Soooooooo boring. I don't know if I'll ever finish this. Probably not. Blah.
**No spoilers.
November 2013: ★★★★★
Just as fantastic the second time around. See below for my original review. So ecstatic the wait is nearly over. This was a long-ass wait. -_-
Buddy re-read with:
Sarah
Ang
Cory
February 2012: ★★★★★
**No spoilers.
WOW. Just wow.. What a fantastic read. I have half a mind to reread it immediately. This is a definite departure from the typical angel book mold as well as from the typical YA book. This book isn’t about fluffy angels and silly high school girls. It’s gritty and holds no punches. It made me laugh as often as it made me cringe. At one point, I had to put it down with a litany of WTF’s?! It threw me for a loop more often than not and I mean that in the most complimentary way.
I love Penryn. She’s not perfect by any means, but she reminds me of my 17yr old little sister. Ya see, my sister is about 5’3 and lean. She’s also a bit mousy and shy. If you didn’t know her like I do, you’d think she was “easy pickins”, but I dare anyone to attempt even slight play-fighting – she’s a beast. So much as a tickle attack puts my skinny little sister into a survival mode that will leave you bruised and shredded. She’s not all-powerful. She's not fearless. Hell, she doesn’t even use her common sense a lot of the time, but she has heart and by God, she’s not going down without a fight. She's also not one to bow down or cower. That’s how I see Penryn. While I can’t wait to see Penryn grow, I thought show more her character was well written and a far cry from the stupid little girls I often see in YA novels. She’s calculated and savvy. She knows when to shut down or mute her emotions and keep her priorities straight. In dystopia, that’s paramount.
I found Raffe to be hilarious and endearing, though I had a hard time seeing him as more than just a regular guy. I will say that I want more of him. He was so closed off and while I know that’s part of the story, I’m impatient. I just want more and I’m excited to see where his story is going, as it ended so tensely.
I applaud Ee for giving us something so fresh and raw. You can expect to run the gamut of emotions with this one. Now for the long wait until the next book… =/
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November 2013: ★★★★★
Just as fantastic the second time around. See below for my original review. So ecstatic the wait is nearly over. This was a long-ass wait. -_-
Buddy re-read with:
Sarah
Ang
Cory
February 2012: ★★★★★
**No spoilers.
WOW. Just wow.. What a fantastic read. I have half a mind to reread it immediately. This is a definite departure from the typical angel book mold as well as from the typical YA book. This book isn’t about fluffy angels and silly high school girls. It’s gritty and holds no punches. It made me laugh as often as it made me cringe. At one point, I had to put it down with a litany of WTF’s?! It threw me for a loop more often than not and I mean that in the most complimentary way.
I love Penryn. She’s not perfect by any means, but she reminds me of my 17yr old little sister. Ya see, my sister is about 5’3 and lean. She’s also a bit mousy and shy. If you didn’t know her like I do, you’d think she was “easy pickins”, but I dare anyone to attempt even slight play-fighting – she’s a beast. So much as a tickle attack puts my skinny little sister into a survival mode that will leave you bruised and shredded. She’s not all-powerful. She's not fearless. Hell, she doesn’t even use her common sense a lot of the time, but she has heart and by God, she’s not going down without a fight. She's also not one to bow down or cower. That’s how I see Penryn. While I can’t wait to see Penryn grow, I thought show more her character was well written and a far cry from the stupid little girls I often see in YA novels. She’s calculated and savvy. She knows when to shut down or mute her emotions and keep her priorities straight. In dystopia, that’s paramount.
I found Raffe to be hilarious and endearing, though I had a hard time seeing him as more than just a regular guy. I will say that I want more of him. He was so closed off and while I know that’s part of the story, I’m impatient. I just want more and I’m excited to see where his story is going, as it ended so tensely.
I applaud Ee for giving us something so fresh and raw. You can expect to run the gamut of emotions with this one. Now for the long wait until the next book… =/
show less
Wawawewa. Why must it end?! I could read about Kate & Curran's world forevermore. Now I'll have to suffer through the long wait until the next installment, but I'm grateful that we got a tidbit. Super generous of the authors. This novella was classic Kate, classic Curran, classic Ghastek, classic Jim, just classic. Read it. That is all.
**Spoilers will be clearly marked.
For a while there, I wasn't sure I was gonna make it through the whole book. It started off slowly and disjointedly, but near the middle, it really started to pick up. It was as if the book was written by two different people, each claiming a half. I don't know what happened between the two halves, but maybe the author took a break to reflect or something along those lines. Whatever she did, she managed to pull a decent story outta her ass and make it work.
The first 1/4 was bogged down by a lot of jumping around in the timeline, punctuated by a lot of backstory that was boring, sporadic, and unfocused. It was a little "in your face", so that we might know our characters. I don't say "get" to know, because there was no "getting". There was only knowing, as in here are your characters and they are like this. It was cause for a lot of confusion on my part. I didn't get a real sense of who Valerie was until much later. I didn't know if I was supposed to like or dislike her and it threw me off.
I stuck with the book, because I've heard so many goods things, but it was tough. About halfway through, the pace picked up and I was pleasantly surprised. It got pretty good. I will say that the villain displayed laughable behavior. They failed to instill a single stitch of fear in me and I didn't see that their actions were going anywhere.Clearly Marion was crazy, no? Am I the only one who reads her character as one that is certifiably bonkers? This show more is another place where I feel Hanson failed. I could clearly see that Marion was cuckoo, so why didn't Val so much as allude to this? The bitch is speaking in riddles like the Joker and swaddling 12 yr olds in your dream/borrowed memory. She's bananas. So, why don't you acknowledge this, Val? Marion was looney even by human standards. Straight cuckoo.
