Was okay and finally we get developments relationship wise we've been waiting for. I love Cahal for some reason. Get to know some more elders. I couldWas okay and finally we get developments relationship wise we've been waiting for. I love Cahal for some reason. Get to know some more elders. I could to stand the ending for several reasons, though. Don't enjoy the memory and restarting crutch - it's like erasing progress, so not sure if I will read the third. In addition, the other last shocker is just silly again, their tube work definitely is crappy...more
Started strong and humorous, as most Hendrix does, but I got impatient with it after awhile. Definitely an out there kind of story, but had a strong eStarted strong and humorous, as most Hendrix does, but I got impatient with it after awhile. Definitely an out there kind of story, but had a strong end -it just rambled a lot before it got there the second half and, like Pupkin, didn't seem like it wanted to lie down and finally leave....more
I enjoyed - listened to Premium narrated by Matt Godfrey, who I enjoy as a narrator.
Rotter House is a supposedly haunted house with a violent history.I enjoyed - listened to Premium narrated by Matt Godfrey, who I enjoy as a narrator.
Rotter House is a supposedly haunted house with a violent history. Our main character, Felix, decides to stay at the house for 13 days and nights to explore any signs of activity and his emotional experiences. Not a ghost believer but a writer of paranormal spots, his old pal joins him for the journey to work on mending their relationship and adding in dialogue support for the story's weight.
Other than a few creepy situations with dolls and a moment of ouija deja vu, the book isn't creepy, but any old creaking house ambience works well enough for this kind of story. Felix tells tales but not much happens paranormal - the bulk of the story is the interaction with the friend. Slower paced, with Godfrey's narration, I still really enjoyed the story....until that end.
The ending it started falling apart. I was confused on a few things and how that worked, but will avoid putting it here because of the spoilers. Let's just say the ending weakened the story quite a bit unfortunately.
The audiobook is still worth a listen if you're curious, especially if you're an Audible Premium Plus member. Wouldn't say it's worth a credit, though....more
Good - another one with Charles and Leah traveling. We get a lot of Tag as he "tags" a long, which is a joy. A little more is explored with Charles maGood - another one with Charles and Leah traveling. We get a lot of Tag as he "tags" a long, which is a joy. A little more is explored with Charles magic. The villain in this one is quite interesting and the mystery is interesting - we get a small role with the FBI we have met and liked previously, but have the tables turned here? Bran makes some appearances and Leah shows more of her sides. Black witches galore in their way again. This one seems to catch up more with the Mercy Thompson timeline at the end with a certain event that coincides with the recent Mercy book. The end is a bit too hokey and convenient in a few ways with something with Samuel....more
These are like little soap opera books - over the top silly. Still, fun. Lilly dropped some of the overdone feminism annoyance in this one, but now shThese are like little soap opera books - over the top silly. Still, fun. Lilly dropped some of the overdone feminism annoyance in this one, but now she gets unrealistic with the dropping of clothes randomly. We finally get some progress with her and Ambrose - repetitively, but it fades to black at key moments where I still wonder at times when the big thing was done. From what I understand it's a circular cycle that when they return to London it resets itself, which is frustrating. There were several funny moments -- the suitor who was flowery and suddenly cut off; Kahem (sp?) with his eyes closed and his frustration - always funny; and the uncle bargaining at the end. I liked the pitstop in the Indian village. The Sir!, Yes, Sir! is getting a little annoying as well. The first part of this book is in town where Ambrose's family members start making visits and demands, which sets up the next book....more
Themed horror anthologies are a bag of fun. Anthologies filled with random short stories are a delight too, but to have a joining theme, those are my Themed horror anthologies are a bag of fun. Anthologies filled with random short stories are a delight too, but to have a joining theme, those are my favorite. Fans of the furry will be pleased with the well-named Leaders of the Pack. Sporting a colorful cover (the book names the illustrator as Patrick Cornett), each story has an impressive and creative illustration drawn by Michelle Merlini to introduce it. These illustrations are highlights. Great job from both artists.
And to find out this was released on a full moon? Come on, how could I resist?
I’m not as into long anthologies, so the page count at 267 is ideal. Not too long, not too short. Twelve stories by twelve authors, some I recognized. As with any anthology, it’s a mixed offering.
