I have been bored with Wolverine's character the last handful of years. Other than the film LOGAN, I thought his character was overused and something of an ass, if I have to be honest. However, here? Holy crow, I am digging the ol' canucklehead again! Thank you, Mr. Hickman!
And I am going to keep this next bit Spoiler-free, just in case there is anyone reading this review and they have not yet finishing a'readin' it... Who knew [SPOILER-FREE] was a frikkin' mutant?! Again, I am a reader of the X-Men since the late 70's, but I still never had an even inkling that they were a mutant! And the way it was all presented? EPIC! I wanted to hate it, because it sounded so frikkin' trope-ish, without any redemptive potential! None of us likes to be proven wrong, but in this, yeah, I'll take it! Hickman did a smashing job with this plot point, one in which I am apt to conclude that when "Dawn of X" reaches its pinnacle (whenever this is.. <u>Thanks, COVID!!</u>), it's gonna come back around and it's a'gonna pack one hell of a punch!
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/188153395@N04/50081223842/in/dateposted-public/"; title="Image00016"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50081223842_cb1c47d5be_n.jpg"; width="220" height="218" alt="Image00016"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And I am fairly certain that what I am about to say is not going to be a spoiler, as I feel this has been true for some time now, but good Lord, Professor X is a dick! He is playing chess, with a board in his head that only he knows of, and anyone who is close to him gets relegated to "pawn status"!
I totally get where he, Erik (Magneto) and [SPOILER-FREE] are working towards with the whole mutant-nation of Krakoa, I truly do! But, with Xavier keep his hand of cards close to his chest, it seems sketchy at best! While we have seen Xaviers in past X-books where he wasn't as good as we thought, but it got old hat, y'know? Here? Yeah, I'm in for the long haul, as I am curious where this is all going to go and I suspect it's not going to go well as far as Xavier is concerned!
And amaz-a-balls as Hickman is with all this, it would be so unbecoming of me if I didn't address the fab art on both series! We had Pepe Larraz on HoX, while R.B. Silva handled the art for PoX. And let me tell ya, both of them did bang-up jobs, really bringing the icing for two already outstanding "cakes"! Bravo, gentleman, bravo!
So, time to wrap this up.. If you have any vested interest in all things mutant-related and have felt severely disappointed in the way things have been handled for the last twenty years plus, then you sincerely owe it to yourself to read this book! Worse case scenario? You're a closed-minded S.O.B., like I used to be, and there's just no pleasin' yer ass!
Peace. y'all!