Anywho, despite having a barely there plot, the book holds your attention with the interpersonal relationships. I especially appreciated the multiple POV's. I liked knowing what different characters were thinking and this also eliminated the dreaded "tell me" that is prevalent in so many books. It allowed us to be shown important info and that's a heck of a lot more interesting than having a character take up half a chapter telling us a boring story.
It's been a while since I've read a vamp novel (other than the Black Dagger Bro's & they aren't vampy in the old fashioned sense of the word). I've been in the mood for a sexy vamp and in this respect, Hanson delivered. Lucas was sexy, dangerous, powerful, beautiful, and not some silly master vamp who acts upon all of his whims. He was poised and controlled and I really like his character. Hanson was able to produce the perfect balance between self-interest and morality in Lucas. He's yummy.
Typically, I'm not a fan of erotica or steamy romance scenes. The moment a rock solid member pops free of a trouser, a mound quivers, or ferocious fingers dip into a hot, wet core, I bolt. It's just too silly for me and I can't manage to read it in any way other than mockingly. Sure, the author used "core" here, but only once or twice.. Oh and Val's nipples tended to "pebble".. HA! If ever I felt my nipples do something that I considered "pebbling", I'd be seriously alarmed. Aside from that, the sexy time was pretty hot. I actually read right through 2 of the scenes and it was kinda kinky hot. Bravo on that, Hanson. I've read a few other reviews listing Val as a slut and GEEZ LOUISE. Gimme a break. Only a prude would think Val a slut, by her average sexual behavior.
1. She gets DRY humped as a teen by someone she knows intimately and whom she's loved (puppy or otherwise) for years. Give the girl a break! That's not slutty, just typical, hormonal teen-who-thinks-she's-in-love behavior.
2. She makes out with a strange dude in a bar. A little skeevy, true, but then she dates him for MONTHS, before sealing the deal and most importantly, she does so in a sort of desperation. She's a young girl with unrequited love that is trying to lose herself in a new relationship and it's just not working. No matter how nice Ian may be, it's about Jack. It's always Jack.
3. She's hot and bothered by a sexy vamp. Can you blame her? Though, I think she cares more for Lucas than she'll admit. I also think she's young and unsure of herself. She's got major daddy issues and lots of women go looking for love in all the wrong places - usually in its less fulfilling physical form.
How do these things make her a slut? Of her 3 love interests, she only slept with one once and only after months of dating and meeting his family. They were pretty serious at that point. I dunno of a lot of sluts that wait months before letting their inner slut out. She also ends the relationship for the simple fact that she doesn't want to hurt the nice guy. I applaud this. There are a lot of heroines out there who cheat first and think later. I think Val is a confused young lady without a strong mother figure and with a shitty dad, who is starving for love/attention and doesn't even know what love really is. I identify with her on this. I was once a young twenty-something that made questionable decisions based on my idea of love. I hope to see her grow into her own.
I also saw mention of how unlikely it is that Lucas would fall for a lowly human girl. She's an empath! The last one of her kind. Imagine spending centuries devoid of a single emotion and coming across someone who can change all of that. Lucas is at odds with this and at odds with his feelings for Val. It simultaneously intrigues and repels him. He says so in his private thoughts.
I feel like this book laid the groundwork down for a promising new series, despite its lack of focus and lack of cohesive plot. Usually, when I say I like half of a book a lot and the other half not much at all, I'll settle with a 3 star rating. I didn't do that this time, because I think Hanson pulled it off. I think that, despite the rocky start, it was all uphill from there and she knows where she's going with this. Too often I read books that are less than mediocre and they never pick up, causing a severe loss of interest and resentment at never being able to get those hours of my life back. So, kudos to Hanson for somehow making it work. I'm so glad I don't have to wait a year for the next book, as this one ended on a kind of cliffhanger. From what I've heard around the way, the second is much better than the first. =D show less
For a while there, I wasn't sure I was gonna make it through the whole book. It started off slowly and disjointedly, but near the middle, it really started to pick up. It was as if the book was written by two different people, each claiming a half. I don't know what happened between the two halves, but maybe the author took a break to reflect or something along those lines. Whatever she did, she managed to pull a decent story outta her ass and make it work.
The first 1/4 was bogged down by a lot of jumping around in the timeline, punctuated by a lot of backstory that was boring, sporadic, and unfocused. It was a little "in your face", so that we might know our characters. I don't say "get" to know, because there was no "getting". There was only knowing, as in here are your characters and they are like this. It was cause for a lot of confusion on my part. I didn't get a real sense of who Valerie was until much later. I didn't know if I was supposed to like or dislike her and it threw me off.
I stuck with the book, because I've heard so many goods things, but it was tough. About halfway through, the pace picked up and I was pleasantly surprised. It got pretty good. I will say that the villain displayed laughable behavior. They failed to instill a single stitch of fear in me and I didn't see that their actions were going anywhere.
Anywho, despite having a barely there plot, the book holds your attention with the interpersonal relationships. I especially appreciated the multiple POV's. I liked knowing what different characters were thinking and this also eliminated the dreaded "tell me" that is prevalent in so many books. It allowed us to be shown important info and that's a heck of a lot more interesting than having a character take up half a chapter telling us a boring story.
It's been a while since I've read a vamp novel (other than the Black Dagger Bro's & they aren't vampy in the old fashioned sense of the word). I've been in the mood for a sexy vamp and in this respect, Hanson delivered. Lucas was sexy, dangerous, powerful, beautiful, and not some silly master vamp who acts upon all of his whims. He was poised and controlled and I really like his character. Hanson was able to produce the perfect balance between self-interest and morality in Lucas. He's yummy.