Several stories are prequels, sequels, in-betweens, and tie-ins to existing series. The book opens with a story set after Blood and Rain and before the monstrous Nick returns to his hometown. The Dead Brother’s Situation is slasher fare that opens the anthology on a violent, gory note. This is a short story I consider more of a “scene” than a full story on its own, which is fine, as these have their place. If you’re a big fan of Blood and Rain, you’ll enjoy this one as bonus content.
Another tie-in is Graeme Reynold’s Blood Relations: A Gilson Creek Story. At the end of the short story, it states it takes place between books 2 and 3 of the High Moor series. The heroine is a 13 year old girl who seems older than she is due to a depressingly bleak life; we open with child abuse and end with possible family reunion. It was different and a break from some of the more violent stories in the anthology. Not to say this one doesn’t have some truly dark stuff, but not all the werewolves are mindless monsters with the world-building, and of course many humans show themselves to be just as monstrous.
Most familiar with Jeff Strand’s humorous Wolf Hunt series will recognize the character by the title, Ivan’s Night Out. Ivan was always a mean character with over-the-top humor which flourished in Wolf Hunt, and he doesn’t hold back the viciousness here either. I won’t say the story was enjoyable exactly, it was more of a brief lead-in to the character before the Wolf Hunt series. With the full length novel you got the funny dialogue from the demented killer, but it was told through the POV of other main characters, which made it that much more tense and humorous. Being in Ivan’s mind while he was telling these jokes and doing these monstrosities gave me a shudder or two. This was the last story in the anthology.
The Great Storm by TW Piperbrook is a prequel to a story I haven’t read (his Outage series) – it was well-done and vicious. I may check out the other books sometime. These werewolves sure aren’t cuddly, as is shown as two children have to run for their lives from their own neighborhood. Tension kept this one intense.
A few of the furry fiction was set in the modern day and through a loner werewolf view, like The Hunt by Thomas Emson. I wasn’t into the past sequences so much, but the story was enjoyable and the ending just had fun with itself.
A few felt incomplete with their endings. One example is Outside of Nowhere by Ray Garton. This dark story had an odd ending and tragic resolution. The author writes well, though, and the story stands out, but the ending felt so abrupt.
Matt Serafini’s Evernight Circle was a favorite and one of the best, buried in the middle. It’s definitely unique – a struggling husband accompanies his wife into a new town for a new chance at a new life. The corporation is too good to be true, of course, and its clear from the start something hokey is going on. The game becomes figuring out exactly what. I had various theories at different stages of the novel, and to my delight most of my guesses proved to be wrong. It keeps you on your toes - it’s different, dark, and I’d read more stories set in this world building and with this character.
Lifeline by Paul Kane is interesting, not sure if it ties in with something else; Beth is a likeable character and his writing style is smooth. It continues for awhile focused on spousal abuse and survival, with a small backstory. After awhile you start wondering how this will fit in with a werewolf theme, but I appreciate the realism of the story and not having a rushed lead despite it being a short story. It gets you to know the characters more and actually feel something. There’s a twist or two and the werewolf is gradually revealed.
Hunter’s Moon by David Wellington is a stand-out. It’s unique in that a huntress is stalking a vampire into a remote wilderness area. Her guide, the town, and the wilderness hold their own secrets. One of the better stories, the right length and an ending that actually feels finished. I don’t have a “top favorite”, but this would be in the top three.
Certain stories had a lot of history established in lore or legend – one is “The Original” by David Watkins. Written well, but a little confusing since I haven’t read his ‘Originals’ series, it tells the story of a survivor of Germanic Celts on his travels. He runs into a small village and … well, there are several twists here, revealed for the main character, about the main character, and concluding with a whopper of an ending.
Jonathan Janz has written some good works, so I was curious on how he’d handle a werewolf short tale. “The Kiss of Divna Antonov” was beautifully written and stood out as uniquely blending a long-time history with a present situation. The lead is a University professor interested in the origin of werewolves, and the book is a series of scenes with a meet, a few turns of events, and an open-ended conclusion. It’s chilling in a quiet way.
The offerings of these are varied – which is good. Seeing monstrous werewolves munching through small-towns would get old after awhile, so keep it various by also offering origin stories, historical settings, contemporary humor, women weres, entire packs, and you keep it more interesting. Not perfect anthology, but it’s highly recommended – not only for the stories, but again for the artwork. You also can’t beat the price.
“Welcome to life in a small town. You’re only as good as the best thing your family’s done. Or the worst.”
