Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely.
I did like Knights of the Alliance by Stefanie Chu 3,5* rounded up
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely.
I did like Knights of the Alliance by Stefanie Chu enough to finish it, however it just didn't set itself apart enough from other, similar stories. At times it felt like it was missing something, which might be due to there being a prequel novella, which might have made it easier to start into this new world.
I did really enjoy how the setting felt a bit more mixed up than the same / same western mediaeval standard. It Could have been fleshed out a bit better at times, but overall it was fun to explore this world.
Bits of the writing did throw me out of story though, with way too modern words / phrases here and there. It didn't really fit the rest of the tone in my eyes.
Which leads me to the prose itself could have used another round of tightening up. I prefer to learn through the story, character actions and dialogue, rather than being told things.
The characters had a similar problem for me, where they were good enough to keep me engaged but just a bit too close to the usual tropes to feel fully real.
This has a lot of promise, and I'm curious how future books will shine!...more
You can read this before and after the main series, so it makes for a good teaser for Miller's writing!
I'm A quick bite with quite an emotional punch.
You can read this before and after the main series, so it makes for a good teaser for Miller's writing!
I'm happy for each female lead who isn't bogged down in romance, and I clicked really early on with her in this story. There is some romance at the start, but it's not at all the central part of thr story which is about war, family, duty, prejudice, growth and going on even when everything looks bad.
Having hunters as the main characters is decidedly a plus for me, who loves the woods and my bow and arrow!
If you're looking for a quick but not shallow bite of fantasy, this is a good choice!
Merged review:
A quick bite with quite an emotional punch.
You can read this before and after the main series, so it makes for a good teaser for Miller's writing!
I'm happy for each female lead who isn't bogged down in romance, and I clicked really early on with her in this story. There is some romance at the start, but it's not at all the central part of thr story which is about war, family, duty, prejudice, growth and going on even when everything looks bad.
Having hunters as the main characters is decidedly a plus for me, who loves the woods and my bow and arrow!
If you're looking for a quick but not shallow bite of fantasy, this is a good choice!...more
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely!
Stakes and Bones by Men Bebelle
I was so looking forward to a femaRead for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely!
Stakes and Bones by Men Bebelle
I was so looking forward to a female led urban fantasy! While this book didn't have a lot of romance, it is definitely the set up for an enemies to lovers story. It technically is urban fantasy, but I found it quite annoying how the female lead was supposed to be a trained fighter, but still can't help but think about just how hot the vampire is… I mean, I find the male gaze in some UF books horrible, when female characters are described in detail by boobs and waist, while male characters just get a quick glance. The chiselled chins and rock hard muscles are just as bad to me.
Aside from that aspect, I found the plot a bit too similar to many other books I read before, and the main character just seems to get through things by sheer luck a lot of the time.
I would have liked more depth to the character, aside from having a sick mum, and more cohesion for the overall story. ...more
Warlock for Hire by Sean Stone is a quick read. I quite enjoyed the tone and voice, despite Eddie being quite arrogant and full of himself. I did 3,5*
Warlock for Hire by Sean Stone is a quick read. I quite enjoyed the tone and voice, despite Eddie being quite arrogant and full of himself. I did like his sass, and the fourth wall breaking worked well for me.
The male gaze he has was getting really annoying at times, with him telling us (paraphrased, not an exact quote but absolutely the gist of it) how every man hopes he'll get some "recompense" for helping out a stunning woman, and any woman knows and will have used their looks for their advantage, unless they are ugly. Oh and I know how those stunning women look obviously. I could look past it, as it's his character, and it was little bits here and there, not all of the time. He also at least accepts a no as a valid answer, so it could be worse.
The female main character is mostly useless, outside of one single moment. She's just very pretty and quite the damsel in distress, despite not wanting help.
Overall this was a fun and easy read, which I breezed through....more
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ!
Strangers in Our Heads by Bri Eberhard is YA romance with an interesting Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ!
Strangers in Our Heads by Bri Eberhard is YA romance with an interesting twist. I really enjoyed the foster family background, and the found family aspect of the book. There's grief to struggle through, and I thought it was very well handled. Not taken too lightly, but also not overtaking the whole story or characters.
There's quite some dark parts, so beware trigger warnings if you don't like dark themes. I thought it gave the story a good depth that is often missing in similar stories.
I was quickly drawn in both by the tone and voice, as well as the mystery behind it all....more
Overall The Will of the World by M.J. Lindemann was an interesting read, which kept me entertained enough to finish it.
I enjoyed the complex politicsOverall The Will of the World by M.J. Lindemann was an interesting read, which kept me entertained enough to finish it.