Typically, I'm not a fan of erotica or steamy romance scenes. The moment a rock solid member pops free of a trouser, a mound quivers, or ferocious fingers dip into a hot, wet core, I bolt. It's just too silly for me and I can't manage to read it in any way other than mockingly. Sure, the author used "core" here, but only once or twice.. Oh and Val's nipples tended to "pebble".. HA! If ever I felt my nipples do something that I considered "pebbling", I'd be seriously alarmed. Aside from that, the sexy time was pretty hot. I actually read right through 2 of the scenes and it was kinda kinky hot. Bravo on that, Hanson. I've read a few other reviews listing Val as a slut and GEEZ LOUISE. Gimme a break. Only a prude would think Val a slut, by her average sexual behavior.
2. She makes out with a strange dude in a bar. A little skeevy, true, but then she dates him for MONTHS, before sealing the deal and most importantly, she does so in a sort of desperation. She's a young girl with unrequited love that is trying to lose herself in a new relationship and it's just not working. No matter how nice Ian may be, it's about Jack. It's always Jack.
3. She's hot and bothered by a sexy vamp. Can you blame her? Though, I think she cares more for Lucas than she'll admit. I also think she's young and unsure of herself. She's got major daddy issues and lots of women go looking for love in all the wrong places - usually in its less fulfilling physical form.
How do these things make her a slut? Of her 3 love interests, she only slept with one once and only after months of dating and meeting his family. They were pretty serious at that point. I dunno of a lot of sluts that wait months before letting their inner slut out. She also ends the relationship for the simple fact that she doesn't want to hurt the nice guy. I applaud this. There are a lot of heroines out there who cheat first and think later. I think Val is a confused young lady without a strong mother figure and with a shitty dad, who is starving for love/attention and doesn't even know what love really is. I identify with her on this. I was once a young twenty-something that made questionable decisions based on my idea of love. I hope to see her grow into her own.
I also saw mention of how unlikely it is that Lucas would fall for a lowly human girl. She's an empath! The last one of her kind. Imagine spending centuries devoid of a single emotion and coming across someone who can change all of that. Lucas is at odds with this and at odds with his feelings for Val. It simultaneously intrigues and repels him. He says so in his private thoughts.
I feel like this book laid the groundwork down for a promising new series, despite its lack of focus and lack of cohesive plot. Usually, when I say I like half of a book a lot and the other half not much at all, I'll settle with a 3 star rating. I didn't do that this time, because I think Hanson pulled it off. I think that, despite the rocky start, it was all uphill from there and she knows where she's going with this. Too often I read books that are less than mediocre and they never pick up, causing a severe loss of interest and resentment at never being able to get those hours of my life back. So, kudos to Hanson for somehow making it work. I'm so glad I don't have to wait a year for the next book, as this one ended on a kind of cliffhanger. From what I've heard around the way, the second is much better than the first. =D show less
*No spoilers.
Initial reaction: Blah. Blaaaaah. So much blah. Review to come when I can stomach sifting through my loads of notes. -_-
Okay. Fine. (1 month later..):
Do you like lashes? I mean, do you really like lashes? Well, you frikkin' better, because, while this is a YA book about aliens and shit, it can easily double as eyelash erotica.
The eyelash trope is strong with this one. Geebus, gimme a break. There were 16 mentions of lashes in only 30 chapters. I was ready to pull my lashes out.
I'm kind of at a loss with this book. There's a whoooole lot of fangirling going on about this mess and I just don't get it. I think I'm unimpressed, because I HATE DOUCHEBAGS AND THE "HERO" IN THIS STORY IS A DOUCHEBAG OF THE HIGHEST ORDER. That might be it.
Look, I like me a douche every now and then. Ya know, a little douche-y. Just as in real life, some mild douches just need a little kick in the ass to get their shit together and stop douche-ing around - I can get down with that small amount of douchiness, but Daemon is a MAJOR douche from BEGINNING to END. I shit you not. Dude didn't even take a lunch break. He douched every time, all the time, for all time. I'm not exaggerating. He was a fucking asshole from his first word to his last. I was waiting for "the change." Waiting for him to stop being a dick to Katy. Waiting for anything to justify all the ridiculous fangirling I've seen all over the place about this jerk. It never came. There was no redemption. No growth. Nothing. show more He's just a dick and that is apparently that. Blechh.
No, really. What's all the fangirling about? Oh, right..
I noted thick, sooty lashes fanning the tips of his high cheeks and hiding the color of his eyes as he looked down at me. I needed to know what color his eyes were.
They're bright-ass green. Like nuclear waste. In the dark. In a B-movie.
Anyway. I fucking hate Daemon.
Katy. She’s okay. I like her and she’s not a complete pushover, but she’s still pretty weak. She has her moments when she tries to stand up for herself, but they fall short IMO. I may feel this way due to my being a fucking bitch who has never had a problem telling someone to go fuck themselves if they so much as try to disrespect me. My standards for strength and bravery of book heroines are very, very high. Katy tried. She tried. I’ll give her that.
The whole storyline was lackluster. I can’t explain much without spoiling, but nothing blew me away. I enjoyed some of it, but not a whole lot. I could take it or leave it. I'll definitely not ever be rereading it and I love rereading. If anything, I found myself rolling my eyeballs a lot at all the stupid shit that was happening.
2 stars because I finished it, at least.
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Initial reaction: Blah. Blaaaaah. So much blah. Review to come when I can stomach sifting through my loads of notes. -_-
Okay. Fine. (1 month later..):
Do you like lashes? I mean, do you really like lashes? Well, you frikkin' better, because, while this is a YA book about aliens and shit, it can easily double as eyelash erotica.
The eyelash trope is strong with this one. Geebus, gimme a break. There were 16 mentions of lashes in only 30 chapters. I was ready to pull my lashes out.
I'm kind of at a loss with this book. There's a whoooole lot of fangirling going on about this mess and I just don't get it. I think I'm unimpressed, because I HATE DOUCHEBAGS AND THE "HERO" IN THIS STORY IS A DOUCHEBAG OF THE HIGHEST ORDER. That might be it.