Floored by One of Us Is Lying, I was all f “Welcome to life in a small town. You’re only as good as the best thing your family’s done. Or the worst.”
Floored by One of Us Is Lying, I was all for reading this one as part of a group read and because I could finally land my hands on a copy. I wasn't in the mood to spend the high e-book price, but the woes of the life of a reader sometimes. Not to rant, but also the life of an author since I get the economy woes in this field.
Anyway, off-topic aside, this little thriller is certainly worth a read. Small town dysfunction, twin bonding, mystery and crime, unconventional mothers, intelligent teenage leads. The author bounced between two point of views well without it becomes frustration or shallow. She did this while managing to create strong side-characters who stood on their own as interesting without needing their own chapters in their own viewpoints.
Ellery is awesome - she's a little sarcastic, she's confident enough to survive high school newness, she's loyal, and she's addicted to true crime stories. Her twin brother Ezra plays enjoyable roles and I enjoyed the bond of the twins, and how it relates to another set of twins mentioned earlier in the story.
Malcolm may have been my favorite viewpoint because he was in such a crappy situation but struggling to still stay on his feet. Between the odd family angles, his brother back in town, his reputation at school, his dependent mother, he was well-done.
The suspect isn't a shock. We have enough culprits in the pot to suspect, so the issue isn't that she didn't give enough possibilities, it just wasn't a shock. The twist was there and it was well-done, but it wasn't as much of a stand-out. I enjoyed her first book better because of the journey being more intricately layered and fascinatingly twisted, but this one still keeps you reading thanks to McManus's well-done writing style and characterization skills....more
I wasn't sure if this would get a four star, or a three star, or perhaps a 3.5..... but then the last page left me with a completely baffling, open, aI wasn't sure if this would get a four star, or a three star, or perhaps a 3.5..... but then the last page left me with a completely baffling, open, ambiguous ending - which I personally loathe. If I take the time to read a book, spell out the ending, don't leave me always wondering. I hate those sorts of endings. I like twists, I like intelligent endings, I like psychological endings, but I despise open-ended finales that don't wrap up what I need to know and leave me on unstable footing.
That said, what a whopper of a story. Slower paced Gothic oozing atmosphere left and right. A small, Spanish town with quirky townsfolk, close-lipped servants, suspicious shadows, legends and lore, history in a unique house. To say it's simply a haunted house tale does not end up being true or serving the story justice. If only I could figure out what the story actually IS, then I'd be a happier camper.
With the explanation given before Callie freaks out a chapter or so before the last page, that doesn't fully make sense either. It is not historical times where children cannot fend for themselves or seek their own help, after all, and the house was not completely uninhabited. On the other hand, this ties up a disappearance or two. To make things worse, was what she wanted there in the end or not?? Knowing happiness makes all the difference in every world, reader's fantasy or non.
This book plays with your mind. Callie is reasonable as a main character and not unlikable, but the servants make me want to drop-kick them out of the house some of the time. Mateo had faults, but I really dug the man. My heart felt sorrow at times. The weighed down sadness with favorite characters accompanied by the heavy direction of the story created a disheartening tale.
Fowler writes well and I look forward to reading more of his work, yet I close this one up with a mixed, bittersweet impression.
If you like ghost tales, gothic vibes, you may want to try it on for size - but be warned that the longer the navigation the trickier the labyrinth grows. ...more
This book was an excellent preview of the series. Exciting men and, while short, it wasn't anything instant, so no overdone insta-anything. The wor3.5
This book was an excellent preview of the series. Exciting men and, while short, it wasn't anything instant, so no overdone insta-anything. The world-building is intriguing, albeit depressing, showing the MC in a training camp with a brutal father, part of a world-organization that seeks to destroy the misunderstood. I guess that's the same with every world, including ours.
I liked the bright-eyed, open-minded MC. The villains are overdone, but that fits the RH types. Only thing I'm actually confused about is who all will be her meant-to-be group? There are the two bonded who already have their chosen, so I think they are excluded. The friends of five bonded are who I'm eyeing, but there's a lot to unfold still. This book didn't venture into the all-out play, but what was shown was spicy.