I enjoyed the complex politics, but found the writing style a bit too easy at times. Words and bits like “bro & sis”, running a “marathon” or “guiding a naughty child to a time-out chair” just didn't fit, and kept throwing me out of the story. Same for the ”labour party” and “president Sanders”. In a fully secondary world it just stands out like a sore thumb to me.
It mostly had a coming of age, almost YA feel to it, though there are some older main characters, and a few spicy scenes, though not overly graphic.
I did enjoy the world building, and there were quite some interesting turns, which kept me interested despite these flaws.
I also liked the characters, even if they are a bit too tropey for my taste at times. We have not just one, but two very overpowered young men, a stone cold assassin, the bad politicians, and everything you'd expect. The LGBT inclusiveness was a definite plus, with a bidding m/m romance, which just isn't a big deal to anyone.
All in all a book with a lot of promise, which could have don't with a bit more polishing and editing. ...more
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely!
The Youngling: Synesthesia by Stephen Harrington is a coming off Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely!
The Youngling: Synesthesia by Stephen Harrington is a coming off age book, that has a few rather dark moments,but still mostly feels like a YA story to me.
While not perfect, it has a cute little puppy / best doggy friend, and so easily managed to hook me.
I liked the main character, but found the plot a bit disjointed at times. There's more than one POV, which only slowly show how they are connected. The switch between didn't always feel organic, and the pacing just could be a lot smoother.
He world building however was interesting, and a main strength of the book for me. I liked the different races and creatures as well as the airships and the expectation of meeting something new.
The end was a bit unsatisfactory, and instead of making me want to read the sequel right away, as some cliffhangers or open endings do, it didn't really work for me.
All in all it was a quick and entertaining read, which I don't regret....more
No Such Thing as Werewolves by Chris Fox started off promising, but sadly took a direction that lost me more and more the farther I read.
We start of wNo Such Thing as Werewolves by Chris Fox started off promising, but sadly took a direction that lost me more and more the farther I read.
We start of with a rather clichéd cast. The one scientist who doesn't actually a degree being the best, the ex girlfriend who cheated, and her ex best friend, who can't be in the same room now, the super cold but efficient military man, the handy gun nut who has all the weapons and despite being a scientist, not a soldier or anything, who somehow is awesome at combat and doesn't even flinch in the worst moments.
I could look past that, as I loved the science hook and the tone and voice was engaging.
However I soon got annoyed by the writing style, which had quite a bit of the male gaze, noticing boobs and the way the women interacted. I also found the romance angle super annoying, when you just learned the world might end, but what are you worrying about? Sure, you're relationships...
The action scenes were nice and I enjoyed the fights and the fast pace there. However they got less and less "realistic". Yes I know werewolves aren't realistic on the first place, but some of them just went beyond cool into "I can't take this seriously, now I find it funny instead of exciting".
And then the science also seemed to go the same way, becoming ever weirder and as one character keeps calling it "woo-woo".
This could definitely find it's fans, no doubt about that, but sadly it wasn't my personal cup of tea....more
As someone who's always on the lookout for female led Urban Fantasy which is not in fact a Paranormal Romance, I can't even tell you how much I loved As someone who's always on the lookout for female led Urban Fantasy which is not in fact a Paranormal Romance, I can't even tell you how much I loved Under Ordshaw by Phil Williams.
The main character is a rather pragmatic young woman who earns her living playing cards. She gets sucked into quite the adventure, and rescues a tiny fairy. A very sweary fairy! I loved the humour and banter between these two, which made a nice balance for a darker backstory.
One of the most important side characters was well developed as well, and fascinating to read. He's out to do the right thing, but in order to achieve what he deems right, he's willing to do anything. On the one hand you know he's a bad person. Williams managed to write him in such a way, you still understand him in a way. I love it when there's more shades of grey instead of clear cut black and white characters.
This was one fast and entertaining read, which I devoured in no time at all! But not just the style was catching, I also adored the world building! I mean the dark underbelly of a city is not a new idea, but the way it was interwoven with the normal world, and the creatures had me intrigued right away. There's a lot of cool ideas there, and the mad mix of creatures, magic and fairies with guns just worked!...more
Bloodwoven by G.J. Terral is way more about the characters and world than it is about the plot.
For a quick read, the world building is quite deep and Bloodwoven by G.J. Terral is way more about the characters and world than it is about the plot.
For a quick read, the world building is quite deep and intriguing, and I was easily drawn in, exploring ever more.
The characters felt well rounded, and all have flaws as well as strengths. The book pivots around a man who was tasked to guard a couple, but when one of them is murdered, he is torn between two possible murderers. And because this isn't hard enough, the woman who he is meant to despise for being a kind of heretic, using magic in the wrong way, is kinda making sense... So it's a battle between his upbringing and indoctrination, against a truth that might be utterly different. This inner conflict was portrayed very well, but I personally would have liked a bit more actual plot to pad it all up around the edges.