Look, I like me a douche every now and then. Ya know, a little douche-y. Just as in real life, some mild douches just need a little kick in the ass to get their shit together and stop douche-ing around - I can get down with that small amount of douchiness, but Daemon is a MAJOR douche from BEGINNING to END. I shit you not. Dude didn't even take a lunch break. He douched every time, all the time, for all time. I'm not exaggerating. He was a fucking asshole from his first word to his last. I was waiting for "the change." Waiting for him to stop being a dick to Katy. Waiting for anything to justify all the ridiculous fangirling I've seen all over the place about this jerk. It never came. There was no redemption. No growth. Nothing. show more He's just a dick and that is apparently that. Blechh.
No, really. What's all the fangirling about? Oh, right..
I noted thick, sooty lashes fanning the tips of his high cheeks and hiding the color of his eyes as he looked down at me. I needed to know what color his eyes were.
They're bright-ass green. Like nuclear waste. In the dark. In a B-movie.
Anyway. I fucking hate Daemon.
Katy. She’s okay. I like her and she’s not a complete pushover, but she’s still pretty weak. She has her moments when she tries to stand up for herself, but they fall short IMO. I may feel this way due to my being a fucking bitch who has never had a problem telling someone to go fuck themselves if they so much as try to disrespect me. My standards for strength and bravery of book heroines are very, very high. Katy tried. She tried. I’ll give her that.
The whole storyline was lackluster. I can’t explain much without spoiling, but nothing blew me away. I enjoyed some of it, but not a whole lot. I could take it or leave it. I'll definitely not ever be rereading it and I love rereading. If anything, I found myself rolling my eyeballs a lot at all the stupid shit that was happening.
2 stars because I finished it, at least.
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*Spoiler-free.
Just a quickie review:
And the plot thickens. (There goes my cliché quota for the month.) Well, this got better, no?
Pro: While I’ll decline to comment on the author’s writing in the technical sense (I’m no pro), I found this book to be fantastically quote-worthy. It so often brought me to laughter and I cherish that in a book.
Con: I thought the author resorted to carnal pleasures too often in this one, but there was enough character growth that it balanced out for me in the end.
A few quick thoughts:
Val - I still like you. I know you’re misunderstood. You’re just young, dumb, and full of – vigor.. Ha. Also, you should get your pebbles checked out. I'm not sure that what's happening there is kosher.
Rachel – MildMayhap your fucked up self could cease to exist sometime soon? K, thanks.
Jack – MildReally? REALLY, Jack? Fuck you.
Val's father aka what's-your-face -Good riddance. Amen.
Lucas – I’m tired of your huge cock.
Lastly, the ending was a cliffhanger and while I usually hate those, this one worked for me. It got me so amped for the next book, that when I think about it for too long, I get a little wild-eyed. Very excited about where this is heading.
Was this quickie review good for you, too?
Just a quickie review:
And the plot thickens. (There goes my cliché quota for the month.) Well, this got better, no?
Pro: While I’ll decline to comment on the author’s writing in the technical sense (I’m no pro), I found this book to be fantastically quote-worthy. It so often brought me to laughter and I cherish that in a book.
Con: I thought the author resorted to carnal pleasures too often in this one, but there was enough character growth that it balanced out for me in the end.
A few quick thoughts:
Val - I still like you. I know you’re misunderstood. You’re just young, dumb, and full of – vigor.. Ha. Also, you should get your pebbles checked out. I'm not sure that what's happening there is kosher.
Rachel – Mild
Jack – Mild
Val's father aka what's-your-face -
Lucas – I’m tired of your huge cock.
Lastly, the ending was a cliffhanger and while I usually hate those, this one worked for me. It got me so amped for the next book, that when I think about it for too long, I get a little wild-eyed. Very excited about where this is heading.
Was this quickie review good for you, too?
Legendary, Legend is not.
Cue indifference:
This review will be pretty un-legendary, too. Because flu.
Judging by reviews, a lot of people seemed to have been blown away by Legend. Personally, I found it to be quite forgettable. It wasn’t horrible, so it was easy enough to pick up, but it was also just as easy to put down. It was pretty typical fare, as dystopians go.
Here's a short and lazy bulleted list, because flu. Yes, it's definitely time for the mediocre effort of a bulleted list:
- Implausible and unexplained world-building. You say your society is whaaa? And it became that way how? And the world-wide ramifications are whaaa? Don't ask these questions while reading this book and you'll greatly improve your reading experience.
- MC's with near super "powers".
Oh, you and your bum knee are just going to jump out of a two-story window and Walk It Out?
Okay.
Oh, the other MC is going to scale a building Spiderman-style?
Okay.
- Near insta-love. Near. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight, but the romance definitely progressed rather quickly. I was neither convinced nor moved.
- Super-predictable. The pacing is decent for the most part, but that’s moot, because you will always know what happens next.
- So forgettable, that I’m running out of points to make.
I will say that there were a couple of heart-stopping moments that helped this book to not suck too much.
Bottom line: Marie Lu's Legend is at best mediocre, much like this lackluster review, but decent show more enough that I’ll try the sequel [b:Prodigy|13414446|Prodigy (Legend, #2)|Marie Lu|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336254717s/13414446.jpg|18712554].
For better more reviews, visit my blog:
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Cue indifference:
This review will be pretty un-legendary, too. Because flu.
Judging by reviews, a lot of people seemed to have been blown away by Legend. Personally, I found it to be quite forgettable. It wasn’t horrible, so it was easy enough to pick up, but it was also just as easy to put down. It was pretty typical fare, as dystopians go.
Here's a short and lazy bulleted list, because flu. Yes, it's definitely time for the mediocre effort of a bulleted list:
- Implausible and unexplained world-building. You say your society is whaaa? And it became that way how? And the world-wide ramifications are whaaa? Don't ask these questions while reading this book and you'll greatly improve your reading experience.
- MC's with near super "powers".