The only thing that really irritated me is I HATE memory loss or memory stuff that happened at the end. Frustrating turn of play. And the book is too pricey for the page content, about 4.99 for under 150 pages. However, it was on Unlimited initially so perhaps it will return to that. Will be reading the second, which is a bit longer....more
It pains me to rate a book in my favorite RH series a 3 instead of the usual 4 or 5. I liked the book, of course, having trouble setting it aside, insIt pains me to rate a book in my favorite RH series a 3 instead of the usual 4 or 5. I liked the book, of course, having trouble setting it aside, instantly engrossed in my favorite pack family. That said, this book was harder to handle - it was grim and dark and bleak and painful. There were rifts inside the pack and steps backward in relationships. There was torture, painful words, extended heartbreak, some losses and grieving, and the possibility of two deaths. Little humor and not as much bonding, brutal stuff.
I didn't get the big reveal of Cassia's big news broke to the group, which I was looking forward to. Not only was I looking forward to it, but I wanted to see everyone's reactions for extended periods of time. I was surprised to see one wolf already knows and didn't seem to react strongly about it at all, so that was upsetting. Andrew was a favorite in this one, he's really grown on me as a humor source and pillar of strength. Cassia does tell ONE person, however, toward the end - the reaction is so sweet and cheered me up after so much bleakness.
Finally Gabriel hops on for the ride too (not Cassia but future adventures). Where will that lead....?
This book is a game changer for the Sable pack and community. So many are now gone and so much now destroyed. I'm worried about a certain small girl, too. There's plenty of loss to go around.
This book focuses quite a bit on Isaac, who has seem kind of in the back for awhile now. We get all his secrets, and uncover several lies and misconceptions.
A hard thing about this book is finally the pack is apart. Kage is hardly around for two reasons, and same as Jed. It was hard not having all the pack together for most of the book as I've come to expect and enjoy.
The villains are twisted and nasty. We have another direction on who is behind it, but we know what. We finally know the instruments of killing, creepy as they are, and we now know the race behind the madness.
Cassia does some pretty stupid moves and decision making too. I can't even blame it on the hormones since she's shown the tendency to lack common sense sometimes before. This book showed some consequences of her carelessness, which was painful to watch. Overall I enjoy the character, but sometimes I wish someone would rant at it her a bit more to use her head and logic, trust the instinct that is warning her something is wrong.
Not my favorite, but I'm still as love with this series as ever. I hate to see it end two books from now, but I'm beyond happy the author extended it for two more books to bring it to a 10-series....more
“A trial is nothing but a competition to tell the best story. Whoever sways the jury wins the trial.”
3.5 Stars
What an emotionally depressing book.
It“A trial is nothing but a competition to tell the best story. Whoever sways the jury wins the trial.”
3.5 Stars
What an emotionally depressing book.
It’s one of those stories where it’s easy to keep reading because it’s a tragedy you can’t look away from, but it’s difficult to enjoy because the subject matter is incredibly heavy. It’s grim, it’s depressing, it’s gloomy. THe writer is talented with her pen and gives characterization a realistic gleam. Based on the writing and characterization, it’s a 4 star rating, but when you add in the personal enjoyment factor, I lowered it a bit.
Some of the slower pacing gives it a lower rating as well, but this much heaviness can’t be rushed through anyway, so perhaps that’s a moot point. There’s tragedy and triggers, grimness and struggles, teary deaths and unfairness. The last portion of the book offers up some inconsistency and confusion and sometimes the story unravels a little bit, but this could be because things start rushing forward in their pacing to wrap up the sad storyline.
The primary focus is on the two sisters, Charlotte and Samantha. The book is filled with memories and comparisons to their adult lives later, who they’ve become despite their past struggles. Both are semi-unreliable narrators as they take turns telling the story, but this added to it. I do think the story could have been shorter and told its tale better in a more compact form; some of it gets a little repetitive, especially with two narrators. Being set in a small town setting adds to that creepy and disturbing “wrong ambience” feel. ...more
A sweet story with creative world-building and likable characters. There are mild grammar errors but not enough to distract from the story. I don't miA sweet story with creative world-building and likable characters. There are mild grammar errors but not enough to distract from the story. I don't mind the fated to be mated (enjoy those stories) but would have preferred some resistance on Sy's side for awhile to keep it more interesting. There was a bit too much lightness and ease with some of the relationships, but combined with the fun characters it's a worthy read. The mystery is far reaching and a little loose but it had an interesting twist at the end by throwing in two new characters that will become part of the group. Full review to come....more
Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*
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