Tye fight scenes and world building were interesting and well written, and the voice catchy enough to easily hook me, it just missed a little something to make it a favourite read....more
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely!
If the Walls Fall by K. Malady is not my personal cup of tea.
I'd pRead for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely!
If the Walls Fall by K. Malady is not my personal cup of tea.
I'd put it on the YA shelf, due to its prose and story, but the spice level in some bits is more New Adult. The MC is a young woman who definitely wants to satisfy her hormones, and there's plenty of talk about condoms and her favourite spicy scenes from books all the way through the book.
This was the main problem for me, the whole story felt too easy and predictable. The voice and tone was fine enough for me to finish the book, but the big reveals and fight scenes just fell really flat. Either I saw it coming from miles away, or it felt like a hyped up moment was just handled within two paragraphs.
I did not enjoy the typical girl who is not special, but has to decide between two boys trope. The romance in itself felt a bit half baked even to me, and I'm not even a romance reader. It just didn't really feel organic to me.
I did like how the main character didn't turn into a perfect fighter within two minutes, but actually stayed herself throughout the book.
All in all an entertaining book, I don't regret reading, but with too many flaws and inconsistencies....more
A Matter of Execution by Nicholas and Olivia Atwater was one fantastic read!
If you want some swashbuckling fantasy, that's full of charm, adventure, aA Matter of Execution by Nicholas and Olivia Atwater was one fantastic read!
If you want some swashbuckling fantasy, that's full of charm, adventure, a diverse cast, fun and plenty of banter, this is plain gold.
I adored the main character, who is a pirate captain who really cares for his crew. Oh and he's a goblin...
There's a very strong found family in here. A teenage girl who loves books and stealing things, a disabled crew mate, so it's just normal that everyone has learned sign language, a big man who would rather use his giant hands to heal than harm, a former lady of high standing, and others, who just trust each other unconditionally.
I loved how the tropes were often intentionally turned upside down, which made it both familiar and unique.
This gem of a novella is somewhere between cosy and adventurous, and was just pure joy to read from the first to the last page!...more
Unbound by Michael R. Miller is the second book in a classic style fantasy series, which easily drew me in!
I absolutely love Holt and Ash, and was verUnbound by Michael R. Miller is the second book in a classic style fantasy series, which easily drew me in!
I absolutely love Holt and Ash, and was very happy to see their bond grow and stretch and become even more than it was.
I also enjoyed seeing the other main characters from different perspectives, and delve ever deeper into their thoughts. Be it a princess who's all of a sudden bound up in all the responsibilities, who has to adapt to her new life, or a villain who might have quite some humanity left on him after all. Or not? This made the whole story quite unpredictable, and I was surprised quite a few times along the way.
This book is quite a bit slower than book one, with less action, and instead more politics, world building and character development, but I liked it no less for that. In my eyes it's quite a good middle book, giving more meat to the overall world, and setting up ever more problems and mysteries to solve in the next one.
I would definitely highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys an epic fantasy that feels like one of the classics, but has a way more modern and quick style!...more
Toric's Dagger by Jamie Edmundson works probably have worked a lot better for me some years ago. Having read as many fantasy books as I have, it just Toric's Dagger by Jamie Edmundson works probably have worked a lot better for me some years ago. Having read as many fantasy books as I have, it just felt a bit too stereotypical, and predictable.
I did like the tone and voice of the two main characters, but some of the side characters felt a bit too two dimensional to me, as well as fulfilling the typical tropes.
Some scenes just felt weird and disjointed, like they had been stuck in there with sticky tape, instead of an organic part of the story, like I've specific scene meeting two wizards.
I found the start of the story intriguing, but sadly lost interest the farther i read, and by the end I wasn't interested enough anymore to pick up any sequels, despite owning the whole omnibus.
Overall it might well appeal to those looking for an easier epic read, with a familiar cast on a quest....more
Pauper's Empire by L.W. Jacobs is the second book in the series.
I really enjoyed the new direction - instead of rebelling and trying to free a city, iPauper's Empire by L.W. Jacobs is the second book in the series.
I really enjoyed the new direction - instead of rebelling and trying to free a city, it's now all about governing said city, and trying to hold things together. Easier said than done as everyone quickly learns!
This is still very much a coming of age story, so if you don't like to read about young people who are still trying to find their own way, with a lot of almost anime style fight scenes this will most likely not appeal to you.
If you enjoy a quick pace, plenty of action and a world that slowly expands, but isn't overly complicated to follow, this might be an ideal choice!...more
Loading...