Oh, you and your bum knee are just going to jump out of a two-story window and Walk It Out?
Okay.
Oh, the other MC is going to scale a building Spiderman-style?
Okay.
- Near insta-love. Near. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight, but the romance definitely progressed rather quickly. I was neither convinced nor moved.
- Super-predictable. The pacing is decent for the most part, but that’s moot, because you will always know what happens next.
- So forgettable, that I’m running out of points to make.
I will say that there were a couple of heart-stopping moments that helped this book to not suck too much.
Bottom line: Marie Lu's Legend is at best mediocre, much like this lackluster review, but decent show more enough that I’ll try the sequel [b:Prodigy|13414446|Prodigy (Legend, #2)|Marie Lu|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336254717s/13414446.jpg|18712554].
For better more reviews, visit my blog:
show less
Holy crap. This is hilarious. I cannot wait until the complete book is out. I couldn't stop laughing.
Interesting concept, interesting characters, but so short that it fell short. It ends so abruptly and I'm unsure if there will be follow-up.
I love anything Curran and everything Curran. Love. Deeply. Curran.
**No spoils.
2.5 Stars I’m being mighty generous in rounding up here. I was tempted to round down for this one book.
Immediate reaction after reading : Hooraaaayy!! It's finally over. Woohoooo!!..
After some reflection : MEH. For how long and often I've been bashed over the head with how great this series is, I was seriously unimpressed. To be fair, the book wasn’t horrifically bad, but neither was it awesome as is widely purported. It could very well be attributed to 1st Book Syndrome, so I won’t end my Harry Dresden journey here, but it better get good quick, because I’m getting tired of mediocrity and less than mediocrity. I’m starving for a 5 star book.
The plotline was good. Enough. Good enough. The characters were fine. They were nothing special and only one other than Harry made any kind of impression on meMurphy. A bit. Thought her taking care of Harry was kind. I’d like to see more of her. I liked Harry, but not a lot. He was.. ok. What really blew it for me was the nonstop droning of Harry’s inner thoughts. Typically, when I get stuck with a book that drones on and on, I skip and skim – you can’t do that with an audio version. Well, you could, but I’m not trying to get into the mess of trying to find my place and all that jazz, especially as I listen to these while driving. The long/short of it is that I spent a lot of my work commute time screaming at my car stereo for Harry to STFUUUUUUUP. Shut up, shut up, shut up! Ugh. I would drift off show more into random thoughts for minutes at a time and when I’d drift back, he was still droning on about the same stupid shit and I never missed anything important during these attention lapses. Never.
In the “final showdown”, Harry arrives at the villain’s location and proceeds to “inner speak” for nearly 12 MINUTES before even attempting to approach the door. 12 minutes of, I’m Harry Dresden. I am speshul. I am powerful. They can’t bring me down. They don’t know who they’re messing with. I can do this and I can do that and they can’t do this and they can’t do that and I’m the best and I’m unstoppable and I’m so amazing and who do they think they are and I'll show them and I have another 10minutesofthisinfuriatinginnerbantertogobeforeItakeasinglesteptowardsthestupidfuckingdoorandonandonandon… STFUUUUUUP!!! I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I got anxiety listening to this, because I couldn’t skip ahead, as it was the final showdown and therefore, an important part of the story. Meanwhile, he gets his ass handed to him before he kinda lucks out at the end and defeats the villain. Where is all this frikkin power you incessantly speak of, Harry? Anywho, I’ve gone on long enough about it. You get my drift.
There were snippets of good storytelling here and there and I see reviews that mention the series getting better after book 3, so I’m just gonna Wiki book 2 and skim the summary to see what happens. I'm then diving straight into book 3. If that's not better, I dunno if I'll continue.
Lastly, if I could say one thing to Harry, it would be:
Don’t talk about it Harry, BE about it. show less
2.5 Stars I’m being mighty generous in rounding up here. I was tempted to round down for this one book.
Immediate reaction after reading : Hooraaaayy!! It's finally over. Woohoooo!!..
After some reflection : MEH. For how long and often I've been bashed over the head with how great this series is, I was seriously unimpressed. To be fair, the book wasn’t horrifically bad, but neither was it awesome as is widely purported. It could very well be attributed to 1st Book Syndrome, so I won’t end my Harry Dresden journey here, but it better get good quick, because I’m getting tired of mediocrity and less than mediocrity. I’m starving for a 5 star book.
The plotline was good. Enough. Good enough. The characters were fine. They were nothing special and only one other than Harry made any kind of impression on me
In the “final showdown”, Harry arrives at the villain’s location and proceeds to “inner speak” for nearly 12 MINUTES before even attempting to approach the door. 12 minutes of, I’m Harry Dresden. I am speshul. I am powerful. They can’t bring me down. They don’t know who they’re messing with. I can do this and I can do that and they can’t do this and they can’t do that and I’m the best and I’m unstoppable and I’m so amazing and who do they think they are and I'll show them and I have another 10minutesofthisinfuriatinginnerbantertogobeforeItakeasinglesteptowardsthestupidfuckingdoorandonandonandon… STFUUUUUUP!!! I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I got anxiety listening to this, because I couldn’t skip ahead, as it was the final showdown and therefore, an important part of the story. Meanwhile, he gets his ass handed to him before he kinda lucks out at the end and defeats the villain. Where is all this frikkin power you incessantly speak of, Harry? Anywho, I’ve gone on long enough about it. You get my drift.
There were snippets of good storytelling here and there and I see reviews that mention the series getting better after book 3, so I’m just gonna Wiki book 2 and skim the summary to see what happens. I'm then diving straight into book 3. If that's not better, I dunno if I'll continue.
Lastly, if I could say one thing to Harry, it would be:
Don’t talk about it Harry, BE about it. show less
Another win for the Andrews. This is how you write a short. I love me some Dali. She's so frikkin cute and nerdy and I wanna friend her.
The magic stuffs and plot were interesting, but my only gripe is that they took center stage over romance. The story lacked a bit in romance. Nothing plot-wise felt too rushed - except for the end a bit, because I would have liked to read a little more aboutJim and Dali getting it on or something . I got the gist, but I wanted to read it with my own eyeballs.
Typically with the Andrews' shorts, I wish it was a bit longer. This one was a decent length, but for the tiny bit at the end, so I knocked off a star. Still a great read, though.
The magic stuffs and plot were interesting, but my only gripe is that they took center stage over romance. The story lacked a bit in romance. Nothing plot-wise felt too rushed - except for the end a bit, because I would have liked to read a little more about
Typically with the Andrews' shorts, I wish it was a bit longer. This one was a decent length, but for the tiny bit at the end, so I knocked off a star. Still a great read, though.
3.5 Stars
I read this a few months ago, so bear with me.
I love me some Flo! She’s such an endearing character. I just want to hug her and tell her everything will be alright. She has a dark, sad past that has left her completely broken and distrusting. She’s also socially inept and she constantly tells herself she’s weak, but thankfully her actions say otherwise. She’s got balls and when she’s backed into a corner, she’s got some fight in her for the most part – she just doesn’t believe it. One thing that stands out about her is that she tries new things with purpose. She always tries to put on a brave face and I just love her for it. She’s just so likable.
There were some negatives:
- The villain is so frikkin obvious right off the bat.
- Flo is too impressionable and she behaves stupidly upon hearing some ridiculous news. I can’t explain without spoiling, but suffice to say that a good part of the story is contrived simply for the creation of conflict. No me gusta.
- Flo has trouble putting 2 and 2 together, so it’s frustrating, because you can figure it out from early on.
Despite these negatives, I really enjoyed this book. It’s Flo. It’s all because of her. She has a lot of potential. Yes, she had some faults, but if she started off this strong, I can only hope she will get even better.
I’ll definitely be reading book 2.
I read this a few months ago, so bear with me.
I love me some Flo! She’s such an endearing character. I just want to hug her and tell her everything will be alright. She has a dark, sad past that has left her completely broken and distrusting. She’s also socially inept and she constantly tells herself she’s weak, but thankfully her actions say otherwise. She’s got balls and when she’s backed into a corner, she’s got some fight in her for the most part – she just doesn’t believe it. One thing that stands out about her is that she tries new things with purpose. She always tries to put on a brave face and I just love her for it. She’s just so likable.
There were some negatives:
- The villain is so frikkin obvious right off the bat.
- Flo is too impressionable and she behaves stupidly upon hearing some ridiculous news. I can’t explain without spoiling, but suffice to say that a good part of the story is contrived simply for the creation of conflict. No me gusta.
- Flo has trouble putting 2 and 2 together, so it’s frustrating, because you can figure it out from early on.
Despite these negatives, I really enjoyed this book. It’s Flo. It’s all because of her. She has a lot of potential. Yes, she had some faults, but if she started off this strong, I can only hope she will get even better.
I’ll definitely be reading book 2.
Meh. Not my favorite. I enjoyed the first half more than the second. Felt like it was a bit too far-fetched and that made it hard to take any of the characters seriously.
I worship the paper Ilona Andrews writes on, so Kate's prequel was superb and my sole reason for reading this. The Cat & Bones short was mediocre and had plot holes. I coulda lived without it.
If you love Kate Daniels like I do, def read this.
If you love Kate Daniels like I do, def read this.
Done. I give up at 46%. I just don't give a fuck and I'm dozing off.
Don't know if I can even review this. Might try tomorrow. Might not.
Don't know if I can even review this. Might try tomorrow. Might not.
Meh. Meeh. Meeeeh. I dunno. When I read "sex" and "Barrons" and "Barrons' POV", I come up with a heck of a lot more than what this tepid short delivered. Three words I'd use to describe this would be: wordy, boring, and safe. There was a hint of the carnality that is Barrons, but we get just a small taste. I wanted this short to ravish me, but it did little more than nibble my earlobe. Meh. I did like the little twist at the end, but all-in-all, I expected more from Moning. She does preface the story by saying that she may have bitten off more than she could chew in promising a sex-from-Barrons'- POV short. She wasn't lying.
My Fever reviews:
Fever #1 - Darkfever
Fever #2 - Bloodfever
Fever #3 - Faefever
Fever #4 - Dreamfever
Fever #5 - Shadowfever
Dani #1 - Iced
My Fever reviews:
Fever #1 - Darkfever
Fever #2 - Bloodfever
Fever #3 - Faefever
Fever #4 - Dreamfever
Fever #5 - Shadowfever
Dani #1 - Iced
I read this because I'm about to jump into Seraphina, but maybe it's best read after book 1. It was a nice enough tidbit, but as I don't know the characters, it didnt resonate with me. It definitely wasn't bad, though.
Wool by Hugh Howey
I can't believe what a big deal people are making about this author and one of his blog posts. You can see screenshots of the original posts on this blog.
I fail to see the misogyny. I read the original post when it was still up and I wasn't offended in the least. It's not like the dude called ALL women bitches.
If I called a dude an asshole or a prick, would I be an automatic misandrist? That's a pretty mild blog post, me thinks. Dude even stated reasons why he disliked the chick. Not because she was a woman, but because he didn't like her bahavior. He also refrained from disrespecting her in person and he didn't call her out by name.
Not jumping on this bandwagon of over-sensitivity. Calling one woman a bitch, because he felt like she was acting like a bitch is NOT misogyny. Calling someone crazy, because he felt like she was acting crazy is NOT misogyny. Look it up, ffs.
The blog post was in bad taste, yes, but it was NOT misogynistic. And that's my two cents.
I fail to see the misogyny. I read the original post when it was still up and I wasn't offended in the least. It's not like the dude called ALL women bitches.
If I called a dude an asshole or a prick, would I be an automatic misandrist? That's a pretty mild blog post, me thinks. Dude even stated reasons why he disliked the chick. Not because she was a woman, but because he didn't like her bahavior. He also refrained from disrespecting her in person and he didn't call her out by name.
Not jumping on this bandwagon of over-sensitivity. Calling one woman a bitch, because he felt like she was acting like a bitch is NOT misogyny. Calling someone crazy, because he felt like she was acting crazy is NOT misogyny. Look it up, ffs.
The blog post was in bad taste, yes, but it was NOT misogynistic. And that's my two cents.
Very short, but does manage to stir up your emotions, however slightly.
You can read it for free here.
You can read it for free here.
Hot. HOTTT. Started off a bit wordy, but I was all in by the time Curran's towel came off. I love, love Kate & Curran. Just love.
All stuff I already knew, but from Curran's POV, it put things in a new perspective. I love how he loves me. I mean her. He loves her. -_-
I find that with the Andrews' shorts, I always end up wanting more. This started off as their shorts do - without a glance back to see if you're keeping up. It's was a bit confusing at first, but you quickly get what's going on.
The story took a turn for me when I snort/choked at a witty line that I didn't see coming. The Andrews' never disappoint with the humor factor. There was some serious funny going on there, despite the seriousness of the world.
The only reason I gave this 3 stars is because I thought this would have been better as a longer story. I didn't feel there was enough time or interaction between the MC's to justify that shotgun ending. Had it been longer, I would have been more satisfied. The authors do know how to pull you in, though. If only for the laughs, it's a fun, quick read.
The story took a turn for me when I snort/choked at a witty line that I didn't see coming. The Andrews' never disappoint with the humor factor. There was some serious funny going on there, despite the seriousness of the world.
The only reason I gave this 3 stars is because I thought this would have been better as a longer story. I didn't feel there was enough time or interaction between the MC's to justify that shotgun ending. Had it been longer, I would have been more satisfied. The authors do know how to pull you in, though. If only for the laughs, it's a fun, quick read.
3.5 stars
Not bad. Interesting twist on the zombs, but I felt it was just starting to get good when it finished.
Not bad. Interesting twist on the zombs, but I felt it was just starting to get good when it finished.
I read this back in the early 90's. 92ish, I believe. At that time, I LOVED it. I read and reread it and reread it again, but the fact remains that I was around 13 years old. Let's face it, I didn't know shit about shit.
I have very fond memories of this story and I loved that Whitney was a little spitfire. The setting, particularly, really grabbed me. I so easily plopped myself into this imaginary, fantastical old world. What young, impressionable girl wouldn't be pulled in by fancy gowns, balls (the kinds you dance at -_- ), and royalty? The hot guy was merely icing on the teenaged fantasy cake.
Would I enjoy this now? Highly unlikely. The whole "love me by force" thing is too hard to swallow and I'm 33 now. You know. Old and gray. And I hate douchebags.
I've pondered rereading it, but I don't know if I ever will. I might be able to suspend disbelief and enjoy it as I once did, but maybe it'd just be best to live with the fond memories.
I have very fond memories of this story and I loved that Whitney was a little spitfire. The setting, particularly, really grabbed me. I so easily plopped myself into this imaginary, fantastical old world. What young, impressionable girl wouldn't be pulled in by fancy gowns, balls (the kinds you dance at -_- ), and royalty? The hot guy was merely icing on the teenaged fantasy cake.
Would I enjoy this now? Highly unlikely. The whole "love me by force" thing is too hard to swallow and I'm 33 now. You know. Old and gray. And I hate douchebags.
I've pondered rereading it, but I don't know if I ever will. I might be able to suspend disbelief and enjoy it as I once did, but maybe it'd just be best to live with the fond memories.
**No spoilers.
2.5 stars
This one is tough to rate, because while I don't hate it, I far from love it. This entire series has endless potential, but it’s drowned by trite and tiresome muck. There is, however, a good story lost in all the muck.
My main gripe and what ultimately ruined this series for me, is with the characters. I don’t care how good your story is, if your characters are twats and the majority of these characters were such twats. There were a lot of deaths – major players included, so kudos to Frater for not pulling her punches with that, but the problem is that I didn’t give a single little shit about most of them. They’d die horrific deaths and I’d just read on with nary a care. There were a few that did affect me, but they were very few. 2 – 3 maybe and it wasn't until near the end of the book. It really sucks that the first thing you give a shit about doesn’t happen until 80% of the way in.
Speaking of twats, what a silly bunch of twats. There were so many characters throughout the series that were so black & white. Not a shade of gray in sight. Most of the focus of the story was on the relationships and interactions of the survivors.
There were a LOT of racists, homophobes, sexists, classists, and religious fanatics. I’m not naïve. I know these types of people run rampant in our world, but the amount of time spent reading comically exaggerated rants by these particular characters was astounding. So too, was the ratio of these characters show more to “normal” characters. Every time you’d think the story had moved on to more pressing things (fuckin zombies), another homophobe or racist would pop up and start hurling slurs and insults at an alarming rate.
The focus on race, religion, and sexual preference was too much and it didn’t add anything to the story, nor did it make a difference with, ya know, the fuckin zombies. There was also a bunch of token characters (2 that come to mind are the sassy black chick with an attitude who is the only person not to say that a newborn is cute - she sassily says "It ain't ugly." - and her bff, the flamboyant gay dude who playfully calls all the ladies bitches and happens to be a hairstylist. Groundbreaking, I know. -_-) Combine all of that and you have, what was to me, muck.
Additionally, a LOT of characters were so irrational as to be downright silly. Hence, silly twats. It was all just really weird and contrived.
I might have felt more of a connection with the characters if I had been more emotionally invested in them. I wasn’t. I just didn’t care, nor did I understand what made them all so close. Yes, they are survivors, so of course that is an unbreakable bond, but I didn’t get that from reading this. The author told me, but failed to make me feel it.
Quite frankly, I’d liken reading this series to watching a mediocre zombie movie. It even read that way. Even worse, is that a lot of the characters kept referring to zombie movies. It was okay at first, but how many times are you gonna say that something reminds you of Dawn of the Dead? Specifically in reference to a couple of characters who happened to be muscular black dudes? Or have the MC say, “But they’re not supposed to be so fast. That’s against the rules.” It’s book 3. We get it. Your characters are zombie know-it-alls and they’ve read the [b:The Zombie Survival Guide|535441|The Zombie Survival Guide Complete Protection from the Living Dead|Max Brooks|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320562270s/535441.jpg|818] (some did). You needn’t bash us over the head with zombie pop culture references.
On a side note: I don’t know what to say about the ghosts or, specifically, Jenni’s ghost becoming corporeal and battling zombs.. Wut? -_-
I felt the book was its most entertaining after 80%. That’s really when the zombies hit the fan and I was riveted for a short time. A lot of shit goes down and it's tense, but while I kinda like the ending, I thought it was built up to be way more than it actually was. I’m too nitpicky to not question that ending. I’m also not gonna feel emotional satisfaction simply because I’m told that what's happening is emotional and moving. It was portrayed as a life-changing moment, but it didn't feel much like it. Sigh.
I can't say I fully hate this book, because, admittedly, it had pockets of awesome strewn about.
I want to point out that despite me not having loved this series, I did love this author’s latest zombie novel, [b:The Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel|13581917|The Last Bastion of the Living A Futuristic Zombie Novel|Rhiannon Frater|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336741383s/13581917.jpg|19167528], which is set in a different world. I cannot stress enough how much I loved that book. It's what drove me to read this trilogy. Because of it, I factually know that Frater can write her ass off and has abundant skill.
I'll be reading more of her stuff.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog:
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2.5 stars
This one is tough to rate, because while I don't hate it, I far from love it. This entire series has endless potential, but it’s drowned by trite and tiresome muck. There is, however, a good story lost in all the muck.
My main gripe and what ultimately ruined this series for me, is with the characters. I don’t care how good your story is, if your characters are twats and the majority of these characters were such twats. There were a lot of deaths – major players included, so kudos to Frater for not pulling her punches with that, but the problem is that I didn’t give a single little shit about most of them. They’d die horrific deaths and I’d just read on with nary a care. There were a few that did affect me, but they were very few. 2 – 3 maybe and it wasn't until near the end of the book. It really sucks that the first thing you give a shit about doesn’t happen until 80% of the way in.
Speaking of twats, what a silly bunch of twats. There were so many characters throughout the series that were so black & white. Not a shade of gray in sight. Most of the focus of the story was on the relationships and interactions of the survivors.
There were a LOT of racists, homophobes, sexists, classists, and religious fanatics. I’m not naïve. I know these types of people run rampant in our world, but the amount of time spent reading comically exaggerated rants by these particular characters was astounding. So too, was the ratio of these characters show more to “normal” characters. Every time you’d think the story had moved on to more pressing things (fuckin zombies), another homophobe or racist would pop up and start hurling slurs and insults at an alarming rate.
The focus on race, religion, and sexual preference was too much and it didn’t add anything to the story, nor did it make a difference with, ya know, the fuckin zombies. There was also a bunch of token characters (2 that come to mind are the sassy black chick with an attitude who is the only person not to say that a newborn is cute - she sassily says "It ain't ugly." - and her bff, the flamboyant gay dude who playfully calls all the ladies bitches and happens to be a hairstylist. Groundbreaking, I know. -_-) Combine all of that and you have, what was to me, muck.
Additionally, a LOT of characters were so irrational as to be downright silly. Hence, silly twats. It was all just really weird and contrived.
I might have felt more of a connection with the characters if I had been more emotionally invested in them. I wasn’t. I just didn’t care, nor did I understand what made them all so close. Yes, they are survivors, so of course that is an unbreakable bond, but I didn’t get that from reading this. The author told me, but failed to make me feel it.
Quite frankly, I’d liken reading this series to watching a mediocre zombie movie. It even read that way. Even worse, is that a lot of the characters kept referring to zombie movies. It was okay at first, but how many times are you gonna say that something reminds you of Dawn of the Dead? Specifically in reference to a couple of characters who happened to be muscular black dudes? Or have the MC say, “But they’re not supposed to be so fast. That’s against the rules.” It’s book 3. We get it. Your characters are zombie know-it-alls and they’ve read the [b:The Zombie Survival Guide|535441|The Zombie Survival Guide Complete Protection from the Living Dead|Max Brooks|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320562270s/535441.jpg|818] (some did). You needn’t bash us over the head with zombie pop culture references.
On a side note:
I felt the book was its most entertaining after 80%. That’s really when the zombies hit the fan and I was riveted for a short time. A lot of shit goes down and it's tense, but while I kinda like the ending, I thought it was built up to be way more than it actually was. I’m too nitpicky to not question that ending. I’m also not gonna feel emotional satisfaction simply because I’m told that what's happening is emotional and moving. It was portrayed as a life-changing moment, but it didn't feel much like it. Sigh.
I can't say I fully hate this book, because, admittedly, it had pockets of awesome strewn about.
I want to point out that despite me not having loved this series, I did love this author’s latest zombie novel, [b:The Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel|13581917|The Last Bastion of the Living A Futuristic Zombie Novel|Rhiannon Frater|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336741383s/13581917.jpg|19167528], which is set in a different world. I cannot stress enough how much I loved that book. It's what drove me to read this trilogy. Because of it, I factually know that Frater can write her ass off and has abundant skill.
I'll be reading more of her stuff.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog:
show less